Subject:
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Re: Overview of LEGO Factory suggestions
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad
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Date:
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Mon, 29 Aug 2005 21:32:54 GMT
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Viewed:
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1173 times
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In lugnet.cad, Joe Strout wrote:
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OK, we’ve all had some time to play with LF and the new LDD now. I think
it’s time to try and compose a clear, well-thought-ought “dear LEGO” letter
explaining whatever seems to be in the way of this being a successful
program. It may be that LEGO is already aware of whatever we might say, but
then again, maybe not — it can’t hurt to give them our perspective, right?
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LET’S DO IT!!!!!
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So, let’s try for the moment to avoid the small stuff and focus on the core
issues. I think the major one is:
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otay
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1. Any model designed in LDD to actually look like something, ends up costing
way more than it is worth, because you have to buy 20 (or more) times as
many pieces as what the model actually uses.
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Just like real life -minus, Brick Link, ebay, etc,..... but yes your right.
I have always said, LEGO is smart about making their sets and parts collectible.
They ussually don’t open the flood gate to full.
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As a somewhat related issue,
2. Even if you were more concerned with designing a model to be reasonably
priced than with making it look like it should, this is pretty much
impossible to do, because LEGO has not yet explained what the part bags are.
The combination of these are that, I suspect, most ALEs will not make use of
LF either as designers nor as buyers. As designers, it feels rather
pointless to upload a model that you know nobody will buy because it’s
grossly overpriced. And of course, as buyers, you generally won’t want to
overpay for a particular model plus a bunch of unknown pieces — even
collectors would prefer to know what pieces they’re getting if they’re going
to shell out that kind of dough.
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This is a very good point. ALE’s (AFoL’s) masterfully use many elements and
quantities of parts in order to come up with a great MOC. This degree of parts
intensity equates to the real life prices associated with the kind of pallets we
use in our MOCs. Indeed some people’s creations are astronomical in terms of
price. Some MOCs could take many years to actually aquire.
I mean until you spent 5 years (or more as an example) buying and collecting,
then you sit down to make someting, the cross section of parts is formidible. I
was hoping in a way, LDD would help offset this difficulty. Somehow if the part
to wieght ratio could be um....more affordable!
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So if nothing is changed, I think the LF program is going to stall out and
probably be cancelled in a year or two. But, it seems quite salvageable. I
would propose these steps:
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I gotta say I unistalled 1.4 and re-installed 1.3 just so I could make a simple
screen shot of someting I was trying to show someone. Just to do that in 1.4 was
so difficult. Plus when I tried to change or add pallets in 1.4 all my parts on
the building grid dissapeard!
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1. Change the part bags. Even if it means a smaller palette at first, these
bags need to be optimized as much as possible for economic modelling. One
approach would be to have bags contain only a single part number and color,
with quantities in the 5-20 range (20 for small, cheap parts, and fewer of
larger more expensive ones). Another approach would be to identify sets of
related parts that often go together, and bag them together; for example,
left and right wing sections. But again, keep the quantities reasonably low.
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Exactly! I want to build stuff, I don’t care where it comes from, I need it!
But just like home, I try like heck to use and stay within the bounds of my
collection. So while using the parts from sets etc... is a challenge, it is
messing some of us up!
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2. Change LDD so that it’s aware of the bag divisions, and shows us in real
time, as we design, how many bags we’ve opened and how many unused parts are
left. For example, it could display “3/5” under a part if I’ve used 3, but I
get 5 with the bags I’ve already opened.
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Maybe like shade out the parts in the pallet and or have the qty inset adjust
next to the part on the pallet. If I have 4 left monkey arms, and when I use
one I want it to change to 3. Perhaps?
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Change #1 will greatly reduce the cost of the models, since you won’t be
getting so many unused parts in each one. And change #2 lets a conscientious
designer optimize their designs to fit the part bags.
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Good point(s)
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So, what do y’all think? Does this cover the major obstacles you see to
widespread LF nirvana? Do the suggestions seem sensible?
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I think so, and I’m glad your offering your opinnions. I am very excited by LDD,
though I am troubled at the limitation. Hopefully over time that will change.
One thing I think LEGO is spot on with is the prices. I know they are high, but
look at it like this. It is similar to what lengths we go to so we can build
with the varieties we are used to within our own collections.
Like Larry’s Yard Tower (which I never commented on, sorry Lar! I was lurking!)
Looking at the design and taking in to consideration the parts used, damn skippy
it cost 130 bucks. IRL, that is the kind of money some MOCs cost to make when
you have to go to TRU 20 times.
Then again, buying the model directly from LEGO should cost less and certainly
having the quantities of parts from whole set pallets plays a role in either
making it slightly difficult for us and at the same time doesn’t kill what
Lego’s distributing system has been currently built for. I suppose.
Thanks Joe!
e
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Overview of LEGO Factory suggestions
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| (...) -snip- (...) -snip- EXAMPLE: Food for thought Like how much would something like this cost? (URL) Fantastic Town creations by: jdavis Just the price alone for the real model if broken down in retail terms would be emense! I do wonder how it (...) (19 years ago, 30-Aug-05, to lugnet.cad, lugnet.general, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Overview of LEGO Factory suggestions
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| OK, we've all had some time to play with LF and the new LDD now. I think it's time to try and compose a clear, well-thought-ought "dear LEGO" letter explaining whatever seems to be in the way of this being a successful program. It may be that LEGO (...) (19 years ago, 29-Aug-05, to lugnet.cad, FTX) !
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