LEGO Icons Star Trek GWP revealed!
Posted by TheBrickPal,
The much anticipated 10356 Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D was revealed earlier today and the gift-with-purchase designed to accompany it, 40768 Star Trek: Type-15 Shuttlepod, has now been fully unveiled!
The model, based on the Onizuka shuttlepod from Star Trek: The Next Generation, will be available with any purchase of the Enterprise from November 28th to December 1st. This set also contains an exclusive minifigure of Ensign Ro Laren.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments, and view more images after the break...
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76 comments on this article
Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay
I really like this GWP, which sadly makes the Enterprise a day-1 must for me.
@Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
I kind of understand leaving O'Brien out of both 10356 and this GWP, 40768.
His character was much better on Deep Space Nine than it was on The Next Generation, at least in my opinion.
@Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
Perhaps if Lego Star Trek is here to stay than a DS9 set will come out
Scalpers like this. ;)
So for this, they took a Mouse Droid, painted it white, ripped the wheels off and replaced them with seaplane floats? The end results looks like a City set. Same number of minifigs, too. Boring GWP.
And I'll say it before all the Germans get here: boooo, stickers!
@Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
this has my hopes up that some DS9 set is coming.
Waiting for Quark, Garak, Odo and especially Jadzia. And of course Miles.
All stickers, so could be recreated and stickers purchased or printed? Obviously not the fig, but man, this sucks for Trek fans.
Is NCC-1701-D on the front printed? Looks like all the other parts are stickers.
@CC said:
"Is NCC-1701-D on the front printed? Looks like all the other parts are stickers."
Nope, it's a sticker too. You can just about see the edge. Looks like they're transparent-backed - you can see the texture of the 4X4 slope on the front sides through the sticker. Unless that's a rendering error.
@dimc said:
"All stickers, so could be recreated and stickers purchased or printed? Obviously not the fig, but man, this sucks for Trek fans. "
I'm a little confused by this sentiment. It's one thing if you just object to stickers entirely, but I don't know how it would specifically be a problem that the set can be recreated with parts obtained from other sets.
@Andrusi said:
" @dimc said:
"All stickers, so could be recreated and stickers purchased or printed? Obviously not the fig, but man, this sucks for Trek fans. "
I'm a little confused by this sentiment. It's one thing if you just object to stickers entirely, but I don't know how it would specifically be a problem that the set can be recreated with parts obtained from other sets."
More the fig. Being able to build multiple shuttles is a plus, though it may be some time before third party stickers are available. I get that these are meant to boost sales, but it's very frustrating for people who want them and can't buy on day one or hour one. Would I love a witch king of Angmar? Certainly. Could I buy Barad Dur day one? No.
I will say this is probably one of the more beefy and successful GWPs that have happened. Well outside my budget obviously but it seems much more worthwhile than the Death Star GWP... especially since it comes with a set half the price lol.
Never give up!
Excellent pieces on that shuttle.
So why only one female character in the main set got chest shadow? It just seems inconsistent, enlightenment please?
@peterlmorris said:
"Never give up!"
Never surrender!
@DekoPuma said:
" @peterlmorris said:
"Never give up!"
Never surrender!"
Never say die!
We're quoting recent sets, right?
Just like with most GWPs I really like it. I would definitely buy this as a standalone set, but am not getting the Enterprise.
Interesting. For me, this is the first time ever the GWP is substantially more interesting than the associated main set.
No matter how you put it, these "pay up now or forever miss out" deals are just mean, and makes Lego appear greedy and evil. It must be really frustrating paying full price for the set like some months from now, and know that you got cheated out of a part of it. I'm not planning to buy the set so it's not an issue for me, but I feel really bad for those who wants it but aren't able to buy it day 1.
Is there a story behind the shuttle's name? I only associate it with the GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) manga and anime.
In the second-to-last picture, it really looks like she's yelling "Hey! *I* had the right of way!".
More stickers than pieces?
@axeleng said:
Is there a story behind the shuttle's name? I only associate it with the GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) manga and anime.
The shuttle is named after Astronaut Ellison Onizuka who died in the Challenger disaster.
@dimc said:
" @DekoPuma said:
" @peterlmorris said:
"Never give up!"
Never surrender!"
Never say die!
"
And never eat pears!
@axeleng said:
"Is there a story behind the shuttle's name? I only associate it with the GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka) manga and anime."
It’s named for Ellison Onizuka, who in real-world history was one of the astronauts killed in the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.
Agreed the GWPs are frustrating, but I admit I fully intend to cave in on this one and get the set at release. I love Star Trek enough that I want to get all the Trek sets LEGO releases, unless it winds up being an unmanageable Star Wars-like deluge, which I’m sure won’t happen, and in particular I love Ro Laren and really dig this highly playable-looking Shuttlepod. But I do sincerely wish folks could just buy it on its own with no rush or hassle.
@WizardOfOss said:
"More stickers than pieces?"
I’m not sure of the exact sticker count, but it appears to have about 13, and the piece count is 261, so no, not even close, even if stickers are actually part of the piece count. Even if the latter were the case, I think it’s safe to assume this doesn’t have 131 or more stickers.
@Blondie_Wan said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"More stickers than pieces?"
I’m not sure of the exact sticker count, but it appears to have about 13, and the piece count is 261, so no, not even close, even if stickers are actually part of the piece count. Even if the latter were the case, I think it’s safe to assume this doesn’t have 131 or more stickers.
"
The magic of sarcasm remains a mystery to some...
Really solid build, pity its not a retail set.
@R0Sch said:
"Scalpers like this. ;)"
I imagine many resellers will buy a set, sell the GWP and split the set into minifigures and the ship. Some people will whine about it calling them scalpers but others will be pleased that they could buy the shuttle by itself or the ship by itself or the set of minifigures or individual minifigures. If anyone wants the ship, the figures and the GWP then they can buy it when released, the same as any reseller.
I'd rather buy the Enterprise at some point in time after the release, but this GWP makes me want to buy it day one. Their policy sucks indeed, but well... Maybe I'll sell the Enterprise first, and buy it another day.
@BelgianBricker said:
" @Blondie_Wan said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"More stickers than pieces?"
I’m not sure of the exact sticker count, but it appears to have about 13, and the piece count is 261, so no, not even close, even if stickers are actually part of the piece count. Even if the latter were the case, I think it’s safe to assume this doesn’t have 131 or more stickers.
"
The magic of sarcasm remains a mystery to some..."
As does the pleasure of understatement.
I'm no Trekkie, but whoever this character is is probably more notable than Deagol and should probably not be locked behind a limited-time promotion.
Nobody has mentioned the Klingon Bird of Prey shown on the shuttle screen interior? I would think that would be a delightful future set to see.
Lego needs to have this as a normal set, but also have it available as a GWP for the few days it is available as one. It's such a shame as it's such an amazing design.
@chief7575 said:
"Nobody has mentioned the Klingon Bird of Prey shown on the shuttle screen interior? I would think that would be a delightful future set to see."
One would indeed, though I think the ship on the display is actually a Romulan Warbird (which would also be a delightful future set to see).
Really, there are just a lot of things in Star Trek that would make great sets (and, indeed, in many cases already have, albeit for BlueBrixx…).
@Blondie_Wan said:
" @chief7575 said:
"Nobody has mentioned the Klingon Bird of Prey shown on the shuttle screen interior? I would think that would be a delightful future set to see."
One would indeed, though I think the ship on the display is actually a Romulan Warbird (which would also be a delightful future set to see).
Really, there are just a lot of things in Star Trek that would make great sets (and, indeed, in many cases already have, albeit for BlueBrixx…)."
It is a Romulan Warbird, though both that and Klingon would be amazing. I like they included Ro Karen, though it's a shame Tasha Yar is absent.
Miles' absence gives me hope for DS9 too, and maybe gwp Defiant.
resistance is futile.what a great gwp and a fantastic set. It will be a day one buy for me
@Blondie_Wan said:
" @chief7575 said:
"Nobody has mentioned the Klingon Bird of Prey shown on the shuttle screen interior? I would think that would be a delightful future set to see."
One would indeed, though I think the ship on the display is actually a Romulan Warbird (which would also be a delightful future set to see).
Really, there are just a lot of things in Star Trek that would make great sets (and, indeed, in many cases already have, albeit for BlueBrixx…)."
Oh cool, that would be neat too. Sorry I had the ship mixed up. They look similar on the tiny graphic. Hopefully both will happen in the future!
As much as I like Ensign Ro, I wish we could also get a polybag with Lieutenant Yar accompanied by a big black puddle of oil!
@shaase said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
Perhaps if Lego Star Trek is here to stay than a DS9 set will come out"
Yeah, he'll hopefully get his chance next!
Unusually for a dedicated GWP this looks pretty good and, being Black Friday weekend, there's obviously a chance of 1 or 2 additional GWPs as well. However, as I haven't seen a single Next Generation episode, I'm more interested in the Insiders Weekend the week before!
Hopefully O’Brien will show up in the (hopefully) inevitable DS9 set, as others have noted. Both DS9 and Voyager had 10 principle cast members over their runs, so expecting any extras on top of those characters (Nog, Rom, Garek, the Nagus, Winn Adami etc.) is wishful thinking. We need a CMF frankly. In the meantime this GWP is superb, and I’d much rather have Ro than not. It’s a good start, just needs following up.
@SithLord196 said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
I kind of understand leaving O'Brien out of both 10356 and this GWP, 40768.
His character was much better on Deep Space Nine than it was on The Next Generation, at least in my opinion. "
Miles probably enjoyed his time on the Enterprise more, though. After all, TNG writers never said, "How can we torture O'Brien this week?"
@DekoPuma said:" @peterlmorris said:"Never give up!"
Never surrender!"
By Grabthar's hammer, by the Suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged!
@TheOtherMike said:
" @SithLord196 said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
I kind of understand leaving O'Brien out of both 10356 and this GWP, 40768.
His character was much better on Deep Space Nine than it was on The Next Generation, at least in my opinion. "
Miles probably enjoyed his time on the Enterprise more, though. After all, TNG writers never said, "How can we torture O'Brien this week?""
Set designers are currently figuring out how to split O'Brien's consciousness across every minifigure they manufacture of him, stay tuned.
@daniellesa said:
" @Blondie_Wan said:
" @chief7575 said:
"Nobody has mentioned the Klingon Bird of Prey shown on the shuttle screen interior? I would think that would be a delightful future set to see."
One would indeed, though I think the ship on the display is actually a Romulan Warbird (which would also be a delightful future set to see).
Really, there are just a lot of things in Star Trek that would make great sets (and, indeed, in many cases already have, albeit for BlueBrixx…)."
It is a Romulan Warbird, though both that and Klingon would be amazing. I like they included Ro Karen, though it's a shame Tasha Yar is absent.
Miles' absence gives me hope for DS9 too, and maybe gwp Defiant."
I’d like for a DS9 set to just plain come with a little Defiant that can be docked with the station (and if there’s a GWP, maybe make it some other ship in a small scale that can similarly be docked there, like Enterprise-D, Voyager, or a Klingon Bird of Prey). This Enterprise D has a saucer separation feature, and a Voyager offers the chance for both movable warp nacelles and retractable landing struts, but the actual Deep Space Nine station would be harder to incorporate play features into on its own, unless they do it in a huge scale (so that they can have all those weapons upgrades extend and retract, say, or perhaps have the runabout docking platforms raise and lower); having other ships dock to it would ameliorate that.
A TOS 1701 could perhaps have opening shuttle bay doors, with a removable shuttlecraft. And of course, any number of shuttlecraft / shuttlepods / runabouts could accommodate minifigures and have working doors and whatnot.
Once again, I despise the GWP items like this. This should be its own sold-separately set, with its own availability. The main set doesn't *need* a sweetener to sell.
Being a gated GWP like that is just helpful to convince me to ignore that Lego is doing Star Trek at all altogether. It's not a carrot; it's a stick.
All this "sneakerhead" mentality in charge over there in Lego HQ needs to be gotten rid of.
Disappointing; it would have been a perfect little $20AUD set but I guess that LEGO seemingly has no interest in people who aren't dropping hundreds of dollars on their Icons range.
@BLProductions said:
"So for this, they took a Mouse Droid, painted it white, ripped the wheels off and replaced them with seaplane floats? The end results looks like a City set. Same number of minifigs, too. Boring GWP. "
To be fair, this is exactly what the Shuttle Pod looks like in the show. I would argue it is more screen accurate than the Enterprise set is!
I will not be buying the Enterprise-D, but I would've absolutely bought this if it were sold separately.
I found this set more appealing then Enterprise
I like this more, than the actual set. Bummer it's a GWP. Buying and sending the actual set back to get the GWP it is...
If more people did this, it would probably send the right message to Lego.
This will cost as much as the big set itself on eBay. Oh wait, I thought people have no money and barely get by .... never mind
I would buy this shuttle on its own as has some clever building techniques for its size, swish-able and looks great on display. Maybe eventually but parts as seem fairly standard rather than eBay extortion.
@Blondie_Wan said:
" @BelgianBricker said:
" @Blondie_Wan said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
"More stickers than pieces?"
I’m not sure of the exact sticker count, but it appears to have about 13, and the piece count is 261, so no, not even close, even if stickers are actually part of the piece count. Even if the latter were the case, I think it’s safe to assume this doesn’t have 131 or more stickers.
"
The magic of sarcasm remains a mystery to some..."
As does the pleasure of understatement."
Yes, it can be funny. You should have used it in your reply.
@Amik said:
"This will cost as much as the big set itself on eBay. Oh wait, I thought people have no money and barely get by .... never mind"
If you believe that and think it is that easy to sell a GWP for such a huge amount of money then why not buy the big set and sell this, meaning you get the big set almost for free?
@PjtorXmos said:
"I like this more, than the actual set. Bummer it's a GWP. Buying and sending the actual set back to get the GWP it is...
If more people did this, it would probably send the right message to Lego."
The message that you want your account flagged and blocked if you do it again?
@ShilohCyan said:
"I'm no Trekkie, but whoever this character is is probably more notable than Deagol and should probably not be locked behind a limited-time promotion. "
She's actually a really good choice to accompany a GWP: a prominent enough character to be desirable, but still minor enough that nobody would be saying "where the hell is Ensign Ro?" if the minifig was someone else.
Something I haven't seen mentioned when it comes to both this and the Enterprise is how LEGO managed to not have to follow the strict rules CBS sets for packaging design. All Star Trek Merchandise has to follow the guidelines, which is why no matter whether it was a BlueBrixx set or is one by Playmobil or any other licensee all the box art looks the same. How LEGO got around it is a mystery to me. Not that I really care, I just find it curious.
should have been Tasha Yar and they we could have Armus a big black oil slick bad guy!
@CCC said:
" @Amik said:
"This will cost as much as the big set itself on eBay. Oh wait, I thought people have no money and barely get by .... never mind"
If you believe that and think it is that easy to sell a GWP for such a huge amount of money then why not buy the big set and sell this, meaning you get the big set almost for free?"
First, I was being sarcastic. Second, this will sell for at least $100, I'm guessing $150 and some crazies will ask $200+. The point is either you won't have it or will double-triple pay for it
@CamberbrickGreen said:
"So why only one female character in the main set got chest shadow? It just seems inconsistent, enlightenment please?"
That character is counselor Deanna Troi who for most of the series (the first 5 of the 7 seasons) never wore standard uniforms but always a rather feminine, non-uniform attire. While that was supposedly meant to emphasize her empathic, diplomatic role, to me it echoed the overtly sexy uniforms of the female characters in the original Star Trek series.
So even though for the last two seasons she did wear standard uniforms, depicting her like this is true to her character.
@shaase said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
Perhaps if Lego Star Trek is here to stay than a DS9 set will come out"
We can hope! A Defiant or a runabout would be fantastic. As much as I love Star Trek, competing for 400 of my Lego dollars is a tough fight. Gimme something in the $100-150 range and I'm much more likely to buy.
@SeparatorGuyChallis said:
"should have been Tasha Yar and they we could have Armus a big black oil slick bad guy!"
Ooh, maybe we get Star Trek battle packs with a bunch of red-shirts! Though, from TNG onward I guess they'd be gold-shirts... either way: these figures are generic enough that we really just need the torsos. We can Bricklink all the legs, faces, and hairpieces for any other crew members!
@CCC said:
" @PjtorXmos said:
"I like this more, than the actual set. Bummer it's a GWP. Buying and sending the actual set back to get the GWP it is...
If more people did this, it would probably send the right message to Lego."
The message that you want your account flagged and blocked if you do it again?"
Not really sure what you mean by that. You know I'm still paying for the GWP, right? I'm just returning the product I don't want, because that's my legal right in the EU as long as I do it within 14 days of delivery.
@PjtorXmos said:
" @CCC said:
" @PjtorXmos said:
"I like this more, than the actual set. Bummer it's a GWP. Buying and sending the actual set back to get the GWP it is...
If more people did this, it would probably send the right message to Lego."
The message that you want your account flagged and blocked if you do it again?"
Not really sure what you mean by that. You know I'm still paying for the GWP, right? I'm just returning the product I don't want, because that's my legal right in the EU as long as I do it within 14 days of delivery."
It's against LEGO T's and C's to do as you suggest @PjtorXmos , and you will get blacklisted if / when caught. this means no more online LEGO orders / going to LEGO stores, and possibly no Bricklink purchases either, as both systems are integrated now.
@Murdoch17 said:
" @PjtorXmos said:
" @CCC said:
" @PjtorXmos said:
"I like this more, than the actual set. Bummer it's a GWP. Buying and sending the actual set back to get the GWP it is...
If more people did this, it would probably send the right message to Lego."
The message that you want your account flagged and blocked if you do it again?"
Not really sure what you mean by that. You know I'm still paying for the GWP, right? I'm just returning the product I don't want, because that's my legal right in the EU as long as I do it within 14 days of delivery."
It's against LEGO T's and C's to do as you suggest @PjtorXmos , and you will get blacklisted if / when caught. this means no more online LEGO orders / going to LEGO stores, and possibly no Bricklink purchases either, as both systems are integrated now."
Ok I just checked it. You are technically correct.
However I have seen a lot of people do it without any consequences. I guess if you buy enough other stuff and don't just completely abuse this strat, it should be fine.
Again, the price associated with the GWP just gets deducted from the return, so Lego profits from it either way.
@CaptainRed said:
" @CamberbrickGreen said:
"So why only one female character in the main set got chest shadow? It just seems inconsistent, enlightenment please?"
That character is counselor Deanna Troi who for most of the series (the first 5 of the 7 seasons) never wore standard uniforms but always a rather feminine, non-uniform attire. While that was supposedly meant to emphasize her empathic, diplomatic role, to me it echoed the overtly sexy uniforms of the female characters in the original Star Trek series.
So even though for the last two seasons she did wear standard uniforms, depicting her like this is true to her character. "
Thank you- I thought maybe they had gone cheap on a unisex uniform top. As a 1980s kid I have no problem with that but I think consistency should prevail.
@Bagelwolf said:
" @shaase said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"Would have probably rather had Chief OBrien but mkay"
Perhaps if Lego Star Trek is here to stay than a DS9 set will come out"
We can hope! A Defiant or a runabout would be fantastic. As much as I love Star Trek, competing for 400 of my Lego dollars is a tough fight. Gimme something in the $100-150 range and I'm much more likely to buy."
Personally, I'm hoping for midi-scale.
@TheOtherMike said:
"Miles probably enjoyed his time on the Enterprise more, though. After all, TNG writers never said, "How can we torture O'Brien this week?""
DS9 writers never had him kayaking on the holodeck.
@AustinPowers:
They get away with ignoring the packaging rules by being the biggest dog in the room. If you want to be in the business, you have to play by _their_ rules, not the other way around. Disney is the one exception, because they bought damn near everything TLG has already licensed.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Miles probably enjoyed his time on the Enterprise more, though. After all, TNG writers never said, "How can we torture O'Brien this week?""
DS9 writers never had him kayaking on the holodeck.
@AustinPowers:
They get away with ignoring the packaging rules by being the biggest dog in the room. If you want to be in the business, you have to play by _their_ rules, not the other way around. Disney is the one exception, because they bought damn near everything TLG has already licensed."
So you're suggesting CBS went to LEGO and asked them "would you please make a Star Trek set"? So CBS is paying for LEGO to be so gracious as to use the license? I thought it was you who explained to me in the comments to a different article that it is LEGO who has to pay for a license (and agree to the terms and conditions of the licensor) and not the other way around? So this applies to every license except for Star Trek?
Fascinating.
@AustinPowers said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"Miles probably enjoyed his time on the Enterprise more, though. After all, TNG writers never said, "How can we torture O'Brien this week?""
DS9 writers never had him kayaking on the holodeck.
@AustinPowers:
They get away with ignoring the packaging rules by being the biggest dog in the room. If you want to be in the business, you have to play by _their_ rules, not the other way around. Disney is the one exception, because they bought damn near everything TLG has already licensed."
So you're suggesting CBS went to LEGO and asked them "would you please make a Star Trek set"? So CBS is paying for LEGO to be so gracious as to use the license? I thought it was you who explained to me in the comments to a different article that it is LEGO who has to pay for a license (and agree to the terms and conditions of the licensor) and not the other way around? So this applies to every license except for Star Trek?
Fascinating. "
No, that is not what PurpleDave is suggesting. Where the hell did you get any of that?
Given all the love expressed here for Chief O'Brien, would a brick-built Myles (not just Brickheadz) be popular?
@AustinPowers said:
[[ @AustinPowers:
They get away with ignoring the packaging rules by being the biggest dog in the room. If you want to be in the business, you have to play by _their_ rules, not the other way around. Disney is the one exception, because they bought damn near everything TLG has already licensed.]]
So you're suggesting CBS went to LEGO and asked them "would you please make a Star Trek set"? So CBS is paying for LEGO to be so gracious as to use the license? I thought it was you who explained to me in the comments to a different article that it is LEGO who has to pay for a license (and agree to the terms and conditions of the licensor) and not the other way around? So this applies to every license except for Star Trek?
Fascinating. ]]
I’m not suggesting anything. We know Minecraft came to TLG, but we also know TLG has had to approach other IP owners regarding Ideas projects that were up for review. We believe TLG dropped their relationship with Shell, and we know they were kicked to the curb over SpongeBob. There is absolutely no way to look at this situation and know who courted whom without someone inside the company spilling the beans.
But look at any other Enterprise replica and it will be molded specifically to look like the filming model. You can’t really do that with a construction toy, where the result is going to be more stylized. And the plain simple truth is that, right now, the LEGO brand is a stronger property than Star Trek. They can more readily afford to walk away, with all their Star Wars money, so if Paramount wants a LEGO deal, it’s going to be non-negotiable that the _product_ has to be on the box, not the brand it represents. There’s no way to sell a LEGO set of the Enterprise without showing the set.
@PurpleDave: you're apparently completely missing my point.
And was talking about the box art situation. Of course the set/product can be shown on the box. But it's ok, I give up trying to get my points across, it's no use here anyway.
@AustinPowers said:
" @PurpleDave: you're apparently completely missing my point.
And was talking about the box art situation. Of course the set/product can be shown on the box. But it's ok, I give up trying to get my points across, it's no use here anyway. "
If you have a point to be made, examples would have helped. Otherwise, I'd just say to look at a hobby model kit, a die-cast toy, or a larger plastic toy, and all of these will likely feature packaging art that incorporates images of the actual filming model. Look at this LEGO set, that Erector set-looking version someone posted a link to, or a 3D foamcore puzzle, and all of these will feature images of the product because none of them are going to be photorealistic representations of the on-screen version. And while LSW has frequently used corner artwork that matched the style used on Hasbro action figures at Lucasfilm's behest, Star Wars used to be a merchandising juggernaut. Star Trek has never really been one, and certainly isn't even close to being in its prime these days. They're not getting the film model on the box, and they're getting the standard Icons box treatment. If any of that was a dealbreaker for them, they'd have been welcome to go sell tens of thousands of copies through another brand rather than millions through TLG.
@CamberbrickGreen said:
" @CaptainRed said:
" @CamberbrickGreen said:
"So why only one female character in the main set got chest shadow? It just seems inconsistent, enlightenment please?"
That character is counselor Deanna Troi who for most of the series (the first 5 of the 7 seasons) never wore standard uniforms but always a rather feminine, non-uniform attire. While that was supposedly meant to emphasize her empathic, diplomatic role, to me it echoed the overtly sexy uniforms of the female characters in the original Star Trek series.
So even though for the last two seasons she did wear standard uniforms, depicting her like this is true to her character. "
Thank you- I thought maybe they had gone cheap on a unisex uniform top. As a 1980s kid I have no problem with that but I think consistency should prevail. "
I don’t know whether cost considerations were a factor in the torso design at all, but while I wouldn’t have thought of this approach myself, I’m glad they’ve gone this way. One can easily take the uniformed figures from these two sets and turn them into other Trek characters with simple head swaps; the absence of both rank pips and gender markers across the whole breadth makes each torso useful for a broader range of characters than just the specific ones included in the set.
@Blondie_Wan said:
"I don’t know whether cost considerations were a factor in the torso design at all, but while I wouldn’t have thought of this approach myself, I’m glad they’ve gone this way. One can easily take the uniformed figures from these two sets and turn them into other Trek characters with simple head swaps; the absence of both rank pips and gender markers across the whole breadth makes each torso useful for a broader range of characters than just the specific ones included in the set."
To be fair, the TNG uniforms weren't exactly as form-hugging as the TOS ones, when it came to female characters (this is especially true for the TNG-era Romulans, who wore quilt-ponchos). And it's not the first time they've opted for unisex uniforms on minifigs, though I can't remember the specific instance where I first noticed it. It might have been firefighters, where the bulky protective layers pretty effectively conceal any indication of gender in real life.
@PurpleDave said:
" @Blondie_Wan said:
"I don’t know whether cost considerations were a factor in the torso design at all, but while I wouldn’t have thought of this approach myself, I’m glad they’ve gone this way. One can easily take the uniformed figures from these two sets and turn them into other Trek characters with simple head swaps; the absence of both rank pips and gender markers across the whole breadth makes each torso useful for a broader range of characters than just the specific ones included in the set."
To be fair, the TNG uniforms weren't exactly as form-hugging as the TOS ones, when it came to female characters (this is especially true for the TNG-era Romulans, who wore quilt-ponchos). And it's not the first time they've opted for unisex uniforms on minifigs, though I can't remember the specific instance where I first noticed it. It might have been firefighters, where the bulky protective layers pretty effectively conceal any indication of gender in real life."
That did also occur to me. I got into a discussion somewhere (I think it was in one of the other comment threads here at Brickset over these sets) about possible future Trek releases, and whether minifigures from the other shows (specifically thinking of TOS) would similarly use otherwise undifferentiated torsos distinguished only by color. I don’t think TOS minifigures would, not only because that era’s uniforms are more gendered (both showing the contours more and having significant differences in cut between men’s and women’s uniforms, with the latter’s miniskirts necessitating totally different legs and the latter’s torsos having the somewhat scooped necklines), and also having larger rank indicators (the braids near the cuffs of the sleeves; these TNG minifigures show TLG is perfectly willing to print arms for this theme). Note also that if they opt to have Kirk not in the gold tunic but the popular, iconic green one, that has a wraparound design completely different from the other uniform shirts, so that’d be still another distinctive torso graphic (never mind that some of these including that one have their own variations).
But it varies by series. The Enterprise uniforms are highly unisex, but do have very prominent piping in the division colors framing the shoulders; the rank pips are also positioned differently, in a way that would surely demand their inclusion more than the collar pips of the TNG era do. But those uniforms are otherwise pretty undifferentiated (though of course T’Pol and Phlox would have totally different looks). The later 24th century uniforms in DS9, Voyager, and the TNG movies would I think be differentiated mostly only by division colors, like these TNG ones (with obvious exceptions like Worf’s looks, cadet uniforms, etc.).