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On the digital front, the parts visibly intersect each other in Studio 2.0, but it does not flag the connection as an error (it usually does, but there are a number of situations where it doesn't). No idea if the parts exist in the consumer LDD so I haven't tested in it. I wonder if the issue in Studio 2.0 is present in the internal LDD as well. If you can't name any, then we can assume the both of you didn't dig very much into the topic off-brands."
What do you think -- Is this a problem that would worry you, or doesn't it matter? Should we continue to bring issues like this to your attention? The issue is that the software cannot perfectly model reality. A lot of parts in LDD were modelled pretty imprecisely, resulting in a wide variety of illegal connections being possible and legal connections not being possible. Stud.io is better in that regard but its still not perfect. You did the right thing, Huw. It's possible, and very important, to call out these quality issues in an objective but kind and human manner. Like others I think this article does a much better job of that. LEGO does want to know about these quality issues. Maybe they cancelled 40489 because they caught whatever issue it was just in time. (I've heard rumors to something entirely different but I'm not going to quote them here.) Just because these issues come up post-production doesn't mean LEGO has fallen off as a company or they stopped caring altogether. It just means even the most stringent of processes isn't 100% foolproof. It can be forced, but as you can see the parts are still at odd angles, and the pieces do not connect flushly.As for whether or not we’re being too harsh... honestly, I’m in the camp that we’re not. I’ve said it before that LEGO is acting like a premium brand, so I expect premium quality. Especially with the prices they ask for most sets. However, there is a civil way to give a heads up that something seems off, and I believe articles like this are the way to go.
I'd agree, I don't actually have an issue with the AT-AT set. A construction method that requires a degree of skill to disassemble I feel is fine for a large complex set and the intended audience for it. This set comes in a “thumb punch” style rectangular box. The front image depicts the three included minifigures in battle against a multi-armed, one-eyed monster as they all progress up the side of a city skyscraper. This seems to be a running theme for this franchise, as 76060 Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum also pitted three of the film’s characters against a tentacled foe. Photos of the film’s cast are present on the right-hand side of the box, and this set includes three of the four featured characters. Scarlet Witch gets left out, but she was available in the latest Marvel Collectible Minifigure series if you want to complete the band.
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Had the collision been accidental, with the expectation that the parts would sit flush with one another, the designer probably would not have left such a large "buffer zone" between the reversed plates and the tiled surface beneath them. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if an earlier sketch model had used 2x2 jumper plates to fill that space, which were removed once the usual quality assurance tests made it clear that this would stress the parts beyond their natural tolerances."
We have good youtubers covering off brands. So I decided to give several of them a try and see for myself. Some are crappy and some are honestly on par with Lego, at least quality-wise -> they offer similar products of LEGO quality but for a lower price. At the same time, Lego employs a very aggressive Frankfurt law firm to intimidate retailers of off-brands and exploits loopholes in German customs processing as well as the rather slowly moving legal system here. This led to a decrease of the popularity of the Lego COMPANY in recent years in Germany. As a side note, in the comics Gargantos is a villain of Namor the Sub-Mariner that resembles a giant green octopus. While this model could definitely be mistaken for a deep-sea creature, some people think this set more closely resembles the Doctor Strange villain Shuma-Gorath. The set name might be a red herring to protect valuable plot secrets…or it could just be the result of Marvel shuffling old names around for trademark protection purposes. We’ll have to wait until the movie comes out to know for sure. While the eye remains static, the surrounding tentacles offer tremendous articulation. Each of the longest tentacles features three joints, while the smaller appendages include two poseable joints. An exceptional range of positions for display are therefore possible, benefiting particularly from the ball joints which encircle Gargantos' round body. I don't know if it's just me, but I have the feeling that while many people are rightly complaining over this (and other issues with LEGO), only German commenters bring up how off-brand have better standards/cost less/are catching up with LEGO, etc. "To me, the AT-AT was a non-issue. This, on the other hand, is a serious issue (no matter what were the reasons why: physical or digital build, ancient mould, or what have you). It may not be a serious issue in terms of life and death but it is a serious issue in terms of QC and the premium asked for by the Lego Group. This is not a set I'm interested in but I was interested in getting the Lambo Sian and refrained to do so because their colour matching is so off that I cannot bring myself to spend that sort of money on so poor quality product. I am glad this has been reported and I don't care much if it is done politely or not - this is a "free" service helping Lego catching something they should have seen themselves and in the end help them get better (assuming they eventually learn the lesson). Doctor Strange in this set is almost identical to the one that appears in the 76185 Spider-Man at the Sanctum Workshop set. However, this set features a new torso printing with a chest symbol that more closely resembles his traditional comic appearance. To accommodate the symbol, the Eye of Agamotto has been lifted up higher, so that it looks more like a clasp for the cape rather than hanging down at his abdomen. As the movie this set is based on hasn’t released yet, this article may contain very light spoilers. I’ll be honest, this does seem like a fairly minor issue, but I do think it is a bit concerning. Something about the parts being placed like that just doesn’t look right. I could see this potentially causing confusion at best or damaged parts at worst by forcing pieces into these positions. That said, there are very few knots that are impossible to untie once tied, provided you’re willing to work at it. Gordion knots are the only one that comes to mind.
Don't assume such things as every German AFOL is a fan of Held der Steine or watches regularly videos from him! >:( The minifigures are where the set really shines for me. There have been numerous Doctor Strange figures in sets across various movie tie-ins, but Wong is a character that’s been a little harder to come by. And America Chavez is making her LEGO debut here (and her MCU debut in the corresponding movie). At first glance the assembly below, part of the creature's lower eyelid, looks innocuous, but closer inspection reveals what could be a design flaw.
The Completed Model
In this case, adding the Mixel joints to that fender might be acceptable, if the 1x6 plate was not added to the other end. I’ve seen instances where official sets bend geometry just a tiny bit, but it can’t do so in a way that creates undue stress. Without building this, I don’t know how much stress it creates, but visually it appears to be too much to pass muster. However, that doesn’t mean this is an illegal technique...yet. We asked LEGO to comment and received a response from Super Heroes design lead Jesper Neilsen: "We're happy you made us aware of this and we're looking into it." Well, that's three Lego lesbians, from three different fictional universes. (Tracer, Batwoman, and now America Chavez.) Wonder when they'll get around to the other letters because they've got the L covered. Although I guess 40516 could count..."
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