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| | | Author: | infinibrix  | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 07:35 | | Subject: | When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 253 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | | Status: | Open | | Vote: | [Yes|No] | |
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| Personally I don’t think we should lose the term minifigure because it’s very
key to how we and Lego describe the majority of their figures and at the moment
there are talks about Minfigs category being changed to ‘Figure’ and possibly
including everything from Lotso Bear to Baby Groot
I did discuss a solution here:-
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1192727
but I think it may have become a bit lost in the rest of the debate but I would
be interested in others thoughts on this or whether the term minifigure is even
still important or what minifigure should refer to going forward?
Here is my original suggestion:-
“On the subject of categorizing figures in general I think breaking down some
of this stuff might make more sense than renaming Minifigs to Figures and then
piling everything into the same place.
It’s a difficult one but I guess you have to start with defining a minifigure
and at the moment I can only think of two ways of doing this where by you define
it by Size after all a clue is in the word MINIfigure which does unfortunately
leave a lot of ambiguity or better still you define minifig by the fact it usesa
Torso Assembly?
Torso Assembly may be a good clear cut way of defining a minifig because almost
all traditional minifigs from a Dementor to a Lord Garmadon use the all-important
standard Torso design that holds a minifig together and its probably the one
key part that really defines what a minifigure looks like when we think of a
minifigure and with that in mind you could categorise as Follows:-
Minifigure – Anything that uses the Standard Torso Assembly design
Modified Figure – Anything from droids, to brick built Droids, to Skeletons and
stuff like Gollum, Slimer, Unikitty, Scurrier, Scooby etc..
Microfigure – Anything very small consisting of a single or maximum of two parts
such as Baby, Baby Yoda, Palpatine Hologram, Baby Groot, Trophy figures and all
those game figures etc..
You are then left with things like Cave Troll, Big Hulk etc. which can either
go under ‘Modified Figure’ or a separate ‘Large Figure’ Category?
Likewise are animals/creatures separated so that Polar bears, Wargs and Horses
go under ‘Modified Figure’ and stuff like baby dinos, spiders and snakes under
‘Microfigure’ or do they have their own ‘Animal category’?
Lots to think about....”
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| | | | | Author: | tons_of_bricks | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 08:13 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 42 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| I would consider a minifigure to be an assembly of parts that create some sort
of character.
I don't consider
[p=3062bpb001]
to be one, nor
[m=sw0984]
To me, those are just decorated bricks. However, I would consider the microfigures
and statuettes to be minifigures. Even though they are only one piece, they are
molded to look like a humanoid.
Then, if we were to separate minifigures from animals, that's a bit tricky.
The Fabuland characters are technically animals, but who actually thinks of them
as such?
My first thought would be to categorize animals as creatures that can't talk
(excluding robots), but that still doesn't quite work.
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| | | | | | | Author: | iprice | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 11:14 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 43 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, firestar246 writes:
| | I would consider a minifigure to be an assembly of parts that create some sort
of character.
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So a BrickHeadz model would be a mini-figure?  
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| | | | | Author: | StormChaser | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 09:13 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 58 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | but I think it may have become a bit lost in the rest of the debate
|
The purpose in a single discussion thread is so that we can keep everyone's
input in one place for review. It would be most helpful to us if people commented
within the thread that was opened for that purpose. Input posted outside the
thread may not receive the attention it deserves.
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| | | | | | | Author: | infinibrix | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 09:55 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 54 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, StormChaser writes:
| | In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | but I think it may have become a bit lost in the rest of the debate
|
The purpose in a single discussion thread is so that we can keep everyone's
input in one place for review. It would be most helpful to us if people commented
within the thread that was opened for that purpose. Input posted outside the
thread may not receive the attention it deserves.
|
Well since your topic was on the broader terms of ‘Item Types’ and my post had
barely been viewed since last night I saw no harm in creating a separate topic
specifically centred around 'Minifigures' and how they might be handled
especially on a forum where after about 20 replies to the OP most other replies
often disappear into the abyss where people either can no longer even see the
original post or they can’t be bothered to read much further on! Either way blame
the design of the forum not the way people post on it?
You then suggest that what I’m discussing is not relevant to what you’re discussing
in your own Topic and in which case does my post belong in your topic or not?
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| | | | | Author: | StormChaser | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 09:21 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 47 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | “On the subject of categorizing figures in general I think breaking down some
of this stuff might make more sense than renaming Minifigs to Figures and then
piling everything into the same place.
|
You may not be familiar with what we already include in the Minifigs item
type. Take a look at the bottom of this page:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2489
I'm also not sure you understand what we're discussing, which is item
types. There are six:
Sets
Parts
Minifigs
Gear
Books
Catalogs
The site is almost certainly not going to add more item types, so figures (whatever
figures they might be) are going into one of those six item types.
And right now they're spread across three different types: Parts, Minifigs,
and Gear. I think it might be prudent to group them under a single item type
(Figures) to make finding them easier.
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| | | | | | | Author: | infinibrix | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 10:09 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 49 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, StormChaser writes:
| | In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | “On the subject of categorizing figures in general I think breaking down some
of this stuff might make more sense than renaming Minifigs to Figures and then
piling everything into the same place.
|
You may not be familiar with what we already include in the Minifigs item
type. Take a look at the bottom of this page:
https://www.bricklink.com/help.asp?helpID=2489
I'm also not sure you understand what we're discussing, which is item
types. There are six:
Sets
Parts
Minifigs
Gear
Books
Catalogs
The site is almost certainly not going to add more item types, so figures (whatever
figures they might be) are going into one of those six item types.
And right now they're spread across three different types: Parts, Minifigs,
and Gear. I think it might be prudent to group them under a single item type
(Figures) to make finding them easier.
|
I’m familiar with those figures but as I say I don’t consider any of them to
be Minifigures and I think they should be separated from minifigures and whilst
I appreciate what you’re saying in that you currently have no movement in being
able to add to those 6 categories hence changing Minifigs to Figures this is
what I’m suggesting should happen in the longer term and however unlikely you
think this change will ever be it certainly won’t be up for consideration by
Lego if there is no interest or discussion about it in the forum, hence my post
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| | | | | Author: | popsicle | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 13:05 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 70 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | Personally I don’t think we should lose the term minifigure because it’s very
key to how we and Lego describe the majority of their figures and at the moment
there are talks about Minfigs category being changed to ‘Figure’ and possibly
including everything from Lotso Bear to Baby Groot
I did discuss a solution here:-
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1192727
but I think it may have become a bit lost in the rest of the debate but I would
be interested in others thoughts on this or whether the term minifigure is even
still important or what minifigure should refer to going forward?
Here is my original suggestion:-
“On the subject of categorizing figures in general I think breaking down some
of this stuff might make more sense than renaming Minifigs to Figures and then
piling everything into the same place.
It’s a difficult one but I guess you have to start with defining a minifigure
and at the moment I can only think of two ways of doing this where by you define
it by Size after all a clue is in the word MINIfigure which does unfortunately
leave a lot of ambiguity or better still you define minifig by the fact it usesa
Torso Assembly?
Torso Assembly may be a good clear cut way of defining a minifig because almost
all traditional minifigs from a Dementor to a Lord Garmadon use the all-important
standard Torso design that holds a minifig together and its probably the one
key part that really defines what a minifigure looks like when we think of a
minifigure and with that in mind you could categorise as Follows:-
Minifigure – Anything that uses the Standard Torso Assembly design
Modified Figure – Anything from droids, to brick built Droids, to Skeletons and
stuff like Gollum, Slimer, Unikitty, Scurrier, Scooby etc..
Microfigure – Anything very small consisting of a single or maximum of two parts
such as Baby, Baby Yoda, Palpatine Hologram, Baby Groot, Trophy figures and all
those game figures etc..
You are then left with things like Cave Troll, Big Hulk etc. which can either
go under ‘Modified Figure’ or a separate ‘Large Figure’ Category?
Likewise are animals/creatures separated so that Polar bears, Wargs and Horses
go under ‘Modified Figure’ and stuff like baby dinos, spiders and snakes under
‘Microfigure’ or do they have their own ‘Animal category’?
Lots to think about....”
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As usual, fun and thought-provoking!
When I first read your subject line "When is a Minifigure a Minifigure?" I thought
it to be a Zen riddle, or maybe that you had started channeling Confucius
No, I like your style, keeps it interesting. Too few here are willing to 'color
outside of the lines' in expressing themselves. That's a shame, IMO
You make salient points on the question of how to view Lego characters beyond
the classic term Minifigure
-Cory
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| | | | | | | Author: | infinibrix | | Posted: | Apr 25, 2020 15:37 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 65 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, popsicle writes:
| | In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | Personally I don’t think we should lose the term minifigure because it’s very
key to how we and Lego describe the majority of their figures and at the moment
there are talks about Minfigs category being changed to ‘Figure’ and possibly
including everything from Lotso Bear to Baby Groot
I did discuss a solution here:-
https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1192727
but I think it may have become a bit lost in the rest of the debate but I would
be interested in others thoughts on this or whether the term minifigure is even
still important or what minifigure should refer to going forward?
Here is my original suggestion:-
“On the subject of categorizing figures in general I think breaking down some
of this stuff might make more sense than renaming Minifigs to Figures and then
piling everything into the same place.
It’s a difficult one but I guess you have to start with defining a minifigure
and at the moment I can only think of two ways of doing this where by you define
it by Size after all a clue is in the word MINIfigure which does unfortunately
leave a lot of ambiguity or better still you define minifig by the fact it usesa
Torso Assembly?
Torso Assembly may be a good clear cut way of defining a minifig because almost
all traditional minifigs from a Dementor to a Lord Garmadon use the all-important
standard Torso design that holds a minifig together and its probably the one
key part that really defines what a minifigure looks like when we think of a
minifigure and with that in mind you could categorise as Follows:-
Minifigure – Anything that uses the Standard Torso Assembly design
Modified Figure – Anything from droids, to brick built Droids, to Skeletons and
stuff like Gollum, Slimer, Unikitty, Scurrier, Scooby etc..
Microfigure – Anything very small consisting of a single or maximum of two parts
such as Baby, Baby Yoda, Palpatine Hologram, Baby Groot, Trophy figures and all
those game figures etc..
You are then left with things like Cave Troll, Big Hulk etc. which can either
go under ‘Modified Figure’ or a separate ‘Large Figure’ Category?
Likewise are animals/creatures separated so that Polar bears, Wargs and Horses
go under ‘Modified Figure’ and stuff like baby dinos, spiders and snakes under
‘Microfigure’ or do they have their own ‘Animal category’?
Lots to think about....”
|
As usual, fun and thought-provoking!
When I first read your subject line "When is a Minifigure a Minifigure?" I thought
it to be a Zen riddle, or maybe that you had started channeling Confucius
No, I like your style, keeps it interesting. Too few here are willing to 'color
outside of the lines' in expressing themselves. That's a shame, IMO
You make salient points on the question of how to view Lego characters beyond
the classic term Minifigure
-Cory
|
I always knew I could count on you Cory even if it was'nt quite the Zen riddle
post you had hoped for it to be
In future I will have to ensure I post in the correct place, Choose the correct
subject heading and make sure I know what I'm talking about before I post
suggestions that I'm told are beyond the realms possiblity? 
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | StormChaser | | Posted: | Apr 26, 2020 00:05 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 49 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
| | In future I will have to ensure I post in the correct place, Choose the correct
subject heading and make sure I know what I'm talking about before I post
suggestions that I'm told are beyond the realms possiblity?
|
It appears that the way I worded my responses irritated you and I apologize for
that. I try to say things as nicely as possible, but sometimes I fail.
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | infinibrix | | Posted: | Apr 26, 2020 02:50 | | Subject: | Re: When is a Minifigure a Minifigure? | | Viewed: | 79 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
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| In Suggestions, StormChaser writes:
| | It appears that the way I worded my responses irritated you and I apologize for
that. I try to say things as nicely as possible, but sometimes I fail.
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There are some that irritate me though you’ve never been among those that spring
to mind! just some simple differing viewpoints with regards to the direction
we want the site to go but likewise my response was more of a light-hearted somewhat
sarcastic jokey comment hence the grin at the end so no worries
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United Kingdom, England
USA, Missouri
