Buckets of bricks are much more usable now than they used to be - because of the wealth of different shapes now available. You can still build crude blocky hous

Buckets of bricks are much more usable now than they used to be - because of the wealth of different shapes now available. You can still build crude blocky houses, but you don't have to stop there. There are still some incoming overly specialized parts but not all that many these days - and perhaps we have gotten more creative in how to use them. The current manuals assemble models with complex assembly methods (with the human kind of just a tool in the process). One things that's lacking from the current manuals is an isolation or demonstration of which parts are these clever sub-assemblies and how they can be used in more general situations. That is a problem. You end up with clever constructions methods that are explained on youtube videos and 3rd party books - rather than in the manuals. Missed opportunity. Another thing that's likely is that with "shelf models" like the botanicals or some Star Wars kits, the kits are bought and gifted to people who have no inclination to be endlessly disassembling and rebuidling different things with them. That's okay - eventually these bricks will end up in our buckets.