Subject:
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Lego Revamps( was Re: Ultimate castle theme..)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.castle, lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Fri, 29 Dec 2000 16:55:34 GMT
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Viewed:
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1641 times
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In lugnet.castle, Thomas Garrison writes:
> In lugnet.castle, Ed T. Toton III writes:
>
> <snip>
>
> > I think one thing that's been lacking all along though is modularity
> > and scalability. So here's what I think would be really awesome:
> >
> > 1) Sets that consist of maybe a section of castle wall and a tower
> > that snap together with pin/socket joints. Each one could come with
> > a catapult or some other siege engine, some good guys, and some
> > bad guys. This would allow you to build a castle or fortress as large
> > or small as you want, depending on how many of the sets you buy.
> >
> > 2) One or two different gatehouse sets, with portculleses and
> > drawbridges. Also modular.
> >
> > 3) Seperate fantasy packs that have dragons, wizards,
> > skeletons, ghosts, the like. That way you can add as much or
> > as little of a fantasy element as you want.
> >
> > 4) Peasant/village sets, so you can build an outlying village around
> > your castle (or in it) if you want.
> >
> > 5) Service/expansion packs with soldiers or peasants (extra
> > minifigs), or dungeon trappings, or packs of weapons and
> > armor and horse trappings, etc.
> >
> > Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?
>
> I agree, in general. In fact, your ideas are remarkably similar to some
> thoughts I had a few weeks ago, so I'll toss in mine too:
>
> A basic underlying precept I have is my belief that, if Lego really wants to
> be competitive in the toy market[1], every Lego set that costs more than,
> say $15 should be designed and marketed as _two_ models.[2] What I'm
> talking here is: every catalog identifies set with both model names; box
> has two "fronts" instead of "front" and "back", with each "front"
> emphasizing one of the models, with the other as a smaller picture on that
> "front"[3]; designers are authorized to include up to 10% more parts to make
> sure that both models look equally impressive/accurate. This is the way to
> _demonstrate_ that Lego is really "twice the toy".
Personally I would think that the price range should be something like this.
Tiny Set (ie simple promotionals,cars,boats)- Under £5 -- This would
encourage pocket money spending (Kbaya? type schemes..)
Small set --(Piece counts?) £10
Mid-range set -- £20
Large Set (ie like a base or police station type set) £30
X-LArge set ( Equiv of 2 Ninja Fotresses..) £70
Massive set (Specials for AFOLS, Sculputures etc with huge peice counts.)
£50 and above range - This is becuase you are effectivly buying limited
editons that would cost more to produce and would potentialy have lower
commercial uptake..
> That said, here are my notions:
> I think, with the cost of Lego, the only way to go is modularity, with two
> or three Technic pins[4] connecting each wall or tower set at each end. The
> other model, of course, should then be something truly different (and
> capable of standing on its own, for those parents who think a set isn't
> complete if it has no back).
Yes, I agree with modularity. What I would also like to see is a return to
Town, Castle, Space distinctions and not 'over-themeing'! For example
(Castle ones skipped as you spplied those.)
Town- Mid-Range set uses a 16x16 baseplate--- 2 minfigs
e.g a snack bar,post office, garage etc.
Large stes - 32x32 baseplates anyting between 5x10 minfigs.
Fire station, racway pits, medical centere.
X-Large- 32x32 baseplates( may include extra road plates to make
set self contained.)
Hospital,Raceway, Crago port...
Of course if we were going for modularity... a revived airport or seaport
would be a very good idea...(Assuming a standard kid)...
At Christhmas kid recives set (XXXX-AL1) Airport... An XL-set which has
bout 5 planes, a terminal building,control tower and some runway.
He adds to this by saving up for a more runway plates bought via LSAH..(ie
each plate costing about ($0.50?) some minfig packs ($3.00) and 2 new
planes..($7.00) each...
For his birthday he asks and recives a new terminal-xtension pack and a
mantinence bay.. -2 Large sets...
Of course a revived Town them could make use of the following ideas:
Nobody likes cars in town centeres..- So were are the bikes?
(Encourage a cycle-friendly Lego(R) Town...)
All trafic policeman wear Hi-vis vests. Minfigs don't. Do they have
perfect 20/20 vison even at night?!!
You need other town services!!
You defintly need somewhere for minfings to let thie hair down..
Public transport is needed...- Link to trains theme...
Importnatly I would suggest rotaionl ranges withslight changes in later stes
such as slighlty differing colors..( Partly this might stop the
'extoronists' on Ebay.) Normal AFOLS ussaly charge 'fair' prices..
<Specfic castle info snipped.>
> And of course the other sets would be smaller things (carts, minfigs, etc.)
> and the occasional "special" set like the Knight's Challenge or the
> Forestmen sets[7].
Same for town or space... (Kind of like buying sets of Airfix fiqures to go
with a tank kit?)
>
> I think modular wall sections are the way to go. Even when I was 10 I was
> very aware that the sets TLG was passing off as "castles" were much too
> small---and that it would take a lot of bricks to do better. With a section
> of wall, you can enact a siege if you wish, and with enough sections you can
> build as big as you wish. This sort of Castle lineup would also *encourage*
> kids to get more Lego, and buy additional copies of sets (and I think AFOLs
> would be quite happy as well. ;) Something that amazes me about Lego
> marketing is how "unexpandable" much of System seems to be.[8] With a
> modular theme like this, each Kmart could offer a decent chunk of the theme,
> and kids would be asking their parents for all they could afford, and people
> wouldn't be afraid buy Lego as a present for relatives (Who cares whether
> the kid already has two corner towers? He'll still love another one or two!)
Yeah- And if you consider that some castles have duplicated buildings anyway..
In town terms you might end with two kids playing with each duplicate.-- How
about some basic 'market forces'?...
>
> That's my input. Take it as you will.
>
> TWS Garrison
> http://www.math.purdue.edu/~tgarriso/
>
>
> [1] Which is of course open to doubt; things like sets 3342 and 3344 suggest
> that either TLC is out to lose money, or several key marketing people work
> for Ritvik. . .
Oh... Now theres a conspiracy. Rival firm infiltartes Lego, designs Jr to
being TLG down so it can steal thier thunder.. Get Real!!..
> [2] It might make sense to make an exemption sets that are clearly supposed
> to be something whose basic design falls outside of TLC's control, such as
> Model Team or Star Wars sets. On the other hand, those are precisely the
> sets that seem to have the best alternate models already.
Or Disney,Potter etc...
> [5] If TLC were to ever make something like this, they could easily change
> models every few years to allow all possibilities, while still keeping the
> number of sets in production each year manageable.
Yes, but bear in mind theres the long runnig sotyr of customised models to
order...
> [8] Not only does TLC make sets that don't encourage the
> less-than-fabulously-rich to buy multiple copies, but they don't even expect
> their customers to want to buy a whole year's addition to a theme. I mean,
> what kid would want to buy all of the Knight's Kingdom when it means ending
> up with three kings?
Agreed. Sets should be slef contained but not at the xpense of having
multiple duplicate 'charecter' minfigs.. Which are a poor idea anyway..
Alex
Comments welcome.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Ultimate castle theme..
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| In lugnet.castle, Ed T. Toton III writes: <snip> (...) I agree, in general. In fact, your ideas are remarkably similar to some thoughts I had a few weeks ago, so I'll toss in mine too: A basic underlying precept I have is my belief that, if Lego (...) (24 years ago, 29-Dec-00, to lugnet.castle, lugnet.dear-lego)
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