Subject:
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Re: Ultimate castle theme..
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.castle
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Date:
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Fri, 6 Apr 2001 18:40:49 GMT
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Viewed:
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1212 times
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Yes, I completely agree. I've actually played around with this a little bit
with my yellow castle (375). I still think it is one of the best Lego sets
around, but it is a bit small. I'll post some pictures if I come up with
something good.
Mark
Lugnet #485
Mark's Legoland @ brickbay.com
> > 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".
> >
> > 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).
> >
> > (~$60-80) Gatehouse/Small Fort. It's not just that I like • keep-gatehouses;
> > if you think about it, you could make a town-size (i.e., small) gatehouse
> > out of the Black Falcon's Fortress. . .*if* you added walls to make a
> > passageway down the middle and a couple sets of doors. So I think the
> > largest set needs to be the gatehouse, and this piece selection would lend
> > itself admirably to a stand-alone "castle" like the King's Castle, etc.
> >
> > (~$30-50) Corner Tower/Church. I'm thinking a corner tower on the scale • of
> > David MacAuley's _Castle_, not those little turrets on Lego Castles. This
> > should come with a siege engine, made of wood. This wood could then • become
> > the pews of the church. One neat (from a marketing view) aspect of this • set
> > is that the church would appeal to townies, thus getting them in to • Castle,
> > while the blood'n'guts crowd would buy it for the militaristic components,
> > but would eventually try building the Church model once they had it, and
> > might get hooked on Town.
> >
> > (~$20-40) D-Tower/Mill. Same idea as the Corner Tower/Church: a
> > combination of military and civilian (the Tower probably needs an • attacking
> > siege engine), that could work in either a medieval village or as part of • a
> > castle. Just smaller.
> >
> > (~$15-25) Wall section/???. A nice basic wall section to link up the
> > towers, probably hinged to let kids close up their castle without getting
> > all the components necessary for a square castle. The other model should • be
> > some other civilian building made of stone--say an inn, or a blacksmith
> > shop.[5] Since this would definitely be something people would get in
> > quantity, perhaps the siege engine could be something common and useful,
> > like those portable, wheeled wall sections besieging archers stand behind
> > for cover.
> >
> > (~$20) Peasant Cottage/Merchant. Simple wattle-and-daub construction; • you
> > need 'em to make a village. (And I can't think of any obvious military
> > model that you could make out of a medival house.) Think of it as a • purely
> > civilian set to balance the purely military Gatehouse/Small Fort.
> >
> > Siege engines--both to come with the wall and tower sections and as small
> > sets on their own. Choose from trebuchets, catapults, ballistae, siege
> > towers, battering rams---but please no more of those silly
> > hand-of-God-powered "catapults"[6]
> >
> > 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].
> >
> > 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!)
> >
> > 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. . .
> >
> > [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.
> >
> > [3] This would also alleviate the persistent habit of retailers of • putting
> > Lego boxes on the shelves backwards.;)
> >
> > [4] What *were* those designers thinking in 1984 when they used one • Technic
> > pin, when the flopping-apart staircase in the King's Castle is the most
> > egregious example of why one pin is not enough?
> >
> > [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.
> >
> > [6] Why I love the Knight's Stronghold (6059): it includes (practically • as
> > an thrown-together afterthought) the only really good siege machine Lego • has
> > made---a trebuchet that actually works like it's supposed to!
> >
> > [7] Dribbled out, like the Forestmen sets were---not present in force one
> > year, and forgotten the next (anyone else still remember a sense of • betrayal
> > at the callous abandonment of Futuron?)
> >
> > [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?
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Ultimate castle theme..
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| The type of theme you suggest is one I believe that all castle fanatics would drool over. Modular is the best way to go It's sure something that I wish TLG would return to. That's kinda what the original themes were like with the Crusaders and Black (...) (24 years ago, 6-Apr-01, to lugnet.castle)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Ultimate castle theme..
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| wow. if only. I have always seen the modular sets to be a far better idea than the stand alone playsets. If TLC released these sets I'd have no money left. I love the concept of marketing the products with 2 set options. we all buy 2 of the sets and (...) (24 years ago, 5-Apr-01, to lugnet.castle, lugnet.dear-lego)
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