Should new castles have (raised) blaseplates?

[VintageLegoEra]

Hope they bring back a remake of old sets

[azog]

It's a touchy subject, if they do a raised base plate then your castle will look cool and taller, but on the other hand if they stick to the way they are doing castles now you can add sections of wall to it and make a bigger castle as for the base plate you are limited.

[blackdeathgr]

Yes please. But dont counter limited piece count with a higher set cost due to the raised baseplate...

[x105Black]

I like the old raised baseplates. I have a couple of them, and plan to get a few more. I'd like to see at least a couple new Castle sets using them, as I'm sure they would be even better than they were in the 80's and 90's with new pieces and techniques. Make them out of better materials so they stand the test of time and play better. Maybe they should also start making baseplates that are as thick as a plate, to reduce the height discrepancy.

[Tezclatipoca]

I liked the raised baseplates when I was young, especially for the play features.

But now I would say I'd want no more baseplates for future castle sets.

As it has been already said previously, it is very hard to re-use in a MOC and if you want to raise a castle you can build the mountain with other bricks.

[x105Black]

I liked the raised baseplates when I was young, especially for the play features.

But now I would say I'd want no more baseplates for future castle sets.

As it has been already said previously, it is very hard to re-use in a MOC and if you want to raise a castle you can build the mountain with other bricks.

Only if you have a mountain of other bricks!

Some are indeed difficult to re-use, but most are fairly easy. They fit in with the color and thematic schemes of Castle for the most part. But I understand that not everyone wants to use them.

[gedren_y]

I am currently using a raised baseplate (from a Police set) in a MOC. It looks like an old quarry, so that is how I plan to use it.

The problem with raised baseplates is the volume to weight ratio. Packaging something like the 32x48 raised baseplates require larger boxes which increase weight, cost more to ship, and use up valuable space on retailer shelves.

Lower contour baseplates, like the old lunar landscape version, could still be feasible.

[dzidek1983]

Generally i don't like the raised baseplates. I know it takes a lot of burps and bricks but you can do a better job yourself.

[The_Cook]

The problem with raised baseplates is the volume to weight ratio. Packaging something like the 32x48 raised baseplates require larger boxes which increase weight, cost more to ship, and use up valuable space on retailer shelves.

Your right about volume being the deciding factor, but it's not volume to weight; baseplates weigh less than the equivalent bricks.

It's volume to revenue, the fact that the larger volume might only realise as much revenue as a smaller set means that smaller sets will be favoured.

Additionally shipping costs might not be as efficient because there's more wasted space within the boxes.

[Aanchir]

I dislike raised baseplates. Don't get me wrong, I was OK with them back in the 90s, but in hindsight it really stands out how often they seemed to be used to make sets LOOK bigger and more complex without actually making the part of the set you built bigger and more complex. They also take up quite a lot of storage space, and some of the old ones crack easily. The specialized shapes and the number of studs (fewer than non-raised baseplates of the same size) also limit their versatility for original creations. Most of my more unique and original creations I remember making as a kid did not use raised baseplates.

I think if any new LEGO castles have an elevated base, it should be brick-built. Yes, this would probably drive up the cost more than a raised baseplate would. But you get more actual building for that money. The Temple of Airjitzu and Battle for Ninjago City show what is possible with a brick-built base. It lets you get much more use of the space underneath the mountain/cliff face, allows more variety in the shape and size of the foundation, and doesn't require so much reliance on stickers or printing to make the foundation's color scheme and texture more interesting.

What might be a bigger concern than the cost would be the recommended age range. Battle for Ninjago City is recommended for ages 9–14 and Temple of Airjitzu is recommended for ages 14+. LEGO tends to like to keep the entry level for LEGO Castle at 8 years or lower. But I think with tasteful use of "BURP" elements like 6082, which some LEGO castles use anyway, you could achieve a less complex elevated base that is still more versatile than a raised baseplate would allow. Even Dragon Mountain, a $50 set aimed at ages 6–12, was able to use BURPs to create an interesting base. Imagine what a $100 or $120 castle that didn't have a large, specialized dragon or such a massive siege engine eating up its budget could achieve with similar techniques!

As for baseplates in general, I am pretty happy that sets have moved beyond them and started using regular plates. Regular plates are more versatile, and can allow sets to have a more unique footprint instead of trying to get the most out of a square or rectangular space. I really love the modularity of the last two King's Castle sets, which encourages rearranging and expansion. Or the triangular layout of the Temple of Airjitzu, which would leave a lot of space feeling wasted if its base were a complete square or rectangle.

Edited September 24, 2015 by Aanchir

[VintageLegoEra]

With Nexo Castle theme to be out, all the hopes are down...:-(.

What a shame ugly Nexo theme made by Lego!!

Hope the old Classic Castle designers are there to bring back the Glory of this theme/Sets.

Edited September 26, 2015 by VintageLegoEra