Future Castle Sets?

Airbenderfreak · January 20, 2016

There are many like us who find the minidolls to be abominable (despite their appeal to a certain audience) and avoid all such sets on that fact alone. If Elves had minifigures I would have definitely purchased a lot of the sets. And the upcoming wave of sets looks to be much more appealing. If only it didn't have minidolls and cutesy brick-built dragons, I would be very likely to purchase the entire theme (and I don't think I'm alone in that).

I don't think it's fair to not give an entire theme a chance just because it features minidolls. If you truly hate them, buy the sets and use the hairpieces on minifigures, but the Elves sets are great and deserve a chance.

x105Black · January 20, 2016

I don't think it's fair to not give an entire theme a chance just because it features minidolls. If you truly hate them, buy the sets and use the hairpieces on minifigures, but the Elves sets are great and deserve a chance.

To be honest, I've purchased a couple of Elves sets, a couple of Princesses sets, and a few of the Friends animal sets (which, thankfully, do not feature minidolls). I have given the detestable minidolls to my nieces, who appreciate them. I've given the hair from the Elves to my girlfriend, who likes the elf-eared look much more than I do. The other hair, I've kept for myself.

That said, I do think it's fair to avoid sets that have features that act as deterrents, as the minidolls do for me. While I may have purchased a few sets here and there, they are mostly small and have other elements that appeal to me enough to be worth the price. I struggle with the idea of buying any of the larger sets, though. If the minidolls were not there, as I said, I would be purchasing far more of the sets (as they would presumably contain minifigures in their place, which appeal to me greatly).

BrickJagger · January 20, 2016

To be honest, Elves really is turning into a pretty good theme and has far surpassed my expectations. However, I just can't get over the mini-dolls and the cutesy animals. :sadnew:

gedren_y · January 21, 2016

Kingdoms, while it had a great aesthetic, had very little in the way of play features. The lack of play features made for less complicated builds, and thus a lower bottom to the age range.

Castle 2013 had play features aplenty, but some of the aesthetics seemed overly cartoonish. I did like the similarity to the Royal Knights, though.

The problem with Nexo Knights for this crowd is that it doesn't have enough usable for historic/fantasy castle builders. I have less issue because I also enjoy sci-fi, though I haven't built much lately.

In any event, I don't see a traditional European medieval theme happening during the Nexo Knights (and Elves) run. A more plausible theme would be something like the classical age. The Mediterranean during the Greco-Roman period, or earlier, wouldn't step on the themes of Nexo Knights or Elves. I could see something called Fables, with a mixture of mythology and historical scenes.

Or for something completely different, a theme based on the Chinese epic Journey to the West. It should be different enough from NInjago that it could work.

thetang22 · January 21, 2016

Kingdoms, while it had a great aesthetic, had very little in the way of play features.

It's pretty sad that "the imagination" can't suffice anymore for this. There have to be tons of "it can do this" and various distractions for youth, in order for it to be considered a "good" Lego set for young people these days. I'm in my 30's, and when I was of proper Lego kid age, the sets didn't have tons of these modern sorts of features....they often just created a scene, and had a couple of minor features at best (opening doors, etc...).

And for what it's worth...I was part of the video game industry BOOM of the 80's...video games were all the rage, and a big thing in my house. I loved playing video games....but I still loved playing Legos too. People like to argue that kids have more distractions these days, but we had TV/video games very prevalent when I was a kid too. It just seems like an active imagination was still common back then, despite those sorts of distractions.

x105Black · January 21, 2016

It's pretty sad that "the imagination" can't suffice anymore for this. There have to be tons of "it can do this" and various distractions for youth, in order for it to be considered a "good" Lego set for young people these days. I'm in my 30's, and when I was of proper Lego kid age, the sets didn't have tons of these modern sorts of features....they often just created a scene, and had a couple of minor features at best (opening doors, etc...).

And for what it's worth...I was part of the video game industry BOOM of the 80's...video games were all the rage, and a big thing in my house. I loved playing video games....but I still loved playing Legos too. People like to argue that kids have more distractions these days, but we had TV/video games very prevalent when I was a kid too. It just seems like an active imagination was still common back then, despite those sorts of distractions.

I completely agree. As a child of the 80's myself, I can definitely say that there was a wealth of video games and cartoons to keep me distracted all the time. I wouldn't say that there are many more distractions now than there were back then. And yet I, too had a healthy imagination. Sometimes, a little too healthy if you were to ask my parents and teachers.

I don't think that play features are as important as others do. In fact, I often find that they detract from an otherwise nice and sturdy build. Not to say I don't like them at all, there are play features I have enjoyed. But I also don't think that they are necessary.

Blakstone · January 21, 2016

The play features don't matter to me. As a kid, I liked that 1877: Crusader's Cart folded up so that the Forestman could have underneath the wagon and that 6054: Forestmen's Hideout unfolded so you could access inside. The downside of that is that I couldn't get a slew of base plates to place all my set.

Now a days the play features are flick fire something where you then have to find the pieces that you launched or explode out sections of a build. While that is not my style, they are easy to modify. The Deeping Wall at Helm's Deep no longer falls apart accidentally.

But if such play features expand the appeal of LEGO, I am happy to endure them. They are easily to workaround them minidolls but they still broaden the audience. If only the bizarre colors, techno mold shapes and prints in Nexo Knights were easily to work around. At least the villains work in a fantasy setting. When Castle comes back, some of the new visions would work in traditional colors.

Artanis I · January 22, 2016

Back then the "play features" were considered to be the fact that you could pull it apart and build whatever else you wanted. The back of the box would show these "play features", just as today's boxes show today's "play features".

Speaking from my childhood experience, in many cases I'd prefer to play with the set as per the instructions rather than build something that didn't look as good. And being able to shoot cannonballs & missiles made it more fun.

So either way works for me, but I don't like when a play feature detracts from the model's appearance.

x105Black · January 22, 2016

So either way works for me, but I don't like when a play feature detracts from the model's appearance.

That's really the main thing that bothers me, as well.

BrickJagger · January 22, 2016

So either way works for me, but I don't like when a play feature detracts from the model's appearance.

I agree with this. For example, I love the Star Wars movies and shows, but I'm not as fond of the sets because they are mostly comprised of large, bulky gimmicks that make them look quite unattractive from certain angles, as well as having reduced "figure space" because of them.

There are a few Castle sets that use their play features well, such as Mill Village Raid, with it's winch, trapdoor, and windmill spinning function. None of those feature detract from the model and you could ignore them if you wanted to.

x105Black · January 23, 2016

I agree with this. For example, I love the Star Wars movies and shows, but I'm not as fond of the sets because they are mostly comprised of large, bulky gimmicks that make them look quite unattractive from certain angles, as well as having reduced "figure space" because of them.

There are a few Castle sets that use their play features well, such as Mill Village Raid, with it's winch, trapdoor, and windmill spinning function. None of those feature detract from the model and you could ignore them if you wanted to.

Similarly, there are often false walls (I can think of one in the Pirates Soldiers Fort and one in the LOTR Black Gate) that don't detract from the appearance, and these are usually easy to mod if one was so inclined. These are the types of play features I don't mind. Nexo Knights is full of ridiculous play features that do detract form the appearance (the Robo Horse comes to mind). I can see what you're saying about Star Wars, as well. The play features in those sets often take away from the model significantly.

BrickJagger · January 27, 2016

Jestro's Lava Lair, for anyone in here who's interested: https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/t31.0-8/12474095_987804477943922_765186642016776876_o.jpg

Lots of good Castle-building parts in here for sure, especially that spike piece, which seems to be new.

Airbenderfreak · January 27, 2016

The Fortress from Minecraft might make a decent castle with some modding. That new Jestro set looks great, I've been wanting something like that since Vladek's Castle.

Artanis I · January 27, 2016

Finally, a somewhat substantial bad-guy base. I reckon I'll opt in for that set!

gedren_y · January 27, 2016

That set doesn't look quite finished, as it is using the older style book piece. Plenty of interest there, if I can afford it.

Aanchir · January 27, 2016

Promobricks has posted Elves pics, including the dark elf Ragana's evil castle!

So the tally so far is:

That's a lot of castles for one year! LEGO must really love castle fans. :tongue:

Edited January 27, 2016 by Aanchir

Yeow · January 27, 2016

That's a lot of castles for one year! LEGO must really love castle fans.

I'm really not sure what you're trying to accomplish by posting here. Not everything Lego does has to be absolutely adored or agreed with by everyone, but you seem pretty intent on trying to convince us why we should be happy and grateful that Nexo Knights even exists. Just because a set vaguely resembles a castle does not mean that Lego is catering to Castle fans. It's quite clear that fans of Castle, as in the theme defined by Brickset, want something that is not Nexo Knights, despite whatever qualities you believe it has that are better than traditional castle. Otherwise, this thread would not be 18 pages long, even though it's obvious we are not getting a traditional castle theme anytime soon.

Aanchir · January 27, 2016

I'm really not sure what you're trying to accomplish by posting here. Not everything Lego does has to be absolutely adored or agreed with by everyone, but you seem pretty intent on trying to convince us why we should be happy and grateful that Nexo Knights even exists. Just because a set vaguely resembles a castle does not mean that Lego is catering to Castle fans. It's quite clear that fans of Castle, as in the theme defined by Brickset, want something that is not Nexo Knights, despite whatever qualities you believe it has that are better than traditional castle. Otherwise, this thread would not be 18 pages long, even though it's obvious we are not getting a traditional castle theme anytime soon.

That comment was mostly in jest. Was I not clear enough? Should I have used more tongue smileys?

I'm absolutely not trying to convince you or anyone that you should love everything LEGO releases, be it Nexo Knights or anything else. I included the Palace Pets castle in that list. I thoroughly dislike Palace Pets. Why must Disney make up weird new pets to sell Disney Princess merchandise when most of the Disney Princesses already have perfectly good pets and animal companions? Pocahontas has a raccoon, why does she need a blue one? I don't think all that highly of the Disney Princess brand in general, which routinely fails to authentically reflect the movies it's based on, but Palace Pets really, really irk me and it frustrates me a bit that LEGO is making sets based on them.

But this post was just commenting on the irony that despite "LEGO Castle" proper still being on hiatus (as it has been since 2014), LEGO is including castles in quite a few of their other themes! That's all. No need to take it so personally.

The reason I follow this thread, above all else, is that I'm as interested in seeing what form LEGO Castle takes next as anyone. It's one of the oldest LEGO play themes, and I greatly respect that, even if it's not one of my personal favorites. I try to closely follow the development of all the classic themes like Castle, Pirates, and Space. There are a lot of hopes I personally have for the next proper Castle theme, like a castle with an actual banquet hall, library, kitchen, stable, and royal bedchamber (things I've wanted in a LEGO castle since I was a kid and that capital-C Castle sets have routinely failed to deliver). It's not as though I just stick around to watch Castle fans squirm.

I do, however, think Castle coming back in some form is more or less inevitable and that the current hiatus isn't worth getting hysterical over, particularly since all the Castle-esque sets from other themes effectively prove that kids still love castles and that isn't liable to change. I'm sure there are people who wish they could say that about other themes like Western with the same level of certainty.

One of my all-time favorite themes was Bionicle, and when that theme ended in 2010 I didn't know whether it would EVER come back. Yet I didn't make as much of a fuss as I've routinely seen with regards to Castle, which has time and time again proven itself to be one of the LEGO Group's most enduring themes!

Edited January 27, 2016 by Aanchir

Robert8 · January 27, 2016

That's a lot of castles for one year! LEGO must really love castle fans.

Actually, I agree with this

There are a lot of castles and this year

And some parts and minifigures as well: Even the new baby in the City theme can be used for castle MOC's

dzidek1983 · January 27, 2016

That's not a baby, that's a future grunt in the evil leprechaun army.

Actor Builder · January 27, 2016

The way the Baby's arms are permanently forward is so creepy.

looks like a dead cockroach. Or a dead leprechaun, in some cases.

x105Black · January 28, 2016

There are a lot of castles and this year.

There are a lot of "castles" this year.

I don't personally think that the Fortrex or the Volcano Lair from Nexo Knights look much like castles. Belle's Enchanted Castle and the Palace Pet castle are hideous, and Arendelle is more of a house facade than a castle. Regana's Magic Shadow Castle doesn't look half bad, until I remember the minidolls. Mixels hardly count. The Minecraft Fortress is decent, if you like really blocky design. King Pig's Castle is really the closest thing we have to a proper castle this year.

But at least they're "trying" I guess?

Edited January 28, 2016 by x105Black

Actor Builder · January 28, 2016

There are a lot of "castles" this year.

This way you can get a lot of "castles" instead of one castle and a lot of siege vehicles, as you would in a normal castle line.

Walk on the sunny side of the street!

Aanchir · January 28, 2016

I think most of those sets (except the Mixels; I was mostly goofing around by that point) would definitely qualify as castles, or at least fortresses. Would they be compatible with LEGO capital-C Castle? In most cases, probably not, except as parts packs. Nevertheless, as I said in my last post, they're a testament to the fact that kids still love castles and designers still recognize and respond to that. Contrast with other types of high-dollar playsets. Pirates fans are lucky to get more than one pirate ship a year on average, no matter the theme. Train fans are lucky to get more than one train a year on average, no matter the theme. Those sorts of sets just don't appear to command the same attention from kids as castles still do.

If Nexo Knights has temporarily taken the place of Castle, it's certainly not because designers consider the Castle theme hopeless without any kind of tech gimmicks. Just that LEGO needed a new theme to replace Ultra Agents and Chima, had a Castle-inspired "big bang" theme in development for years, and decided now was the time to launch it. Castle will be back. It could be before Nexo Knights ends. It could be after Nexo Knights ends. But either way I think its future is secured.

x105Black · January 28, 2016

This way you can get a lot of "castles" instead of one castle and a lot of siege vehicles, as you would in a normal castle line.

Walk on the sunny side of the street!

True, the many siege vehicles in a Castle wave are annoying, but I'd be much happier to have 1 real castle versus these efforts.

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