LEGO Pirates - fictional or realistic?

[ghoulrealm]

i think there can be to much fanatasy, imagine a Pirates system that came with the dragons, rock people, time travelers, wizards, and lord knows what else.

i think there's a limit to the amount of fantasy that can be used in a genre.

for example, you often don't see aliens in a medeval setting, or wizards in a space setting. Now that's not to say that it can't be done well, i think star wars is a good example here. But generally there are things that are intrinsic to a specific genre.

The fantasy elements stay within it's own genre for the most part. That analogy is like putting speed boats with 17th century pirates.

Well, my vote is for realistic. It might just be my history-major mindset, but I can't really think of good "monsters" to use in a pirates theme. The Kraken is more a viking theme, skeleton crews could go anywhere, there isn't really that much, other than mermaids, and as was stated before, the lack of any diving gear for those poor old pirates limits that theme.

On the other hand, expanding into the native theme, could bring about some fanatsy elements. Toned down for playability, the Aztecs and Incas would be a great addition, and allow for some great expansion. I'm thinking El Dorado-esque large set, with temples and others as well.

I like to use monsters where ever possible.

The kraken is not exclusive to viking's and it has numerous variables throughout time;

giant crabs, fish the size of islets, giant cephalopods, sea serpents ...

all good for a mythical pirate theme.

other possibilities are Neptune's army, huge sharks, whales, giant jellyfish, big saltwater crocs, plesiosaurs(Lock Ness type monsters,) huge walrus's and ashore beasts like found in the Sinbad the sailor movies; giant birds, lizards and sometimes Greek and Roman monsters.

Wizards were also in those movies.

I would love an Aztec or Mayan theme, but I would like that genre to include it's mythology such as

Quetzalcoatl

And the Chinese with their wonderful demons and creatures!

[oo7]

I would love an Aztec or Mayan theme, but I would like that genre to include it's mythology such as

Quetzalcoatl

Check out the Jungle Adventurers theme, it's like a Mayan or Aztec theme but with explorers invading.

[ghoulrealm]

Check out the Jungle Adventurers theme, it's like a Mayan or Aztec theme but with explorers invading.

yeah I forgot about that, but it somehow just doesn't do them justice. :-(

The civiliation is in a declining state in that theme, best if they were depicted at their peak.

I do love ruins though!

[Captain Roger]

Realistic...i think they are better...but i admit monsters should be good but mermaids...i think not

[Berry Syedow]

Realism is great, but it needs a dash of fantasy to spice it up. Captain Roger, I doubt TLC would put mermaids into their pirate theme. It wouldn't appeal to boys. :-| Infact we might not get any woman! 8-

[Brick Miner]

I have no debate here, except that I want it realistic, just like it was. Thats how I like my pirates.

so are you saying that you don't like any of the officially released LEGO sets ??? as most of them had far more fantasy than were realistic !!! i find that hard to believe, as most likely, their sets designs and overall handling of the theme (fantasy-ish) is what got you interested in LEGO pirates ;-)

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in any case, this is the type of quality conversation i was looking for in my thread here. i should have figured only pirate fans could carry on so !!! ;-)

now, to the point of the thread... i strongly believe that fantasy in all the historically based LEGO themes adds so many dynamics. i do agree that the amount of fantasy they included was just about right. however, i think LEGO could have taken it just a little farther than they did with a couple themes, mainly pirates and Wild West. it could have greatly expanded the content and range of those themes.

however, a good point was brought up in my other thread... adding fantasy to the point where we loose the authenticity of the theme is destructive.

i think there can be to much fantasy, imagine a Pirates system that came with the dragons, rock people, time travelers, wizards, and lord knows what else. i think there's a limit to the amount of fantasy that can be used in a genre.

nicely put Jack !!!

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The fantasy elements stay within it's own genre for the most part. That analogy is like putting speedboats with 17th century pirates.

i think that was the point... speedboats with pirates would be fantasy (time travel, etc...) and this would be a good example of TOO much fantasy !!!

however, i do agree, as long as the fantasy elements stay within there own genres, they add so much imagination to that theme... and imagination is what LEGO is all about, IMO. see, if LEGOs were to be constructed only as miniatures of realistic building, boats, people, the entire image of LEGOs classic history lines, including pirates, is disrupted.

LEGOS aren't diecast replicas, they are outlets for the imagination !!!

if i wanted realistic miniatures, id go get a collection of plastic army men :-D :-D :-D

- BrickMiner

[The Commodore]

I like the pirates Theme the way it was thank you. Heck I thought the Indigo islanders were a step in the wrong direction

[Evil Willy]

I like the pirates Theme the way it was thank you. Heck I thought the Indigo islanders were a step in the wrong direction

I would disagree that the islanders were a step in the wrong direction....They added a cool flavor to the pirate line, but we cant go any further, how it was was perfect.

[ghoulrealm]

i think there can be to much fanatasy, imagine a Pirates system that came with the dragons, rock people, time travelers, wizards, and lord knows what else.

i think there's a limit to the amount of fantasy that can be used in a genre.

for example, you often don't see aliens in a medeval setting, or wizards in a space setting. Now that's not to say that it can't be done well, i think star wars is a good example here. But generally there are things that are intrinsic to a specific genre.

On second thought I want all those things. :-D

Seriously like time cruisers\twisters with monsters but NO modern elements such as city theme.

I have no debate here, except that I want it realistic, just like it was. Thats how I like my pirates.

so are you saying that you don't like any of the officially released LEGO sets ??? as most of them had far more fantasy than were realistic !!!

The only fantasy I'm aware of in pirate theme is the active skeleton, but it's not much of a stretch to inactivate them.

[Basiliscus]

LEGOS aren't diecast replicas, they are outlets for the imagination !!!

if i wanted realistic miniatures, id go get a collection of plastic army men :-D :-D :-D

- BrickMiner

And imagination can still draw sources from essentially real-life sets! My favourite types of films are those which have a historcical basis but take a few liberties, like in the original LEGO Pirate line, compared to those which have a large fantasy element, such as in the Viking line. It is all a matter of opinion.

I like the pirates Theme the way it was thank you. Heck I thought the Indigo islanders were a step in the wrong direction

I don't think the Islanders were a step in the wrong direction, I believe they added variety to the theme. While most think of pirates as being a Western European theme, I would see it more as something of a colinisation affiar - involving natives.

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I voted realistic because I think that the fantasy spoils it for me, I like historically liberated (If that makes sense - LoL). TLC could implement Mesoamerican civilisations and show the human sacrifice, canibalism, populations ravished by disease, slavery, forced labour etc, but this would be badly implemented. But so would having a giant feathered snake representing Quetzelcoatl chasing Spaniards through a jungle.

The best way would be a civilisation whose architecture and way of life resembles mesoamericans, but without the horrific reality which could be potentially portrayed. Think semi-realistic Islanders, with more buildings and different types of warriors. Mesoamerica offers plenty of potential for a flamboyant semi-realistic LEGO series.

[KaiserChicken]

Realistic. It would had been excellent if the latter Pirates theme (set in the 16th century, rather than in the 18th-19th) also included some Aztec villains or such.

[ghoulrealm]

If they were to include a fantasy marine element, most of the creatures, if they're not too large, could be used as ship figureheads or port town archetecture such as fountains, statues, or market icons.

Anyway, I think the main reason lego sometimes steers heavily toward monsters is because fighting a creature is less risqu

[Evil Willy]

If they were to include a fantasy marine element, most of the creatures, if they're not too large, could be used as ship figureheads or port town archetecture such as fountains, statues, or market icons.

Anyway, I think the main reason lego sometimes steers heavily toward monsters is because fighting a creature is less risqu

[Lord Admiral Helden Ravensdorn]

Hmmmmmm... Only two options...

Where's the third option: I'd like some fantasy elements but not take it too far?

Aye, im with Phes here. The fantasy aspect makes it fun and allows more room for general creativity, while going too far (as they very nearly did in PotC 2) is just rediciulous and not much fun for those of us who like PIRATES.

- The Lord Admiral

[Berry Syedow]

Hmmmmmm... Only two options...

Where's the third option: I'd like some fantasy elements but not take it too far?

Aye, im with Phes here. The fantasy aspect makes it fun and allows more room for general creativity, while going too far (as they very nearly did in PotC 2) is just rediciulous and not much fun for those of us who like PIRATES.

- The Lord Admiral

Had TLC continued the Pirate Line, extreme fantasy would've been unnecessary for some time. There were still many unexplored avenues. A major one being the East.

I never got into Islanders because they were too fantastical. Where were the huts? Or the rodents cooking over an open fire? Or silly dances around a bond fire at midnight? X-D Or hunting down food/fishing. There also seemed to be a lack of foliage. If they lived in the wilderness you'd think they'd have more trees and vegetation around. Were it not for the abundance of water I would think they lived in the dessert, for goodness sake!

[El Bucanero]

Hehe the poll results are fifty fifty right now :-D

I just can't choose between those two, I prefer them realistic, but fantasy elements are always cool, I often played with a BSB and the viking serpent from the 7018 Viking ship, that's really funny *pirate* Now, if lego added some kraken like beast to the viking line....

[Section8]

Sorry guys, I tied it at 12 - 12. I think there should be some fantastic element to any historical or future theme.

I've always found legend better than truth. A lego ship with a plank to make their enemies walk and pirates burying their treasure is better than the truth that few, if any, pirates made their enemies walk the plank or buried their treasure. I think fantastic or legendary components of themes is what makes them special. This would include monsters, mermaids, etc. I consider the Islanders theme to be somewhat fantastic, since the pirate theme focused on the Caribbean and Islanders were the Pacific region. Also, the fact that the pirate ships were always larger is fantastic, since in real life the largest pirate ship was one of Blackbeard's at 40 guns, while many ships of the line were up to 100 guns or slightly more. Most pirate ships were captured merchant ships with a dozen guns or less. But that's not how Lego portrayed it.

I wouldn't mind seeing a true ghost ship introduced in system pirates; I've always thought the Red Beard Runner would mod easily to a ghost ship, but an official model would be cool as well.

[ghoulrealm]

I wouldn't mind seeing a true ghost ship introduced in system pirates; I've always thought the Red Beard Runner would mod easily to a ghost ship...

I did that! Mostly I just added a deck over the gun deck with dingy, 2 aft stairways, more decore in the captain's cabin, blue flamed lanterns and skeleton crew.

It was smashed :'-( , but I'll rebuild it sometime.

[Tordenskjold]

thats a veery difficult thing to answer. at the pirate age (and even today) sailors and other people belived in Kraken and other "monsters" they was as real as a cod or a salmon. so with that im my memory i had to vote yes to add monsters. but i agree, time travellers and so on is way to much. but adding some of the things sailors and people belived in would be great for making pirate world more complete.

Last week i heard a old fisherman tell about a place called UtR

[Jipay]

Hmmmmmm... Only two options...

Where's the third option: I'd like some fantasy elements but not take it too far?

Aye, im with Phes here. The fantasy aspect makes it fun and allows more room for general creativity, while going too far (as they very nearly did in PotC 2) is just rediciulous and not much fun for those of us who like PIRATES.

- The Lord Admiral

I third this. I think some little phantasy elements could add. But not too many ! Vikings had quite a good balance IMO

[Zorro]

Wow, 2 years+ since the last post...

Anyway my opinion is the same as Mr. Phes and co.:

Aye, im with Phes here. The fantasy aspect makes it fun and allows more room for general creativity, while going too far (as they very nearly did in PotC 2) is just rediciulous and not much fun for those of us who like PIRATES.

- The Lord Admiral

So PotC 3 is beyond the thin red line for me! Gods and Goddesses are not suited for this theme I think, the Kraken and some monsters are...

If I had to choose however, I choose REALISTIC !!!

[Captain Zuloo]

I like realistic sets so I liked the BSB over the RBR as it had doors to the cabin etc. I think though, the Pirate theme wasn't that realistic as Pirates had lrger and better ships than the Imperials.

[Zorro]

I like realistic sets so I liked the BSB over the RBR as it had doors to the cabin etc. I think though, the Pirate theme wasn't that realistic as Pirates had lrger and better ships than the Imperials.

True, so very true, and since almost everyone agrees on the fact that the BSB is the best Lego pirateship EVER, most of us agree they like it (partially or completely) realistic! After all it is the most realistic ship of all.

[Norrington]

I like realistic sets so I liked the BSB over the RBR as it had doors to the cabin etc. I think though, the Pirate theme wasn't that realistic as Pirates had lrger and better ships than the Imperials.

I'm planning on Getting:

Cafe Corner

Green Grocer

Market Street (Another one, as I'm using the blue from my first one all ready)

and town plan.

Together that's about 500 buckaroos. However, I would pay that, or more, for one, ultra-realistic, modular, three-decked, ship-of-the-line set. I think LEGO should be realistic. It least moderately realistic. I can handle (and love mine) the Armada Flagship, but that's because it's design is fairly reasonable, and it's color scheme is evocative of Spain and the Mediterranean .

I like Aqua-raiders and the Vikings, as 1) Aqua-raiders are plausible, due to most creatures such the squid and the angler-fish feasibly being suceptilble to Deep Sea Gigantism, and 2) Vikings being specifically based on Norse lore.

I don't like the "Kraken Attackin'" set, as the Kraken is fictional, and the theme plays on Pirate stereotypes, but is not mythological.

I would have been fine with something like "Giant Squid attack," as of course, Giant Squids can attain a great size.

My vote: Realism

[Captain Zuloo]

True, so very true, and since almost everyone agrees on the fact that the BSB is the best Lego pirateship EVER, most of us agree they like it (partially or completely) realistic! After all it is the most realistic ship of all.

If anything could make it more realistic, probably having a galley stove funnel coming out of the deck. But I do say it is the best ship ever.