29 replies to this topic

[TheBrickster]

Over the past few days, I've been in Pirate-mode really enjoying the new 2009 Pirate theme.  I have not yet found the new Soldier Fort or the large Pirate Ship, but I'm really looking forward to the fort.  I love island and fort sets.  As I've been looking at all the new pirate sets, it got me asking myself, "What do I enjoy more, Ships or Structures"?

One could almost say that the new Pirates theme is predominantly a "land-lovers" theme at the moment, with more land sets than ships.  This may change in the future, but at least at present.

In comparison to License themes like Batman where vehicles are predominant, would you have expected  the new Pirate theme to have more ships & sails or land-loving island sets?

As a pirate fan, what do you enjoy more?

I'm not sure if a topic like this has been previously discussed, but I'm curious to read your thoughts on the subject.  I've added a poll for some extra fun.

[Paul cantu]

Ships! Who doesn't like sea battles? I remember my Black Seas Barracuda and Red Beard Runner were always fighting each other on the living room floor.

[Wes]

I've always loved ships and I have focused on them until recently; however, there is definitely a need for islands and forts...without them, your ships have no places to dock, visit, pillage, or bury treasure. To me, play is an important factor (I'm an ESPG fan).

[Oky]

I like both, but I think I like forts and islands better than ships. 'Cause after all, ships are always kind of the same, while forts and islands vary a lot. Also, I think they offer a little more playability than ships, even though ships can be "swooshed".
So, I guess I'm a land-lover.

PS: Why is this thread called "Vessels & Vehicles"? Shouldn't it be more something like "Vessels & Islands"?

[TheBrickster]

Oky Wan Kenobi, on Nov 19 2008, 09:02 PM, said:

PS: Why is this thread called "Vessels & Vehicles"? Shouldn't it be more something like "Vessels & Islands"?

I was comparing ships and vehicles (for non-pirate themes), with buildings and structures.  Savy?

[meschepers]

I like a mix of both.  I like the docks and ports so the ships can have something to pillage and/or resupply.  I like the ships because that is what makes a pirate line.  There would be no pirates without ships.  They'd be just plain old thieves.

But for this poll I have to say that I like ships better.

When I get the Soldier's Fort I am going to take the two weapon racks from two Soldier's Arsenal impulse sets and make a small armory to fill one of the empty structures.  I'll have to wait to get a ship when maybe a cheaper one comes out since I am on a tight budget.

[Sir Norman Ray]

On the one hand, I do like boats, but nothing beats a nice, well built structure to keep warm in.
Hmm
THere's only one way to find out. FIIIIIGHT!
(Watch from about 1.05)

Nah, I like structures these days, but I would still like a decent Imperial boat.

[ZCerberus]

I think maybe there should be more small ships or ships with a variety of sails--

Even small ships that have brickbuilt hulls like the ship in the imperial trading post would be nice.  Sure, we get an occasional raft- but what about a few more merchant ships with a raiding pirate longboat hot in pursuit?

As far as a variety of sail configurations, maybe Lego could build a schooner that actually has a schooner like sails configuration!

I vote ships- but I ships that are not all the same.

[Tacitus]

I have to admit that I find ships and land vehicles altogether kind of boring.  Forts, hideouts, castles, and villages are much more interesting to me from both the standpoint of design and imagination.  True, vehicles do lend themselves to easy playability, but it is very limited.  For example, the Batman line drove me nuts because they had all these vehicles, but no place to drive them to.  So, Batman always seemed to be on this neverending car chase.  The Agents line, until the creation of the Volcano, was kind of the same thing- look, Agent Chase is...chasing...again...now, in a car. Now, in a boat.  Now, with a heli-pack... but still chasing.

Of course, with a Pirates line, you have to have a fair share of ships.  But without a fort or village to pillage, or an island to hide your treasure on, all those boats become kind of pointless, and totally repetitive.

[Guss]

I voted ship and vessels! I want more ship ! ^^

ohhh 50% ! 7vs7

[Darth_Legois]

Hmm I guess I like Ships more [I hope they make an Imperial one] But ships need somewhere to dock but there should be more ships then land sets IMO...but didnt the old Pirates have quite afew little land sets too?

But I think ships are the main part of a Pirates theme! So I voted ships

[TheBrickster]

Surprisingly, very mixed opinions in regard to this question.

I've only created a pirate display once before.  It had two ships that were both set up as docked, rather than an epic battle at sea.  My desire to set up a pirate scene focusses on the land aspect.  I think that the land/island just offers so many more possibilities and play, rather than a ship.  If you had asked me to compare these when I was much younger, I probably would have said I liked ships better for that swoosh value (mentioned by someone above).  

Tacitus mentions the Batman theme above, and this is exactly what I was thinking when I initiated this poll.  In most themes, I think I like buildings/bases better than vessels and vehicles.

[djo]

firstly i like ships and vehicles.
but when my ships and vehicles become big fleet, i must find place for their to be stationed.

ships always enjoyable to play better than structures.

i vote for ships.

[Phred]

Ha Ha!
Tied again!

I voted ships. It is the key thing that makes me interested in the pirate theme in the first place.
Also, the contitution i'm currently building is much bigger than any pirate fort i've made in the past.
I'll be hard pressed to make a dock big enough to manage that ship.

Clipper ships were the first sailing ships i liked,
then master and commander came out and i've been reading about ships all over the world ever since.

[Zarkan]

Null Vote. Sorry, but I can't decide - I love both equally! Ships are great for lots of seafairing action, while islands and forts are excellent for displaying and making up cool scenes. And they both always come with plenty of acessories and great figs, so there's no real preference for me.  

[Fluyt]

I really like ships, but I wan't to focus more on land structures. Even though I am happy enough with the ships to keep mostly original, while bases that LEGO released need moccing (or I have to start from the ground up and moc something not based on them), since they are too small. So I voted bases, since I find them more of a priority than ships.

[Svelte]

Landscapes and buildings, definitely. The modular idea behind the 6242 Soldier's Fort is good as it encourages you to expand the length of the dock as long as you have some .

It's a shame they've abandoned showing alternate models as having a pic of a really long and varied Soldier's Fort on the back of 6242 would probably inspire a lot of kids to pester their parents to get more copies of that set!

Obviously you can't have a Pirates theme without vessels and vehicles but it seems that TLC will always produce more vehicles than places to navigate them between, so I agree with Fluyt that it's really a question of priority.

[Ratshot]

I really like sets like Imperial Trading Post,Skull Island and Saber Island but i wold prefer a ship any old day,I mean pirates are really about men on ships generally looting and pillaging other ships

[Admiral Blockbeard]

I voted ships and sailing...

My reasoning is, I love the bsb, and ITP, the ITP is on land but I would still class it as a sailing set (due to the harbor and the merchant). I honestly can not stand those pirate hideaway islands, the only "island" I like is enchanted... and thats not pirate territory.

Regards, Cpt. PB

[Banned_guy009]

I voted for ships. Ships are amazing, especially their history, sea battles, the Pirate Era, Titanic, Lusitania. Ships are just awsome.

[Captain Blackmoor]

Ships have my vote! I just love sailing ships!  
I'm interested in land-things too of course but ships are just better.

[commander]

the only thing i was before i was a lego fan was a pirate ship fan! i will never stop being one, either.

[Admiral Croissant]

definetely ships for me! but buildings like the capstan inn are also very welcome ofcourse, only ships wouldn't be so nice either. The combinations are the most important, but personally I like ships more

[Lord_Youri]

I lack both lego ships and money to buy them I'm afraid
so I just use castle-ish things and make them soldier-ish mostly
:] so it's bases for me  
hoping to make a decent ship in the future though

[Commodore Hornbricker]

I would probablly lose my love of the pirates theme if I actually had to choose.  I voted forts and land because that's been what I have been working on lately but honestly you can't separate them from one another!  What would pirates be without grand ships and why would the ships exist if not for land...