Future Castle Sets?

[fred67]

Given recent LEGO releases, a set like that, rendered in LEGO (not <insert that tiresome argument> with big molded pieces) would run more like $300 than $150.

[Aanchir]

Ehhh... I don't really see what's so impressive about that Mega Bloks castle. I mean, it's tall (giant panel construction tends to do that), and it's pretty evil-looking in terms of its color palette and number of traps. But other than size, it doesn't offer a lot that 8877 and 7094 didn't. Though to its credit, it came out two years before 8877 and four years before 7094.

That's not to say there's nothing to be learned from Mega Bloks sets. In spite of their often pitiful building level compared to LEGO sets, some of them do have some nice contents. I would love a LEGO castle that felt as livable as the Mega Bloks Lion's Kingdom. Of course, that set's entire exterior structure was a prefab shell/carry-case and a lot of its details were stickers. A LEGO set has to commit more of its piece count to actual building. Still, look at that interior! A smithy, an armory, a bedroom, a library, a throne room, a banquet hall, a stable, AND a dungeon!

Fortunately, we're now finally getting some LEGO castles that feel more "livable" than usual. Namely,

(dungeon, throne, foyer, bedroom, bathroom) and

(dungeon, throne, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, armory). Now if only the Castle theme proper could take a cue from these themes and realize that livable details and action play don't have to be an either/or! Edited March 12, 2016 by Aanchir

[nine09nueve]

I wouldn't resent NK so much if it didn't make me suspect that TLG views it as meeting most of the demand for any kind of Castle or Fantasy Era line. I have a bad feeling that we won't see a new Castle or classic fantasy range until NK has run its course.

I really hope you're wrong... but I can't help but think you're probably going to be right... Plus with Chima being given the boot I wonder if they're hoping point those fans into the direction of NK? This is part of the reason why I'm uploading so much of my stuff on LegoIDEAS at the moment - I want to show someone that (paraphrasing Gimli) There is one castle themed AFOL in Middle Zealand who still draws breath!

The year with the trolls and dwarves was awesome. What about a theme set in the late medieval period with Gothic German Knights and the like? Medieval Italy like venice with all the crazy Italian armors? I guess my point is i'm tired of seeing yet another wave of castle sets that look and are based in middle ages England.

I agree in that there is no reason why the castle / medieval / fantasy themes can't be more creative like in previous years... but I'd take another middle ages castle over the mechanised NKs. And there are a myriad of options... look at Burlogh's Claw Coast http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=122702 for example of a different style of build... or something smaller like Combee's Ogre Encampment http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=97430 Wonderful builds!

Given recent LEGO releases, a set like that, rendered in LEGO (not <insert that tiresome argument> with big molded pieces) would run more like $300 than $150.

Oh I don't know... the "castle" could be split into more modular sections... so 2 or 3 sets which would build decent enough structures in themselves but when combined could be built into something larger.

It'd be cool to see a high fantasy story focused take on the next Castle theme, almost like Bionicle or old school Dungeons and Dragons. Maybe reintroduce some old factions like Forestmen and Dragon Masters too. But ultimately all I care about is that we get some decent castles, buildings, and siege engines.

I will pass on the Bionicle... but i'm down with everything else... I would offer respectfully is, why aren't we (ie: the Lego Community) not doing anything about it? There are a TON of amazing builders on here and on historica. Why aren't there more offerings on LegoIDEAS? Why no groundswell of support for existing projects that will show that there is a great demand for these types of builds. Like https://ideas.lego.com/projects/116214 or http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=117496 by Michael Kalkwarf for example.

If it were the "castle" themed submissions that were hitting 10K every time then surely the business arm of TLG would be thinking a little differently?

Edited March 12, 2016 by nine09nueve

[x105Black]

I can't speak for every fan, but personally I'm not a big fan of the modular castle. There have been plenty of medieval fantasy themed Ideas that I have supported, though. And Lord of the Rings continually makes it to 10,000 supporters. So I expect they know that there is an under-served community. I think they thought we would all get into Nexo Knights. How wrong they were.

[nine09nueve]

I can't speak for every fan, but personally I'm not a big fan of the modular castle. There have been plenty of medieval fantasy themed Ideas that I have supported, though. And Lord of the Rings continually makes it to 10,000 supporters. So I expect they know that there is an under-served community. I think they thought we would all get into Nexo Knights. How wrong they were.

I don't suppose LOTR is ever going to return in the way people will hope... partly because did the hobbit not sell well? but also I expect TLG would prefer to move away from licensed sets I think... (apart from SW... as it will always sell I expect).

I still believe that if the whole lego community (not just the Eurobricks ones) who were fans of castle/medieval/fantasy were strategic and regularly submitted and supported all of those kinds of sets on IDEAS... we'd get better results in a few years time, than if we didn't.

[Lego Dino 500]

Ehhh... I don't really see what's so impressive about that Mega Bloks castle. I mean, it's tall (giant panel construction tends to do that), and it's pretty evil-looking in terms of its color palette and number of traps. But other than size, it doesn't offer a lot that 8877 and 7094 didn't. Though to its credit, it came out two years before 8877 and four years before 7094.

That's not to say there's nothing to be learned from Mega Bloks sets. In spite of their often pitiful building level compared to LEGO sets, some of them do have some nice contents. I would love a LEGO castle that felt as livable as the Mega Bloks Lion's Kingdom. Of course, that set's entire exterior structure was a prefab shell/carry-case and a lot of its details were stickers. A LEGO set has to commit more of its piece count to actual building. Still, look at that interior! A smithy, an armory, a bedroom, a library, a throne room, a banquet hall, a stable, AND a dungeon!

Fortunately, we're now finally getting some LEGO castles that feel more "livable" than usual. Namely,

(dungeon, throne, foyer, bedroom, bathroom) and

(dungeon, throne, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, armory). Now if only the Castle theme proper could take a cue from these themes and realize that livable details and action play don't have to be an either/or!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm tired of having all these small completed buildings. Something that has presence, like the classic castles in terms of height and width, and not necessarily depth and bulk. 2013 is a perfect example of this. There wasn't anything unique, or special to it's design. It was just a big square, with 4 lumps that could hardly constitute towers. Knight's Joust, and the early Harry Potter sets were examples of the opposite. The amount of detail, size, and effort that went into designing those was so much greater. I'd love to see something similar to Harry Potter, or that Dragger's Castle where they offer us the components like the towers, front gate & wall, and the main building separately.

[x105Black]

I still believe that if the whole lego community (not just the Eurobricks ones) who were fans of castle/medieval/fantasy were strategic and regularly submitted and supported all of those kinds of sets on IDEAS... we'd get better results in a few years time, than if we didn't.

I absolutely agree.

[nine09nueve]

I absolutely agree.

So how can we make this happen then? Any suggestions? :D

[Aanchir]

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm tired of having all these small completed buildings. Something that has presence, like the classic castles in terms of height and width, and not necessarily depth and bulk. 2013 is a perfect example of this. There wasn't anything unique, or special to it's design. It was just a big square, with 4 lumps that could hardly constitute towers. Knight's Joust, and the early Harry Potter sets were examples of the opposite. The amount of detail, size, and effort that went into designing those was so much greater. I'd love to see something similar to Harry Potter, or that Dragger's Castle where they offer us the components like the towers, front gate & wall, and the main building separately.

Fair enough. I agree that the Hogwarts Castles have generally been really good designs, even the old ones that came out during a time when LEGO designs in general tended to be rather weak. The Hogwarts Castle sets are also great examples of the kind of "livability" I want to see in LEGO castles. Banquet halls are such an iconic snapshot of medieval life, so it's a bit bewildering that LEGO Castle sets with an actual medieval setting have never really had one! Instead, you have to turn to licensed themes or action/adventure themes for that kind of thing.

Of course, there's a bit of a give-and-take, as you mention — castles that are fully enclosed on all sides and have a lot of depth often have to cut down on their height in turn. Likewise, castles that are tall and imposing often have to do away with a back wall and make heavy use of archways in place of solid walls. Neither style of castle is going to please everybody.

The Sky Castle from LEGO Elves might be one of the closest recent sets to those Hogwarts Castle design sensibilities. Like the various Hogwarts sets, it's got lots of archways and openings, and is mostly a facade rather than a fully enclosed castle. It shares some aspects of its color palette with Hogwarts, what with its tan walls and pastel roofs, and it's even got that Harry Potter folding staircase! So, LEGO definitely is still capable of making castles with that sort of design.

So it's mostly just a question of whether that's really what LEGO Castle fans (kids and adults alike) want. I can't tell you how many sets and MOCs I've seen criticized for being "just facades" instead of fully enclosed structures. Yes, that even includes stunning TFOL/AFOL-oriented designs like the Temple of Airjitzu or Kingdoms Joust! To some people, a building that doesn't wrap all the way around is not a finished design, no matter how beautiful its architecture or how advanced its building level might be.

Something else that will have to be acknowledged by both Castle and Pirates fans (who have both expressed dissatisfaction with the size of recent sets) is that due to inflation, castles and pirate ships are likely to continue shrinking unless the price cap on standard retail sets is lifted. Aside from D2C sets like Kingdom's Joust or Imperial Flagship, the max U.S. retail price for both of these themes has been stagnant at $100. In the case of Castle, it's been that way for over 10 years, even though a price tag of $100 back in 2005 would equal a price tag of $125 today.

This is part of why licensed themes and action-adventure themes have been able to deliver larger and more impressive builds — their maximum prices HAVE risen with inflation. The 2001, 2004, and 2007 versions of Hogwarts were all $90, but the 2010 version was $130. By contrast, flagship Castle sets from 2000 and 2004 cost $90 and ones from 2007, 2010, and 2013 all cost $100. In thirteen years, the base price of a flagship LEGO Castle only rose once, by $10, in 2005.

Of course, I don't know if AFOLs are the real roadblock here. Parents are just as likely or more so to complain about the rising cost of LEGO, and a $99.99 price tag still seems a lot more palatable to many people than a price tag of $119.99 or $129.99. Perhaps the younger target audience of Castle and Pirates than their licensed or action-adventure counterparts might be a factor in why LEGO is hesitant to boost these themes' price points. But even so, I don't think LEGO will be able to keep the max price point of these themes stable forever.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Aanchir

[0tter]

Is anyone here excited about the prospect of the upcoming Disney Cinderella's direct to consumer Castle?

I'm not keen ot incorporate it into my Castle collection, but I'm happy to add it (assuming it looks awesome) to my LEGO collection (though technically it will belong to my wife ).

[Andrzej777]

I hope lego will revolutionize the classic castle theme in the future. Yesterday I managed to purchase my first cmf grim knight and really like that fig. The knights design of 2013 might not have been totally bad but there is so much more possible.

[0tter]

Like the resurrection of Black Falcons using the new heraldry! :D

[Ardelon]

Well, I REALLY hope that if past factions are rought back or given shout-outs, they use their classic heraldry.

[thetang22]

I don't know if I'd insist they use the classic heraldry as-is....but I'd certainly prefer they take heavy inspiration from it. I'd still want Black Falcons to have black and blue as their primary colors, rather than the dark green they tossed in the jousting set. I don't mind the use of the updated shield icon though...as it still says "Black Falcons" to me.

[BrickJagger]

I don't know if I'd insist they use the classic heraldry as-is....but I'd certainly prefer they take heavy inspiration from it. I'd still want Black Falcons to have black and blue as their primary colors, rather than the dark green they tossed in the jousting set. I don't mind the use of the updated shield icon though...as it still says "Black Falcons" to me.

I personally thought that the Black Falcon included in the Kingdoms Joust was pretty lazy. It reused many parts from the Dragon Knights, including the helmet, basic head, torso, and legs. The only new elements were the armor and the shield. Even just a blue plume, which was available at the time, would have made the fig better.

I do think that the Black Falcons will come back fairly soon, as well as the Forestmen.

[x105Black]

I sure hope so. There's been a drought on medieval fantasy that needs to end soon.

[nine09nueve]

I sure hope so. There's been a drought on medieval fantasy that needs to end soon.

If we (ie: the MFCLLC - Medieval Fantasy Castle Lego Loving Community ^^ ) want TLG to end the drought then we need encourage TLG to make it rain...

Are we petitioning TLG to make more castle sets? Are we being strategic and buying "castle" themed sets past and present? Are we voting for medieval themed sets on Lego Ideas? Are we submitting medieval themed sets on Lego ideas? Are we thinking of new and creative ways to show TLG that we will may decent money for castle stuff over other themes?

I have no idea how TLG chooses what to develop or not... But they are a business and (all things being equal) if they see something that will make them a lot of money then they will head in that direction (so long as it is in line with their values etc etc)

If no medieval themed design has got near 10k votes on ideas for example then TLG will more likely continue with developing lines like Angry Birds before revamping castle stuff :(

[sahidko]

If no medieval themed design has got near 10k votes on ideas for example then TLG will more likely continue with developing lines like Angry Birds before revamping castle stuff :(

Lothlorien and Minas Tirith got 10k votes yet we won't get any more LOTR sets.

[nine09nueve]

Lothlorien and Minas Tirith got 10k votes yet we won't get any more LOTR sets.

That's great Sahidko - thanks for the info... As I said before I don't profess to know of TLG's rationale behind what they choose or not... Maybe IDEAS isn't the way to get TLG's attention with respect to castle stuff... But seeing as this isn't a LOTR forum but a Castle one (although I appreciate the cross over and have many LOTR sets myself) I still hold to my last statement...

If the castle loving community do not as a group petition / lobby / support / promote / submit any castle sets or ideas in a strategic or consistent way... How else will TLG take "us" seriously?

[sahidko]

I think it has been said already couple of times in many topics. They don't need to take "us" seriously. Unfortunately we are only a small part of their customer pool. :)

Edited April 21, 2016 by sahidko

[x105Black]

I would really like to see more Castle themed structures on LEGO Ideas. Not necessarily castles, but civilian buildings. And more generic Castle themed stuff. Sometimes, the fantasy elements take over a bit too much for my taste.

[CM4Sci]

I think if someone submitted a nice, normal castle, like that yellow one, it'd be a decent set. With some unique prints and stuff.

[nine09nueve]

I would really like to see more Castle themed structures on LEGO Ideas. Not necessarily castles, but civilian buildings. And more generic Castle themed stuff. Sometimes, the fantasy elements take over a bit too much for my taste.

Brilliant! Search for Nunki-Psi on IDEAS and support everything he does (I'm assuming NP is a he but apologies if not!) if you can't find it then go to my page and what I support and find them that way. Then build your own structures and then submit them - let us know and hopefully we'll all vote. The more we work together the better it's going to work.

I think if someone submitted a nice, normal castle, like that yellow one, it'd be a decent set. With some unique prints and stuff.

Brilliant! Along with your great Roblox stuff build and submit a yellow castle - like the one you want to see :D then let us know and we can all support too.

I think it has been said already couple of times in many topics. They don't need to take "us" seriously. Unfortunately we are only a small part of their customer pool. :)

We may be a small pool but that doesn't mean we can't make a big splash! :D

[x105Black]

We may be a small pool but that doesn't mean we can't make a big splash! :D

I agree with this. If we all support Castle projects, we'll stand a better chance of seeing more Castle products in the future.

[nine09nueve]

Cool! Someone else gets it :D (now tell a bazillion of your friends!!)