Does Anyone else find they frequently cross Themes?

[Faefrost]

Seriously? Does anyone else find themselves looking at sets, and doing the mental math at how well they would work in a completely different theme or setting with only mild modifications if any? I find I can't help myself. And I don't mean simply the minifigs, nor do I mean that a new set can be incorporated into a MOC of some sort. I basically mean taking the new kit and more or less re commissioning it into its new theme home. Or is this just one of my weird twisted mental disorders?

What I mean is things like this;

My three main displays that are active right now are Aliens Conquest, agents / Action type stuff, and a small Medieval Market Square that has burst its shelving and is invading my office.

So, ok. Happen to be looking at a store shelf of Ninjago stuff (something I dont collect or understand, at all) Ooo Look. There is a nice blue Jay's Lightning Fighter. That might work well as an AC fighter. Take it home, jazz it up a bit. Strip off all the weird gold trim. Add some missiles and lasers and some landing gear, Give it a hot pink Galaxy Girl pilot, and we now have a worthy craft to defend the earth from invading hordes of brain eating little green dudes. The place actually works better in the new theme.

Sometimes it seems to take control on its own. I brought home some Avengers sets this week. Immediately noticed that the color scheme of Shield was exactly the same as that used by our friendly neighborhood Agents. You remember those guys dressed like classic shield operatives... driving the big truck with the stylized A down the road. On the plus side Agent Chase you and your crew get a brand new shiny Quinjett. On the downside you get a brand new Hulk. Have fun, let us know how it works out.

There just seems to be a certain synergy between some types of sets. That Police Incident Command Truck #7728 sure looks a lot like those non descript trucks that the government sent in in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Heck the little off road Police Command Vehicle 4205 looks suspiciously like the truck that ran over Thor when he arrived.

Please tell me that I am not the only one that does this?

[Vindicare]

Well, the only display I have is my town layout. I don't mix that much, just because they don't work for my town. Some HP stuff, 10193 MMV. That's about it on sets. Basically, as long as the building can fit in a town setting there's a good chance I'll use it. Figs are another story...

[lonking machinery]

It's normal, i did that too.

[JackJonespaw]

I usually look at a set and think what kind of MOC I can make out of it by using the pieces. But the minifigs are a whole different story. I get them so I can cross themes.

[Hive]

I mainly collect Castle but constantly look at other themes to find sets that can fit into a Castle setting with some minor modfications. I just don't want to get stuck with too many figs/parts that I'll never use.

[just2good]

I HATE doing it with my display, but I now have CMF Series 5 and 6, the City Car and Caravan set, and a Sports sets I got last year all in one box. Additionally, I have some 2008-2009 Creator sets with some 2008-2009 City sets in one box. I also have some Castle with Kingdom sets, and some PoP sets with PoTC sets in one display. All of this is due to the lack of space on my display.

[Aanchir]

I don't cross themes all that often, but occasionally certain themes inspire me to do so. For instance, a lot of the "bad guy" vehicles in Space Police III feel like real-world vehicles adapted into spacecraft, and its "future city" setting showed signs of similar inspiration. As such, my twin brother and I have created a few MOCs in real life and on LDD re-imagining civilian vehicles and settings from themes like LEGO City into space vehicles and settings.

[Cwetqo]

I do that a lot. Lateest example is vampire castle, which I bought for castle diorama. On it I also plan to use PoP Battle for the Dagger and Hagrids Hut. I used Toy Story Trash Compactor in my city layout for cargo station and Woodys roundup and TS3 train for western setup, along with city's Bandit Hideout. And large green trash truck from Toy Story goes really nice with ModelTeam trucks.

[Endigo Vandane]

I cross themes all the time.

The only limit to do so would be your imagination. Now, I'm not saying that people who don't lack imagination, some simply don't feel the need to do this.

But personally, I can easily imagine a layout which would include nearly all the themes out there, if I only had the space to build it.

[Faefrost]

I don't cross themes all that often, but occasionally certain themes inspire me to do so. For instance, a lot of the "bad guy" vehicles in Space Police III feel like real-world vehicles adapted into spacecraft, and its "future city" setting showed signs of similar inspiration. As such, my twin brother and I have created a few MOCs in real life and on LDD re-imagining civilian vehicles and settings from themes like LEGO City into space vehicles and settings.

LOL those Space Police III civilian vehicles always make me think of Futurama. I can always picture that Limo as the "Don Bot's". Or maybe the tow truck haulingthe Milenium Falcon back to a Spaceport

I do that a lot. Lateest example is vampire castle, which I bought for castle diorama. On it I also plan to use PoP Battle for the Dagger and Hagrids Hut. I used Toy Story Trash Compactor in my city layout for cargo station and Woodys roundup and TS3 train for western setup, along with city's Bandit Hideout. And large green trash truck from Toy Story goes really nice with ModelTeam trucks.

I find that Hagrid's Hut makes an acceptable Witches Hut in the Medeival Village. Sort of a lazymans way to make one without designing and working up a MOC.

[Hrw-Amen]

Yes, I do that with my themes and I have also been looking at that Ninjago set and thinking 'Cool ADU fighter jet.' I am also collecting the new Collectable Mini-fig Space Warrior (Or whatever it is called.) figures as heavy ADU infantry, along with the Pink Space Girls and well, ADU girls.

[obsidianheart]

Not only do I cross themes, I'll sometimes go out of my way to rebuild a set in a more theme-appropriate color scheme. I took the chopper from the helicopter transport set and rebuilt it in Dark Blue and Silver and -BOOM- Agents minichopper. I was crossing Atlantis and Power Miners, and then LEGO included Brains in one of the second wave Atlantis sets and I suddenly felt pretty justified.

[Jay Sathe]

I do, but only when it is applicable or funny. I have the small Space Police 3 scooter/motorcycle underneath my City Police Station, and I often put my Alien Conquest guys downtown, smashing up cars and buildings. Other than that, though, I try to stick to City and City-related exclusives (10219, 10159, etc.)

[TheLegoDr]

That sounds like an interesting idea, but I don't typically take a set from one theme and basically re-use it exactly the same for another theme. I am getting into MOCing more, so I do look at what pieces would be useful and in what quantity, if the set is worth it for the price or if I should just Bricklink it. I like collecting minifigures, so that helps make the sale of set easier. I don't use that many different figures in different settings though. Maybe I should start. Kind of like that Gotham by Gaslight video game that never got made. It places Batman in a Jack the Ripper setting, which is a neat idea. Too bad it got swept under the rug. But I do love that time period and I love Super Heroes, that would be some neat MOCs for sure. So it isn't exactly crossing themes, but it is the same basic idea.

[dr_spock]

Lately I seem to be all over the map. I buy whatever set tickles my fancy. I've also been MOCing in themes I don't normally do. I guess it is ok to step outside of the box once a while and expand your horizon (and shrink your wallet some more).

[David Thomsen]

I was thinking of incorporating my Ghostbusters models into my other displays, but I understand that it's a bad idea to cross the themes.

[CP5670]

I occasionally place something from a different theme into a layout, although like Jay Sathe said it's more for comic effect than anything else. I also incorporate Technic functionality into Space/City models all the time.

[obsidianheart]

I was thinking of incorporating my Ghostbusters models into my other displays, but I understand that it's a bad idea to cross the themes.

Wow, that was good.

[Flipz]

I was thinking of incorporating my Ghostbusters models into my other displays, but I understand that it's a bad idea to cross the themes.

Woooooooow. Somebody give this guy a medal.

I've crossed themes a lot when I was younger, but nowadays sets end up being cannibalized for MOCs before I play with them all that much. I did have a funky cross-theme Christmas display with my modular buildings and the winter village sets (and lots of other crazy things) one year, but that's about it recently, unfortunately.

[Hive]

I was thinking of incorporating my Ghostbusters models into my other displays, but I understand that it's a bad idea to cross the themes.

I read this earlier, but didn't get it untill now.

Well done.

[Faefrost]

I was thinking of incorporating my Ghostbusters models into my other displays, but I understand that it's a bad idea to cross the themes.

Well played.

[purpleparadox]

I was thinking of incorporating my Ghostbusters models into my other displays, but I understand that it's a bad idea to cross the themes.

I should get this, but I don't. Anyone wanna explain?

[gedren_y]

I should get this, but I don't. Anyone wanna explain?

Go re-watch the original Ghostbusters movie.

I usually buy for parts and figs, but I could see some of the second wave of Ninjago fitting in with Pharaohs Quest. The dragons from Ninjago could be dropped into a castle setting with little to no changes. Exoforce was basicly an Earth based sci-fi (read Gundam knock-off) so nearly all of those sets worked well with nearly all of the Space themes.

Someone needs to get ahold of an actual TLG set designer and ask the big question: "Do you design any of your sets with theme crossing in mind?"