What should new Western sets include?We

[Mazin]

Hi

So Lone Ranger theme is already gone, for some sadly for some people not. Still, everyone interested has to notice that LR sets were very first Legos set in Widl West since... well... a rather long time... 1997 my loyal imaginary servant tells me, so, there You have it

So let's discuss what this theme, both classic 1996-97 Wild West and 2013 Lone Ranger gave us, what great ideas we could find within them and what were/are the possibilities of expansion, of sets, of factions, of major gimmicks could new sets introduce.

Well, basically, what would we like to see and play with if TLG was about to release a new Western-based line.

So far we have a fort, a mine, indian village, a bit of a city, a covered wagon, LR brought a train ( finally! ) and a stagecoach ( finally! ). So I gues a train station would be a nice addition, well any kind of railway sets. Perhaps a river steam boat. I'd say that should consider splitting indians into TWO factions. It's clear that indiands from classic Wild West sets were somewhat neutral, or simply good guys, apparently there wasn't a single set that would include both Soldiers and Natives!

I guess we all know the reason behind this decision. Still, they could get more from Indians by splitting them into traditional GOOD indian faction and... tada!... BAD indian faction, full time bad megablocks, scalphunters.

On the other hand, Western doesn't produce as many set opportunities as Pirates and Castle did.

It simply can't offer so many types of fortresses, ships, boats etc.

Still, deserted "ghost" cities would be a good idea, some hideouts, lumberjacks, trappers, goldminers, caravans with settlers, a donkey/mule would be a great addition to Lego animals, not mentioning a bison of course! ( they did a prototype i've heard! )

Mexicans in their somberos and corrupted army could a nice addition.

Perhaps the whole team could expand even farther, to mix a bit of colonial xix century feeling into it - Adventurers kind of thing, only set a little bit earlier, and without cars.

Some great fictional sets can be found here:

http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=15788

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=18994

Edited December 22, 2014 by Mazin

[Eggyslav]

If we're going into fantasy "Ghost Town" type of subtheme, I'd also would love some Cattlepunk/Steampunk stuff, a'la "Wild Wild West", or even "Back to the Future III". TLG really needs to make a fully blown Steampunk theme, after the success of Metalbeard's Sea Cow, they really have no excuse of not creating action theme focusing on ingenious inventors, their convoluted contraptions, and intrepid adventurers in a brazen age of Jules Verne, If not set in industrial Victorian England, then in the Old West........

[Mazin]

There was a theme about time travellers, pretty cool and convincing for me, as it wasnt that extreme, and it could serve both City and history-based themes.

But i wouldn'r rally go with steampunk. It's a little bit to harcore for me. Steampunk would be fun for other toy franchises. For me Lego has been always a type of a fairytale. And i'm rather unpleasantly shocked that they've dediced to make those Movie sets. Seriously, i don't know, perhaps that ship looked great in a movie, or it can provide a lot of fine parts to build from, but other than that, i can't find a reason to produce such toy, looks ugly and was probably pretty expensive as well.

[Eggyslav]

Extreme? Hardcore? I don't understand, to me, Lego is all about fantasy and imagination going wild, I can understand that Steampunk aesthethics don't work for you, but it's a very interesting concept, and Lego is perhaps the best toy franchise to employ such a theme, that is about creativity, adventure and inventing, TLG have covered many sci-fi and fantasy genres in their themes, so a Western theme with slight steampunk overtones wouldn't hurt.... It doesn't need to be exactly like Sea cow (which was a little grotesque and rather goofy looking, I give you that), and more realistic, but still, I think steampunk would make a really good Lego theme. The Lone Ranger's train set would be a perfect example, It looks like a regular western train, but with a big huge gatling gun. Is it steampunkish? Yes, it is, and yet quite realistic. And this would be the answer. Besides, If you want a ghost town filled with undead cowboys, than why not having them fight wind-up automatons, hot air balloons, early machine guns and/or iron-clad steamships (which were totally a real thing at the time)?

Edited December 22, 2014 by Eggyslav

[Mazin]

I'm not saying that this wouldn't work and I'd probably buy it anyway for western parts. But... as much as I'm a fan of steampunk, and You're right that TLG did a lot of Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Weird stuff recently or in the past, I'm a kind of a conservatist I really prefered Lego when it used to be simple and fairytellish, it gave much more creativity this way. All those new Ninjago and Chims things, those should be made by Hasbro or Playmates, or even Playmobil You know. I think that there's a border they shouldn't have crossed with Lego. They did, a long time a go. But, there's always a chance to return.

And another thing. I'd prefer them to make theme that would run for years if not decades. I know that things and fashions change, but it's kind of unfair they way they keep releasing new franchises and close them after just one or two years - like they did with LR for example. A kid should have a chance to collect same theme for a couple of years, to collect wisely.

With steampunkish Western, I don't really think that it would last long. I can imagine that they would release a bunch of nice sets, but not a whole army of them

And with a "ghost town". I was rather thinking about a simple deserted town, not real ghosts, or zombies, or any creatures at all

And I wouldn't say that Constitution's gatling is steampunkish. Well, the gun is pretty big, and might look a bit out of the place, but it's just an artistic/historical license

[Lego Dino 500]

I would love to see some Montezuma's Castle style cliff dwellings in any future Western theme. Given the timeline of Native Americans during the Western Expansion, Lego wouldn't have to worry about cultural insensitivities because the Anasazi tribe just up and disappeared about 1000 years earlier. This gives a good chance for some good, expansive ruins to explore and have fun building.

[Mazin]

Still it would be very Indiana Jonesish I guess Hidden treasure, traps, bandits. Lots of dynamite. Quite attractive though

[Captain Braunsfeld]

Hidden treasure, traps, bandits. Lots of dynamite.

That would be fun. Actually this reminds me of the initial Adventure sets.

They were charming.

[Mazin]

Yeah, it does. Missed them all the way though. Happened to be released at that time when I was completely out of the Lego mania and still far away from coming back I think i've never actually seen any of them. I've learned about them maybe like two years ago, searching Brickset or same other Lego-dedicated pages.

Would like to see them back on the shelf though.