Future Castle Sets?

[nine09nueve]

No 6 year old sees a 7+ set and thinks "I don't like it", they think "I can't wait until I'm old enough for that!".

My 6 year old thinks "WANT NOW!" (probably... he doesn't actually *say* that) Not sure the age on the box is given a second thought! :D

[x105Black]

You keep saying this, and not listening to the response that the age written on the set box is not so much "kids this age will like the look of this" but closer to "kids this age will be capable of building this". Traditional Castle sets are relatively simple builds because it's primarily bricks and plates stacked on top of each other, but Nexo etc has a lot of specialised parts, non-stud connections and all types of angles. THAT is why the age range for those type of themes is higher. No 6 year old sees a 7+ set and thinks "I don't like it", they think "I can't wait until I'm old enough for that!".

Younger kids are more interested in bright colours and crazy funny things than older people - that is what AFOLs are talking about when they refer to a theme as being childish, the aesthetic.

Bing! We have a winner!

[MAB]

No 6 year old sees a 7+ set and thinks "I don't like it", they think "I can't wait until I'm old enough for that!".

Based on experience, they don't. They say "I am ready for that now." And usually they are right. At the age of five, my oldest was bored with sets like #31002 (6-12 years) and was perfectly capable of building sets like #31024 (8-12 years) by himself.

[Aanchir]

There is a big difference between the LEGO themes of City, Castle and Pirates, and the AFOL themes of City, Castle and Pirates. LEGO's themes are definitely aimed towards a younger audience and the sets are often quite simple, the latest Castle and Pirate themes are perfect examples of that. I didn't see a lot of praise for those themes among AFOLs and I certainly didn't think much of them myself either. But, they add their small part to the much bigger AFOL themes of Castle and Pirates that is the combination of all the different reincarnations of the themes throughout the years. These classic evergreen themes has such a big fanbase that they don't end when the specific current theme ends, they live on and expand.

The main reason for why they do that is MOCs. Nothing keeps the interest in a theme going as seeing new builds from it, with new interesting techniques and creative ideas. Some themes are easier to start MOCing in, it's usually those with lots of buidlings because that's an easy and nice start for most. If left to just discuss the sets and stories behind them, the interest will die out when no more sets are released.

It's true that a lot of AFOLs don't heap praise on the latest waves of Castle and Pirates sets. But they do tend to have high praise for the classic Castle and Pirates sets which were aimed at more or less the same audience. And yes, of course what people do with MOCs goes way beyond what LEGO does with sets. This applies to ANY theme. But I wasn't taking issue with how people talk about MOCs (which is usually tends to be fairly respectful regardless of theme, and at worst a bit patronizing), but rather how they talk about actual LEGO sets and themes.

You keep saying this, and not listening to the response that the age written on the set box is not so much "kids this age will like the look of this" but closer to "kids this age will be capable of building this". Traditional Castle sets are relatively simple builds because it's primarily bricks and plates stacked on top of each other, but Nexo etc has a lot of specialised parts, non-stud connections and all types of angles. THAT is why the age range for those type of themes is higher. No 6 year old sees a 7+ set and thinks "I don't like it", they think "I can't wait until I'm old enough for that!".

Younger kids are more interested in bright colours and crazy funny things than older people - that is what AFOLs are talking about when they refer to a theme as being childish, the aesthetic.

The point still stands that LEGO designs themes like Nexo Knights and Ninjago for that higher age range for a reason. Generally, the LEGO Group doesn't design sets and then just haphazardly assign an age range to them after the fact. Rather, there's a target age range established when a theme is pitched, design sets with techniques appropriate to that age range, and make adjustments to it based on things like the size of the set. For City/Castle/Pirates/Friends, the base age range tends to be 5–12. For themes like Ninjago, Legends of Chima, and Nexo Knights, it tends to be 7–14. That is deliberate.

If LEGO wanted the Ninjago or Nexo Knights sets to be for younger kids, I guarantee you they wouldn't hesitate to use simpler building techniques so they could capitalize on that audience. In fact, they've gone ahead and proven that by releasing Ninjago-themed Juniors sets that eschew the theme's usual more elaborate building techniques. The trickier building techniques of typical Ninjago sets are not just circumstantial, they are designed with those techniques in order to make them enjoyable for their target audience. The subject matter of each theme does not somehow lock it into a specific target age range, either. There's no reason you can't build a medieval set with more elaborate building techniques (like we've seen with the Medieval Market Village or Kingdoms Joust), or a ninja temple with simpler building techniques (like we've now seen with the Juniors Lost Temple).

I still think the notion that certain aesthetics are inherently more childish than others is dubious. Sure, a lot of kids like bright colors, humorous details, and action-packed designs. But so do a lot of adults. The notion that adults prefer everything to be the picture of stuffy realism is a woefully outdated stereotype. Just look how many AFOLs loved the Guardians of the Galaxy sets, which were just as random, wacky, over-the-top, and colorful as many Ninjago sets (not to mention featured, among other characters, a giant tree man and his goofy animal sidekick). Look at how many AFOLs are nostalgic for old-school themes like M:Tron, which included a space helicopter with laser rotors in a startlingly bright color palette, plus a chunky mobile base with a giant glowing windscreen with wheels that could've come off a Tonka truck. Even Classic Space was full of smiley-face figures in multicolor jumpsuits that make many Ninjago costumes look subdued, many of them riding in or accompanied by goofy-looking robots.

If legions of AFOLs can really celebrate and cherish these themes, and yet simultaneously treat the Nexo Knights and Ninjago sets as goofy, nonsensical kid stuff, am I wrong to think there's a bit of a double standard going on there? Again, I'm not saying that Ninjago and Nexo Knights aren't childish. I'm saying pretty much ALL play themes are childish, because they're first and foremost aimed at kids, and I wish the whole AFOL community would be a bit more aware and accepting of that instead of so many people trying to pretend the sets and themes they loved as kids were somehow more grown-up than the sets and themes kids love today. What AFOLs love about Castle, just like what other AFOLs love about Ninjago or Nexo Knights, doesn't come from any of those themes being aimed squarely at them. It comes from the interests they share with the kids who are those themes' real intended audience, and from the design attributes of LEGO that make it an enjoyable and versatile experience for all ages.

[thetang22]

If legions of AFOLs can really celebrate and cherish these themes, and yet simultaneously treat the Nexo Knights and Ninjago sets as goofy, nonsensical kid stuff, am I wrong to think there's a bit of a double standard going on there?

I would say there was a tolerance for that other stuff back then, because we also had the themes like Castle to appreciate at the same time. Themes like Nexo Knights/Ninjago feel like they happen at the expense of a more traditional Castle set. That may seem like a weird thing to say in regards to Ninjago...but the reason I say it is because I feel themes like Nexo Knights happened strictly due to the financial success of Ninjago. Ninja started as a more traditional Castle theme years ago. They experimented with the "Ninjago treatment", which in their eyes worked (because it is a financial success)....and as a possible result said "Hey, this worked with Ninja -> Ninjago....why not try Castle -> Nexo Knights?!?!"

I totally agree with you that when AFOLs criticize the newer themes as juvenile, it has nothing to do with age-appropriate'ness of build techniques...it has everything to do with the aesthetics. You don't see a lot of medieval adventures these days that are really popular AND are aimed at younger children. A lot of "adventures" in media these days revolve around super heroes and Star Wars. Those examples showcase lots of guns, lasers, modern/futuristic vehicles, etc...and typically pander to "the bigger the explosion, the better" mentalities. To a more sophisticated audience, those techniques seem very juvenile. That's what it feels like they are doing with Nexo Knights.

"Young kids these days like super heroes and Star Wars more than they like traditional medieval adventuring....so lets make Lego Castle more like super heroes and Star Wars. After all, we did that with Ninjago, and that worked."

[x105Black]

I also believe that the more "traditional" Castle themes seem to be aimed at a younger audience (as far as the ages on the boxes) because of the relatively simple design aesthetic when compared to Ninjago and Nexo Knights. The latter two are very busy and full of action, whereas the former is usually rather plain and straightforward (especially the latest iterations).

I guess what I'd really like to see is more exploration into the Kingdoms subtheme of Castle, which seemed to have a more mature design aesthetic. Darker colors, more emphasis on medieval like and villagers, less of the absurdities prevalent in Fright Knights and Knights Kingdom 2. Kingdoms also tends to have less fantasy elements like trolls, elves, dwarves, skeletons, and such. I feel these things are usually overdone when they appear. If there are to be fantasy elements, I think a little subtlety would be beneficial. Of course, dragons (molded always a preference), wizards, and other fantasy elements like these can be done in such a way that they work well with the more realistic feel of Kingdoms. Kingdoms seems to be more rooted in the spirit of the Classic Castle theme, or even Classic Classic Castle, updated to be more modern, which is something I'd like to see more of.

I think LEGO should be exploring that side of things. They could take some of the better ideas from the last run of Kingdoms and Lord of the Rings like minifigure design and color palette. They could use newer pieces from Nexo Knights, Elves, and the Minifigure series, among others. They could expand upon lesser used fan favorites like Forestmen and Wolfpack. They could do all of this and present it to a higher age bracket by producing larger and / or more complex sets with modern building techniques and highly detailed modern minifigures. Also, a stronger focus on structures over vehicles and siege machines would be nice. I think that this would be great, not only for AFOLs, but for kids aging out of the juvenile Nexo Knights theme.

I mean, I watched one episode of Nexo Knights (just to see what it was all about), and that show is definitely for babies (OK, small children). By comparison, the show before it was Teen Titans Go, and while that show definitely targets children, I can enjoy it as an adult because the style and comedy skew older than Nexo Knights. Adventure Time is another show that is intended for children, but skews older and is enjoyed by many adults as well. It also has many medieval elements (although there are futurist and absurdist elements that make up a decent portion of its post-apocalyptic world). It feels like LEGO went for the same age bracket as those shows, but aimed a bit too low. It won't be long for kids to age out of at least the television show, if not the theme as a whole.

Just a few thoughts.

[nine09nueve]

Just a few thoughts.

Totally got my vote xB... (Although I do like fantasy races more than you do) I'd do more buildings for IDEAS but I'm just not that good at them! :D

Can't anyone here rally some of the GoH gang and encourage them to strategically build and vote on there?

[BrickJagger]

Can't anyone here rally some of the GoH gang and encourage them to strategically build and vote on there?

Won't work. The Lotr crew has been flooding Ideas for three years and can't get anything through. Besides, Ideas has degraded into a launchpad for the next big licensed theme, and it's very rare for a "normal" set to get through these days. The ones that do get through don't even have figures.

I worry that Lego is starting to put money over quality and the balloon is getting close to popping. You really can't get to much bigger as a company, but all they want is more. Almost half of the current themes are licensed, and those that aren't are supercharged mega-themes (Although I guess I'm guilty for supporting NK in that regard).

The only non-city, classic-style theme to come out last year was Pirates. The year before it was Ultra Agents. The year before it was Castle. Needless to say all three were flops because they were overshadowed by the bigger themes. Lego is proving to itself that smaller themes don't cut it anymore, but they don't seem to realize that they aren't even giving smaller themes a chance. More DC. More Marvel. Even the Simpsons and Minecraft are somehow now in Lego form.

Themes such as Castle and Kingdoms were successful because there wasn't as much competition, just several other similar sized themes, Star Wars, and the yearly licensed theme or two. That way they could thrive without abandoning their core values.

I guess what I'm against is over saturation. Do we really need a Lego Batman Movie? He was just a side character in the original. How about a Lego Ninjago Movie? I don't care how popular the sets are, Ninjago has Bionicle'd itself and it's very hard to become a new fan when the fanbase is solely comprised of diehards and little kids. That movie just serves as a pitiful excuse to remake every 2011/2012 Ninjago vehicle and reboot the series for another six years.

Someone's about to dish on me for liking NK, but I for one do not approve of the immense amount of NK sets being pumped out. Half of the first wave wasn't even necessary. Does everyone really need a hover horse, vehicle, squire, etc? Make each Knight unique! The Lava Monsters are great, no doubt, and have the perfect number of vehicles, each with its own special features and designs.

The Nexo Knights don't need twenty some vehicles if the Lava Monsters only has five, do they? I would prefer NK to have five or six sets in the first half of the year and three or four in the second, not twenty five in the first and fifteen in the second.

I will be glad if NK only runs for three years. It's great right now and hopefully it stays that way for the next two years, but I don't want to get too attached to it when it leaves. I'm just in it for the baddies and fun builds, not some ridiculous complex storyline that takes the better part of a day to figure out (Hint, hint). Lego is about what you do with the product, not some pre-made storyline, and they've strayed away from that in the pursuit of more money.

If they continue to do this we are headed straight for another 1999-2003 disaster, but with licensed themes this time. I think that's something we would all like to avoid.

So with that being said, I'll sit back with you guys and cross my fingers for a new, developed Castle line in the near future, even if it replaces Nexo Knights.

Edited April 30, 2016 by BrickJagger

[BrickCurve]

Can't anyone here rally some of the GoH gang and encourage them to strategically build and vote on there?

There have been a few castle /medieval village themed models that made it to 10 000 votes, including some of the original GoH storyline builds. None of them got accepted. Though if we keep trying maybe TLG will sit up and take notice. Though personally I doubt it. We will get a new castle theme eventually though.

EDIT: Actually, I may put my frost dragon MOC (see signature) on ideas, it won't get accepted but it would help keep the mythical castle creature line going. I don't have time to do it at the moment though, maybe in a few weeks.

Edited April 30, 2016 by BrickCurve

[x105Black]

Totally got my vote xB... (Although I do like fantasy races more than you do) I'd do more buildings for IDEAS but I'm just not that good at them! :D

I'm not completely opposed to fantasy races, I just find them to be a little overdone and gimmicky in LEGO form.

Can't anyone here rally some of the GoH gang and encourage them to strategically build and vote on there?

The problem with this is that their builds don't always conform to what a LEGO Ideas project should be. For example, the piece counts are often higher than what would be approved by LEGO. I think that's been the main obstruction, especially with Lord of the Rings projects getting approved (although the license is likely a factor as well). Also, many MOCs are built as shells of a structure, lacking a defined interior. I think that takes away from the chances of success. Another factor would be complex techniques that are not traditional, causing weak connections and structural issues.

If these issues can be avoided, I think there could be much success. A medieval styled structure that doesn't use too many parts, has a full interior, and stays away from weaker connection techniques could be very successful.

There have been a few castle /medieval village themed models that made it to 10 000 votes, including some of the original GoH storyline builds. None of them got accepted. Though if we keep trying maybe TLG will sit up and take notice. Though personally I doubt it. We will get a new castle theme eventually though.

EDIT: Actually, I may put my frost dragon MOC (see signature) on ideas, it won't get accepted but it would help keep the mythical castle creature line going. I don't have time to do it at the moment though, maybe in a few weeks.

Using your MOCs as examples, I think that the Lakeside Temple, Inland Sea Tower (minus landscape), or Gate of Anrarr (minus landscape) are of a size and piece count that are well within the boundaries of acceptance. They are also very nicely done, and could get many votes with some promotion. And don't get me wrong, the landscapes are wonderful, but they make it less likely to be approved due to inflating the piece count.

Edited April 30, 2016 by x105Black

[thetang22]

I've thought about an idea a bit over the past week or 2, and was wondering about the viability. It appears we won't be getting traditional castle sets for a while due to Nexo Knights...but I was thinking about a product idea that would not require the release of multiple sets all at the same time like a typical theme release.

I know a lot of people like the overall builds when seeing a new Castle set, but it seems even more people are excited specifically for new factions (or re-imaginations of previous): the mini-figs, shields, and banners, etc... Many of us already have 1 or more Castles from past themes. Looking at many of those examples, it's typically the same sorts of items that create the visual identity for a faction.

I thought the idea of selling faction packs would be interesting. The concept: an all-in pack to turn one of your existing castles into a different faction. For instance...let's say you have 7946 - "King's Castle" from Kingdoms:

The main things that prevent that from being any other faction's Castle:

- mini-figs

- shields

- flags

- roof pieces

So if you wanted to turn one of your Castles into a Black Falcon castle....it could be a faction pack including the above mentioned pieces. Not an entire Castle by any means...just 5 or 6 minis figs, some extra shields, maybe a mounted character to get a horse/tabard, some faction colored flags, and perhaps enough roof pieces to customize a tower.

[BrickJagger]

^ Part of the problem with this idea would be the re-introduction of old factions or the introduction of new ones. Since there are no current "Castle" factions, Lego would have to spend time developing this idea.

A line like this with just figure packs and no larger sets would likely be less profitable for Lego, so I don't view this idea as realistic. I think that this is the reason that Lego has been pumping out smaller, less detailed lines for their classic themes just to say that they're still around. They're in over their heads in licenses and they'll only be able to focus on Castle and Pirates again when the Marvel/DC universe proves to be unpopular, which should be in about six or seven years once the comics buzz dies down.

Unfortunately I don't see what's stopping Lego from making 50+ Disney products a year that would directly compete with a Castle line, so, like some others in this thread have said, Castle could be gone for a very, VERY, long time.

I'll just stop now.

[Artanis I]

I know a lot of people like the overall builds when seeing a new Castle set, but it seems even more people are excited specifically for new factions (or re-imaginations of previous): the mini-figs, shields, and banners, etc... Many of us already have 1 or more Castles from past themes. Looking at many of those examples, it's typically the same sorts of items that create the visual identity for a faction.

I thought the idea of selling faction packs would be interesting. The concept: an all-in pack to turn one of your existing castles into a different faction.

The main things that prevent that from being any other faction's Castle:

- mini-figs

- shields

- flags

- roof pieces

So if you wanted to turn one of your Castles into a Black Falcon castle....it could be a faction pack including the above mentioned pieces. Not an entire Castle by any means...just 5 or 6 minis figs, some extra shields, maybe a mounted character to get a horse/tabard, some faction colored flags, and perhaps enough roof pieces to customize a tower.

It would be great, and they will never do it.

Customising your own faction via Bricklink is about all you can do. I'm doing one at the moment, most of the way there. The limitations come from the flag/saddle/barding/plume/horse helmet colours available. You also have to make your own shield prints. Fortunately you don't have to make your own torso prints, because there are a handful of nice ones from fantasy era & kingdoms without emblems or faction colours on them - of course you can print your own if you want! I've found this to be an expensive exercise, more than expected.

[nine09nueve]

I've thought about an idea a bit over the past week or 2, and was wondering about the viability.

The main things that prevent that from being any other faction's Castle:

- mini-figs

- shields

- flags

- roof pieces

So if you wanted to turn one of your Castles into a Black Falcon castle....it could be a faction pack including the above mentioned pieces. Not an entire Castle by any means...just 5 or 6 minis figs, some extra shields, maybe a mounted character to get a horse/tabard, some faction colored flags, and perhaps enough roof pieces to customize a tower.

Brilliant Idea... watch this space :D

Customising your own faction via Bricklink is about all you can do. I'm doing one at the moment, most of the way there. The limitations come from the flag/saddle/barding/plume/horse helmet colours available. You also have to make your own shield prints. Fortunately you don't have to make your own torso prints, because there are a handful of nice ones from fantasy era & kingdoms without emblems or faction colours on them - of course you can print your own if you want! I've found this to be an expensive exercise, more than expected.

Have been experimenting with this for a while now - I will be posting when I have something more *complete*

[TeriXeri]

I like the idea of using those nexo knight shield models in future classic castle faction packs, interchangeable tiles (does not need to be transparent bright color, or have a scannable code for a game).

Would love to see a set of those tiles come out with previous faction logos from old to new, but I think its hard to realize as there's so many different factions in the past and each had their own preference or time period they grew up with.

I mostly grew up with a few sets from Classic Knights/Crusaders from my brother, later combined with a few Dragon Knights/Royal Knights/Fright Knights sets. But I do remember gazing over the Falcon Knights/Forestmen/Black Knights in the catalogs.

1998 was Ninja theme and the start of my Dark ages till now 2016.

Edited May 3, 2016 by TeriXeri

[Lyichir]

I've thought about an idea a bit over the past week or 2, and was wondering about the viability. It appears we won't be getting traditional castle sets for a while due to Nexo Knights...but I was thinking about a product idea that would not require the release of multiple sets all at the same time like a typical theme release.

I know a lot of people like the overall builds when seeing a new Castle set, but it seems even more people are excited specifically for new factions (or re-imaginations of previous): the mini-figs, shields, and banners, etc... Many of us already have 1 or more Castles from past themes. Looking at many of those examples, it's typically the same sorts of items that create the visual identity for a faction.

I thought the idea of selling faction packs would be interesting. The concept: an all-in pack to turn one of your existing castles into a different faction. For instance...let's say you have 7946 - "King's Castle" from Kingdoms:

The main things that prevent that from being any other faction's Castle:

- mini-figs

- shields

- flags

- roof pieces

So if you wanted to turn one of your Castles into a Black Falcon castle....it could be a faction pack including the above mentioned pieces. Not an entire Castle by any means...just 5 or 6 minis figs, some extra shields, maybe a mounted character to get a horse/tabard, some faction colored flags, and perhaps enough roof pieces to customize a tower.

Not gonna happen. This idea consists almost solely of "expansion packs" for sets that have already been retired in the first place. And while that could possibly appeal to AFOLs who already have those sets (or could obtain those sets on the aftermarket), it'd have significantly less appeal for the average Lego consumer—kids and even AFOLs who don't feel like going through the effort to seek out retired sets.

I mean, the Lego Legends castle rereleases from a decade ago were unsuccessful, and even those at least included a complete product rather than just supplementing sets that had been off the shelves for years.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Lyichir

[TheLegoDr]

^ it does make me wonder if the legends would be any better received today. It seems the market for AFOLs is bigger now. It is further removed from some of the releases of those sets. An affordable option for black falcon? Yes, please! I think the bigger issue was a lot of people were still kids then and sales sucked. Sure, sales might still suck, but they could probably promote it differently or pull in different fans. I know it won't happen, but it is fun to dream.

[CMP]

They had a castle at some point (one of those early 2000s moulded-base ones) that included extra banners and pieces so that you could turn the good guy's castle into the bad guy's castle. It's not that far out there.

[thetang22]

For what it's worth, my idea was meant to be a bit "far out there". It could be 1 army every cycle....a single all-in-one pack of a bunch of pieces that already exist....just done in different colors and different prints. It could even be a website-only direct order from Lego. Something that they know wouldn't have a HUGE appeal, but rather a tribute to all the fans that have helped make Lego what it is. Its not the sort of thing that would have to hog up store shelf space. It could simply be a tribute to all the fans that have helped make Lego what it is. Just consider how many people already do have at least 1 lego castle.

Castle Conversion Kits (6 month intervals)

Cycle 1: Black Falcons

Cycle 2: Forest Men

Cycle 3: Black Knights

Cycle 4: Wolfpack

That alone could be enough to generate a decent amount of interest. And the sheer fact that a lot of the pack is minifigure-centric, it really would likely have an appeal to a larger base than expected, since minifigures tend to be a big selling point for many sets.

Edited May 4, 2016 by thetang22

[x105Black]

It would be OK, but they really just need to bite the bullet and do full sets.

[gedren_y]

They had a castle at some point (one of those early 2000s moulded-base ones) that included extra banners and pieces so that you could turn the good guy's castle into the bad guy's castle. It's not that far out there.

That was Morcia, from the often derided (wrongly IMHO) Knights Kingdom II. It was actually a great concept, but poorly executed. One done with more modern castle techniques might actually sell. It would have to come with a siege machine to use the opposing faction's parts. To make that kind of set in a reasonable price range, it would have to not be a full King's castle.

[thetang22]

It would be OK, but they really just need to bite the bullet and do full sets.

I agree. However, this idea is meant as an "in the meantime" sort of idea, since we likely aren't getting any traditional Castle sets for a long time. The idea doesn't require Lego the level of investment a full line of sets would be. These would be singular, small to medium sized sets released on a pretty conservative schedule. Other than some roof pieces, 1 or 2 banners, and excess shields, it would basically be a collection of faction-specific minifigures...which would be a big selling point if these were new prints of old favorites like I mentioned above.

[Lyichir]

^ it does make me wonder if the legends would be any better received today. It seems the market for AFOLs is bigger now. It is further removed from some of the releases of those sets. An affordable option for black falcon? Yes, please! I think the bigger issue was a lot of people were still kids then and sales sucked. Sure, sales might still suck, but they could probably promote it differently or pull in different fans. I know it won't happen, but it is fun to dream.

I think there'd still be substantial issues, in no small part because the golden age of castle was so long ago and as such many of the authentic parts and colors would be unavailable. I just don't see much demand from kids for sets from such a dated era of set designs, whereas adult fans would probably be less interested in something so inauthentic, especially when the "real deal" is available in the aftermarket.

I mean, maybe they could rerelease the Medieval Market Village or some similarly recent and well-regarded AFOL-targeted set, like they did with the Winter Village Toy Shop. But then, is that really what people want, considering the uproar over that particular rerelease? And would it have much more mass-market appeal than something new based on a current theme like Elves or Nexo Knights? Tough to say...

As for faction packs for transforming older castles, I maintain that they'd be vastly impractical. Hardly any of Lego's attempts at selling "expansion packs" that do not offer a complete model or play experience on their own have been all that successful, even when they were sold right alongside the sets they were meant to augment. Expansion packs for castles that have already been retired (in most cases, for several years) would be an even tougher sell.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Lyichir

[x105Black]

I think minifigure packs would be great, with a small build included. The main thing I want from a new Castle wave would be a unified group of minifigures, after all. The CMF series add only a couple each year, so that's not really a viable source for what I would like, plus they are all very specific.

[Blondie-Wan]

Won't work. The Lotr crew has been flooding Ideas for three years and can't get anything through.

I've made this point before, but it might help if those Middle-Earth projects weren't all multi-thousand-piece behemoths that would cost multiple hundreds of dollars.

As LEGO Ideas has grown and matured, they've started to do ever-larger, more expensive sets; after years of CUUSOO / Ideas sets maxing out at $50 USD, they had three in a row last year that were $60, and now they've just released one at $70. But there's still a huge jump from $70 to $150 or so, let alone the multiple hundreds of dollars that most (all?) of the Middle-Earth-based Ideas projects that have made it to review would command if turned into actual sets.

If the rumors and reports of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings themes selling poorly are true, there might be no chance for any Ideas projects based on them anyway, but if there is to be any hope of one or more getting through, it surely would help if the projects were at realistic sizes. Unfortunately, there seems to be little interest practical, reasonably-sized submissions, only in colossally huge creations that admittedly look great but would never be practical as sets because hardly anyone could afford them.

The same is true for non-licensed Castle stuff. There have been at least one or two medieval-themed projects that have made it to review like the Medieval Market Street, which is certainly a lovely project, but just far larger than anything they were willing to release as a set then. There are also some equally lovely Castle-type projects on Ideas that would make much smaller, more commercially viable sets, and thus surely have better chances if they made it to review, but Castle fans seem to just not support them as much as the impractically huge ones.

Besides, Ideas has degraded into a launchpad for the next big licensed theme, and it's very rare for a "normal" set to get through these days. The ones that do get through don't even have figures.

Actually, the CUUSOO / Ideas sets that have been approved to date are almost evenly divided between licensed ones based on entertainment properties and ones that aren't (7 to 8, respectively). And seven of those sets, including three unlicensed ones, include minifigures.