Misleading Lego Play Features

[jhaelego]

I got some heartbreaking news the other day.

The Republic Gunship is my favorite star wars ship. The lego sets always led me to believe that the bubble turrents in the wings were controlled by clones, the same way the bubbles on the sides of the ship are. My buddy, who collects hasbro star wars action figures, informed me that those wing bubble turrents are actually remotely controlled by one of the pilots. I didn't believe him at first, but a wookiepedia search confirmed what he said.

Am I the only one who didn't know this about the gunship?

This brings up a larger point. Are there any other reasonable play features on lsw ships that aren't on the actual ships? I'm curious if any of more other lego-induced impressions of star wars ships are incorrect. 

[Kim-Kwang-Seok]

If these count:

- back in the "old days" of SW I remember they sometimes even wrote about features in the descriptions that just didn't exist. Which was just a mean trick
Like teasing the Rancor in the old Jabba's palace. & since there were just catalouges for information back then, with a kids imagination I looked into the empty box after the palace was done but no Rancor in sight

They pulled this trick on many sets, as far as I remember - especially with not included minifigures (in some set they teased an army I think & then you just got a few figures).

- Since Lego puts much more effort into sturdiness nowdays, I am very often surprised of how little (storage) space is available. Space that could be used serves the structure or has nothing going on at all.
- ... which was the case with the latest Rebel combat frigatte. The complete back half of the ship is covered, but could have (in my mod does) includ(ed) a hyperdrive, storage room, a walkway + door.
- The latest DS had so little features visible, I thought there just gotta be more functions (like the akward big round black thing that just held 2 blasters for stormies).

[pittpenguin123]

I always thought Admiral Ackbar's coffee cup was really in the movie!

 

But really those arent gunner seats? I thought you could see a chair in one in republic commando.

[Spud The Viking]

Are you sure about the gunship turrets? They have pictures of clones inside them from Episode 2. Here's the Wookiepedia image link:  http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c5/Low_Altitude_Assault_Transport.png/revision/latest?cb=20130719130715

Surely they are manned and not remote?

[pittpenguin123]

3 minutes ago, Spud The Viking said:

Are you sure about the gunship turrets? They have pictures of clones inside them from Episode 2. Here's the Wookiepedia image link:  http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c5/Low_Altitude_Assault_Transport.png/revision/latest?cb=20130719130715

Surely they are manned and not remote?

I think we are talking about the ones on the wing

[Spud The Viking]

Just now, pittpenguin123 said:

I think we are talking about the ones on the wing

Aaah, got you now, sorry. 

[Smitty500]

I had incredible cross sections book and always knew that this was remote controlled. I disliked LEGO made this a seat for clones, it was a good play feature, that I never used. But I always liked my clones in the bay anyway. My one friend thought like you, and I tried convincing him it was a stupid spot for a person to sit, because you would be so vulnerable.  

[montgocloud]

The 2014 Vulture Droid has a cockpit... which is completely wrong (and makes the model look awkwardly bulky). Vulture Droids pilot themselves in-universe. 

[strider117]

Yeah I too knew about the remote-controlled cockpits but I've always put my pilots in there anyways, because why not? :P

There are probably plenty of play features TLC has incorporated that aren't canon, mostly just little missile ports and bombs and whatnot. I honestly can't think of any that aren't just necessary or harmless other than possibly the FO Transport's Gunner hatch mechanism (which I admit is very cool) and the CW AAT's "train" that comes out the back. 

[Smitty500]

A few non-canon features Off the top my head

Count Dooku's Solar sailer, His Speeder being inside the Ship. (also the wings do not splay out like they should, this really bothered me)

At-te Step ladder in the back. 

Also LEGOs first version of the AT-TE had a speeder crammed in back

These were nice features though for playabilty

 

[TWP]

3 hours ago, montyofmusic said:

The 2014 Vulture Droid has a cockpit... which is completely wrong (and makes the model look awkwardly bulky). Vulture Droids pilot themselves in-universe. 

Next to the vulture droid the Droid Gunship and Droid Tri Fighter also don't have pilot inside, just a droid brain. And then the droid brain is not removable like the one from the Tie/d from the old Tie Fighter Collection.

In the latest MTT, there was the droid STAP speeder ridiculously folding out from the back, if your remember. There's also the lookout tower from the recent Assault on Hoth set. Poor Rebel Trooper, he must be freezing xD

 

Also there aren't really big lifting handles on most of the big ships

[Inthert]

The one I always think of is the detachable section Lego included on the Gungan sub. As far as I know that feature hasn't been seen in any form other than the Lego set.

A few other (less significant) additions/changes Lego made that I can think of:

- The R2 ejection system built into a Naboo- Starfighter set (which wouldn't be possible in-universe as the top should only really leave room for his head).

- The escape pod on the 4504 millennium falcon which was concealed behind a docking port.

- Similarly the escape pods on the Ghost which should be docking rings only.

- Yet another escape pod example: the largest engine on the twilight was also advertised as an escape pod if I remember correctly.

- It might also be worth mentioning Lego's tendency to include seemingly random minifigures  in some sets. Kit fisto's unexplained inclusion in Kenobi's Starfighter+ hyperdrive ring comes to mind.  

- And, as strider117 said, the occasional (and often very minor) addition of extra missiles or bombs to random areas of ships.

That all said, often I think these changes made by Lego rarely have any significant impact on the sets, in fact I think they often improve them as toys. Its only when the inclusion of a needless play feature significantly impacts the look of the thing then things become a little irritating IMO. In the case of the republic gunship's manned/remote wing pods, I don't really see a problem. Put clones in if you want or leave them out for the sake of accuracy .

[INDYcec]

Well, these are kid toys, so they don't really bother me as I just build them out.  Now if they added them to UCS ( not play sets like the death star), it would bother me more.

[carnage717]

Don't forget the ridiculous cannon in the front of the Newest Jabba's sail barge.

[Tariq j]

And I think sets like Palaptine's Arrest, The Final Duel and Ewok Village had various storage places for light sabers/figures/accessories etc. 

I mean, as they don't ruin the aesthetic look of the set, I wouldn't have any problems with them. 

[DarthHank]

Another one is Vader's meditation room on the old Star Destroyer - his meditation chamber was on the Executor, not on a normal star destroyer (although I suppose you could argue multiple ships could have them). The Emperor's shuttle set having the Vader transformation is inaccurate as well - the transformation took place on Coruscant. I don't remember, but I don't think the Sith nightspeeder is supposed to split up like that. The Tantive IV escape pods aren't actually supposed to be where they are. Some jedi spacecraft have inaccurate ejection functions as well. The Republic Cruiser had a lone clone pilot in a tiny cockpit.

There are a lot of little differences, but they don't really bother me much. Truthfully, I much prefer the Republic Gunship with troopers in those turrets - otherwise it's just wasted space. I don't understand why they were that way in the movies in the first place; if you don't have a gunner, why do they need to be big balls?

[gotoAndLego]

On 11/1/2016 at 8:46 PM, DarthHank said:

...if you don't have a gunner, why do they need to be big balls?

Because flying into combat still takes courage.

You can see from the video how the wing turrets free rotate. I think the turrets also hold the hardware for the canons. But yeah, those were a last minute Lucas suggestion.

 

Edited November 5, 2016 by gotoAndLego

[Magmafrost]

On 11/2/2016 at 11:46 AM, DarthHank said:

Another one is Vader's meditation room on the old Star Destroyer - his meditation chamber was on the Executor, not on a normal star destroyer (although I suppose you could argue multiple ships could have them).

It was a major plot device in Tarkin that Vader's meditation chamber is just moved into whatever ship he's on. Of course, even the most recent lego ISD predates that book.

[VaderFan2187]

Do the panels in Krennic's Shuttle fold out for the passengers to jump out in the movie?

Does the Resistance Troop Transporter cockpit open using a disk that is manually turned from the outside?

Do characters access the Millennium Falcon's interior by removing the cockpit cover/opening many flaps on the top?

There are many more, but I won't list them all