David Thomsen

Future LEGO Pirates Set Speculation

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Another upcoming Friends set with some nice pirate-y contents is https://misterbricks.nl/lego-friends-41378-dolfijnen-reddingsactie.html, which includes a cool shipwreck, the new coral piece and sea creature accessory pack, and a piece of Sand Yellow (Dark Tan) cloth that reacts with water to reveal a treasure map!

Similar new pieces appear in https://misterbricks.nl/lego-friends-41380-reddingscentrum-in-de-vuurtoren.html and https://misterbricks.nl/lego-friends-41381-reddingsboot.html, the last of which also has pirate ship hull elements in white (previously seen in the Dolphin Cruiser set) and Vibrant Coral. But I figure the shipwreck would be of the most interest to folks here as far as pieces are concerned, since the others are pricier and have a lot more parts/colors that might be a little bright for the tastes of historic builders.

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15 hours ago, Aanchir said:

Another upcoming Friends set with some nice pirate-y contents is https://misterbricks.nl/lego-friends-41378-dolfijnen-reddingsactie.html, which includes a cool shipwreck, the new coral piece and sea creature accessory pack, and a piece of Sand Yellow (Dark Tan) cloth that reacts with water to reveal a treasure map!

Similar new pieces appear in https://misterbricks.nl/lego-friends-41380-reddingscentrum-in-de-vuurtoren.html and https://misterbricks.nl/lego-friends-41381-reddingsboot.html, the last of which also has pirate ship hull elements in white (previously seen in the Dolphin Cruiser set) and Vibrant Coral. But I figure the shipwreck would be of the most interest to folks here as far as pieces are concerned, since the others are pricier and have a lot more parts/colors that might be a little bright for the tastes of historic builders.

Some pretty cool new pieces in those sets, thanks for mentioning them.

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12 hours ago, x105Black said:

So it's basically a Pirates theme for girls, set in modern times. 

IDK, the context in which the Pirate-ish stuff appears in these themes (i.e. as the hiding place of sunken treasures or an ocean animal habitat) reminds me more of the 1997 Divers, 2007 Aquaraiders, and 2015 Deep Sea Explorers sets.

Though thinking about it, depending on how they frame this in the story, I wonder whether LEGO might ever consider using a story arc like this that fleshes out the history of the area around Heartlake City as setup for a spinoff theme set in the area’s past… it could certainly be a neat new direction to take!

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On 4/26/2019 at 5:39 PM, Aanchir said:

IDK, the context in which the Pirate-ish stuff appears in these themes (i.e. as the hiding place of sunken treasures or an ocean animal habitat) reminds me more of the 1997 Divers, 2007 Aquaraiders, and 2015 Deep Sea Explorers sets.

Though thinking about it, depending on how they frame this in the story, I wonder whether LEGO might ever consider using a story arc like this that fleshes out the history of the area around Heartlake City as setup for a spinoff theme set in the area’s past… it could certainly be a neat new direction to take!

Yeah, so I guess it's kind of in between Pirates and those underwater themes.  And as much as I would prefer a great new Pirate theme, a Pirate-like spinoff of Friends could be interesting.

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Sorry if my reply has nothing to do with pirates, but I always feel like LEGO puts a lot more effort into the friends line/themes. This new ocean/explorer/coast guard theme would be a wonderfull city set. Alle the pink, lime green and light blue is to girly (I know it's a theme aimed at girls :p ).

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1 hour ago, *thomas* said:

Sorry if my reply has nothing to do with pirates, but I always feel like LEGO puts a lot more effort into the friends line/themes. This new ocean/explorer/coast guard theme would be a wonderfull city set. Alle the pink, lime green and light blue is to girly (I know it's a theme aimed at girls :p ).

Compared to what?

City has had their Deep Sea subtheme in 2015, and Coast Guard in 2008, 2013, 2017, so it's not like City had nothing recently.

Even right now there's a Creator 3-in-1 set with an underwater mech/submarine build, and a City diving boat + Sea accesoires Xtra set.

I do say the Friends Ocean subtheme for 2019 is very well done with great new parts, but other then the new parts, many things could be color swapped and easily fit minifigs if people so desire, it's LEGO.

 

Edited by TeriXeri

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6 hours ago, *thomas* said:

Sorry if my reply has nothing to do with pirates, but I always feel like LEGO puts a lot more effort into the friends line/themes. This new ocean/explorer/coast guard theme would be a wonderfull city set. Alle the pink, lime green and light blue is to girly (I know it's a theme aimed at girls :p ).

I think if anything they simply concentrate the same amount of effort in different areas of the build. When you compare, say, https://brickset.com/sets/60204-1/City-Hospital with https://brickset.com/sets/41318-1/Heartlake-Hospital, their weights, piece counts, price tags, and target age are fairly similar, yet the City version has:

  • cool, dynamic shapes with bold colors
  • more figures
  • a more complex architectural layout (in terms of its right-angle arrangement)
  • less interior space and detail

Whereas the Friends version has:

  • cute, bubbly shapes with gentle colors
  • fewer figures
  • a pretty straightforward dollhouse-style modular structure
  • more interior space and detail

Of course you do see areas where sets of the same subject are much more different, but that's often because these areas of emphasis are suited to different price points. For example, with regard to cabin cruisers/motor yachts, City ones like https://brickset.com/sets/4642-1/Fishing-Boat and https://brickset.com/sets/60221-1/Diving-Yacht are usually at a $20 price point because they don't bother with much interior detail besides, at most, a bed or desk. Whereas Friends cabin cruisers/motor yachts like https://brickset.com/sets/41015-1/Dolphin-Cruiser and https://brickset.com/sets/41317-1/Sunshine-Catamaran tend towards a $70 price point (same as most LEGO Friends houses) because they want to pack in enough interior detail for a reasonably comfortable overnight outing: twin beds, a toilet, a shower, a kitchenette, a living room/lounge, etc.

If LEGO were to make a Pirates-equivalent theme for girls, I suspect some changes they might make from traditional Pirates sets besides colors/aesthetics would include:

  • More animals… and not strictly of the might-kill-you variety like sharks and alligators.
  • More places to cook/eat besides over a campfire. I know that Imperial Flagship had a galley kitchen, but most non-D2C Pirates sets do not.
  • Places to sleep, particularly since LEGO has now already had hammock pieces in other themes. Nowadays even in LEGO City most jail/prison sets include beds, if uncomfortable looking ones, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to do so in a Pirates theme
  • More female characters, including a female pirate captain. There were several famous ones in real life, so this wouldn't be a difficult or unbelievable change.
  • More emphasis on natural scenery. Not that Pirates doesn't have any of this already, but it's usually been pretty sparse compared to man-made structures like shacks and forts, and rarely included stuff like detailed animal habitats.
  • More interior play features in forts/outposts so they seem like a place where people live and work, not just structures to defend
  • Possibly more civilian port towns rather than just naval fortifications.
  • More fantasy stuff like mermaids, sea monsters and magical treasures.
  • Fewer figures per set, but with more detailed characterization, some of which will be apparent not just in story media but in the figure designs and the sets that contextualize them.

That said, I don't mean to imply this as an immediate possibility/likelihood. Not sure how trendy pirates are with preteen girls at this point in time.

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On 4/26/2019 at 4:39 PM, Aanchir said:

IDK, the context in which the Pirate-ish stuff appears in these themes (i.e. as the hiding place of sunken treasures or an ocean animal habitat) reminds me more of the 1997 Divers, 2007 Aquaraiders, and 2015 Deep Sea Explorers sets.

Though thinking about it, depending on how they frame this in the story, I wonder whether LEGO might ever consider using a story arc like this that fleshes out the history of the area around Heartlake City as setup for a spinoff theme set in the area’s past… it could certainly be a neat new direction to take!

I've been waiting on that for years; the pirate Dark Eyed Kate has been a part of the Friends lore for awhile. (Apparently there was a whole TV episode about her in 2017; but I seem to remember her being mentioned first in a Friends treasure hunt book years before that...)

TC

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On 4/26/2019 at 7:00 PM, x105Black said:

So it's basically a Pirates theme for girls, set in modern times. 

Not like it has't been done before... Check out the 1990's Paradisa theme...

LEGO 6414-1.jpg

lego-41380-01.jpg

 

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2015 Friends had a Lighthouse set as well (with a classic Pirate's rowboat in pink :laugh:)

41094-1.jpg?201410080824

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It does look like the groundwork is being laid for a minidolls pirates theme. The parts development for this line alone proves that Lego is willing to expand the minidolls' universe.

I'm just hoping that 'coral' piece gets produced in more terrestrial plant colors.

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10 hours ago, gedren_y said:

It does look like the groundwork is being laid for a minidolls pirates theme.

:pir-sick:

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On 5/14/2019 at 4:16 AM, Mister Phes said:

:pir-sick:

Reactions like this make it a lot harder to sympathize with fans of classic themes, even with the lengthy dry spell some of y'all have been going through. Just because a set or theme belongs to a genre that typically interests you doesn't mean it needs to be designed with your particular tastes in mind.

Some of my favorite themes over the past two decades have been colorful action figure themes like Throwbots, Bionicle, and Hero Factory, and there haven't been any of those since 2016 — but I've never been outright disgusted by even the SUGGESTION of an action figure theme that isn't designed according to my tastes. And that's not for any lack of likes or dislikes on my part!

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9 hours ago, Aanchir said:

Reactions like this make it a lot harder to sympathize with fans of classic themes, even with the lengthy dry spell some of y'all have been going through. Just because a set or theme belongs to a genre that typically interests you doesn't mean it needs to be designed with your particular tastes in mind.

I was unaware fans of classic themes required sympathy...  Personally, I have enough LEGO pirate products and quite content if there aren't any future releases.

However, like any consumable, consumers are under no obligation to favour the manufacturer's current output and have the liberty to express their opinion, whether that be an in-depth essay or simple reaction.

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20 hours ago, Aanchir said:

Reactions like this make it a lot harder to sympathize with fans of classic themes, even with the lengthy dry spell some of y'all have been going through. Just because a set or theme belongs to a genre that typically interests you doesn't mean it needs to be designed with your particular tastes in mind.

Some of my favorite themes over the past two decades have been colorful action figure themes like Throwbots, Bionicle, and Hero Factory, and there haven't been any of those since 2016 — but I've never been outright disgusted by even the SUGGESTION of an action figure theme that isn't designed according to my tastes. And that's not for any lack of likes or dislikes on my part!

I'm on the fence here.  I'd be glad to see more pirate stuff being released, regardless of whether it be doll or minifig, but I mostly prefer minifig because I want to make certain there's a steady supply of them.  I design most of my own stuff, and haven't really been interested in any sets for some time (I bought a few of the sets released a few years ago, but mostly for the minifigs and to support the line).  It would be good for younger generations to have pirate sets to get into, just like most of us did, so for that reason, I personally don't care if they're minifigs or dolls (I'd prefer both).

That said, Phes is allowed to dislike things, and respond with the sick pirate emoji or whatever you want to call that.  It's not like he wrote a huge post insulting you- in fact, the face wasn't even directed at you to begin with.

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Even if the theme doesn't fit your particular tastes, on the upside, you'll have more new colors and elements to create something that does, combined with pieces from your collection, and your Builders' Savvy!

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Would it be selfish of me to ask for a gho-

 

*sees the Silent Mary*

 

... No, I'm still going to ask, because I'd like to see Lego's interpretation of Ghost Pirates. I want to see a sub-theme of Pirates, where there are Ghost pirates floating around spooping it up and covetously guarding their treasures from the Imperials and Redbeard's Crew alike!

 

Plot twist: The Ghost Captain was Classic Readbeard all along! oooOOOooOH!

Edited by Jevil

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31 minutes ago, Jevil said:

Would it be selfish of me to ask for a gho-

*sees the Silent Mary*

... No, I'm still going to ask, because I'd like to see Lego's interpretation of Ghost Pirates. I want to see a sub-theme of Pirates, where there are Ghost pirates floating around spooping it up and covetously guarding their treasures from the Imperials and Redbeard's Crew alike!

Besides Islanders, yeah, it is rather surprising that all of Lego's previous in-house Pirate lines have pitted their titular characters only against Imperial Armadas. I mean, even simple rival pirates would've been interesting for a change, as in that they don't even need to be ghostly/undead! :def_shrug:

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While I am definately prefering an actual Pirate line, we know Hidden Side at least is located at the coastline (fishing boat/shrimp shack), could imagine it's somewhere southern USA, which technically is not too far from the main pirate locale, the carribean.

In the chance that we don't get Pirates, it'd still be very cool to see like some ghost-pirates via the Hidden Side route. If a Graveyard set can work, so can some Pirate Cave / Sunken Shipwreck / Ghost-Ship or Ruins.

And I mean, actual ghost pirate figures and not possessed townspeople.

Maybe something more closer resembling like the Ninjago 2015 ghost wave, but with hook hands, peg legs, and pirate accesoires instead of Ninjas obviously.

70732-1.jpg?201510140806

Edited by TeriXeri

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1 hour ago, Jevil said:

... No, I'm still going to ask, because I'd like to see Lego's interpretation of Ghost Pirates. I want to see a sub-theme of Pirates, where there are Ghost pirates floating around spooping it up and covetously guarding their treasures from the Imperials and Redbeard's Crew alike!

LEGO has had non-licensed ghost pirates before, but funnily enough, not in the Pirates theme! There was a ghost pirate in this Duplo set (well, the design resembles a skeleton, but the glowing eyes and body make it pretty unmistakable that it's a skeleton of the undead variety), and similar undead pirate skeletons in this fantasy era Castle set!

I agree that this could be a very fun new direction for the Pirates theme with lots of room for innovation and imagination, just as Fantasy Era was for Castle!

13 minutes ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Besides Islanders, yeah, it is rather surprising that all of Lego's previous in-house Pirate lines have pitted their titular characters only against Imperial Armadas. I mean, even simple rival pirates would've been interesting for a change, as in that they don't even need to be ghostly/undead! :def_shrug:

Well, with one exception: the 4+/4 Juniors Pirates sets released in 2004 featured rival pirate crews: one with a red and green color scheme (Captain Redbeard, Harry Hardtack, Cannonball Jimmy, and Jolly Jack Crow), and one with a blue and black color scheme (Captain Kragg, Drake Dagger, and Scurvy Dog).

I agree it would be interesting to see two rival pirate crews, though having one be supernatural in some way might still be useful, since if they're both ordinary human factions, then ragtag outfits worn by typical pirates might make it difficult for people who don't know the supporting story to know which characters belong to which crew.

Unlike with uniformed soldiers, for whom color-coded outfits are pretty much to be expected, giving pirates color-coded clothes (as in the 4+ sets) might seem too tacky and unrealistic for many buyers' tastes (particularly AFOLs in this thread who are used to getting a more motley-looking band of ruffians).

Those 4+ factions did, of course, have other differentiating characteristics — Redbeard's crew was neatly dressed, much like the minifig version of Captain Redbeard/Captain Roger, while Kragg and his crew were shabby, scruffy, and often shirtless similar to Captain Ironhook from the classic Pirates sets of the 90s.

But without color coding or Ninjago-style insignias festooned on every outfit, I think that would still be too vague a distinction for many kids to pick up on without first having it pointed out to them. "Undead"-looking skin tones, spooky enchanted red eyes, skeletal bodies, and other supernatural traits jump out a little more clearly.

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4 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

LEGO has had non-licensed ghost pirates before, but funnily enough, not in the Pirates theme! There was a ghost pirate in this Duplo set (well, the design resembles a skeleton, but the glowing eyes and body make it pretty unmistakable that it's a skeleton of the undead variety), and similar undead pirate skeletons in this fantasy era Castle set!

I agree that this could be a very fun new direction for the Pirates theme with lots of room for innovation and imagination, just as Fantasy Era was for Castle!

Plus, I'd also wish and hope to see some gargantuan, fantastical brick-built sea monsters from the next in-house Pirates theme as antagonists, not just merely a "throw-a-octopus-into-a-set-and-call-it-a-day" Kraken.

10 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

I agree it would be interesting to see two rival pirate crews, though having one be supernatural in some way might still be useful, since if they're both ordinary human factions, then ragtag outfits worn by typical pirates might make it difficult for people who don't know the supporting story to know which characters belong to which crew.

Unlike with uniformed soldiers, for whom color-coded outfits are pretty much to be expected, giving pirates color-coded clothes (as in the 4+ sets) might seem too tacky and unrealistic for many buyers' tastes (particularly AFOLs in this thread who are used to getting a more motley-looking band of ruffians).

Those 4+ factions did, of course, have other differentiating characteristics — Redbeard's crew was neatly dressed, much like the minifig version of Captain Redbeard/Captain Roger, while Kragg and his crew were shabby, scruffy, and often shirtless similar to Captain Ironhook from the classic Pirates sets of the 90s.

But without color coding or Ninjago-style insignias festooned on every outfit, I think that would still be too vague a distinction for many kids to pick up on without first having it pointed out to them. "Undead"-looking skin tones, spooky enchanted red eyes, skeletal bodies, and other supernatural traits jump out a little more clearly.

Well, one way of going about that issue is to have the next theme's protagonists instead be a small band of young, Eighteenth Century treasure-seekers, while the actual Pirates would rather be the theme's antagonists opposite to them. :shrug_oh_well:

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1 hour ago, Digger of Bricks said:

Well, one way of going about that issue is to have the next theme's protagonists instead be a small band of young, Eighteenth Century treasure-seekers, while the actual Pirates would rather be the theme's antagonists opposite to them. :shrug_oh_well:

What seems to be the ideal for us is something of an Age of Explorers theme, where the protagonists are the professional sailors finding new trade routes. This could encompass a myriad of various fig types: gentleman/lady adventurers, Imperial Navies, numerous non-European cultures, and of course pirates.

Edited by gedren_y

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20 hours ago, gedren_y said:

What seems to be the ideal for us is something of an Age of Explorers theme, where the protagonists are the professional sailors finding new trade routes. This could encompass a myriad of various fig types: gentleman/lady adventurers, Imperial Navies, numerous non-European cultures, and of course pirates.

Reminds me so much of the unreleased Europa theme. It was like Pirates, but more mainland, and had more Red and Blue-Coat Soldiers.

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