Random ideas for improved Space bases

[hagridshut]

One thing I liked about Classic Space (1978-1987) was that some of the bases had living quarters for the astronaut minifigures.  One could put together several of these sets and create a space colony where the minifigs could launch rockets, conduct research, resupply ships, and even sit down and have a cup of coffee.  

From the Futuron through Exploriens era (late 80's to the late 90's), the Space bases didn't have much in the way of practical necessities for life in space.  For example, Ice Planet's "Ice Station Odyssey" was pretty much just a rocket launch pad and rocket maintenance center.  The half dome doesn't look like it would provide much defense against the harsh arctic weather conditions, nor is there anywhere for the hard-working Ice Planet crews to rest after a busy day cutting ice with chainsaws or driving through blizzards.  Spyrius' "Lunar Launch Site" is even more spartan.  It has a quarter dome and apparently no maintenance facility at all to support its rocket launch silo.

Some themes, like M:Tron and Space Police II, had no base at all.  

For my next project, I'm considering building a better base for an older theme.  Some ideas I came up with:

(1) Ice Planet + Winter Village.  Ice Planet would get a new headquarters built like an alpine lodge.  I would buy a Winter Village building and renovate the interior with Ice Planet computers and storage room for trans-neon orange skis and chainsaws, but keep amenities like fireplaces and kitchens.

(2) Modify Ice Station Odyssey.   This is easier but less fun.  It would involve adding the modules from the Lego City Lunar Space Station to the back of the half-baseplate of the Ice Station.  The modules would sit on raised structural elements, and would give the Ice Planet minifigs 3 rooms to get pizza, conduct science experiments, and take a nap or call home.  The Lunar Space Station modules are close enough in color scheme that they would mostly fit in if I dispensed with the exterior stickers and logos. 

(3) Turn Darth Vader's Castle into an original Blacktron, Spyrius, or joint Original Blacktron + Spyrius base.  For Spyrius, I would alter the color scheme slightly, by adding some red plating to the mostly black exterior, and some trans dark-blue elements too.  I have enough Spyrius printed tiles and computers to make a decent operations center.   The lower floor hanger, which normally houses Vader's TIE Advanced, would be used as a service bay for Saucer Scouts or Blacktron Invaders.  

(4) Take a Spyrius Lunar Launch Site and integrate Ninjago Temple of Spinjitsu.  The Spinjitsu Temple's black/red color scheme is a close match for Spyrius.  The tea room and training areas provide the Spyrius minifigs areas to relax, and to hone their spy/ninja/espionage skills.  

My end goal is to create something similar in spirit to the Space Police III headquarters, which has a ton of functionality (control room, garage, lounge/cafeteria, shooting range, and detention wing).  

Any suggestions?

[Murdoch17]

My brother did something really similar with his Darth Vader's castle set, as seen on his Flickr feed. (I helped with some picture taking on these early shots)

He turned it Blacktron III with trans-bright green windows and lime accents.... among other BT3 stuff such as 2x light-cycles, an Emperor's shuttle and so on....

 

As for you, @hagridshut, I would say the list you have is awesome so far, so stick with that for now.... don't want to bite off more than you can chew at one time! But for the long term: give the SPIII someone to fight: maybe the Black Hole Gang needs a hideout? What about a dilapidated version of the Lockwood manor set from Jurassic World? Wooden (brown or dark tan) planks across broken windows, the big dinosaur being one of the crew's "pet's" (maybe Brickdaddy?) and the inside featuring areas for their treasures to sit and be counted.... along with their prisoners / dino snacks!!

Edited October 1, 2019 by Murdoch17

[TeriXeri]

As for Half or Quarter Domes, I always saw those as force fields or something that still protected the entire facility area, just because they were open didn't mean they are actually open.

Many structures in LEGO have open sections for play, and I personally never had issues with open-backed structures if they looked fine otherwise.

That said, I liked how they put some non-combat playfeatures in recent Nexo Knight castle sets (Fortrex/Knighton Castle/Jestro's Volcano Lair), including bedrooms, bathroom, cooking or dining areas.

Having non-combat features integrated into Space or Scifi/Aquazone like bases is a great idea to expand.

Edited October 1, 2019 by TeriXeri

[hagridshut]

13 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

My brother did something really similar with his Darth Vader's castle set, as seen on his Flickr feed. (I helped with some picture taking on these early shots)

He turned it Blacktron III with trans-bright green windows and lime accents.... among other BT3 stuff such as 2x light-cycles, an Emperor's shuttle and so on....

As for you, @hagridshut, I would say the list you have is awesome so far, so stick with that for now.... don't want to bite off more than you can chew at one time! But for the long term: give the SPIII someone to fight: maybe the Black Hole Gang needs a hideout? What about a dilapidated version of the Lockwood manor set from Jurassic World? Wooden (brown or dark tan) planks across broken windows, the big dinosaur being one of the crew's "pet's" (maybe Brickdaddy?) and the inside featuring areas for their treasures to sit and be counted.... along with their prisoners / dino snacks!!

The Blacktron mod is great.  That's very close to what I had in mind, just with a different color scheme!

What I usually do when planning a new scene or new "world", is make some sketches based on what I wrote down, and then figure out what to buy based on my budget.  The process can take awhile.  Eventually, I would like to have 3-5 space mini-worlds for different factions.

 

12 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

As for Half or Quarter Domes, I always saw those as force fields or something that still protected the entire facility area, just because they were open didn't mean they are actually open.

Many structures in LEGO have open sections for play, and I personally never had issues with open-backed structures if they looked fine otherwise.

That said, I liked how they put some non-combat playfeatures in recent Nexo Knight castle sets (Fortrex/Knighton Castle/Jestro's Volcano Lair), including bedrooms, bathroom, cooking or dining areas.

Having non-combat features integrated into Space or Scifi/Aquazone like bases is a great idea to expand.

That's an interesting way to look at the Domes.  I don't know exactly why the open domes bothered me in the space sets, because many of the Harry Potter sets are the same way -- open in the back, and I never thought it was an issue.  I'll have to look at some reviews of Nexo Knights sets on YouTube to get ideas on integrating living spaces into buildings.  It is a theme that is unfamiliar to me, mostly because I was not buying Legos when Nexo Knights were sold, due to being busy with other things.