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It's a nice touch, and I'm glad I won't have to mod the set to incorporate that feature.

Nothing much, if you're into that kind of thing. I just prefer fully molded dragons like the ones in the Castle theme. I get that brick-built dragons are a staple of Ninjago, though.

Ugh, brick-built dragons. I guess that's typical for Ninjago, though.

Great idea!

There are many available minifigures and pieces, but LEGO releases more and more every year. There is also a cost factor, however, that prevents many people from being able to get some existing parts (animals, for example). When it comes to pieces, there have been some great new pieces introduced in the last few years that have not been in many sets or in many colors. While I typically use Bricklink or Bricks & Pieces to obtain them, it would be great to see them used more in new sets. When it comes to minifigures, a very similar point could be made. There is also the fact that more and more detail is appearing on the minifigures these days than in the past. There are more great prints that cover more of the body, like the side of the leg and arms. There is dual molding on arms and legs, which is still fairly limited in availability. There are many more color combinations that would be great to see. So many would like more minifigures to keep up a modern standard in their armies. So while there are myriad parts and minifigures to pillage for builds, there are still areas that could be improved upon. Until that is done, simply building what one wants to see is not really a possibility.

I agree. Dragon Mountain was the worst set of the line. Still, had to get it at the time for the dragon. I came out of my Dark Ages while 2013 was still in stores, along with the Tolkien themes, and I thought I was coming into a Golden Age. Hindsight is 20/20. I would certainly take another 2013 Castle theme today, though. I know I'm in the minority of Castle fans in that opinion, but I think it's because I missed out on the Fantasy Era and most of Kingdoms. Going back to those types of themes would be even more welcome. And the 2013 factions may have been relatively uninspired, but it was nice to finally see the Dragons in black and red (although dark red still would have been better). I'm personally getting a bit tired of Lions and Crowns as the 'good guys' all the time. But I also appreciate the attention to classic factions, and loved seeing the Black Falcons get a role in Kingdoms. I agree that the colors were bright in 2013 compared to what had come before, but I believe it was to set it apart from the concurrent Tolkien themes. Still, it would have been great to see the colors of Fantasy Era, Kingdoms, and Tolkien in the 2013 sets. I think a theme that does much of the same things done in 2013 with the colors of previous themes would be much more well received.

I completely understand what you are saying, but new sets make some pieces more available and provide minifigures. Those are things I can't always accomplish myself in a MOC. In fact, this is another pet peeve of mine: - Make it Yourself - When people talk about what sets they want LEGO to produce, they are often told to simply build it for themselves. This is not always possible because of limited part availability. This also ignores the minifigures aspect of new sets. "If you want a new castle so much, make it yourself!"

If it upsets you, use a 'Kleenex' tissue... Fair enough, but without even a simple description I have to go track it down to see what people are talking about. Half the time, it's a waste of my time.

Then they had better give us something good next time!

It could be a stand-alone theme, but would work well enough as a reboot of the Islanders sub theme of Pirates.

That new T. Rex looks great. I can't decide which I like more, or which I will end up buying. And that girl in the set has big red boots. The "Build your own hybrid" thing on the back of the box is neat, and I've thought of doing similar mixing and matching with my dinosaurs before. The thing that makes it difficult is that the colors don't really match. Even if you get a couple of dinosaurs with matching colored parts, the prints are different colors. To me, this ruins the whole idea.

Fair enough. That's why there's a thread here discussing what we would all like to see in a new Castle theme. LEGO is going to make what they want to make, or what they think will appeal to their core, but we are suggesting things that we would love to buy. And modulars are arguably aimed at more of an AFOL market, so many of us are hoping for some Castle themed attention there. But I will definitely discuss what I do and do not like about any Castle theme that surfaces, or any theme that is similar. There are many things I do not like about themes like Elves, Nexo Knights, and Harry Potter, for example, despite the fact that they are similar to Castle. So if the builds are childish and the colors are horrible in the next Castle theme, yes, you can expect to see my words expressing that opinion. People will trash the new Castle theme if the new Castle theme is trash.

Hey, so am I!

Agreed. Look to the CMFs for some examples: I would love to see sets concerning "Islanders" with minifigures like these. I think the CMF series has done a good job of representing these people.

Same. I thought along a very similar line.

Thanks for all of the responses. None of these things are anything to get too bent out of shape over. These are just gripes. And I agree with many of the additional gripes posted here (no flesh neck lines is one of them). Here's another pet peeve, but this one is more about the community aspect of LEGO and the forums: - Kid's Toy - I think that everyone here knows and understands completely that LEGO is primarily a toy intended for kids. I'm getting very tired of that being used in an argument against voicing my opinion about what I would like to see, and what kinds of sets would appeal to me. There is a large and thriving adult community of LEGO fans, and even if we are a small fraction of the overall market, we exist and should be free to speak our minds. It's hard enough when adults get criticized by those outside of the LEGO fandom for enjoying a children's toy, one would think that it wouldn't need to be mentioned among other adult fans. "LEGO isn't going to cater to AFOLs, it's a kid's toy. Children are the primary audience. They are going to make what will sell to kids." What else grinds your gears?

Oh, LEGO is a toy for kids? This is the first time anyone told me that. Not all AFOLs like Castle. Yes. I'm not talking about AFOLs, I'm talking about AFOL Castle fans. LEGO is not a stupid company, and I do assume that they know what they are doing. Then again, to me Nexo Knights looks like it was conceived by people who have no idea what they are doing, so I'm not always sure. In my own small way here on a forum dedicated to LEGO, populated by an AFOL audience, in a thread about Future Castle Sets, I will continue to speak my mind about what I would like to see in such sets along with other like-minded people. This helps me to wait and be patient while these things take time to develop. So now I've responded to your post, but I don't think you really responded to mine that much. I was talking about how the Creator Expert designers think that the modular buildings will appeal to castle fans, and how there is a bit of a disconnect between that way of thinking versus what actually appeals to Castle fans (or satisfies any AFOL in a way that relates to the Castle theme).

Islanders weren't referencing any particular community in the real world, as far as I know. They were just the Islanders of the Pirates world.

Yes, it looks awesome. Surprised to see the 2 vehicles, but excited. Can't wait!

I just want those balloons. There are some nice pieces like that in this series, like every series, pieces that are better than the whole minifigure.

If so, I will definitely be getting more than one.

Or people just liked the model.

It is interesting to see, though, that there's clearly a disconnect between what Castle fans want (in many variations), and what LEGO thinks will appeal to us.

Yes, the thestral looks amazing. And the set itself is pretty nice, too. I prefer the carriage from 2013 Castle, but this is a nice design, and a decent value at $30 from what I understand.

They didn't say anything about media. And nostalgia isn't the only thing that can drive a LEGO Space theme. Well designed space craft sets can propel a Space theme, even in the presence of Star Wars. I am interested in the reaction to Mars exploration, though.