SirBlake

I looked, but didn't see this posted anywhere else: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-08/toys-r-us-said-to-be-prepping-liquidation-of-u-s-operations There's still a tiny chance this could be avoided, but it does seem like the most likely result. No more TRU in the US, and other markets are in danger too, but their fate isn't decided yet. That would be a real bummer for exclusives and the like, though I won't miss the "TRU tax" that is higher prices than just about anywhere else. The only silver lining is that there could be some great clearance deals to be found, for a little while anyway.

We have one kid and a 3 bedroom house, so one room is full of me and my daughter's Lego, though probably 90% of what's in there is mine. My wife knows I work hard and this hobby is therapeutic. Plus, as hobbies go (Golf, fishing, whatever), it's really not that expensive and it keeps me from doing other, less constructive (pun intended, I guess) things. So I guess the point is, it's a non-issue.

I doubt that your posting in this thread would prove that, but in the interest of being constructive, what is your suggestion to move forward? What's your kid-focused castle theme look like, regardless of what the average AFOL may want?

There seem to be many things that you’re not sure about here, yet you consistently shoot down every idea that would lead to some sort of Castle in Lego. I asked the question before, but you ignored it so I’ll ask again more directly: what is your goal in this conversation, MAB?

Man, that HelmsVamp combo is rad. I never would have thought to try that. It is an exciting idea to think what a +/- 2000 piece set could look like. More pipe dreams, but it’s fun to ponder.

6080 King’s Castle and Black Monarch’s castle both have a drawbridge and portcullis. Looking at them on the shelf to verify. :) Love the colors on that MOC, @Aanchir

The heart wants what it wants, Faefrost.

I picked up the Mustang yesterday. There are some nice techniques and I love the fenders. Beyond that, it’s pretty disappointing on a lot of the details. The grille is a mess and I don’t understand the use of the 1x2 cheese slope for the running pony. It’s just strange. The Nexo shield hood scoop is odd and again, the color scheme is not great. I’ll be modding the crap out of this think to make it better.

@Aanchir , thank you for the thoughtful and insightful reply. It helps to see where you're coming from on this.

Really nice work. I especially like Treebeard. :)

Question for the people refuting those of us that want to see some Castle product come back... (Basically the people whining about us whiners) What is your goal? What I mean is, I'm seeing a lot of push back on ideas that would bring new castle back. Push back on a D2C solution. Push back on a full theme. Push back on a tiny Castle/Pirates/Space mini-theme. Insistence that any form of castle existing would still be met with more whining, so why bother. Is the goal for us to just shut up and be happy with what we've got (which is nothing)? Not trying to be combative here. I'm genuinely curious.

That’s exactly right. It’s also the reason we’re all disappointed. Now what?

I’m talking about minimum viable product. Something is better than nothing. Of course a full line is preferable. As it stands, it’s been years since I had something to look forward to aside from the CMF line (and they’re royally screwing that up too).

I don’t care what Lego likes.

This is a glass half full/half empty sort of thing. You ask how it would help (that answer I feel is fairly evident) and I ask, how would it hurt? They gamble their resources all the time in a much bigger way. This could be a low-volume sure thing Kingdoms Joust was D2C and lasted maybe 2 years.

A $20 set one year with the promise of a $50-$100 set the next year would go a long way. Where do you put them? Who cares? Online only, store exclusive, Lego store only, whatever. A one-per-year classic theme wouldn’t necessarily be marketed to kids anyway, so again, who cares? im not saying it’s a perfect solution, but it is a low risk way to respect loyal and vocal fans.

Some quality posting going on here y’all. As far as the designer comment, I’m not sure what to think. If @Aanchir is right and it’s some meta commentary on fan expectations, that’s pretty cheeky, but whatever. Fans have every right to have specific and personal expectations. The degree to which that annoys other fans or designers or TLG for that matter, is complicated and also personal. @BrickJagger you threw a lot of good stuff out there, too much to cover all of it. While I think pretty much everything you said was true (from a certain point of view), there’s also a strong consensus and solid analysis that Middle Earth was handled strangely with some odd choices and some fabulous sets. Add to that the very legitimate stance that 2013 was bland and too safe and only served to support nostalgia buys brought in by the Lego Movie. I don’t understand why they don’t just throw us a bone. If 1 classic castle, 1 pirates and 1 space style set (with new parts and techniques) was released per year, in varying sizes and costs, you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be a profitable venture. It would also serve to satiate some of the most vocal and rabid fans.

For this excellent MOC, I extend to you this laurel and hearty handshake.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting tired of being kicked in the shorts.

Thanks for posting pics, y'all. That mod is a big improvement. I'm still disappointed in some of the decisions on the Mustang, but it'll be a good base to make something cool.

Hahah, maybe, but that would be really cool either way.

That cannon is genius. Very nice.

Cool. To better answer the original question, I’d like to see continued use of the SC wheels and tires where appropriate, and let the Racers theme get a little more latitude to play as far as realism goes. There’s room to be funky and fanciful in a Speed Racer kind of way.

Interesting thought. I’m all for it, but not at the expense of Speed Champions. SC has brought us some real gems and I would hate to see that theme go away.

First of all, HP and castle have run side by side before. Secondly, what is your F’n problem?