Profitable Elves?

timber_wolf899 · Post by **timber_wolf899** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:09 pm

Aliencat, point well made.

Post by **JoshWedin** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:15 pm

timber_wolf899 wrote:Well sortakinda but not quite. I believe the discussion was<at least from my angle> lego's opinion of profitability. i.e. How do you answer the question on whether lego will mke elves? if lego believes elves will sell, they will likely produce said elves. If not, they won't.
if that makes any sense?

Isn't that obvious? However it has nothing to do with a timeline at all.

All I am saying is that none of us can say if "Elves" will be produced...therefore none of us can say when "Elves" will be produced.

Sir Nelson · Post by **Sir Nelson** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:34 pm

timber_wolf899 wrote:... if that makes any sense?...

I don't see that either.

@Josh (you live near settel, right?) No way I'm taking a bet from someone who can't spell... they'd mail my prize to the wrong address!

Like I said, Elves would be cool, but then again... a return to a classic theme like Forestmen, or Dark Forestmen, would be sweet!!

Username · Post by **Username** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:10 am

[quote="Sir Nelson"

Like I said, Elves would be cool, but then again... a return to a classic theme like Forestmen, or Dark Forestmen, would be sweet!![/quote]

Can't it be both?

Maedhros · Post by **Maedhros** » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:43 am

Isn't another relevant point that elves aren't easily recognizable? Give a minfig short legs and an oversized beard and everyone will think of a classic fantasy dwarf, make a minifig greenskinned and everyone will think of an orc (DnD/Warcraft/Warhammer style at least and they seem to be the most popular anyway). However, how do you make an easily recognizable elven minifig? Cut off the beards of the soldiers in the current crownie faction and they'd work perfectly as elves (perhaps modifying their heraldry - and they could probably even keep the beards as well but that's another story). Or if you want to do something more in the line of wood elves (since wood elves seem to be the general view of elves outside the inner circle of geeks

) you could more or less use forestmen as they are. So let's just hope for a new forestmen theme and then those who like elves can just call those same forestmen elves..

Heir of Black Falcon · Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:34 am

Maedros,

I know you have heard this before but it could go the other way as well. If you did not like the official Lego elf faction just use them as forestmen. Either way I cannot see it being a big issue one way or the other.

There are any number of ways Lego could indicate them a new/different faction or what not. I'd think making it wood elf over other types of fantasy elves would be easier. Use forest themed sets, and minifigs in green and browns. Maybe they could do hair with ears cut into them like some current hair for humans, some with unique helmets. To be honest their elf on the map would work for me quite easily. With the current fantasy line up I think elves would make sense. Besides having elves might make it so we get another baddie human faction.

Heir

Maedhros · Post by **Maedhros** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:44 am

Well, I think my argument still stands to be honest. Since elves have no immediate feature making them differ from humans creating an elvish faction would be hard (especially for kids who have not yet wasted away far too much of their time playing DnD or WoW

). To be honest the only part that all "big" fantasy version agree on is that they are supposed to be more beautiful than humans, and how do you do that effectively with minifigs? Having ears cut into the hair could work for Warcraft style, possibly even DnD style but not really for Tolkien, besides it would look kind of silly anyway (IMO). And unique helmets? Sure, they can have unique helmets but what would make those helmets "elven"? To me the silvery flared helmet looks a lot more elven than any of those custom ones out there.

See the problem? Say dwarf and everyone says: "short, fat humanoid with a huge beard". Say elf and people will agree on a beautiful humanoid creature, and that's a great concept on which to base a new faction, right?

Heir of Black Falcon · Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:49 pm

I understand your point honestly. I just do not think it is really such a hardship for TLC. If Lego can make the difference clear between two human factions, they can come up with something to make it clear between humans and elves. Even if it is a simple heraldry and colour combo that’d work for most I think.

On to ears...I like the Tolkien elf non-pointy ears myself but my guess is if they went with any ear differentiation they’d be pointy as a great number of people associate them this way.

Heir

Sir Kohran · Post by **Sir Kohran** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:57 pm

On to ears...I like the Tolkien elf non-pointy ears myself but my guess is if they went with any ear differentiation they’d be pointy as a great number of people associate them this way.

Urgh, no ears on Lego heads, please. It would be inconsistent with all the other heads, and all the current Lego helmets wouldn't fit on the elf heads.

Heir of Black Falcon · Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:16 pm

Kohran,

No one actually said the should put real ears on them... the idea was to follow current Lego conventions.

Sir Kohran · Post by **Sir Kohran** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:35 pm

Heir of Black Falcon wrote:Kohran,

No one actually said the should put real ears on them... the idea was to follow current Lego conventions.

I understand, I just wanted to make a case against Lego ears whilst we were on the subject of elf appearances.

As for distinguishing between elves and humans in sets, how hard would that be? All the humans in this line have been in light/dark blue, mid/late Middle Ages outfits (excepting the MMV peasants, but that's only one set). Just give the elves bows, a different set of colours, and a different clothing style, and I'm sure they'd look different enough to the humans.

Maedhros · Post by **Maedhros** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:40 pm

Sir Kohran wrote:As for distinguishing between elves and humans in sets, how hard would that be? All the humans in this line have been in light/dark blue, mid/late Middle Ages outfits (excepting the MMV peasants, but that's only one set). Just give the elves bows, a different set of colours, and a different clothing style, and I'm sure they'd look different enough to the humans.

Of course they'd look different, but would they strike the average kid (or adult for that matter) as elves or as another human faction? That's my point...

Sir Kohran · Post by **Sir Kohran** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:59 pm

Maedhros wrote:
Sir Kohran wrote:As for distinguishing between elves and humans in sets, how hard would that be? All the humans in this line have been in light/dark blue, mid/late Middle Ages outfits (excepting the MMV peasants, but that's only one set). Just give the elves bows, a different set of colours, and a different clothing style, and I'm sure they'd look different enough to the humans.
Of course they'd look different, but would they strike the average kid (or adult for that matter) as elves or as another human faction? That's my point...

I think they would, if done right. The 'elf effect' is just more subtle than having short legs and a beard

Quickblade22 · Post by **Quickblade22** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:20 pm

Would Elves be profitable?

I would think so. I certainatly would not have guessed some of the other themes would have made a profit. Look at Power Miners, kids seem to be going nuts over them. If someone gave the crap known as KK2 a shot, I'm sure an Elven faction deserves a shot. All TLC has to do is look at one sight to get enough great ideas for a line

As for how to make them different? Some simple things like making their eyes slightly different would work. Maybe slanted or almond shape with a different color. Don't give me that racial crap about slanted eyes either. TLC didn't mind giving the Native Americans noses when they made that line. If you really want to make a big difference without having to make different molds, why not make the minifigures skin color different all together. I was toying with the idea of using fleshies for my own custom elven faction should TLC balk at the idea of making them. Perhaps another color like sand blue or a number of other colors would work as well.

I think most of us can agree that a forest based theme no matter if it were a forestmen redo or elves would be most welcome in any event. I want elves, I know others want elves, so will they sell?......yes. One thing I want almost as much as an elven faction though is a rest from the speculation of it all

Sir Kohran · Post by **Sir Kohran** » Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:38 pm

Keep the discussion coming...

If someone gave the crap known as KK2 a shot

It's only crap to you, and keep in mind it was the first Castle line to be successful in God knows how many years, so they must have done something right.

I'm sure an Elven faction deserves a shot.

They've made dwarves and trolls, and the line is showing no sign of stopping, so I guess elves is the next logical step. Though I do wonder what will come after them. Balrogs?

Perhaps another color like sand blue or a number of other colors would work as well.

For skin colour, I think they should just stick to yellow. I think anything else would look too out of place with the humans/dwarves.

For faction colour, I would like green, it's been a while since we've had that colour in any quantity. Always thought it was a shame we never got those Rascus soldiers.

I think most of us can agree that a forest based theme no matter if it were a forestmen redo or elves would be most welcome in any event.

Certainly, and given that all the Castle sets from about 1997 have been mostly on rocks, some trees and foliage would be a nice change.