Why does there have to be fighting in every set?

[Rubberchickenknight]

How about this one?

Anyone can use one of those to smash someone's head in...

[Dunechaser]

I never felt that my childhood medieval villages were complete without farm houses, a blacksmith's shop, and church. Now, I'd probably also include a baker, butcher, market with merchants, and so on.

I'd personally love to see smaller, modular sets that are more civilian oriented -- perhaps available as S@H exclusives, as others have suggested.

[Blue Head]

In some ways I agree with some of you, in other ways I agree with the other side. I am a 13 year old kid who is male, and I can easily say that if I had to choose between a fighting lego seen or a peaceful set, then I would definetly go with the fighting set. It also, though, goes with how I'm feeling and how much money I have at the tim. For example, I would rather by a large farm then a small two man castle. Also when I was around five (and had very little money) I would rather by the fighting sets compared to the peaceful sets unless the peaceful sets had pieces that I wanted/needed.

But that's only my opinion... :)

[Legendary_Corsair]

I agree there was a few wars in the middle ages and there was lots of time of peace in some countries,They should just make a few peaceful scenes for a change of pace.

[lego fanatic]

Hello i think this would be a great idea NO MORE WAR BASED SETS but for those people that disagree or think it won't sell maybe take a civilian set and spice it up a little. Like for example a set could be a bakery and have some bandits or peasants or going along with the new sets orks and skeleton's trying to attack the bakery so at least the set isn't based completely on fighting or war machines and siege engines. Then again this is just my opinion.

[Peppermint Pig]

Corner Cafe is non-violent, but it's definitely not a budget-minded set.


Hire me, Lego and I will attempt to re-establish strong sales with non-violent sets particularly appealing to girls, but without having to 'girl-it-up', so to speak. I'm somewhat serious here. Anybody else?

The problem appears to be a noticeable decline and lack of in-store availability with certain sets, despite strong sale of castle and star wars. That's usually due to what the retailer chooses to carry, but...

The rumor mill also suggests that Lego rations its sets, so shortages appear at places such as TRU for popular themes. This seems, frankly, counter productive. Either way, if Lego is not willing to budge on price, they should at least resolve the issue of scarcity so that retailers can move desired product more quickly. Nothing worse than going to the store and not finding anything you're after. As much as Lego dislikes clone products, they should keep pushing the envelope and compete more strongly.

One very simple solution is to slash prices at S@H, which should translate to lower retail prices in most cases, if their contracts allow for such. I profess ignorance to what goes on behind the scenes and give my best reasoned argument based on what I do know.

[Heir of Black Falcon]

I think the end is that it has to be an addition to exisiting medieval sets over replacing them. The conflict of lego is more interesting for a theme than men tilling fields or caring for ill animals alone. It makes a stellar addition but alone it would likely not float very well. War was integral to the medieval period, there are few decades that go without something taking place of a military nature (believe me I study medieval military history as a career).

I dated a girl who had a son and refused, flat out, to allow any sort of thing related to violence around him like toy knives, guns, rifles, swords, chairs, spoons... sorry about the last two but you get my drift, everything and anything that could be violent. The funny thing is as time has gone on I do not think it made a difference, he made himself his own little toys of swords and guns etc. from junk around the house. Little boys are boys after all. I am the oldest of five brothers and we all played cops and robbers, knights and dragons etc. and seem ok. I used to run around with a wooden sword I made myself at 4 and traded it in at 16 for a real one. So far never had to cause any damage to anyone, nor intend to. Battle, weapons and warfare in general just are. The parent has the responsibility to make sure the kid knows right from wrong and limit or control how much violence, sex etc around their kid. If they fail in this lego making non-violent sets will have 0 impact on this whatsoever (video games might be somewhat different but for a different forum).

Personally I love the non-military aspect of medieval life as I think it could be interesting for lego sets to have more sides to the castle series. Knights have to eat as well right. Yet taking out the military aspects would leave you with a very limited and likely unprofitable series as it was one of the main draws for me as a 4-6 year old and I am sure it continues as I see family and friends with children doing the same. Even if they (TLC) did switch to non-militaryish sets boys would make them knights and soldiers anyways so there is little to no point in changing it so drastically.

R

[Mog]

I don't think anyone is saying that LEGO should stop making knights or fortresses, or that they need to change their line "drastically," Heir of the Black Falcon. The theme is called "Castle," after all - not "medieval" or "village." Still, it seems odd to have just knights and fortresses - shouldn't there be something for those defenders too, y'know, defend?

The new Town sets are a great example. City used to be just police and emergency, with maybe the occasional airport or gas station thrown in. But now we have Cafe Corner and Market Street and Green Grocer - very realistic sets that aren't just pure action. No, they aren't exactly to scale with the more action-themed sets - hence "Town" vs. "City" - but AFOLs (and even many TFOLs) love them.

I imagine any "realistic" medieval sets will be like that. They'll be more realistic, with higher piece counts and higher price tags, but they'd find an audience, I'm sure. They won't be to scale with the mass-market castle sets, but we won't care - the Blacksmith's Shop wasn't, right? They'll be more realistically proportioned.

In fact, now that I think about it, LEGO should just re-issue Blacksmith's Shop under the "Factory" brand and start with that. It'd be a great way to test the market for other "realistic" medieval sets.

Plus, I just really want a Blacksmith's Shop.

[Sir Kohran]

Well the advent calendar is a start; there's a jester and a girl with a broom, alongside the knight in armour and the evil trolls so maybe future sets will include more parts of civilian life.

[Mog]

It does seem odd to introduce such figures just for the advent calendar. The jester, we know, is based off of Harley Quinn from the Batman sets, but the peasant woman? Maybe it is a sign.

I hope they release more peasant sets, because right now the only thing the peasant woman can really be is the princess in disguise. (Don't they share the same face?)

[Athos]

I would just like to have some civilian sets for the bad guys to pillage and the good guys to protect.

Steve

[Peppermint Pig]

I would just like to have some civilian sets for the bad guys to pillage and the good guys to protect.

Steve

Good angle.

[boses]

Maybe Lego could continue by making town/village sets, and leave the soldiers/knights in bulk battle packs...I think many army builders would like to have a quick, efficient way of gathering minifigs in packs of say 7-10 figures and not have to buy multiples of sets with parts they do not have any immediate use for... The town/village sets could then focus on the buildiing/buildings themselves, and not have to deal with many fighting/army types of figs...just a thought...

[Sir Kohran]

It does seem odd to introduce such figures just for the advent calendar.

Why? Keep all the mainstream sets that have to sell well full of combat and monsters, and then use the 'special' items - where they have a bit more room for variety and attraction to kids isn't such an issue - to release civilians.

Maybe Lego could continue by making town/village sets, and leave the soldiers/knights in bulk battle packs...I think many army builders would like to have a quick, efficient way of gathering minifigs in packs of say 7-10 figures and not have to buy multiples of sets with parts they do not have any immediate use for... The town/village sets could then focus on the buildiing/buildings themselves, and not have to deal with many fighting/army types of figs...just a thought...

I honestly can't see this happening. Kids don't want to buy a battle pack, a civilian building, and a load of other sets just to create a battle scenario, they want to be able to buy one single set that will come with a scenario already available. Look at all the KK2/Castle sets that sold well - pretty much every one of them has a set-up conflict in them. And army builders, and AFOLs in general, represent a tiny amount of the Castle audience, not enough to warrant a change in production just for them.

- Matt

[Heir of Black Falcon]

I agree with Kohran in that people just would likely not take off on civi sets.

That said towns were military in many senses as well so there is no reason not to have towns made up with both aspects to it.... A lego town model.

Perhaps every year they could make a 2-4 sets focused on the building of one town system as a part of the lego castle series. Perhaps a few smaller sets and one larger one every year. I'd think the aspect of some commoners or more commoners would be useful addition as well.

R