Castle walls

[Webrain]

Any good reason why LEGO decided to give up on the tradition wall from 1984 till very recently and decided to invent a new one which don't have any purpose because it's almost in the exact same concept of the original one and also making another compatible window separate as well

Any thoughts? (beside the old molds are dead hehe)

[Gothano]

I love the old wall but like the new wall element too!

From my point of fiew as a oldshool freestyle amateur builder (without using a designing software )there are three good reasons for new wall elements:

- it easier to handle a equal 4 studs wide element than a unequal 5 studs element. So walls could be 8,12 or 16 etc. studs wide. this size is better to use because main plates are equal like 2, 4 or 6 studs wide!
- it give more scopes to build with a element that is 1 stud deep than 2 the old one was and that was not on the same level
- the baseplate 3 x 3 x 6 Corner Wall without Bottom Indentations make easier to build. But if Lego create new why they don't cut off the overlaying head too and create 3 diagonal studs?

But there is also one thing I really dont like. New elements are not 2 tone painted. Only one color and decorated with stickers

What do you think?

[Robin Hood]

My guess would be a two parter.

One part that the mold was getting old and probably running the risk of not producing quality pieces (or something like that. I have never understood this).

The other part being that decided/realized/took advantage of the situation and removed the awkward five stud length. You have to admit that pretty much anything odd-numbered (baring 1) can be a bit tricky to build around in Lego. That being said, I have never, ever found the old wall piece diffcult to incorporate into MOCs, at least not due the odd length. It's ugly backside and the awkward upper lip thingy are another matter.

But that's just my completely unfactual thoughts.

Dan

[Webrain]

hmm about the stickers I totally agree
as for the even number it was good enough since 1984-2008 so now they decided it doesn't fit hehe
I think the old walls had one befit - they where holding each other pretty good

btw they didn't changed the corner ones though they were only created in 1986 so I suppose to guess that now the old molds are done so they'll invent a new ones

[Robin Hood]

btw they didn't changed the corner ones though they were only created in 1986 so I suppose to guess that now the old molds are done so they'll invent a new ones

Take a closer look at the new kingdom sets.

Dan

[Webrain]

Oh I totally became senile I saw that
Thanks Dan

[legokilt]

I have to say I don't mind the change in the walls from 5 to 4. While I would prefer the printed walls to stickers, I'll take what I can get. One thing I really wish they would use more are the 1x6 solid panels. I made a 32 x 32 chamber almost entirely from them ( of course I removed a bunch of them for use elsewhere.

[DaleDVM]

I really like the new walls. Without that rearward projection they are much more useful for me. The even number width does make a difference to me as well especially when building a tower. Walls can just put 2 together for an even length but smaller towers always had that odd number of studs that bothered me.

As for the printing. You have a good point but this is really a seperate issue. Printing really has nothing to do with the shape of the piece. TLG could print this new piece any time it wants to. Printing may be changed in the future though I doubt it will.

[Ye Olde Republic]

Robin Hood couldn't have expressed my thoughts on this issue any better; it's almost as if he were channeling my brain waves. Stickers are a bit of a different topic though.

I don't mind that new walls are four studs wide but I do kind of miss the six brick high nature of the old one.

[Tower of Iron Will]

Robin Hood couldn't have expressed my thoughts on this issue any better; it's almost as if he were channeling my brain waves. Stickers are a bit of a different topic though.

I don't mind that new walls are four studs wide but I do kind of miss the six brick high nature of the old one.

Maybe he has a "Wand of Admin control" which allowed him to read your thoughts and/or plant those ideas into your head...

Seriously though LEGO usually doesn't change stuff without a good reason. I wonder if they consulted any of the LEGO abassadors or any other AFOLs first to see what they thought about it.
-Tower

[davee123]

Seriously though LEGO usually doesn't change stuff without a good reason. I wonder if they consulted any of the LEGO abassadors or any other AFOLs first to see what they thought about it.

I expect no AFOLs or Ambassadors were consulted regarding the retooling of the element, unless they happened to work for LEGO at the time

My guess would be that they tested with children, and kids preferred the new 4-wide walls. The fact that it's rectangular rather than notched make it a simpler design, meaning more kids "get it" and are instantly adept at using it. Comparatively, I expect that some kids find it frustrating to design walls with pieces to fill in the gaps, and work with the protruding lip of the older elements.

My hunch is also that the old wall bricks probably had notches added for sturdiness-- and similarly the lip provided extra stability for a walkway around the battlements. IE, it was probably meant to be durable and stand up to rougher play, whereas the new one is meant for increased versatility.

DaveE

[Jojo]

Hello!


Of course the 5-width of the old wall element was always kind of odd. On the other hand you were able to reproduce those elements using standard bricks and a 1x3 arch, which would not have been possible if the walls had been 4 wide in the first place. At least the window wouldn't have been centred. Now they invented the new window panel to remedy that problem. The window in the 2x2 panel is slightly smaller than the window in the wall panel, though.

Actually the new walls don't bother me much, if at all. Mostly because I haven't been building with the old wall panels for many years, either, so they simply don't affect my style of building.


Bye
Jojo

[Captain Cochise]

This really isn't a new wall/panel piece. It's been a round a little while, I believe on set 6242 'Soldier's Fort.' My wife is a Manufacturing Engineer so we have little discussions like this all the time, especially since I'm out of the dark ages in full swing. The move to make this wall in BLEY is probably a decision in commonality of production, which either lowers a cost of a piece, or maintains a certain price level. The old 5x6 wall, while forever endearing in my book, was only unique to the castle line in the current market. Which means a whole set of production and manufacturing processes designed to one unique piece for one niche theme. This doesn't make much sense when your trying to maintain the quality of the bricks at an equivilant price point. I was not surprised to see the new 4x5 panel make it's entry into the castle theme when my son and I sat down to build 7946 King's Castle.

I do love that when you built a wall out of the old 5x6 panels you knew that it was going to be a SOLID wall because you HAD to "interlock" it. The shape of the piece itself just futher enchanced the 'feel' of building castle. From a MOC perspective, it looks like it will be easier to incorporate the new 4x5 panels into certain builds to avoid BGWS.

[Jojo]

Hello!

This really isn't a new wall/panel piece. It's been a round a little while, I believe on set 6242 'Soldier's Fort.'

That's true. However, compared to a piece that was launched in 1984, a piece that appears in one set from 2009 and three sets from 2010 can still be considered "new". ;-)

The old 5x6 wall, while forever endearing in my book, was only unique to the castle line in the current market.

"Current market" means: In sets from the last three years? If not, the old panel was also used in Pirates sets, Town/Paradisa sets and a Time Cruiser set.


Bye
Jojo