Are the New Castle bad?

[Lord Lego 436]

I'm talking about the mountain fortress and the Castle Siege. They don't contain baseplates! Even the hated Morcia Castle had a baseplate. I think that TLC is cheaping out, and that All the castles should have baseplates.
What do you think?

[RichardAM]

I don't like baseplates, and I think judging a castle's quality on this alone is pretty stooooppid.

I'd far rather have eight or ten standard dark green plates rather than a huge lump of plastic i'll never use.

[Athos]

I think a baseplate looks nicer. Since it gives some studded area inside the castle. But as Richard said, having a bunch of plates is also nice. And you can buy baseplates more readily. Though, not having the baseplate in the middle makes the set look not as nice.

But the set quality and design (at least of the siege, I've not been very impressed with the troll fort) makes up for the lack of baseplates.

Steve

[knight howdy]

i think the new castles are great.
the troll mountain fortress isnt that great but i can forgive that
on the other hand i have to agree,i rather have baseplate included.
baseplates are pretty expencive...around 9 euro.



keep on brickin"

[BiggerJim]

But the set quality and design (at least of the siege, I've not been very impressed with the troll fort) makes up for the lack of baseplates.

Agreed. I didn't get the troll fort, it didn't appeal to me, but the siege is my favorite castle in years. Even without baseplates.

[Lord Lego 436]

I don't like baseplates, and I think judging a castle's quality on this alone is pretty stooooppid.

I'd far rather have eight or ten standard dark green plates rather than a huge lump of plastic i'll never use.

I suppose that that's right, but the baseplate's can come in handy at times. It also makest the castle more fun to build. The latest castles feel like rebuilding the same wall over and over and over again.

The fact that the inside of the castle is left open and empty makes it rather boring, in my opinion.

[Evil Ben]

I'd far rather have eight or ten standard dark green plates rather than a huge lump of plastic i'll never use.

Agreed. And I find it's easier to fill in the empty (not sure I'd say boring...) space in the courtyard of a castle with other bits and pieces of detailing if the walls are built on plates rather than on a baseplate. And the plates are easier to store (increasingly a problem for me).

I quite like the Trolls' Mountain Fortress; why did so many people find it disappointing? Is it just the BURP-intensity?

[ben_toy_tech]

For practicality of storage and flexibility to creatively re-purpose into other creations, I think a handful of plates (>= 16 studs long ea.) is better than a large baseplate design. For the imaginative builder, smaller pieces and more of them are usually the superior choice in my opinion. Of course, if we only build the model as per the instructions, then the only factor is the inconvenient storage issue.

[Dr.Cogg]

Sometimes when lego uses a baseplate the piece count gos down ,so it all depends on if you want a baseplate.

[Karalora]

The Troll Fortress wouldn't even work on a baseplate, as the finished structure is trapezoidal rather than rectangular.

[Heir of Black Falcon]

karalora,

Sure it will you just need to use the single 1x1 round plate or the rotating 2x2 plates.

I actually like the Troll Fortress. I do now have one but have put one together and thought it was very neat. Just like the KCS it has some features I'd change if I could though.

LL 436,

I like baseplates as well but not to the exclusion of other foundation methods. I would like to see a few castles built in the 80's style in regards to baseplates but other aspects as well... size for one. I'd love some Black Falcon Fortress and Knights Castle sized ones.

Heir of BF

[Lord Lego 436]

karalora,
LL 436,

I like baseplates as well but not to the exclusion of other foundation methods. I would like to see a few castles built in the 80's style in regards to baseplates but other aspects as well... size for one. I'd love some Black Falcon Fortress and Knights Castle sized ones.

Heir of BF

Yup, that about sums up what I'm thinking. TLC should have some variety in its sets, at least. If kids see another castle like the Troll Fortress, then they'll think "Hey, I've already got a castle like this!"
It's also more fun to build the baseplate ones.
I never use the baseplate, though.

[RichardAM]

I suppose that that's right, but the baseplate's can come in handy at times. It also makest the castle more fun to build. The latest castles feel like rebuilding the same wall over and over and over again.

The fact that the inside of the castle is left open and empty makes it rather boring, in my opinion.

Well, I would agree there, especially with King's Castle Siege. In that regards I would say it's pretty boring.

At the same time however, I like to think these faults exist so that we can improve them. Obviously this isn't the case at all and it's probably more a financial issue, but i'm a huge fan of "fixing" or combining sets, at least before tearing them down completely.

[Papy.G]

Sure it will you just need to use the single 1x1 round plate or the rotating 2x2 plates.

Sure, but TLC probably wouldn't in a "regular" set.

To lead everybody to peace between baseplates and not, TLC could build new castles over little baseplates, say 8x16, for example, so the structure could be hinged to fold-open and connect together.

[knight howdy]

Sure it will you just need to use the single 1x1 round plate or the rotating 2x2 plates.

Sure, but TLC probably wouldn't in a "regular" set.

To lead everybody to peace between baseplates and not, TLC could build new castles over little baseplates, say 8x16, for example, so the structure could be hinged to fold-open and connect together.

then the castle becomes a little small.
it's pretty hard to talk about this but couldn't they just build a castle without a baseplate the first year and after that a castle with a (flat) baseplate.
just a idea...


keep on brickin"