STECK DESIGNER WANTED

[Bill Blackhurst]

What do you mean Bill?

I am inquiring to the membership Steck & System X specialists, to come up with a list of popular building components such as wall sections, connectors, that would be a great help in extending castles, etc. Playmobil could package them in an add on bag, say for example, 10 X 30076120 Steck wall sections, & 10 x 30076100 straight connector pieces.

[Justindo]

You've certainly put a lot of time and effort into your solution, Warrior of Toys, and it looks like it will work!

Still, I have to agree with Martin in that I see no reason why anyone would want to combine Steck with System X.  These are two distinct building systems, each with their strengths and weaknesses, that are different sizes and look completely different.  Combining them would look awful.  If Playmobil wants to do something for the adult enthusiast, I would suggest producing Steck again and adding round towers to System X.

Frankly, Playmobil could have avoided all of this frustration and the new awful click together system if they would have simply stayed with Steck all along.

[playmofire]

That's a very interesting and well thought out solution, WoT, and many thanks for all your hard work there.  Personally, I'm not sure it's the way to go but if it is then, answering Bill's questions about what add-on parts would people want, then I'd say a blank half timbered wall and double window units which aren't designed as corner units like the present ones are.

[Bill Blackhurst]

Hi everyone,
I may not be using proper techniques in questioning the subject of reinstating retired Steck & System X parts. This is the example I am trying to convey. Let's say you have a 3666 castle in your possession, & you want to expand the size to be larger, maybe much larger, like flatcat was attempting. The only way to succeed has been to buy job lots on eBay. This quest is expensive, & limited to completing projects. I am asking everyone if you could find the ultimate job/parts lot with limited parts of approximately 20 pieces, what parts would be the most sought after? If Playmobil was presented a list of Steck parts that COLLECTORS really covet, they may offer them in the small add on catalogs to assist in enlarging collectors Steck or System X projects in small batches. We could also recommend reinstating the add on Steck round & square castle turrent's, etc. that were previously available. I'm not a castle collector, but I constantly read posts of those who are! If Playmobil asked you as one of those collectors what parts you really, really wanted, up to a certain quantity & type, which ones would they be ? Like if they asked me as a Playmobil fire department theme collector, which retired set I'd want parts to be reinstated & I know exactly which parts to ask for, or a collectors limited edition set, it would be the 3526 fire engine no doubt ! Simple question!

[Wolf Knight]

Great question Bill!!!

Here is my list...
30 02 8470 - Floor, 1x2 units
30 02 8500 - Floor connector, 2 units long
30 02 8640 - Wall, flat, 3-wide, two archways
30 02 8580 - Roof end section
30 02 8590 - Roof corner plate
30 02 8350 - Roof gable end, stone, arched windows
30 02 8410 - Framework wall, open, 3 units wide
30 02 8720 - Window, arch-top, bottle-glass
30 03 9800 - Floor, 2x2 units
...to think only a few...

Maybe playmobil does not intend to redesign any steck or system x whatsoever...but if exclusives sets are produced for collectors, or classic reissues happen, i want to see them happen
Maybe a totally diferent style will be developed...they are a toy company after all and i am sure they have a way to get feedback from their original target group, children and parents...
System x might be more time consuming to build but for some people it was fun to build for some others, the new types of castles and buildings allow parents and children to spend less time in building and more in playing... Take these facts under consideration as well....

[Bill Blackhurst]

Great question Bill!!!

Here is my list...
30 02 8470 - Floor, 1x2 units
30 02 8500 - Floor connector, 2 units long
30 02 8640 - Wall, flat, 3-wide, two archways
30 02 8580 - Roof end section
30 02 8590 - Roof corner plate
30 02 8350 - Roof gable end, stone, arched windows
30 02 8410 - Framework wall, open, 3 units wide
30 02 8720 - Window, arch-top, bottle-glass
30 03 9800 - Floor, 2x2 units
...to think only a few...

Maybe playmobil does not intend to redesign any steck or system x whatsoever...but if exclusives sets are produced for collectors, or classic reissues happen, i want to see them happen
Maybe a totally diferent style will be developed...they are a toy company after all and i am sure they have a way to get feedback from their original target group, children and parents...
System x might be more time consuming to build but for some people it was fun to build for some others, the new types of castles and buildings allow parents and children to spend less time in building and more in playing... Take these facts under consideration as well....

Excellent Panos! This is what I am after! All of you castle collectors are very knowledgeable as to what the bare bones are of making a castle larger, & I'm not at all ! If everyone reviews each others recommendations, & adds their ideas, Playmobil may be more receptive to reproducing those greatly loved Steck parts, & maybe even future SETS ! Imagine if you could see a Playmobil plastic add on bag full of parts just like you have on your list for $25.00 - $45.00 depending on content size containing a generous amount of those parts, how many would you buy while they were available ? I look at it like the System X modern family house add on extensions or other structures extensions that have been offered in the past, but offering them in Steck only !

[Wolf Knight]

That would be great Bill!!! No more long nights on ebay trying to figure out which part to get and which to live out and then come back again later on ..... (not that it is not fun and not that i do not enjiy the trill of completing a project this way).....Yes i would get loads of extras produed as add ons for my castle projects...

[WarriorOfToys]

I would like it better if individual pieces were not produced,
But some wall sections were presented as Add-Ons.

Like if you had these pieces all put together in one set:
30 07 6120 - Wall, Flat, Plain, Double-Male Connectors (number of pieces: 1)
30 07 6080 - Wall Connector, T-junction, Triple-Female (1)
30 07 6810 - Battlement, scalloped front, 1 unit wide (1)
30 07 6770 - Battlement connector, new-style (flat bottom) (1)
30 07 6090 - Wall End, Male Connector (1)
30 02 8740 - Filler for Wall ('Toast') (2)
30 07 6150 - Floor, rectangular, 1-wide (1)
30 02 9150 - Floor connector, 1/2-unit long (1)

And you can have different sets of these, maybe a set with a wondow or arrow slots instead of a plain wall.
And you can order different connectors specially, along with different floor pieces.
That is what I would like to see.

[Giorginetto]

I think WoT sketches is the most logical approach so far ... I am trying something right now with some scaled system x and steck connectors i have drawn , the question of connectors and a 4 sided connector , ' universal' if i ma call it poses many other questions also, regarding roof , top parts etc. i will still work on these and post any decent develoments. However i will stick to the point mentioned before and i agree, bring a set of the most wanted and needed steck parts as an add on.. Sir Wolf has demonstated a great set of steck parts

[Giorginetto]

I am working with  a scaled connector design in design software, harder than i anticipated , has brought up more questions than answers especially about heights and connections of other related parts, when and if i have  a proposal will post .. not as easy as i thought .,...