Bandai release schedule

[Sent]

I bet if we had never seen some of the classic designs until the ST plenty of people would criticize them too. This is a very different time than when the OT came out. Sometimes things are classic largely because of the timing.

Same with music. If certain classic Beatles songs came out at a different time, they may have not been considered classics now.

Now it is almost impossible to create anything that will generate the same excitement and lasting appeal as the OT Star Wars films did regardless of the quality. Back then we were blown away by special effects that look pretty bad by today's standards. Now so many people need to be negative about everything.

I'm not saying the ST films or designs are at the OT level. I just think that is almost impossible to do because of how things are now.

Respectfully disagree. I saw OT for the first time in the late 90s, I was still a kid back then and didn't even know that it's some sci-fi classic (heck, I didn't even know that sci-fi is a genre. Also, for the sake of argument let's pretend that everyone agree that SW is a sci-fi ). I fell in love with that movies because they were good, simple as that. It's the same with the music - my sister hated Queen when we were a kids (mostly because I was fan of them), but years later she started to listen them, partially because their music was used in few movies and finally agreed that they're awesome Some things are just timeless.

As for "Now it is almost impossible to create anything that will generate the same excitement" - well, marvel movies would like to chat about that, they reignited whole superhero movie genre and showed that those kind of movies can be good. SW could also be cool these days, but someone would need to put some effort and vision into it first, at least for a few major scenes. Take Rogue One for example - overall it's terrible movie with way to many forgetable characters and quite stupid plot ("let's fix a plothole from ANH that didnt even exist!"), but people have fond memories from it because it's final battle scene was cool. Same with prequels, they aren't great as a movies, but designs from it are awesome (maybe except fighters from ROTS) and we gather here to demand plastic models of them. Painting stormtrooper in red wont generate the same kind of hype.

 

[kamandi]

I think for the last ~20 years Harry Potter has created that kind of excitement for many people, especially younger people who came along after Lucas finished the PT. My teenage daughters enjoy Star Wars - especially the newer ones - but they obsessed over Harry Potter.

 

[ggriffaw]

As for "Now it is almost impossible to create anything that will generate the same excitement" - well, marvel movies would like to chat about that, they reignited whole superhero movie genre and showed that those kind of movies can be good. SW could also be cool these days, but someone would need to put some effort and vision into it first, at least for a few major scenes. Take Rogue One for example - overall it's terrible movie with way to many forgetable characters and quite stupid plot ("let's fix a plothole from ANH that didnt even exist!"), but people have fond memories from it because it's final battle scene was cool. Same with prequels, they aren't great as a movies, but designs from it are awesome (maybe except fighters from ROTS) and we gather here to demand plastic models of them. Painting stormtrooper in red wont generate the same kind of hype.

Those of us old enough to have seen Star Wars (not Episode IV or A New Hope yet) in 1977 can attest that no film since then has generated the excitement that film did. It was a phenomenon that permiated culture. Films like the Avengers, Harry Potter, Avatar, and Titanic were big, but not at that level. I'm not talking about ticket sales, but the impact it had on society.

Part of the appeal was we had not seen a film with those kinds of special effects. The first time people saw the Star Destroyer chasing the Blockade Runner was stunning. Now I don't think any special effects could have the same impact because they can pretty much create any visual they imagine.

People tend to like the original version of things they become fans of. A good example is Saturday Night Live. Many people prefer the cast from when they started watching. It is totally different eras for different people. What some think is the good old days is new crap to others. Many OT era Star Wars fans really disliked the prequels. Younger fans who grew up on the prequels tend to like them better.

I'm not sure we would think a Cloud Car, Snowspeeder, or Sandcrawler was a far superior design if we saw it for the first time in The Last Jedi. It's hard for the designers to win. If a design is too similar to previous designs, it isn't creative enough. If it is too different, it doesn't look like Star Wars. That was a frequent criticism of the Naboo ships. Personally I like them. They represent a more civilized time before the Empire made things bad for much of the galaxy.

P.s. You and your sister have good taste in music if you are Queen fans.

 

[INVAR]

Those of us old enough to have seen Star Wars (not Episode IV or A New Hope yet) in 1977 can attest that no film since then has generated the excitement that film did. It was a phenomenon that permiated culture. Films like the Avengers, Harry Potter, Avatar, and Titanic were big, but not at that level. I'm not talking about ticket sales, but the impact it had on society.

Well, for those of us old enough - JAWS held that phenomena status just two years prior as the first real Summer blockbuster that had lines around theaters for most of the Summer. I remember major newspapers offered Jaws iron ons for T-shirts, there was the novel in major displays and rubber sharks were everywhere. Not much in terms of models back then except the Addar shark attacking the cage in a bottle kit.

But Star Wars was another level of insanity above that in terms of cultural impact. None of us had ever seen anything like it before. That opening shot will forever be seared in my memory having seen it third row center with my younger brother on a giant Cinemascope screen in 70 MM & Dolby 8 track sound that shook the theater. There is no way to capture that lighting moment in the bottle and have other generations experience what we did. Younger folks are not going to have the same level of fanatical nostalgia because times and culture is so wholly different than it was in 1977.

Tastes change with time and for us old timers - there really is no better ship designs than what we grew up with in the originals because of the nostalgia factor. It's an amazing thing to feel giddy like I did as a kid seeing the first shots of new upcoming Bandai kits. They truly are the kits we have always wanted because the Kenner toys and even the AMT/Monogram model kits never matched even the details shown on the box art.

Just look at the decaying art of model building itself to see how the hobby is not as vibrant as it once was because the culture has moved onto screens held in the hand rather than tedium in building a kit from scratch.

 

[kamandi]

Just look at the decaying art of model building itself to see how the hobby is not as vibrant as it once was because the culture has moved onto screens held in the hand rather than tedium in building a kit from scratch.

I think there's some merit to what is being done on those screens. I wanted to dive into 3D graphics when I was a teen and saw TRON and The Last Starfighter. Today you can download free software like Blender that has capabilities not yet dreamt of in the 80's. Young people who are building 3d models and compositing visual effects in the computer came along after the age of model making in films.

 

[ggriffaw]

I think there's some merit to what is being done on those screens. I wanted to dive into 3D graphics when I was a teen and saw TRON and The Last Starfighter. Today you can download free software like Blender that has capabilities not yet dreamt of in the 80's. Young people who are building 3d models and compositing visual effects in the computer came along after the age of model making in films.

There is certainly merit to 3d design. Bandai uses it to make their models!

However there hasn't been much in cgi that I can think of that had the same level of getting people excited as the effects in the films in the late 70s to early 80s.

I can see the arguments that it can look more real than a lot of cgi, although cgi keeps getting better.

I think it is more because it was still fairly new to see in that era. What could possibly be done now in cgi that would get much more of a response than "That was cool"? Spectacular effects are common and expected now in certain types of films. Something as simple as how the flying scenes in the first Christopher Reeves Superman looked would get discussed. No one discusses the flying in the Avengers films because it is expected and routine now.

 

[ggriffaw]

Well, for those of us old enough - JAWS held that phenomena status just two years prior as the first real Summer blockbuster that had lines around theaters for most of the Summer. I remember major newspapers offered Jaws iron ons for T-shirts, there was the novel in major displays and rubber sharks were everywhere. Not much in terms of models back then except the Addar shark attacking the cage in a bottle kit.

I agree, Jaws was huge. Unfortunately I was at an age that my parents would have needed to take me and they had no interest in a scary film like that, but I certainly remember hearing about it.

This is another example of effects that were very impactful at the time, but are laughable by today's standards, yet the older film was a much bigger thing in society.

The closest thing in recent times is the Harry Potter franchise. It actually got kids to read large books!

Maybe part of the reason for films becoming huge cultural phenomenons back then was we had less entertainment options. Now you can have each person watching something different while riding in the car. We had no streaming, DVDs, or internet.

 

[basementdweller]

Just look at the decaying art of model building itself to see how the hobby is not as vibrant as it once was because the culture has moved onto screens held in the hand rather than tedium in building a kit from scratch.

I think I understand what you mean and what you are talking about, but I am a bit uncertain. Are you perhaps conflating the hobby of building model kits with the profession of building model kits? (I might be misunderstanding - are you equating the model building hobby to just building from scratch?) There is an obvious overlap there of course, but I am more interested in it from a hobby point of view. It is evident that model kits are not as popular among the younger in the demographic. At least that is my experience from expos and toyshops locally (Sweden) and other anecdotal evidence on social media. I am with you there.

However, boardgames have exploded in popularity through kickstarter in the last decade and the production value and focus on the miniatures has gone the same way. Learning to paint said miniatures and sometimes build is an entry point for many into modelling, so there is that. My point is that the landscape and focus is changing and that is a natural thing...

The bigger point is made by Kamandi:

I think there's some merit to what is being done on those screens. I wanted to dive into 3D graphics when I was a teen and saw TRON and The Last Starfighter. Today you can download free software like Blender that has capabilities not yet dreamt of in the 80's. Young people who are building 3d models and compositing visual effects in the computer came along after the age of model making in films.

YES! And here is the big thing that is happening that overlaps with modelling. 3D-printing. 3D-printing has introduced so many people that never touched a model to a revised version of model building and painting. This I believe is the future of the hobby from every angle. It's an easier entry point into designing from scratch* because you only need free software and your brain. And it's an easier introduction to building kits as it's a "byproduct" of another hobby. So many people are excited about models and praising people for slapping some simple paint on models they printed. It's a wonderful thing to behold; the model building hobby is alive and kicking and thriving like never before, albeit in a new form. It's only going to grow as printers become more plug and play and the proficiency in 3d-modelling becomes as much a staple of every day knowledge as so many other things that used to be deemed exotic.

In essence I think decaying is too strong a word here and could probably be substituted with transitioning. At least I hope so. Time will tell I guess.

*There was a discussion about what scratch building meant. The literal meaning derived from the actual origin of the statement is "starting from zero". While some will argue that CAD does not equal building by hand - you are absolutely right, but that is a different issue and does not take away the skill needed to start from zero in a software environment. Anatomically we are always a brain in a box so our proficiency in problem solving does not change because of the environment we are problem solving in. The difference is in motor skills (limb control) and material knowledge. It goes both ways though.

These are just my musings and opinions btw.

 

[INVAR]

I think there's some merit to what is being done on those screens. I wanted to dive into 3D graphics when I was a teen and saw TRON and The Last Starfighter. Today you can download free software like Blender that has capabilities not yet dreamt of in the 80's. Young people who are building 3d models and compositing visual effects in the computer came along after the age of model making in films.

To be sure, but that is not really the issue germane to the hobby that has withered on the vine in the last decade or so. Hobby shops have gone under and disappeared, major retailers like Toys R Us (also gone now), Walmart and Target do not sell styrene model kits in their stores at all anymore. Hobby Lobby and Michaels still carry a pitiful selection of mass retail kits from Revell but I have noticed their real estate on the shelf shrink. It truly has become a niche market for online old farts like myself. Lego has essentially replaced model building kits among kids and teens in terms of interest. CAD and 3D Graphics will hopefully meld with model builders as 3D printers become more affordable and a whole lot of custom creations will be able to be made that are not available retail.

I'm just sad that gone are the days of perusing the styrene model aisle at the brick and mortar store and walking out with a kit or two with genuine anticipation of building it. I get a little bit of that buying the Bandai kit online and awaiting for it to show up - but I guess I am missing the olden days.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Just look at the decaying art of model building itself to see how the hobby is not as vibrant as it once was because the culture has moved onto screens held in the hand rather than tedium in building a kit from scratch.

You know, I keep hearing this from people here: that modeling is "dying" or it's becoming a lost art that no one is doing anymore. Is there actual evidence for this or is it just an assumption based on local hobby shops closing? Because if it's about losing LHS's, that likely has more to do with competition from online retailers than from people abandoning the hobby. I try to support my LHS by buying paint and other supplies, but honestly I haven't purchased a kit from one in years (maybe decades). Overall, I definitely spend more on modeling now than I did at any other period of my life (and I definitely had more disposable income when I was younger childless man). I don't know about other genres of modelers (military, cars, etc.) but sci-fi seems almost like if anything we're in a golden era. We're getting Bandai Star Wars kits we could have only dreamed about less than 10 years ago, we're getting re-releases of classic kits, we're getting relatively obscure subjects (the Proteus, the Kelvin), and this doesn't even include how LEDs have made lighting easier or how 3D printing is transforming the hobby. Thanks to countless YouTube build videos, sites like this, and personal blogs my modeling skills and arsenal of techniques has improved exponentially. Even people who don't have the time or skills to build can buy pre-built display pieces or turn to one of the many builders who now do commission work. Was there even a market for commission work 10-15 years ago? I mean, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I only see the hobby getting better and expanding. Just look at the whole "maker" phenomenon (guys like Adam Savage, etc.) and people doing cosplay and props. I bet more people now are building cool things and a wider variety of things than they did until recently. I mean, yes, young people are playing a lot of video games, but I hear complaints about that from the movie industry, the professional sports industry -- hell, I just read an article about how the CEO of Netflix stated that their biggest competition wasn't from rival streaming companies but from too many people playing Fortnite! Unless someone has some actual numbers showing a decline, I can't help but be skeptical of the claim. Modeling probably won't ever be cool, but I definitely think it keeps getting better.

 

[INVAR]

Is there actual evidence for this or is it just an assumption based on local hobby shops closing?

As I said up above - the fact Walmart, Target and other major retail stores have gotten rid of carrying model kits because of 'declining interest' (according to a Walmart MGR I asked) and the price of existing kits has gone up exponentially because they are no longer being produced at the volumes they once were, is evidence enough for me to know that the model building hobby is declining in interest. In fact locally among my peer group of Star Wars fanatics, I am the only one building models. One fella about 12 years younger than I emphatically cringed when looking at the sprue tree to the Zvezda when I got it and exclaimed he did not have the patience to spend that kind of time building a kit. I found that amusing considering this guy binges TV shows every weekend that is more television that I have probably watched in a lifetime.

Likewise since I got back into the Hobby after a hiatus of raising kids - this will likely be what I spend my retirement years doing. Of course spending 2 years plus on a model like the Zvezda was not my original plan - but hopefully the Bandai kits I keep stacking up will keep me busy 4-6 months each. I recall dads in the past got into Ho Scale trains in basements as a retirement hobby back when. I tell my wife that this hobby is cheaper and takes up less space.

but sci-fi seems almost like if anything we're in a golden era. We're getting Bandai Star Wars kits we could have only dreamed about less than 10 years ago,

No disagreement there. As a Star Wars fan who built every kit AMT/Monogram and Revell released back during the OT days - I am tickled pink to have the best engineered and detailed kits we ever wanted now available.

I mean, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I only see the hobby getting better and expanding.

Better, yes. Expanding in terms of technology, engineering and skill level, yes. These things are awesome and Youtube and other references help bring a "specialized hobby community" closer together. I am simply referencing my observation that model building is not as widespread or popular as it once was. It has transitioned into a niche hobby I think, hence my use of the term 'decaying' in terms of retail popularity.

 

[korben44]

I think one of the issues is that you have a majority of people who think one way (in this case a majority of people like all star wars movies). That is objective. The subjectiveness comes into play with the details of the movies in the Star Wars universe. You can't objectively say that Star Wars sucks, or pick out one movie and say it's terrible. That is a subjective viewpoint and solely based on opinion. The point being, we can be respectful of each other's opinions, but facts are facts. And the majority is usually always right. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but those are outliers.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

As I said up above - the fact Walmart, Target and other major retail stores have gotten rid of carrying model kits because of 'declining interest' (according to a Walmart MGR I asked) and the price of existing kits has gone up exponentially because they are no longer being produced at the volumes they once were, is evidence enough for me to know that the model building hobby is declining in interest.

But is it really "declining interest" or that people are buying their kits online, like I do? Retailers like Target and Walmart increasingly cede some lines of products to other specialty or online retailers. Target, for example, used to have a huge office supply section but now it is much smaller because there is Office Max or Amazon to buy that stuff. Same is true for hobby/decoration stuff because there is Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc. When I was growing up, my town had two mom & pop hobby stores that sold model kits. That was it. You couldn't buy mail order and there was no Internet. When they opened a Shopko and a Kmart, they both had small model sections and one of the hobby shops closed a year or so later. Did they close because of declining interest or because their customers switched where they bought their hobby stuff?

Are the kits really that much more expensive in adjusted dollars? They might be, but most Bandai Star Wars kits are relatively cheap and they're waaaay better than the old AMT stuff. A lot of the old high volume kits were kinda crapola. The kits are more expensive now, in part I think, because as consumers we demand more. More accuracy, bigger size, more detail, potential for lighting, etc. Licensing fees are also likely higher now because content owners are more savvy about what their franchises are worth. Of course there were more Enterprises sold back in the day because that's all there was -- in one scale from one manufacturer. Now you can get twenty variations from multiple manufacturers in addition to a couple dozen other star fleet and enemy vessels, also in various scales, to make no mention of hundreds of Star Wars kits, and weird stuff like studio scale Cylon Raiders (would THAT ever have been made 20 years ago???), etc.

So I suspect there are a lot of moving economic and social parts to this equation other than just "declining interest." Retail and society has just changed too dramatically in the last 50 years to draw any specific conclusions.

Better, yes. Expanding in terms of technology, engineering and skill level, yes. These things are awesome and Youtube and other references help bring a "specialized hobby community" closer together. I am simply referencing my observation that model building is not as widespread or popular as it once was. It has transitioned into a niche hobby I think, hence my use of the term 'decaying' in terms of retail popularity.

I think this may just be a "glass half empty/full" situation. The bottom line is this: I don't think there is anything to fear. Modeling isn't going to disappear. It just won't. There will always be a new film or TV show to promote, so someone will put out a product like a model (and if it's Revell we can guarantee that model will be crap). With advances like 3D modeling, people will keep building things they love. Instead of 1000 Enterprises, they'll be building 1000 different ships according to their tastes using a new arsenal of resources.

 

[Richard Baker]

Oddly enough I consider this the Golden Age of kit modeling. There are more companies producing kits which have been desired than anytime I can remember and I am 61. I never expected to ever see a Proteus of Martian manta tripod, an accurate Battlestar of a large K'Tinga. Aftermarket companies abound and multiple ones are producing detailing parts, both resin, photoetch and lighting kits so you have options on which one to use. 3D printing on Shapeways and other services provide even more opportunities to enhance any build as you see fit and home units are getting cheaper and more powerful. Most of my time I had to scour Starlogs and TV guides for references, I even bought bubblegum cards for the pictures to use, now we just log on and find not only movie references but close up photos of the actual models used taken during exhibitions, I had to freeze frame VHS to get enough info to scratch up a SSD for a client and no one was even sure at that time how many engines the thing even had...

Yes Hobby Shops are disappearing, but there are many different ways to find kits on line. I hate the way prices have gone- I bought my first TOS Enterprise kit in the sixties for $2.50. The quality of current kits though is phenomenal though- even the half assed Revell Snap kits are so much better than what was considered State of the Art year ago. You do not realize how far kits have come until you open up a box with a repopped classic kit inside.

In the days of instant gratification model building is not as extensive and it used to be, but I am teaching my son how to build, Even though he loves computer games nothing beats the satisfaction of having something sitting on the shelf that only exists because you spent the time and effort to create it.

It is easy to get discouraged, but just look at the amount of Grail kits out there we never expected to ever see in styrene.

My only regret is that I have more to build than time to build these days, but that is far better than having time and having nothing to use it for...

 

[Attirex]

I do think we're in a modeling Golden Age (for both sci-fi and standard issue military subjects)--helped by a decent aftermarket garage industry/3D printing/Shapeways, lots of Asian kit makers jumping into the fray, etc. And you can't understate the importance the internet has had on the exchange of info (and selling of stuff). I can say confidently that thanks to forums like RPF, my skill level has gone up. When I was kid, I could only stare at a Monogram/Shep Paine diorama flyer with mouth agape and wonder how he did all that. Now, I can go online and (mostly) find out.

However, I think a lot of this is being temporarily fueled by Old Farts like us who (as stated in above posts), now have disposable income. As we age out and eventually shuffle off Mortal Coil, leaving rapidly aging Millennials behind us, will the hobby be sustainable? I don't know.

Anecdotally, I have noted that a huge difference between me and my elementary school son is his surprising lack of interest in toys. When I was his age, I loved toy cars, space ships, Hot Wheels, etc., and played with them constantly. I tried getting him interested in putting together kits, but it didn't last. He mostly watches YouTube videos, plays video games, reads, and puts together the occasional Lego set. Of course, could be a personality difference but.....who knows? Doesn't bode well.

 

[INVAR]

However, I think a lot of this is being temporarily fueled by Old Farts like us who (as stated in above posts), now have disposable income. As we age out and eventually shuffle off Mortal Coil, leaving rapidly aging Millennials behind us, will the hobby be sustainable? I don't know.

I have noted that a huge difference between me and my elementary school son is his surprising lack of interest in toys. When I was his age, I loved toy cars, space ships, Hot Wheels, etc., and played with them constantly. I tried getting him interested in putting together kits, but it didn't last. He mostly watches YouTube videos, plays video games, reads, and puts together the occasional Lego set. Of course, could be a personality difference but.....who knows? Doesn't bode well.

This I have noted as well among kids and teens. Not only is there no interest in building model kits among nephews and neighbor kids in grade school, they also have no interest in action figures or play sets - only game Apps and video stuff on their phones.

With new 4D tech and VR for home use rising in popularity I have doubts the future is going to grow for the modeling hobby among the younger generation. They are just not interested and how they play and spend time is vastly different than when we were growing up. We had no immersive internet and video at our fingertips and imaginative play had to fill our hours whereareas today - it is all provided on the screen.

 

[Timmythekid]

I'm going to respectfully disagree that it's 'nostalgia', or 'what you first saw' that makes those OT designs work so well. The problem I've had with the ST designs (apart from the wholly recycled ones) is that they're ugly, lumpy, and have confusing silhouettes. Lucas made sure that the designs that ended up onscreen particularly in the OT read instantly in silhouette, and had multiple angles from which they looked good. Take the original Star Destroyer for example - it reads instantly from top, bottom, back, front, looks great on a high angle, 3/4, just about any way you photograph it. Now compare that to the FO Destroyers - they're a confusing mess of lumpy...crap, piled in a flattened heap. In silhouette it's an amorphous blob from just about every angle that isn't instantly recognizable. Look at the Dreadnought - that at least reads in top or bottom silhouette, but it's an insanely boring triangular slab. The ST designs feel to me like someone took first-pass, single-view scribbled sketches and just said 'great, do it' to the modellers - there just doesn't seem to be the same artistic care given to how will these things photograph that the designers and model makers gave to the OT designs.

 

[INVAR]

I cannot disagree with a personal assessment of ship designs in the new trilogy. I think for the most part - since Lucas is no longer the creative force behind what he sold to Disney, they got it in their skulls that they had to essentially 'reboot' the franchise using near-identical designs slightly tweaked to make them look a tad more advanced to appeal to fans. They were not willing to take risks with a story and universe of design that was not theirs except by sale. For all the issues the OT fans have with the Prequel trilogy's story - ship design is not a problem. They were bold, unique, different and yet still felt like Star Wars in a more civilized time.

I cannot say the same thing for any ship designs in the new trilogy except maybe the quad hopper. The Ski speeders in TLJ were interesting for a moment given I thought they were repurposed B-wings - but alas - there is nothing in this new trilogy that really hits me with an intrigue in the designs as the previous trilogies did.

 

[korben44]

My nephews love my models and they have shown interest in modeling themselves. I've given them kits as gifts and they seem to enjoy it. If we, as model builders, wish to continue this golden era of modeling, we need to pass on what we have learned and share our love for the hobby with those we have connections and influence with, like family and friends.

 

[Analyzer]

I cannot disagree with a personal assessment of ship designs in the new trilogy. I think for the most part - since Lucas is no longer the creative force behind what he sold to Disney, they got it in their skulls that they had to essentially 'reboot' the franchise using near-identical designs slightly tweaked to make them look a tad more advanced to appeal to fans. They were not willing to take risks with a story and universe of design that was not theirs except by sale. For all the issues the OT fans have with the Prequel trilogy's story - ship design is not a problem. They were bold, unique, different and yet still felt like Star Wars in a more civilized time.

I cannot say the same thing for any ship designs in the new trilogy except maybe the quad hopper. The Ski speeders in TLJ were interesting for a moment given I thought they were repurposed B-wings - but alas - there is nothing in this new trilogy that really hits me with an intrigue in the designs as the previous trilogies did.

Say what you will about George's love of merchandise, but I am sure George kept that in mind during the design process. i.e. I am sure part of his decisions were whether things could make cool toys

After all, how many kids would love to play with a toy AT-AT compared to how many kids are going to want to play with a flying hallway or a hovering brick with ridiculously large wings or rather non-descript triangle etc... Outside of the X-wings and Tie Fighters in the new trilogy, there has not been much that screams "play set"