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Star Wars Categories

SapmiSatanSapmiSatan Member Posts: 106
edited March 2011 in Collecting
We're all anxiously awaiting the Star Wars minifigure gallery, but with a theme as large as this, with so many different minifigures, what categories should they be sorted into? They could be sorted into their respective episodes, but that wouldn't be as fun, would it? Since the Collectable Minifigures where sorted into categories, rather than their respective series, I think the same thing should be done with Star Wars. It would certainly spark some discussion!

So, what categories should there be? This field is too broad for "Heroes" and "Villains", besides, it's not excactly that black and white... An obvious solution would be to sort them by team: "Rebels", "Imperial", "Republic", "Separatists", "Jedi", and then, the rest could be sorted by what planet they come from, like filing jawas and tusken raiders under Tatooine. In addition to this, there could be a category for "Bounty Hunters".

Also, in addition to the function of seeing minifigures released before or after the colour change, you should be able to avoid the "Clone Wars" minifigures, as I'm sure I'm not the only one who's a bit appalled by them.

Comments

  • OrthobotrexOrthobotrex Member Posts: 165
    I think grouping them by episode would be the simplest. The thing is they have rank and file personnel, so that makes it more difficult, not to mention the extras not really involved in any of the wars. And what about Lando? :-)
  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Hertfordshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,575
    I think grouping them by episode would be the simplest. The thing is they have rank and file personnel, so that makes it more difficult, not to mention the extras not really involved in any of the wars. And what about Lando? :-)
    Agreed - pretty much any way you split them there will be loads of figs in each group, so categories by episode/clone wars/extended universe makes most sense and will be intuitive for fans.
  • atkinsaratkinsar Member Posts: 4,272
    I also agree that grouping them by episode, clone wars and extended universe is the way to go.
  • HuwHuw Brickset Towers, Hampshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,758
    I'm glad you've started this conversation: "Rebels", "Imperial", "Republic", "Separatists", "Jedi" would to me seem like the obvious option. I plan to keep all Obi-Wan's together, for example, and not split them across episodes.

    I look forward to hearing your views....
  • OrthobotrexOrthobotrex Member Posts: 165
    Oh, well...maybe you can place the episode as a side note, then, just like the S1-S4 for the CMS.

    What about the other characters who served as double agents, so to speak? :-)
    There's Dooku, Lando at one point, the clones before order 66...and also the others serving in the senate but belong to the dark side, and those without any affiliation at all? Somehow, grouping by episode would also give a glimpse of the evolution of the characters as they turn from good to bad.

    Still, it's your call.
  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Hertfordshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,575
    I look forward to hearing your views....
    You already have them above, but if you insist on such a contrary system (!) then you'll probably need a category for those figs whose allegiances aren't so readily apparent, e.g. Greedo

  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Member Posts: 4,401
    Dooku was technically a Republic / Imperial double agent but previously Yoda's padawan so... :o)
  • SapmiSatanSapmiSatan Member Posts: 106
    Lando Calrissian is a "Rebel", I mean, he's even made a general! As for Greedo, he's a "Bounty Hunter". I would sort Dooku as a "Separatist", rather than creating a category for "Sith", as I feel it would be wrong to put the legends Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine next to the prequel-wimps, Count Dooku and Darth Maul. The clones are "Republic". And Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader has to be different characters!

    If you want to know why we can't sort them into episodes: There are over 50 different minifigures in "Star Wars" alone! There's about 50 in "The Empire Strikes Back" and about 60 in "Return of the Jedi", there's gotta be at least as many in the prequels and I can only imagine how many there would be in "The Clone Wars". There has to be categories, "Episodes" are too broad. It would be almost as inconvinient as "Good"/"Bad".

    The categories:

    Jedi: Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Qui-Gon Jin, Mace Windu, and all the other prequel jedi...

    Rebel Leaders/Administration: Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar and Crix Madine

    Rebel Troopers: I don't think I need to explain this one.

    Imperial Leaders/Administration: Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Grand Moff Tarkin, General Veers and maybe Imperial Officers.

    Imperial Troopers: Imperial Officers(?), Royal Guards and of course all the stormtroopers, snowtroopers and pilots, etc.

    I don't think there's a need for "Republic Leaders", "Clone Wars"-Palpatine can't have a category for himself...

    Republic Troopers: Clone Troopers, Pilots, Senate Guards, etc.

    Separatist Leaders: Count Dooku, Nute Gunray and whatever else we might have gotten from "The Clone Wars".

    Separatist Troopers: All variations of battle droids, regular and "super", and hopefully, some of the smaller brick-built ones.

    Droids: Regular ones, that is, not any "Separatist", and not IG-88. It would include R2-D2 and all the other astromechs, C-3PO and all the other protocol droids, and the rest of the miscellaneous droids from all the episodes. Hopefully it would include larger, brick-built droids, like the B'omarr Monk.

    Bounty Hunters: Boba Fett, Greedo, Bosssk, IG-88, Dengar, Jango Fett, Zam Wessel and all the ones from "The Clone Wars".

    Tatooine: Tusken Raiders, Jawas, Jabba the Hutt, Bib Fortuna, Owen Lars, Watto, Sebulba and all the other podracers.

    Bespin: Lobot, Bespin Guard.

    Endor: Ewoks.

    Hoth: Wampa and... Er...

    Naboo: Padmé Amidala, Captain Typho, Gungan Warriors, Naboo Pilots and, sigh... Jar-Jar f*cking Binks.

    Kashyyyk: Like with the Wampa, there's only one wookie-minifigure, apart from Chewbacca, I'll leave this one to you Huw... But don't put it in with the Ewoks!

    Geonosis: Geonosian #1, #2(with wings) and #3(Clone Wars)

    To make this list without forgetting something would be quite impressive, so please categorize anything I might have left out... Oh, that's right:

    Expanded Universe/Force Unleashed: Starkiller, Juno Eclipse and those silly shadow troopers.
  • HuwHuw Brickset Towers, Hampshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,758
    There is bound to be a lot of discussion about this and one thing's for sure: I won't be able to please everybody. However, I may be able to include more metadata in the database to allow people to group them as they see fit. To make it worse I can't claim to be an expert so I'm bound to make more mistakes than usual. Maybe I should enlist the help of someone who is. Any volunteers?
  • MatthewMatthew Cheshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 3,734
    Is there any way you can customise your view, by episode or by category?
  • LegoboyLegoboy 100km furtherMember Posts: 8,804
    I was wondering something similar, like ticking boxes to filter the results to view. But I would have to confess that I don't have the first clue about what is achievable or even possible within the programs used.
  • HuwHuw Brickset Towers, Hampshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,758
    Yes, that's what's needed. A minifig might have the following metadata:

    Darth Maul
    Episode 1
    Sith

    so you could order/group/filter by multiple parameters

    Anything is possible: I write the code and get it to do whatever's needed :-)
  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Member Posts: 4,401
    I would have so much fun sorting and resorting if you write it that way. Between the bunch of us, I'm sure we could catch any errors or omissions.
  • atkinsaratkinsar Member Posts: 4,272
    @Huw, metadata and custom filters is definitely the way to go IMO. Just need to decide on the metadata to use.
  • YellowcastleYellowcastle Member Posts: 4,401
    Uses lightsaber / Doesn't use lightsaber
    Shoots first / doesn't shoot first
    Easily frightened / returns in greater numbers

    :o)
  • SapmiSatanSapmiSatan Member Posts: 106
    Shoots first / doesn't shoot first
    Easily frightened / returns in greater numbers
    Haha! Yellowcastle, you just made my day.

  • drdavewatforddrdavewatford Hertfordshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,575
    Walking carpet / Not a walking carpet
    "I eesa clumsy" / not clumsy
    Scruffy-looking nerf-herder / "who's scruffy-lookin' ?"
  • vynsanevynsane Member Posts: 179
    "Tags" as opposed to "Categories" would work well here, I think. For example, and have a box of all the possible tags you could filter by. Check off "Episode 2", "Sith", and "Separatist" and get all Dooku. Un-check "Separatist" and you'd get Dooku AND Darth Sidious. Un-check "Episode 2" and you'd get Dooku, Sidious, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, etc.
  • HuwHuw Brickset Towers, Hampshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 6,758
    Something bluemoose proposed a while ago, for sets, is some kind of XML defnintion for them, and I suspect we could come up with something for minifigs if we gave it some thought.

  • atkinsaratkinsar Member Posts: 4,272
    Yes, XML would be perfect.
  • MatthewMatthew Cheshire, UKAdministrator Posts: 3,734
    Something bluemoose proposed a while ago, for sets, is some kind of XML defnintion for them, and I suspect we could come up with something for minifigs if we gave it some thought.

    Talking of bluemoose, where is he? I haven't seen him (his posts) for ages...
  • bluemoosebluemoose Member Posts: 1,716
    'ages' ... a couple of days. I work away from home most weeks & my ability to access the internet can be a bit hit-or-miss on any given day.
  • brickmaticbrickmatic Member Posts: 1,071
    Yeah, tags, or XML metadata, is the way to go. Not only for the Star Wars figs, but the CM figs as well.
  • LegoGeoff88LegoGeoff88 Member Posts: 2
    edited April 2011
    I for one will be pleased just to see some new SW minifig photos, but metadata sounds like the way to go as I would most likely choose to view them by episode number, character name or sometimes affiliation.
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