PlaymoFriends
General => Report & Review => Topic started by: Timotheos on November 04, 2007, 21:50:30
-
Nobody has done a trireme report (at least not that I saw), so here goes:
The trireme was the Roman set that interested me the most.
The Good:
1) Modestly priced at US $40 - $60
2) Comes with a full range of Roman military types. Legionnaire, auxillary, Syrian archer, centurion, and legate/tribune
3) Floats! Give it a push in the bath and it sails like it was born for the water
4) Looks good, a nice-looking cartoon caricature of a trireme
The Neutral:
1) In water, the boat kilters badly if you don't evenly distribute your clickies on board.
2) The red flag on the mast is smaller and less interesting than the flags that come with other vessels.
3) The oars are advertised as being raise-able, but considering they only rotate one or two degrees, it isn't worth listing as a feature.
4) Supplies on deck are sparse (one wooden chest with two goblets).
The Bad:
1) The oars are simply a large piece of plastic clicked into the side of the boat. The oars can move up and down a degree or two, but you can't move them forward and back, which would seem to me the most fun. For detail oriented playmobil, it seems a little corner-cutting that they didn't design a full lower deck where you could actually sit people at the oars. As-is, the lower deck is a small compartment under the cargo hold door, conscripted in space by the shape of the place for the battery-operated turbine accessory (not included).
2) The stickers are very long and difficult to align straight. You can tell barely by the picture. I messed the left-hand side's curved region above the eye.
Trivia:
In order to float the boat uses a small piece of foam inserted into the ship's interior.
More Trivia:
Triremes were still being used during the middle ages for Mediterranean shipping, so this ship, with some changes, can be re-used for medieval (see my next post on this thread for photos).
-
A renaissance trireme!
A slapped this together quickly for the camera and should have swapped the sail out.
-Tim
-
Thanks for the review, Tim ...
I especially liked the Roman soldier looking into the bilges ... ;)
I also launched mine ... ;)
(please see attachments for a photo of the ship and where it sailed)
All the best,
Richard
-
Thanks for the review, Tim ...
I especially liked the Roman soldier looking into the bilges ... ;)
I also launched mine ... ;)
(please see attachments for a photo of the ship and where it sailed)
All the best,
Richard
The pool shots look great. If that's your private pool, you could have an entire naval battle! Have you toyed with the removable turbine engine? I don't have enough water space to try it (unless I go to the nearest lake). But, I was wondering how well the trireme cruises for long distances.
I shook the water up a little in the tub. The figures fell out pretty quickly. I didn't want to try to capsize the boat, though, for fear of ruining the stickers.
-Tim
-
Hello, Tim ...
The pool shots look great. If that's your private pool, you could have an entire naval battle!
Yes, it's our pool. However, my Playmobil is currently spread between the two VI's (Vancouver Island in the Pacific Northwest and the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean). And, unfortunately, my "fleet" of pirate ships seems to be docked in the wrong VI. I am hoping that by next year I will be able to move the "fleet" from the cool Pacific Northwest to the warm waters of the Caribbean.
Have you toyed with the removable turbine engine? I don't have enough water space to try it (unless I go to the nearest lake). But, I was wondering how well the trireme cruises for long distances.
I have used the removable battery powered Playmobil boat motor and it works great. Fortunately, there is always a nice breeze blowing across our pool which moves the little Roman Galley along quite realistically.
All the best,
Richard
-
You don't have to worry about ruining the stickers, i have a thirty year old pirate ship and it has been under water for more than half its life ;), they still stick perfectly!!!!
Rob
-
... i have a thirty year old pirate ship and it has been under water for more than half its life ...
Isn't it time you salvaged it then ;)
Bogro
-
Richard has an indoor AND an outdoor pool... :(o): I have a shower and a birdbath. :lol:
I'm not so bothered about the lack of an oar deck on the Roman ship as many seem to be - it looks good and it's not too bulky. Another deck and a bunch of slave klickies to man the oars would have greatly increased the price.
It's always possible Playmobil may bring out a bigger Roman ship, just as they have a range of pirate ships.
This has nothing to do with the thread, but I just discovered there's a smilie version of my avatar... :lens:
-
Hello, Martin ...
Richard has an indoor AND an outdoor pool... :(o): I have a shower and a birdbath. :lol:
You have a shower? ... AND, a birdbath?
With the incredibly outrageous prices of property in London, you must indeed be a very wealthy man, Martin! ... ;)
I'm not so bothered about the lack of an oar deck on the Roman ship as many seem to be - it looks good and it's not too bulky. Another deck and a bunch of slave klickies to man the oars would have greatly increased the price.
It's always possible Playmobil may bring out a bigger Roman ship, just as they have a range of pirate ships.
I have been exploring the possibility of modifying my Roman Galley so that the oars could be manned. Although unlikely, another ancient ship or two from Playmobil would be wonderful!
All the best,
Richard
-
You don't have to worry about ruining the stickers, i have a thirty year old pirate ship and it has been under water for more than half its life ;), they still stick perfectly!!!!
Rob
I see a bathtub that somebody forgot to let the water out on...
For 15 years??????? :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
But, seriously, thanks for the info, Rob. I'll be more cavalier about sinking my ships.
-Tim
-
You don't have to worry about ruining the stickers, i have a thirty year old pirate ship and it has been under water for more than half its life ;), they still stick perfectly!!!!
Yup, I can confirm that PM's sticker are quite sticky. When I got used PM parts on eBay I typically put them into my washing machine for a normal 30°C washing round -- even when stickers are on the items and pieces. Never lost one during such procedure.
(http://www.jr-x.de/playmobil/sammlung/reinigung_1.png)(http://www.jr-x.de/playmobil/sammlung/reinigung_2.png)(http://www.jr-x.de/playmobil/sammlung/reinigung_3.png)
-
Yup, I can confirm that PM's sticker are quite sticky. When I got used PM parts on eBay I typically put them into my washing machine for a normal 30°C washing round -- even when stickers are on the items and pieces. Never lost one during such procedure.
That's a pretty good testimonial for Playmobil's stickers, Jochen!
I always love your wonderful graphics! It's almost as if your Playmobil world is really alive.
Jochen, I have often thought that you and Sylvia should collaborate on writing children's stories illustrated with Playmobil.
All the best,
Richard
-
I always love your wonderful graphics! It's almost as if your Playmobil world is really alive.
Thank you for the praise. Indeed I'm actually strive to make the sceneries looking as much as possible like real live, but not losing the abstract and iconic style of Playmobil.
Jochen, I have often thought that you and Sylvia should collaborate on writing children's stories illustrated with Playmobil.
Yes, I also had seriously ideas in that direction, not directly doing such a project together with Slyvia, although this would really be a pleasure and it's a fantastic idea -- who can wish a better partner for this.
I assume the outcome then would be also something that must not be hidden in the basement, maybe some publishing house would like to pay to print it :D :lol: ...
-
Hello, Jochen ...
... something that must not be hidden in the basement, maybe some publishing house would like to pay to print it :D :lol: ...
There have been several children's books already printed. However, none of them are fantastic. I really do believe that you and Sylvia could write and illustrate some really fantastic children's books!
Perhaps if the two of you could get one (or two) out on the web, we might be able to interest a publisher (or maybe even Zirndorf). Just a thought ... :)
All the best,
Richard
-
Perhaps if the two of you could get one (or two) out on the web, we might be able to interest a publisher (or maybe even Zirndorf). Just a thought ... :)
This could be really interesting--especially using the Playmobil as the modeling tool / animation tool (without explicitly marketing the book as Playmobil merchandising). You know, like a "Powered by Playmobil" footnote in the credits, but not overtly calling the book "Playmobil (TM) Adventures: Sally's Trip to the Zoo").
Most parents probably don't care about whether books double as advertisements for a product line. Though I have avoided buying Playmobil 1-2-3 for my child because I feel like I'm feeding her propaganda / trying to brainwash her to like Playmobil products.
I guess, though, calling a book "Playmobil (TM) Adventures" would make the book easier to market among playmobil users, especially if the majority of parents aren't troubled by (the perception of) advertising.
But, for high-quality stories, you might get broader respect (outside the Playmobil community, who would surely be attracted to the scenes) if the books use Playmobil for scenes, but don't use the word Playmobil on the cover.
I don't really know though.
-Tim
::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
-
Not sure why but I was always under the impression that the oars were motorized.....
IS there a playmo ship with motorized galley-type oars? Or am I just imagining things?
-
Not sure why but I was always under the impression that the oars were motorized.....
IS there a playmo ship with motorized galley-type oars? Or am I just imagining things?
The oars are not motorised. They can just be moved up and down by hand. But the ship itself can accept the moter for sailing in water!
-
It’s not a trireme, it’s a galley.
And yes, the damned thing capsizes at the drop of a hat. Even empty boat mine keeps flipping over.
-
... the damned thing capsizes at the drop of a hat. Even empty boat mine keeps flipping over.
Adjust your ballast, Andy! Even with a good breeze, my galley barely heels. She is a steady sailing vessel when properly trimmed and weighted.
see attachment
-
¿What ballast? I didn’t find any in the box… ???
-
¿What ballast? I didn’t find any in the box… ???
What? No ballast?
Hmmm ...
Andy, I'll go look at the instructions and into the galley's bilges.
-
:) thank you for reviving this thread blackpearl2006.
8} i just realized - from timotheos wrong assumption that oar propelled war-boats were used only until the middle ages - that a gun-boat would be a great addition to the pirates / royal navy playmo-theme.
:) they are smaller than a schooner and maybe this way (keeping it small like the 4444) we could convince geobra that a new royal navy ship is essential for us collectors ;) (a bigger 3940/3286 type would also be most welcome of course).
-
:) thank you for reviving this thread blackpearl2006.
8} i just realized - from timotheos wrong assumption that oar propelled war-boats were used only until the middle ages - that a gun-boat would be a great addition to the pirates / royal navy playmo-theme.
:) they are smaller than a schooner and maybe this way (keeping it small like the 4444) we could convince geobra that a new royal navy ship is essential for us collectors ;) (a bigger 3860 type would also be most welcome of course).
It seems you and I are on the same frame of thinking. I actually use my 4444's as gunships. I've been tempted to add a bowsprit so it can fly a jib and a square instead though. And I agree there needs to be a british navy flag ship. I see folks use the 3286 as a flagship, but the colours just don't work IMO. We need something even better than the 3286 (let alone the 4290). Something along the lines of the HMS Victory, ala playmobil. The 3286 actually makes better as galleon to plunder, and the ideal pirating vessel would actually probably be the schooners as far as playmobil goes, since they are lower on the draft and more manuverable.
I am also fascinated with the galley oars because in Pirates of the Caribbean, the Black Pearl is seen with oars in addition to sails, which I thought was unique (and not typical) of such a ship. I had thought about adding oars to my custom Pearl and was hoping this roman/greek galley had motorized oars I could transplant somehow, lol. A boy can dream I guess.
Back on topic, however, I wonder if Playmo would ever make a true galley or even a trireme where clickies can sit below and man the oars? Dream dream dream...
-
What? No ballast?
Hmmm ...
Andy, I'll go look at the instructions and into the galley's bilges.
¡THANX!:)
-
It’s not a trireme, it’s a galley.
And yes, the damned thing capsizes at the drop of a hat. Even empty boat mine keeps flipping over.
A trireme is a kind of galley. Trireme mere means it has three rows of oars. The playmo roman ships is in fact a monoreme, as it has only one row. In ancient times there were even galleys with six (or more) rows.
-
This is a really old thread! I wish Tim was still active on this forum. :'(
I'd really like to see a Playmobil version of a man-o-war like the HMS Victory! :captain:
-
A trireme is a kind of galley. Trireme mere means it has three rows of oars. The playmo roman ships is in fact a monoreme, as it has only one row. In ancient times there were even galleys with six (or more) rows.
I did not know that (the term “monoreme” not that there was a six-row version).
Thank you. :)I'd really like to see a Playmobil version of a man-o-war like the HMS Victory! :captain:
MacGayver built DOLPHIN. Dunno it there’s a thread on it, but here’s a LINK (http://www.macgayverplaymobil.be/fotos%202006.02.18/macgayverdolphin.htm). (You have NO IDEA how jealous I am of that…)
-
I am also fascinated with the galley oars because in Pirates of the Caribbean, the Black Pearl is seen with oars in addition to sails, which I thought was unique (and not typical) of such a ship.
The way they put the oars through the gunports (if I remember well) in Pirates of the Carribean isn't realistic.
But in the late 16th century, a kind of ship called "Galjas" was in use with the Spanish fleet.
A Galjas is a sort of Spanish galleon crossed with a galley. Having the bow and stern, 3 masts and a canondeck like a galleon, but a mid-ship section with rows of prisoners pulling the oars through the water.
Such ships were part of the (1st) Spanish Armada that tried to attack England in 1588. Some stranded on the French, Flemish and Dutch coastlines.
-
The way they put the oars through the gunports (if I remember well) in Pirates of the Carribean isn't realistic.
I’d like to see a pic of Black Pearl with her oars shipped.