The LEGO Thread

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Cosmonaut X

Member
moop2000 said:
That guide was what inspired me, so you're on the right track. Really, I just like getting inspiration from other peoples MOCs. My biggest one that I built was an Arkham Asylum. I saw someone else's version and used it for some inspiration and expanded on their ideas. I'd also suggest that you just start laying bricks and going with your instincts. Don't get bogged down in the large picture of what you want to accomplish. Half the battle is getting started and not feeling overwhelmed.
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Yeah, I'm itching to get started and just let it flow, as I can almost see what I'm trying to achieve. I do need to do a bit of planning though, as I'm going to have to buy bricks, plates etc. specifically for this project, but I'm finding the Digital Designer really helps here. Once I get past the rather awkward inventory interface I can just start laying down pieces and trying out shapes. The idea is to build something I'm happy with in LDD then pull a bricklist from that (I think that's still possible, isn't it?) and buy everything in preparation for building it for her for Christmas day so she can assemble the Dino HQ and slot it right in :)
 
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NathanMcMahon

Banned
Cosmonaut X said:
Yeah, I'm itching to get started and just let it flow, as I can almost see what I'm trying to achieve. I do need to do a bit of planning though, as I'm going to have to buy bricks, plates etc. specifically for this project, but I'm finding the Digital Designer really helps here. Once I get past the rather awkward inventory interface I can just start laying down pieces and trying out shapes. The idea is to build something I'm happy with in LDD then pull a bricklist from that (I think that's still possible, isn't it?) and buy everything in preparation for building it for her for Christmas day so she can assemble the Dino HQ and slot it right in :)
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Yeah, you're definitely in a different phase than I was. You might also want to check your local Craigslist and search for Lego and Legos (people often use this mis-spelling) for large bulk lots for sale. That's where I've acquired and accrued most of my materials. I also sell so I'm able to usually make a large profit and keep what I need or want. This past year I've spent about $1500 on various lots altogether and I've made my $1500 back and beyond that I've made an additional $5000 for profit. I know you probably aren't looking at it that way, but that just gives you an idea of what's out there in the used market.
 
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mrklaw

MrArseFace
Cosmonaut X said:
Lego mania has struck our house now that my daughter has the bug (and I do too, if I'm being honest :) )

I traced a bundle of missing bits, so she now has complete kits for:

6959 Spyrius Lunar Launch Site
7141 Naboo Fighter
6538 Rebel Roadster
6815 Explorien Hovertron

...as well as a growing assortment of minifigures, and her Tripod Invader. She's saved her pocket money to get Gandalf Arrives next week, and we've got her the Alien Mothership set for her birthday tomorrow.

Christmas is going to bring the more recent Droid Escape set, as well as the Dino Defense HQ, which brings me to a question for Lego-Gaf:

I've been looking up MOCs and dioramas, and messing about with the Lego Digital Designer with the idea of building a landscape for her Dino Defense HQ to be ready for her at Christmas. I've worked out the placement of the HQ by building it in LDD and decided that I can make a reasonably large and attractive landscape for her to play on with a pair of the 48x48 baseplates, and I'm building it up in LDD so I can work out exactly what I need to buy to make it.

Does anyone have any tips or links for inspiration? I've checked out Classic Castle for advice and examples, and I love the work done here - http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=60907 - but I've not seen anything specific to the Dino theme.

I'm thinking of adapting the landscaping advice to try and make a small-ish jungle area. The HQ fits on one baseplate, with a few studs-width on one side so there's just enough room to build that, add some vegetation and connect it to the next plate. The HQ will be raised around 4 or 5 levels from the base to give it height and let me build a slope down from the entrance to the next baseplate to give it some visual interest, then the second plate will be a mix of low scrub and some larger trees. I had wondered about incorporating a river, but it would be a bit too much on a single base so I think I'll make a river bank and leave space to connect to a third plate in the future.

Does anyone have any pictures or links of something similar?
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thats a great guide, but very detailed for starting out, could end up overwhelming you before you even start.

I'd just keep it simple. See if you want some variation in height, which you can acheive perhaps by looking for one of the raised bases like the hospital/police stations often use. Otherwise, think about the feel of what you want - do you want thick jungle, or a fairly open area for play with a few bits and pieces placed around?

How about instead of building something grand, you put together some source materials - a bunch of trees/foliage, some small buildings etc. And then build out the diorama with your daughter?
 
P

PhoncipleBone

Banned
Jables Swan said:
Quick question: Is the Grand Emporium the best modular that you can get atm? I'm trying to talk myself into buying it.
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If you are thinking of getting into the modulars, the best thing to do is get Fire Brigade. The fact that it is going to disappear soon (we have been thinking it all year really) should be the driving force for that over the other buildings. Just look at the price of Green Grocer to see how much prices spike once a set goes away.

Grand Emporium is a better looking set (in my opinion), but Fire Brigade was the gateway drug for me. And with the modulars, you cant stop at one. One looks so lonely. Once you start getting more buildings they really come together.

But go Fire Brigade now, then you have a bit of time to get others if you choose. And Fire Brigade is one of the best builds out there. I usually post at least once a page raving about the second floor on it. And most tend to agree once they build it.
 
C

Cosmonaut X

Member
mrklaw said:
thats a great guide, but very detailed for starting out, could end up overwhelming you before you even start.

I'd just keep it simple. See if you want some variation in height, which you can acheive perhaps by looking for one of the raised bases like the hospital/police stations often use. Otherwise, think about the feel of what you want - do you want thick jungle, or a fairly open area for play with a few bits and pieces placed around?

How about instead of building something grand, you put together some source materials - a bunch of trees/foliage, some small buildings etc. And then build out the diorama with your daughter?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's at the back of my mind throughout. I'd considered just building the baseplate up for the HQ - raising it, putting a neat edge on and adding some vegetation - and then just leaving it with connecting pieces on the next plate and making that our project after she's assembled the HQ. Then I got caught up in the idea of giving her a nice finished landscape on that second base but still leaving it with room for expansion and we could work on adding a third (or more) plates over the course of 2013. Now I'm back wondering if the first idea wasn't better!

re: the guide, I'm taking it as an inspiration rather than trying to build something on that scale or with that level of detail, partly because I don't have the skill yet, but mainly because it wouldn't leave room for her to play or add to the base.

I'm thinking that a few key mini-scenes on a loose jungle landscape with a bit of height variety would be best to start - dinosaur nest, swampy bog, dirt track etc. - rather than anything more ambitious.

What I might even do is do a virtual build then just source the bricks and some extras to make that, but leave the building for us to do when she gets it, so there's enough there to make something like I had in mind, but let her choose what direction we go and what elements we can make.
 
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ghostmind

Member
The Pet Shop appears to be the only modular left in stock - $112 - get it while its hot.


Death Star & SSD are still available for $336 ea.
 
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Marty Chinn

Member
Having picked up Haunted House and Fire Brigade in the span of two days, I couldn't justify spending more on another modular even though I really wanted to =(.
 
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RichardAM

Kwanzaagator
Thought i'd assemble a team of CMF8 footballers. Then I realised they've all got the same sodding number on their armour. Mweh.

Cheerleaders it is instead :p
 
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MrDaravon

Member
For the love of all that is holy, if the SSD, Fire Brigade and Pet Shop prices can hold for just two more hours ;__________; I have a ton of money in the bank, but it's on hold until 5pm EST. Fuuuuuuuuck
 
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mernst23

Member
Is there a reason why the Spiderman set is never in stock anywhere? I bought all the Marvel sets except for this and Cosmic cube and I'm not getting the cube because there aren't any new minifigs. I mean, sure, I can order it online; but shrug.
 
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neonglow

Member
mernst23 said:
Is there a reason why the Spiderman set is never in stock anywhere? I bought all the Marvel sets except for this and Cosmic cube and I'm not getting the cube because there aren't any new minifigs. I mean, sure, I can order it online; but shrug.
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It's exclusive to Walmart and the official Lego stores.
 
Chuckie

Chuckie

Member
Cosmonaut X said:
Oh, definitely. The really good guys doing this are making conceptual leaps and seeing things in the components that are just completely beyond me.
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I love looking at those pics, but at the same time it is making me depressed.
I don't have the creativity, the time and the lego pieces for stuff like that. It keeps me from trying my own MOC-ing :(
 
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Cosmonaut X

Member
Tence said:
I love looking at those pics, but at the same time it is making me depressed.
I don't have the creativity, the time and the lego pieces for stuff like that. It keeps me from trying my own MOC-ing :(
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I've got a bit of that, but I always think that these guys & girls had to start somewhere. I'm not going to be building a 8x4 MOC masterpiece for my daughter, but there's no reason why I can't make something smaller taking inspiration from these stunning pieces.
 
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MrDaravon

Member
AWWW YEAH I'M UNEMPLOYED BUT THIS SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA

OKzzJ.jpg


In all seriousness though the SSD was basically what got me into Legos and essentially has been my white whale, as well as being by a good amount the most expensive set I want. $335 was probably going to be the best price I'll ever get on it. The modulars are largely for the wife who wanted them, also probably about the best price we'll get on those, especially on Fire Brigade.

I should probably also mention that we bought other multiple sets this morning and yesterday >_>
 
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MrDaravon

Member
Oh I've picked up a good amount of small to medium sets over the past year, so I'm no stranger to Lego at this point, but yeah nothing on the scale of the SSD. My two largest ones before this were the Tantive IV and the new Millenium Falcon. I also really like the modular buildings, but my wife wants them even more so those are primarily for her.

Now that the SSD is down, I've got some breathing room for a bit. I have no interest in the Death Star, I kinda sorta want the Imperial Shuttle but that should be able to wait until next year. Everything else I really want is a newer set, and outside of the Shuttle the most expensive/largest set I want is R2-D2 and that's very new so no OOP worries there. The Death Star does nothing for me. As far as the modulars go for the wife I since we have Fire Brigade and Pet Shop the oldest is the Grand Emporium, but I imagine that'll also still be around until next year, and then after that we're just about caught up on those outside of Town Hall I think which is also fairly new. At this point my only real concerns are sets going OOP.
 
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Philia

Member
God yes. I'm so hyped for Pet Shop and Fire Brigade.

I've also gotten a few more sets of Friends and I MUST confess to say that I'm more often pleasantly surprised by the effort in these sets. They're really nice and fun to build. I'm still am looking forward to building a mega fantastic house.
 
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biggyfries

Member
Congrats on the Walmart and Amazon purchases, everyone! I cant bite on the Pet shop for a while, so I will live vicariously thru all of you. :D

Also, I love the modulars, but I have no interest whatsoever in Town Hall. Is that wrong?
 
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ghostmind

Member
biggyfries said:
Congrats on the Walmart and Amazon purchases, everyone! I cant bite on the Pet shop for a while, so I will live vicariously thru all of you. :D

Also, I love the modulars, but I have no interest whatsoever in Town Hall. Is that wrong?
Click to expand...


Town Hall is kinda "meh" compared to the rest of the modulars. Perhaps because this was the first one not designed by Jamie Berard?
 
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ghostmind

Member
PhoncipleBone said:
Except the roof. The roof was brilliant. And while the build is not as fun as other modulars, it is a damn good looking set when done.
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Yes, the roof is brilliant, even more so after the endless orange-brown walls and multitude of similar windows that make up the rest of the structure.

It is a very imposing structure once finished though.


I need to buy a new display shelf long enough to support 6 or 7 modulars in a row, then I can rebuild the Town Hall and company.
 
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Ponn

Banned
I picked up a couple more mini fig 8 packs. I got I think a Conquistador and the Robot to go with my Alien I got a couple weeks ago.
 
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PhoncipleBone

Banned
ghostmind said:
Yes, the roof is brilliant, even more so after the endless orange-brown walls and multitude of similar windows that make up the rest of the structure.

It is a very imposing structure once finished though.


I need to buy a new display shelf long enough to support 6 or 7 modulars in a row, then I can rebuild the Town Hall and company.
Click to expand...
Best parts of the roof: having to push bricks through holes in other bricks then connecting them after. Hard to explain until you build it and see why it is unique.
And the skylight. So simple to make, but incredibly effective.
 
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wetwired

Member
So last night I dropped off and set up my contribution to the Brisbane Lego Expo being held this weekend, I've added my custom batmobiles, bane, joker, batman. My modular costume corner (or a very quick recreation of it lacking the interior) and my lego minifigs in the ikea frames.

I'll be heading back down there today to take some picks and check up on my stuff.
 
Machine

Machine

Member
I bought the Pet Shop from Amazon. If only they would price match the Grand Emporium or the Tower Bridge. I really would love Tower Bridge for a sub $200 price.
 
S

sharbhund

Member
ghostmind said:
Yes, the roof is brilliant, even more so after the endless orange-brown walls and multitude of similar windows that make up the rest of the structure.

It is a very imposing structure once finished though.


I need to buy a new display shelf long enough to support 6 or 7 modulars in a row, then I can rebuild the Town Hall and company.
Click to expand...

In the video when Town Hall was released, the female designer said that the skylight on Town Hall was actually designed by Jamie Berard.
 
P

PhoncipleBone

Banned
ghostmind said:
Wow, the Death Star is now out-of-stock at Walmart. Guess they must have sold a few.
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A lot of smart people took advantage of that sale and will have a lot of fantastic building time because of it. A well deserved sell out.

sharbhund said:
In the video when Town Hall was released, the female designer said that the skylight on Town Hall was actually designed by Jamie Berard.
Click to expand...

Like a boss. The skylight is brilliant.
 
P

PhoncipleBone

Banned
Haunted House is completed, and I even added all the polybag ghosts to it. The first floor even has a grandfather clock added now. I might add a clock to each floor just for a goof.

Overall, the set is amazing. A+ for fun, and A++ for displayability. This is one of the best looking display sets I have built this year, but that may be the Halloween season fever setting in. There are so many neat little touches in the build that are so simple, but really cool. Such as how you use the brick texture bricks to make it look like the paint peeling off of the house.

There are some tweaks I would do if I rebuilt it, which is alternate where the boards and shutters hang from, just to add more chaos. I also did not like how you build all the interior trinkets first and then add them later. Many times they are thrown in without warning...you just have to be looking closer at the instructions to see that they add the bat into the step.

But VERY highly recommended set. Just so awesome to see when done, and a very nice change of pace from all the modulars due to how it is constructed.

Now to plan what I want to build to complement the house...
 
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BomberMouse

Member
Just finished the second floor of the Fire Brigade. As a colorblind person, that was awful, there were two colors which were waaaay too similar for me and I had a really rough time telling them apart. I had to rebuild entire sections because sometimes I got the two mixed up :(
 
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PhoncipleBone

Banned
BomberMouse said:
Just finished the second floor of the Fire Brigade. As a colorblind person, that was awful, there were two colors which were waaaay too similar for me and I had a really rough time telling them apart. I had to rebuild entire sections because sometimes I got the two mixed up :(
Click to expand...

Oh, god. That sounds horrible. I have a hard enough time with the instructions telling apart which pieces should be dark grey or black.
 
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