[MOC] [WIP] [LDD] Yavin 4 Base

[MaxTube55]

[(PLEASE READ) Notes: This is my first MOC, I only spent a total of 7 days working on it (you may not think that is enough time to design and build and that's why the next note exists), any feedback to help improve this or future MOCs would be greatly appreciated, the ridiculous amount of minifigs and duplicates is due to me wanting to recreate all scenes possible at the same time, and the set number, price (Which is set between the two largest Star Wars sets, 10188 Death Star at 400 dollars and 3803 pcs. and 10179 Millennium Falcon at 500 dollars and 5197 pcs., also what LEGO charges on sets doesn't make sense because it has no correlation so I just based it roughly on the current exchange rates, which I know is constantly fluctuating and unreliable), and description is made up for fun.]

75160 Yavin 4 Base!!! 5179 pcs.- £349.99, $449.99, €409.99; Minifigs: Luke Skywalker (Pilot), Luke Skywalker (Celebration), Wedge Antilles, Keyan Farlander, Princes Leia (Episode IV), Princess Leia (Celebration), Han Solo (Celebration), Chewbacca, R2-D2 (x2), C-3PO, Jan Dodonna (x2), Rebel Technicians (x8), Rebel Troopers (x5), Rebel Pilot (x4), Rebel Personnel Carrier (x3), R2 unit, R5 unit.

Welcome to the Rebellion!!! Explore the huge Yavin Rebel base. With flip up door (for display purposes only due to support pillars) and removable rock features the remaining rebel fighters can re-enter the base after successfully destroying the Death Star. Turn around the base to reveal the play features with docking areas for each fighter. With three Rebel personnel carriers you can restock the fighter, transport the pilots, and move around damaged droids. In the command center examine holographic screens, count down the minutes until the Death Star is in range, and give the briefing on the attack. Go upstairs to the throne room where there is a huge turnout the Royal Award Ceremony. Outside the Millennium Falcon is parked in front of the base after successfully disabling Vader. Also there is a lookout tower where a rebel trooper can scan incoming ships and watch them leave.

Includes:

• 35 Minifigures!!!
  
• A brand new Millennium Falcon (Modified TFA one)
  
• 2 X-Wings and 1 Y-Wing (With new landing gears that have sliding grooves for docking bays)
  
• 3 Rebel Personnel carriers
  
• 3 Levels
  
• Death Star Tracker table, and Command/Briefing room
  
• Exclusive New Minifigs: Updated Celebration Luke, New Wedge Antilles with Hair, General Dodonna, Rebel Personnel Carrier Pilots, and Yavin Rebel Technicians.
  
• Accessories Include: 5 Spears, 3 Blasters, 2 Rebel Pilot Helmets (for Luke and Wedge when they are flying), 2 Medals (Neck pieces not prints!!!), 1 lightsaber (Doesn't appear in images), and 1 ship scanner.
  

Images:

LXF File:

https://drive.google...iew?usp=sharing

[i don't know a better way to do this if someone can fix this link into a download file (as well as rename it from 100IMAGE to something along the lines of: Yavin 4 Base MOC) please help. ] I hope you like it. I decided that if, there were too few of Yavin MOCs that I've been able to find, I'll make my own.

Edited August 4, 2016 by MaxTube55

[jimmynick]

Hi, MaxTube55, and welcome to Eurobricks!

I can tell you've put a lot of work into this, and I'm well familiar with the pain of working with LDD, and thanks for sharing your project with us. I have some commentary on both the concept and the design of your MOC.

First as regards the concept: A $500 LEGO set isn't just large, it's detailed, and every area has to mean something. If you look at the Millennium Falcon, it's got greebles all over. If you look at the Death Star, every area on the model represents a piece of the "real" thing - never mind the hallways in the set aren't miles long. That's why you don't need a "full size" hangar, control room or ceremony hall, especially since you're keeping the X-wing, Y-wing and Falcon outside the hangar. There's no need for everything to be so expansive, as much of it ends up as empty space.

Next: design. You've got some good stuff going on, like paying attention to detail in the door, incorporating the tall, thin vertical windows in the ceremony hall. Also, your use of the 6x6 radar dish upside down in the Death Star tracking table along with those curved bricks is a cool idea. The lookout tower is good too (but maybe the rocky portion extends too high). But the fact your model is so large means it suffers from "big [tan] wall syndrome", which you've addressed above the hangar door but not, I believe, anywhere else. Your MOC would be miles better if you included green for the moss that covers the prototype from the movie - it would be more accurate, and you'd get some additional texture on the base's surfaces.

I've mentioned the size of the MOC before, but I haven't mentioned the scale. Scale is 100% important. Not just "is this thing large enough to contain a fleet of X-wings" scale, but things like the height of the hangar door compared to the temple. If we look at the picture on this link, notice that there's a portion of steps, above which there is a landing of sorts and then a step back (which you should include!) but, more importantly, the sheer wall above the hangar bay door is at least 2/3 the height of that initial portion of steps. The hangar door is only 1/3, but in your MOC you've given it 5/8 or so. Also your floors need to be thicker, or have bricks underneath them as beams. Spanning 64(?) studs with only 2 layers of plates is possible in LDD but a recipe for disaster in real life.

You have some good ideas here. But it'd be better if you built it a bit smaller and more to scale. Build the outside, and then build the inside to a totally different scale. Compress dimensions in the interior. TLG does it all the time! But make sure the exterior is proportioned correctly with respect to itself, has more texture, more color, and more details.

I know this probably comes across as harsh, and I'm sorry about that. But don't be afraid to have another crack at it. Don't be afraid to make it smaller. I know if you give it another go, you'll make it better - that's why iterative design is a thing. Thanks again for sharing your Yavin IV MOC, and welcome to Eurobricks!

[MaxTube55]

Thank you so much for your feedback I will try and take your advice and build an accurate exterior with a compressed interior. Your tips do not come across as harsh as it helps me because at this point there is room for improvement with my ability to moc. I'm not going to go for the most accurately sized interior but worry about making a better accurate exterior. I have one question, if you respond how many of the 8 faces should I include I also realize I got the shape wrong as it the stairs come in at angle not at 90 degrees. It might not include a working door this time but more of a display orientated set that looks nice and has some mini compressed scenes from the movie like 10188.

[jimmynick]

That's totally up to you - if you want to focus on the architecture of the temple, build the entire thing. If you want a playset, it's not a bad idea (and might even be a good idea) just to build half the temple and leave the rear open, like you did with this.

Good luck, and have fun with it!

[MaxTube55]

Also thanks about the death star tracking table, if you downloaded it you might have noticed the Trans studs, i did the radar dish so I wouldn't have to make it clear which was inaccurate. I decided that the temple looks good enough on its own that I can make it a nearly full on display set with mini fighters and possibly a way to open up into the mini celebration, but it doesn't matter because I like a more movie accurate set any ways, even though I like play sets as well, So be looking for my new display version, and thanks for all your feedback it will help me in thinking differently when I build mocs in the future.

Edited August 5, 2016 by MaxTube55

[Smitty500]

Hi Max, what you got here is a great start, it looks like you have all the main components of what a set needs. The hangar, briefing room, and the throne room. This is tricky, as it is so massive, and you have decide what is more important to include, architectual-wise to showcase the base. Jamesn made some great points, And I would agree with him.

If you want to make this like a real TLC playset, I would draw inspiration with what LEGO has already done, I think the Home 1 set that was released a few years ago would be the closest thing to Yavin 4, as it had the Briefing room and a hangar and then mix that in with the Echo Base door. Then design and exterior on the outside resembling the "pyramid" shape. It doesn't necessary have to be all in one piece, you can split up like the Hoth sets have done. I like the idea of a modular design, where it can be combined into the pyramid, then splay out/taken apart to see the inside. Like the Spongebob house!

[MaxTube55]

Now that I think about it I could possibly focus on the interior rather than the exterior, I think I'll build my display temple and then another model that is just briefing room with a hangar attached with some rock elements to give it that ancient temple feel. Oh wait I need to watch episode 4 again i totally forgot the briefing on the attack took place in a sort of cove in the hanger, my play model could just be a room which opens out into a portion of the hanger that could have an x wing and a rebel personnel carrier (that couldn't get any closer to the home one but it was a great concept), I don't need to include every pilot just maybe 4, Luke, wedge, Porkins, and biggs, I need dodonna and could throwing in that guy who drove the carrier would make a nice 6 figs. And for the display one I could just put dodonna and motha as figs with those pieces minifig series use as stands, because I conceive that set for rogue one and they are the two classic characters seen in the trailer (plus I have no clue how to recreate the new guys as well). Thanks to you too for reminding me about that awesome set I totally forgot about it I now have a pretty solid plan for what two Mocs I will be creating. :)

Edited August 5, 2016 by MaxTube55

[BrickMouse]

It looks awesome.

[Nevada101]

That's a lot of LDD work

[MaxTube55]

I would like to do two things in this post. First I would like to thank everyone for their kind words, support and feedback. But, I would like to apologize. I mentioned I would make a completely separate yavin base, and I have found out that the temple's unique shape proved to difficult for my level of skill at mocing to recreate the exterior. So I have been prototyping interior base designs. But I haven't been able to get to the next step, or anywhere close, because of a last minute vacation that halted progress. So, you will hopefully see my "play set" Yavin 4 base in the coming days.

Edited August 14, 2016 by MaxTube55