[SoNE Ep. V] Uprooted

[BEAVeR]

“We have located a site that might be suitable for the generator,” they said, “but our sensors can’t get a very detailed view of it. Go check it out” So here I am, surfing over the forest of the green moon in my TIE Bomber. And not a tiny bit regretful to be away from battle for this one time. I still need time since… since Sullust. Being away from war, some nature, no killing to do… that will surely clear my mind.

My computer says I’m approaching my target location. Not much to see here, except form those tightly packed trees that populate this planet like skyscrapers on Coruscant, making it nearly impossible to reach most places. But they say this particular position offers some kind of tactical advantage. Well, let’s find out. Let’s ready some seismic bombs to clear the area to get a closer look. Let’s pull the trigger, and bombs away…

A strange feeling overwhelms me… pulling that trigger…

Two loud explosions resonate through the forest. It shivers and trembles as if it’s frightenend. When the last dry creaks and dust settle into silence, the wound becomes apparent. Like the footprint of a giant, all forest has fled away from a gaping patch of destruction. Slowly and carefully I manoeuvre my craft to my newly created landing site. I shut down the engines, and all is silent.

[soNE Ep. V] Uprooted by Bert.VR, on Flickr

From down here, the destruction becomes even more apparent. Frightened ferns have flocked together, while a once mighty tree got uprooted. Respecting the victims of this unfair battle, I silently unload the analysing equipment. Now it’s just waiting for the long analysis to end. The humming of the machine seems almost disrespectful in this perfect si-

Snap

[soNE Ep. V] The human in me by Bert.VR, on Flickr

A strange, furry creature is staring at me from between the bushes. I must be staring back. The creature begins walking towards me, muttering, accelerating, raising its spear. It comes running at me, suddenly silent, with a look of determination. I already have my blaster in my hands, and I’m ready to pull the…

No… not again…

I’m acting on instinct now, but somehow something in me – the human in me - is powerful enough to set the blaster to stun just in time. And I pull. The creature stops, and with a look of anger crashes down on the ground.

I’m deeply impressed. This might have been my very first shot where I wasn’t the victim of. Instead of blindly shooting, I finally did what is right. Not what’s right according to the instructor of the academy, but what feels right. I’ve spared the life of an innocent creature that had nothing to do with this war. This is what it feels like to be a hero. Heroes must be the ones that know when not to pull the trigger. It seems that I’ve done something good in this horrible war. That uncertainty of the past couple of months… gone. I am a good person after all.

I almost want to thank that creature for attacking me… But why would it attack me? Sure, it might have been confused after the blast. Perhaps I destroyed a part of its home. But whatever it was, at least no one died today. No collateral damage this time. Instead, I gently put the unconscious creature in a bed of ferns. A beep from the analysing equipment indicates that it is time for a second sample. With a renewed bounce in my step, I begin to pull it to the other side of the landing site. I stop when I discover a path between the plants. This must be where the creature came from. It goes straight into the forest, until it’s blocked by that tree, where…

It can’t be… It may not be… What have I done…

My legs give away, and for who knows how long, I just sit there, staring into the distance.

[soNE Ep. V] No... not again by Bert.VR, on Flickr

I have killed once more. Another creature couldn’t get away in time and was buried beneath a tree. Only its tiny legs remain. And it’s my fault. This time, I caused a fluffy tragedy. I have become as despicable as those who I always despised. Who was I to think I’m a good person after all.

This time, it wasn’t even a foe. Not even a friend. The creature had nothing to do with this war we’re fighting. It never accepted the risk of getting killed for its cause. And yet it perished in this war. They call it collateral damage. As if it is not at all important and can just be ignored. This creature, these trees with all the invisible but beautiful life. Just collateral damage. How absurd. Everything that I’ve been telling myself in the past is simply invalid. Nothing is trivial in a war. And not a thing that you do isn’t your responsibility.

That’s the thing about war. You start and fight with only your goal in mind. And then you even begin to forget that and only think war… war… war… You don’t see what happens. Well, you don’t see what really happens. You’re not clearing a landing site. You’re destroying age-old fauna and flora. You’re not stopping the enemy. You take the life of a living being. You’re not a hero. You’re a monster. War clouds your mind with brutality. War is blinding.

I kept telling myself I could go on with this war, as long as it didn’t involve direct battle. But I was wrong. How can I participate in such an act of collective and destructive blindness, even with trivial acts? This small… small and everything but unimportant event… it uprooted my entire way of thinking about this war. Just like this tree, it was firm once. But one big blast threw it over, causing death and destruction… On the other hand, once the dust has cleared up, new light reaches the soil, and new beautiful things get a chance to grow.

Once, I firmly believed in the good of this war, perhaps even without any good reason. I shot, I bombed for it. And my own acts, my own shots I fired, my own bombs I dropped, blew me away. Seeing all the damage I’ve done, all the sorrow I’ve dealt, I lost those roots. And nothing but a wreck remains. Immobile, without any purpose. But new lights starts sipping into my mind. What good is it to leave this war? It will still be as destructive. That’s no way to repay for all that I’ve done. I must end this war without one spill of blood. War will be the only victim of my further deeds. Only then will all of this get a meaning.

But how? How can I end this war without damage for my friends and without damage for my foes? What’s good for one, is bad for the other. It’s impossible. I’m just a simple pilot, I have no power.

But what about these inspired moments... when I refuse to kill a creature that’s attacking me. Maybe not all is lost after all. When the new tiny plants bath in fresh sunlight, maybe then I will be strong enough to do something. But now, those little plants are fragile… and the eclipse of war is still glooming. But through losing my roots, I think I’ve finally found firm ground.

I’m not happy. Just determined. But still sad. The data of the analysing equipment indicate that this site isn’t fit for construction. Maybe it’s for the better: this place might find rest again. But then what was the meaning of all this? That’s the question I have to answer. I feel weak.

[soNE Ep. V] Firm ground? by Bert.VR, on Flickr

___________________

You can find the LDD file here

EDIT: instructions for the TIe Bomber can be found at Rebrickable, if anyone would be interested.

The build consists of 2377 bricks. The TIE bomber (including pilot) has exaclty 1000!

I hope you enjoy it. Comments are more then welcome.

[markus1984]

So many words - this is to much english vor me :laugh: .

But i can only say that you have done an really great job on LDD!

The first picture looks stunning!

Here you can see what power this Tie-Bomber have, blows away this beautiful trees on endor.

The tree and vegetation is build great too!

Now we can land and build the shild generator .

markus

[LucasLaughing]

Wow - this is fantastic!

I love how the foliage has been blown over -it seems like a simple effect but it works really well- and the tree with the exposed roots looks great.

Also, very nice job on the TIE bomber, especially some of the weird angles like on the bottom missile launcher.

I'll admit sometimes I come to a MOC with a lot of writing and just end up skimming it, but both your story and your writing style are excellent.

Two loud explosions resonate through the forest. It shivers and trembles as if it’s frightenend.

Awesome imagery - spot on!

This time, I caused a fluffy tragedy.

On the other hand, once the dust has cleared up, new light reaches the soil, and new beautiful things get a chance to grow.

But how? How can I end this war without damage for my friends and without damage for my foes? What’s good for one, is bad for the other. It’s impossible.

Again, great writing. Your character's thought process and internal dialogue/argument seem very realistic and sincere, and as a fellow writer I appreciate the effort that goes into a well thought-out story like this one. I'm definitely interested to see where your story goes next - keep up the awesome work!

[Nom Carver]

A great story and a great creation! that bomber is a master piece, with all those details and the roots of the tree, I also have to point out the way you placed the vegetation, it gives the right feeling of a huge detonation.

[goatman461]

I really like this build. I was unsure how an Endor scene was going to come out on LDD, but this is really great. Your tree has some great details and the roots were a nice touch. I do think there should be substantially more roots, considering how big the tree is. The foliage is also great, especially the blend of colors and random/coordinated pattern it is in. I would say more grass-like ground cover would be nice, but I think the "ferns" make sense for Endor/Redwood Nat'l Park.

Your bomber is also great. The greebles on the interior of the wing are a nice touch. I think your cockpit dome could be integrated a little more smoothly. Maybe by mounting it to the middle of the bomber rather than the bottom you could incorporate it into those great greebles (speaking of, nice dark gray pistol hidden in there).

As for the story, I love the fact that an Ewok was smashed by the tree. I do wish your character would either loose the conscience or find a different job. I was going to mention in my entry that your character was moved over to shuttle detail after killing a friendly on Sullust, but I didn't have the right shot to do it. I guess I just love being the bad guy (maybe that's why I'm a lawyer) and it is disappointing to see a tie pilot with all the inner conflict. I think some people really enjoy your writing, I just don't get it. FYI: I bet that Ewok you saved will be responsible for killing a lot of stormtroopers later on.

[VK-318]

H'm. This game seems to be developing a life of its own. We one tree-hugging ISB agent and one TIE pilot on the verge of open mutiny. Snap out of it! Goatm An 4-61 and I are going to get a little lonely out here against all these rebels if you folks all go crawling into your little holes. I think it's time for another emergency dispatch to fleet command, trooper morale is headed Galactic South fast. I had planned to continue with jokes along the line of Desk Job for my future freebuilds, and I think one of my next ones is going to have me working as a psychotherapy specialist.

Great build, though. The TIE Bomber is spot on, especially with that ... thingamabob, the bomb chute or whatever it's called. And finally! We see your face! (I never would have expected you to be a redhead. ) And the explosion, as others have noted, is very convincing. Another great job! I would note, however, that the build seems to be starting to take second place to the story; you builds seem to have gotten smaller and simpler every episode since "A Fluffy Tragedy."

[Mr Man]

Fantastic. I love following the stories from your builds.

[theman4090]

Wow, this looks really awesome! I like it, ALOT!

[MontyPython]

Great work! Whole scene looks very realistic ...

I'm not a pesimistic person, but I think alliance is busted in this episode ...

[Lobot]

A very touching story, but I'm not sure that it's good for Imperial morale

[Nom Carver]

H'm. This game seems to be developing a life of its own. We one tree-hugging ISB agent and one TIE pilot on the verge of open mutiny. Snap out of it! Goatm An 4-61 and I are going to get a little lonely out here against all these rebels if you folks all go crawling into your little holes. I think it's time for another emergency dispatch to fleet command, trooper morale is headed Galactic South fast. I had planned to continue with jokes along the line of Desk Job for my future freebuilds, and I think one of my next ones is going to have me working as a psychotherapy specialist.

I think its just this assignment what depletes your morale, I am sure we will feel better once we can get to shoot some rebel scum again.

[VK-318]

I think its just this assignment what depletes your morale, I am sure we will feel better once we can get to shoot some rebel scum again.

Um ... that didn't actually work so well on Sullust, soldier.

[Nom Carver]

Um ... that didn't actually work so well on Sullust, soldier.

We survived, that was good enough, I find the fact of being under fire accelerating (in this fictional universe of course )

[TheUtilityBelt]

Love the uprooted tree, BEAVeR. I really want to join but I dont have any stormtroopers or rebels. Great dialogue is great!

[MKJoshA]

Wow, I love the absolute polar ends of the Imperial spectrum this contest has brought out. Everything from weeping over Ewoks to throwing them into a grinder. I love how much depth you've added through your story. I'm also glad your character has found some moral ground to stand on. Keep fighting and maybe one day you'll see that the Rebels are the ones who had it right the whole time

[BEAVeR]

Wow, thanks every one for the awesome comments. I'm glad you enjoy the build (and most of you) the story!

So many words - this is to much english vor me :laugh: .

But i can only say that you have done an really great job on LDD!

The first picture looks stunning!

Here you can see what power this Tie-Bomber have, blows away this beautiful trees on endor.

The tree and vegetation is build great too!

Now we can land and build the shild generator .

markus

Thanks for your kind words. If I could I would give you a short account in German,aber mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr, mit nur ein Stunde Deutsch pro Woche in Sekundar. And I don't think you'll understand Dutch much better then this English. But let me give you a short and simple version of the story:

My character has to see if a site is good to build the generator on. To get a closer look, he drops some bombs, clearing a piece of the forest. He's very impressed with the destruction he has done, and respects the silence. While working with the analysing equipment, suddenly an Ewok is staring at him. It attacks him, but he has his blaster. He thinks back at the traumatic incident on Sullust (see Every Shot Makes Two Victims), and doesn't kill the Ewok, but stuns it. He's very glad that he did that, and feels good again. But then he discovers an Ewok that has been crushed by a tree, and he feels bad again. He thinks about how bad war is, and he decides to change thingS. But he doesn't know how...

I hope this helps you to place the images in a better context!

Wow - this is fantastic!

I love how the foliage has been blown over -it seems like a simple effect but it works really well- and the tree with the exposed roots looks great.

Also, very nice job on the TIE bomber, especially some of the weird angles like on the bottom missile launcher.

I'll admit sometimes I come to a MOC with a lot of writing and just end up skimming it, but both your story and your writing style are excellent. Awesome imagery - spot on! Again, great writing. Your character's thought process and internal dialogue/argument seem very realistic and sincere, and as a fellow writer I appreciate the effort that goes into a well thought-out story like this one. I'm definitely interested to see where your story goes next - keep up the awesome work!

Glad that some one who is an expert in both domains, loves my build and story. I do spend a lot of time thinking and writing. In fact, coming up with a story is the first thing I do in an episode, and it develops further while I'm building. That way, I try to give a coherent entry. Using symbolic imagery in this story was something new for me, and I did my best to link it to the build, like the expressions about the footprint, the uprooted beliefs of the character and the fleeing ferns (which also make for great alliterations ). The internal dialogue is one of my favorite parts about writing, as I really can become the character, and I hope that shows through. I don't read and write as much as I would like nowadays, but when I do, I thoroughly enjoy it, and it's great when other people can enjoy it as well.

A great story and a great creation! that bomber is a master piece, with all those details and the roots of the tree, I also have to point out the way you placed the vegetation, it gives the right feeling of a huge detonation.

Wow, I'm surprised how many people actually read the story. I'm very thankful. And about the vegetation, I'm glad you all like it, because it was a whole lot of work to get the right look. It was the first time ever I had to build something like vegetation, and it gve me a lot of headaches. In fact, I built that TIE bomber to get away from plants at last... But when I finally found how those palm leaves make great ferns, Everything came together quite nicely. Still, it was very challenging to get the random orientation in there with all the weird collision errors in LDD, and it was quite hard to get some gradual destruction in it. And it had to be right to give the effect that the story needed. So this creation might not seem very big, but a lot of work went into it, and I'm very glad you appreciate that.

I really like this build. I was unsure how an Endor scene was going to come out on LDD, but this is really great. Your tree has some great details and the roots were a nice touch. I do think there should be substantially more roots, considering how big the tree is. The foliage is also great, especially the blend of colors and random/coordinated pattern it is in. I would say more grass-like ground cover would be nice, but I think the "ferns" make sense for Endor/Redwood Nat'l Park.

Your bomber is also great. The greebles on the interior of the wing are a nice touch. I think your cockpit dome could be integrated a little more smoothly. Maybe by mounting it to the middle of the bomber rather than the bottom you could incorporate it into those great greebles (speaking of, nice dark gray pistol hidden in there).

As for the story, I love the fact that an Ewok was smashed by the tree. I do wish your character would either loose the conscience or find a different job. I was going to mention in my entry that your character was moved over to shuttle detail after killing a friendly on Sullust, but I didn't have the right shot to do it. I guess I just love being the bad guy (maybe that's why I'm a lawyer) and it is disappointing to see a tie pilot with all the inner conflict. I think some people really enjoy your writing, I just don't get it. FYI: I bet that Ewok you saved will be responsible for killing a lot of stormtroopers later on.

A big thanks for the first part of your comment and feedback. About the roots: I looked at a lot of pictures of uprooted trees, and you'd be surprised at how much difference there is in size of those roots. I agree that these might be a bit too small, but otherwise they would block a big bit of the scene. The big reason I refrained of using those stems, is that they would also be upright, and would break up the blown-over look of the build completely (I did use some of those stem with leaves pieces, but placed those near the back of the build for that reason). Also, with those pieces you always have a gap that's rather difficult to fill in, and I thought I already had enough variation in my vegetation. I agree that it could add some subtleties to the build though. Attaching the cockpit at the side could work (and I admit I didn't consider it , but you have to have some details on the bottom as well (and the bottom of a real TIE bomber is pretty flat anyway), and, while it would certainly add to the greebles, maybe it would break up symmetry... butthat's a big maybe, and in the future I will definetly explore less obvious ways of attaching those pieces, so thanks for the tip!

Now for the second part of your comment. Well, tastes differ. I for one especially like those kind of conflicts, and I'm pretty anti-war. So with my builds, I try to criticize other rather violent builds where war is depicted as something fun (but i'm not saying those builds aren't amazing as well!). I hope this gives SoNE something more nuanced, and can teach people something along the way. But of course I have nothing against you wanting to be a bad guy. It even gives me something to fight against, to form a contrast with. It our those kind of builds and story that give more meaning to mine, to I really think they can coexist, and probably one will not be better or worse than the other. And I'm very glad to get another view on my story, so thank you for that as well!

H'm. This game seems to be developing a life of its own. We one tree-hugging ISB agent and one TIE pilot on the verge of open mutiny. Snap out of it! Goatm An 4-61 and I are going to get a little lonely out here against all these rebels if you folks all go crawling into your little holes. I think it's time for another emergency dispatch to fleet command, trooper morale is headed Galactic South fast. I had planned to continue with jokes along the line of Desk Job for my future freebuilds, and I think one of my next ones is going to have me working as a psychotherapy specialist.

Great build, though. The TIE Bomber is spot on, especially with that ... thingamabob, the bomb chute or whatever it's called. And finally! We see your face! (I never would have expected you to be a redhead. ) And the explosion, as others have noted, is very convincing. Another great job! I would note, however, that the build seems to be starting to take second place to the story; you builds seem to have gotten smaller and simpler every episode since "A Fluffy Tragedy."

Psychotherapist...

But fear not, I won't be leaving you alone (and in particular: I will not defect to the Rebels! I have never said I have something against the Empire. I only have something against war). I might be taking an unconventional route though... And when I get stuck, I can always have flashbacks to the time I was bravely fighting for the Empire! So you really are not alone, and I don't need therapy. I'd like to see such a freebuild though .

Thanks for the compliment on the bomber. I'm glad you like it as much as I do. And that thing are actually targetting sensors, I believe. And about my face: I thought it was time to get things more personal, and I think showing your face really takes that a level further. I've always wanted to use that very nice hairpiece, but for the color I needed something to stand out in the environment, so I chose this nice ginger (especially since others have already claimed the black variant ). Don't be fooled however, as the person who is typing this is not a readhead. But then again, I guess that you don't wear a hat all they and that MstrOfPppts doesn't have that huge scar in real life. And lets just leave LegoSpy out of this

Your last sentence is very interesting... I see what you mean, that my builds seem to be less and less substantial (and my stories more and more...). But in these last couple of episodes, I haven't done very much artificial stuff, and I saw that nature takes up a lot more parts. For example: A Fluffy Tragedy had only about 1400 pieces, while this one has 1000 bricks more. so I wouldn't necesseraly say that my builds are getting smaller. Of course, I could get really gib and make a whole lot of vegetation, with multiple trees and a tiny Ewok settlement and caves and such, but my filosophy is that I want to play fair with using LDD. If I start to post entries with thousands and thousands of bricks, it wouldn't be fair and fun any more. I want people to see that SoNE isn't for the select few with a lot of bricks and a lot of time, but that you can achieve quite alot with rather small (ok, let's say intermediate) builds. I hope you understand that philosophy.

A very touching story, but I'm not sure that it's good for Imperial morale

Thanks a lot for this wonderful birthday gift, Lobot! And thanks for what you wrote too. I'm glad I can keep surprising (although I had the feeling that this was a bit too similar to my previous entry, but oh well), and that you keep enjoying it. But who says it's bad for the morale? People who like shooting Ewoks like they're on a carnival can watch e.g. Goatman's build. But people with moral concerns, who normally would go to the 'good guys', now see that they can join the Empire too, without giving up their principles. So, looking at the bright side of it, I think it's only good for our moral! Does that make sense ?

Love the uprooted tree, BEAVeR. I really want to join but I dont have any stormtroopers or rebels. Great dialogue is great!

Thanks a lot for reading and liking! Well, you don't have to have a lot of figures to join. in my entries, I've never used a stormtrooper (I did use 2 snowtroopers), and only one TIE pilot. That amount of figs is even present in my tiny collection! Remember that a build isn't made by the figs. you can always go for microscale (or for big scales, and that would be a first in SoNE). Or you could even have a go at LDD, and I would be very eager to help you with that!

Wow, I love the absolute polar ends of the Imperial spectrum this contest has brought out. Everything from weeping over Ewoks to throwing them into a grinder. I love how much depth you've added through your story. I'm also glad your character has found some moral ground to stand on. Keep fighting and maybe one day you'll see that the Rebels are the ones who had it right the whole time

It means a lot when something with your story-capacities enjoys mine. Glad you can appreciate the broadness of SoNE. I always enjoy people's different takes on each episode, and that's what makes such a community build worthwhile. And I'm very glad that you care about my character! About those Rebels, I repeat: I've never ever ever had something against the Empire! But let's just wait and see where this is going with those Rebels and me... I've already an entire scheme laid out

[Bob De Quatre]

Come BEAVeR, come and join the Rebellion...You can be my.. apprentice...

[Lord Tyrus]

I'm impressed with with your storytelling, your should write a book; 'The Trooper with a Conscience'!

Anyway, that TIE Bomber is brilliantly accurate and the tree roots look fantastic. Great work!

However your loyalties seem weak, and I know you know what we Imperials do to deserters...

[VK-318]

We survived, that was good enough, I find the fact of being under fire accelerating (in this fictional universe of course )

Exhilarating. Not accelerating.

Your last sentence is very interesting... I see what you mean, that my builds seem to be less and less substantial (and my stories more and more...). But in these last couple of episodes, I haven't done very much artificial stuff, and I saw that nature takes up a lot more parts. For example: A Fluffy Tragedy had only about 1400 pieces, while this one has 1000 bricks more. so I wouldn't necesseraly say that my builds are getting smaller. Of course, I could get really gib and make a whole lot of vegetation, with multiple trees and a tiny Ewok settlement and caves and such, but my filosophy is that I want to play fair with using LDD. If I start to post entries with thousands and thousands of bricks, it wouldn't be fair and fun any more. I want people to see that SoNE isn't for the select few with a lot of bricks and a lot of time, but that you can achieve quite alot with rather small (ok, let's say intermediate) builds. I hope you understand that philosophy.

Oh, definitely. I didn't realize quite the volume of parts something like this used, though I suppose I should have given how difficult it is for me to build realistic vegetation. And, I didn't assume that you were a redhead. Guess I was just making conversation about finally seeing your face.

[Nom Carver]

Exhilarating. Not accelerating.

Ups , bad english ..

[MstrOfPppts]

I must agree with VK-318, that I too have a feeling that your MOC's are becoming less appealing. I can't find the right words and I don't want to say they are worse and I definitely don't wan't to say they are simpler. I tried LDD myself a couple of times and I really understand how much work went into aligning all that foliage and I must say that the efect turned out really well. Also the uprooted tree is a nice touch! Yet there's something missing for me to have that WAW! effect. I don't know maybe you could achieve that by going bigger (making a whole circle of the explosion area) or adding some figs for more action? Maybe even adding two more broken trees would do the trick to bring some more diversity to the all green foliage?

The TIE is nicely built and detailed with some nice greebling. But maybe including a vessel that is not so common might also improve the MOC. Maybe a prototype or something that hasn't been built plenty of times in bricks?

As for the story, I'm not much of a reader, hence my late reply to this topic ... I enjoy your approach to SoNE, the story and all the inner conflicts yet I think that it could be said in less words too

P.S.: I really feel bad for my post sounds far worse than your MOC actually is But I think you're the type of guy that will understand it the right way! Maybe for your next MOC try building it first and then develope the story around what you've built

[BEAVeR]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. It seems like I have quite an controversial build here, polarizing the forum between Ewok lovers (let's just say not-haters) and Ewok haters. Your welcome.

Come BEAVeR, come and join the Rebellion...You can be my.. apprentice...

That sure sounds tempting, being an apprentice of someone like you... but do we have to real from the Rebel side? Then I will never join you!

I'm impressed with with your storytelling, your should write a book; 'The Trooper with a Conscience'!

Anyway, that TIE Bomber is brilliantly accurate and the tree roots look fantastic. Great work!

However your loyalties seem weak, and I know you know what we Imperials do to deserters...

Glad you liked the build and the story. Writing a book does sound tempting... but then I won't have so much time for building, and when you'll need a book for understanding my entry, maybe things have gotten a little bit too crazy. Let's just view this as a picture book then. Any one wants to pre-order this beautiful coffee-table book? And about my loyalties: well... euhmm... I hope I don't end up being Lord Vader's dessert... but I've already told you that I will stick to the Empire, even with flashbacks if i get myself into impossible situations (and, who knows, a wormhole might appear that enables me to go back in time to mess everything up...)

I must agree with VK-318, that I too have a feeling that your MOC's are becoming less appealing. I can't find the right words and I don't want to say they are worse and I definitely don't wan't to say they are simpler. I tried LDD myself a couple of times and I really understand how much work went into aligning all that foliage and I must say that the efect turned out really well. Also the uprooted tree is a nice touch! Yet there's something missing for me to have that WAW! effect. I don't know maybe you could achieve that by going bigger (making a whole circle of the explosion area) or adding some figs for more action? Maybe even adding two more broken trees would do the trick to bring some more diversity to the all green foliage?

The TIE is nicely built and detailed with some nice greebling. But maybe including a vessel that is not so common might also improve the MOC. Maybe a prototype or something that hasn't been built plenty of times in bricks?

As for the story, I'm not much of a reader, hence my late reply to this topic ... I enjoy your approach to SoNE, the story and all the inner conflicts yet I think that it could be said in less words too

P.S.: I really feel bad for my post sounds far worse than your MOC actually is But I think you're the type of guy that will understand it the right way! Maybe for your next MOC try building it first and then develope the story around what you've built

MstrOfPppts doesn't like my build ... but you're right, I understand how hard it is to get your thoughts to sound right in such a comment, and I know you only point out the bad stuff anyway. But still ... No, let's get to business. I can see what you mean, since I had the same feeling the first time I stood back to watch the creation as a whole. Somehow something felt lacking. To this day, I still have no idea what it could be, but actually the build has started to grow on me, and I'm getting more and more satisfied (without even doing something for it.. so yes). So I guess you'll just have to watch it half an hour more, and maybe you'll appreciate it more then... but still, maybe you're right that there isn't an initial wow-factor. Yes, more trees could do the trick, there could even be a small stream of water. There could be more destruction. There could be more original equipment to analyse the site with. I would love to build those things. It would even be great for the story to have total desolation every where. But unfortunately I don't have unlimited time (certainly this time of the year), and those things would all take plenty of time and bricks. And I already said that I don't like to make this things too big, because that would be unfair (me and my conscience...).

Yes, some obscure EU vehicle would be very nice (like Goatman and Markus have shown us), but plenty of people are already doing that, and I'm looking for originality in other domains. Being a pilot doesn't necessaraly mean that you get to test all kinds of whacky prototypes (especially with my dubious condition). But I have to admit the main reason I went for a familiar vehicle was that I needed something to get my building back going, because I was really hitting a wall with that vegetation. And doing something as 'simple' as a TIE Bomber gave me the confidence to go on. I know I'm remaining very close to canon with my builds, and indeed maybe it's time to change that a bit... just keep pushing me with your awesome comments!

And about the story: sorry, I guess I like writing like that too much, and I don't often get the chance to do it, so I guess you're the victim of it. It's my personal style, so I guess it won't change too much, but I hope at least some of you have enjoyed it, and I really hope it has made people think, so I'm very glad you've already taken the pain to read it. Maybe something will stick (I know that's setting my hopes very high).

[MstrOfPppts]

MstrOfPppts doesn't like my build

I did not say that at least not directly

No really, it is a good build but could be improved. And yes in my comments I always presume we all have unlimited resources (bricks and time). Which believe me I really know is not the case even from my own experience. And you're playing it too fair for the size, look at Bob building half of Sullust in previous episode ...

As for the story, if it wasn't clear, I really liked it, though the point could be made in less words. And if you don't yet know there's a good quote from another universe I really like. Might help you the next time you get into conflict with yourself ... And the quote is:

War. War never changes.

... because I promissed Vader to take care of the likes of you!

[Disco86]

That effect with the foliage is well done and we can really feel the explosion before. That Bomber is recognizable and has some cool greebles. And also your story has something special in it.

Yet another awesome build for the Empire ! Good luck

[Lego Spy]

Great work as always BEAVeR! I especially like the "blown-over effect" on the plants.

Another great, and yet, somewhat grim story line as well...

I've always wanted to use that very nice hairpiece, but for the color I needed something to stand out in the environment, so I chose this nice ginger (especially since others have already claimed the black variant ). Don't be fooled however, as the person who is typing this is not a readhead. But then again, I guess that you don't wear a hat all they and that MstrOfPppts doesn't have that huge scar in real life. And lets just leave LegoSpy out of this

What? You mean you didn't know I'm a Hutt in real life?

(I didn't even see that comment until last night. )