ZCerberus

I will take the first part as a complement. Practical? No. Fun? YES!

So Let's start at the end, then go back to the beginning. Here is the MR 2400 Horizon- another SHIP in my collection, featuring a big twist- it is not just a SHIP, but a full blown PC as well. Here is the SHIP with the PC screen out and ready to rock! So how did I get here? Let's start at the beginning. I recently went through a bit of a mini-dark age with my kids being a tough age to get building done but a reignited interest in PC gaming. However, despite the Coronavirus pandemic, Brickworld Chicago was still on my calendar, so I needed to start building. One thing about conventions is standing by your display and interacting with the public- while a fun part of the experience, it also limits my ability to see other creations and builders and interact with them. My thought then was to create this SHIP with the ability to provide details to the public about my creation without always needing to stand next to it- plus, it will look cool at World of Lights. How does one get a computer inside a spaceship? Well imaginary person, I am glad you asked. The picture below is not day one, but day 7-a week after the official start of the project- which was March 20. I originally planned to house the power supply elsewhere, but with the way this was shaping up, there was plenty of empty space behind the screen for the PSU.I have the screen fitted to give me the height requirement and the PC, a Ryzen 2400G on a B450 motherboard, 16 GB of RAM and a M.2 disk drive installed. The next day I get to work adding some details to the base of the ship and start test fitting the side panel that will cover the screen when the SHIP is in full LEGO mode. The next day I have the full side panel done and hinged as well as the middle transition piece that will enclose the PC inside the SHIP. On April 1, less than 2 weeks after day zero, I have added the PC's "Side Panel". I think at this point the ship sort of looks like whale- which is fine if you have faith in the vision, but I was a little worried it wouldn't turn out as well as I had first envisioned. I also added an RGB intake fan right above the processor- I had thought to make it an exhaust fan, but I was concerned it would compete too much with the cooling fan it was located next to since they are both oriented in the same direction. On April 3, it is time to start working on the back of the ship. I love making engine cluster- and transitioning shapes. I also make a small 4 fighter docking bay and attach it to the underside of ship. A little break from progress pictures. as I worked on both the back end as well as some structural enhancements. Admiral Froggy Von Toadstool overlooks the progress on April 6th. April 13 and one side of the ship has been "completed" enough to move to the back side. Mirroring the other side to some extent isn't difficult, but it does require work and some effort to add some unique details to the other side. Here you can see the PC placement without being blocked by the side panels. I also began working on the top of the SHIP which includes a gun battery as well as some detailing on the rear of thew ship. April 25- after waiting for some Bricklink orders to come in, the back side is finished and I have moved onto working on the front of the ship. I know early on I want to build an armor plated section up front as well, but now it is time to add the structure to support it. I also added armor shrouds to the extruding side engines and some support struts to hold it all together. I also added the bridge and the top mounted guns and panels which will need to swing open to allow the side panel to open to expose the screen. There is an additional intake fan behind the grills in the front. April 27- the front plating and central communications hub is added. There will be a change to the stripping coming up, but I am overall pleased with the shapes. The backside has been roughed in for a while, but is missing some pieces and details, which I begin doing on April 29. This side of ship contains the number- MR2400 which is an homage to the PC "Master Race" and the 2400G at its core. This shot also shows off the IO shield covering, the docking ring all my ships have possessed, moving the stripe on the front armor section and well as detailing and greebling on the front sections. That same day the one unfinished area is photographed as I work on a solution to complete the look. April 30- The SHIP is complete- or at least all major construction has ended, and the RGB fans are plugged and ready to rock. On May 1, it takes it place on the shelf next to the other SHIPs, waiting for me to clear enough space to get my light setup out for final photos. Okay, so it took nearly a month, but the final photos were snapped and here they are with my Nikon D3500 (I need to work on my photo skills with it still, but the photos turned out pretty solid I must say! Edit: made a video too! https://www.flickr.com/photos/zcerberus/49971392108/in/datetaken/

This is my point. They don’t own the bricks, just a selling platform. Why would you buy that unless there was some special value in the platform... Would you pay to buy eBay if you knew buying it or changing it would turn all your customers away and someone else could just create another eBay? No... unless you owned an IP or something that would keep your group on top. This is even more concentrated than eBay since the sellers and buyers are pretty much all AFOLs. Bricklink as it is needs the sellers to be a thing and sellers will move if this becomes draconian. Maybe the prime customers aren’t AFOLs like we suspect- but based on this reaction, it would seem anticipated changes will suggest alternatives may spring up which will eviscerate LEGO’s investment. Makes me wonder if there is something else to this.

Not good is my stance on this. LEGO has some many rules already around AFOL programs, and now this. What is somewhat confusing is that LEGO doesn't own the bricks, just the platform, so there is nothing stopping another market place from popping up UNLESS Bricklink owns some intellectual property they can use to stop a new marketplace from springing up. No way LEGO allows their brand to now be represented by thousands of new people they can't control. Overall, I think this will be detrimental to most sellers and buyers. Perhaps there is something else cool in this, like a more expansive IDEAs like platform- but I doubt it. The MOC shop is in trouble, and I see new rules coming down on individual lot restrictions and loads of other things soon too.

SHIPtember has come and gone, but the fleet has arrived at Eurobricks! Checkout three of the most dynamic SHIPs from this year's armada right here on EB! sheo's Hitchhickers Sunder's EFCS Van Allen And ZCerberus's LL619 Dominion

Love the landscape on this one as much as the walker!

Those boxing gloves look spot on! Great little MOC.

So this is the "master topic" for the microscale fleet I have built- I figured this might be a good way to link all the ships in the fleet into one topic for ease of viewing them all up close from a central jumping point- The full fleet: The Topics: LL619 Dominion and build log LL424 Aura LL509 Ark IV LL132 Cornucopia LL112 Harbinger

Bounty Class Cargo Frigate- LL 132 “Cornucopia” Length: 180 meters Armament: Heavy laser turrets (2) Medium laser turrets (1) Dual link anti-fighter laser turrets (6) Complement: Up to 4 Crew: 40 Not much story here- but the 4th built, 5th photographed of my New Coalition Fleet. Of all the SHIPs, or almost SHIPs I have produced (this one from antenna to antenna is probably almost exactly at 100 studs) this may be my second favorite behind the LL424 Aura.

Anvil Class Carrier- LL 505 “Ark IV” Length: 180 meters Armament: Heavy laser turrets (2) Medium laser turrets (2) Centurion LOS medium anti-cruiser Magnetic Acceleration Rail Cannon, 1-“barrell” (2) Quad link anti-fighter laser turrets (12) Complement: Up to 24 Warden Class Interceptors Crew: 160 With the limited fighter capacity of the Forge Battle Cruiser, the Coalition commissioned a complimentary second ship, the Anvil Class Fighter Carrier. The Fighter Carrier had a much lower combat rating than the Forge Battle Cruiser receiving only a class 6 battle-rating (excluding the weapons capabilities of the fighters) due to the weapons configuration which consisted of 2 heavy laser batteries, 2 medium laser batteries, and 2 medium duty anti-cruiser single barrel MARCs (but no missile pods or peace keeper orbital weaponry) with the additional weapons mounts all dedicated to anti-fighter turrets. Despite the lower combat rating, the Anvil Fighter Carrier, is outfitted with an armor and design configuration which made the ship more durable than most other ships with carrier or support roles. Additionally, the hanger bay entry points in the middle of the ship allowed for better protection of the bays than traditional carrier designs with the hanger bay entrances located on the outer hull of the ship. The durability combined with the firepower of the Warden Class interceptors meant the combined battle-rating of the Anvil Fighter Carrier and a full complement of fighters was much closer to a class 8. This meant the carrier could be used on solo missions when battleships or long-range missile frigates were not anticipated to be in heavy use. The main drawback of the Anvil Class Fighter Carrier was its size. The carrier was nearly double the width of primary attack craft like the Forge Class Battle Cruiser of the Hammer Class Missile Corvette. This issue was often overcome by keeping the carrier in a support position behind heavy assault ships, or if the carrier was in closer proximity to the battle, using a unique design feature to separate the carrier in two. Separating the carrier in two provides for more flexibility in use and much smaller targeting areas, though it does lose some of its more appealing features such as the center mounted hanger bays and the ability to operate with two distinct shield generators for additional toughness. The separation feature also meant each half was required to contain a full range of critical ship’s systems. While this made the carriers more expensive to manufacture and crew, it also made them more reliable and durable. Eurobrick's exclusive- ship separated and showing one component half:

Come one, come all to Space Base H19. Smaller than H17, this Neo Classic space base features three landing pads filled with three new Neo Classic craft and a full lit design. And a closer look at the craft (until they have proper solo photos) can be seen here- with the Flickr photo set being even bigger and more clear. Click me for the below picture in the Flickr set

The terror of it! The mechanical grinding of its gears and hissing of its hydraulics send shivers down the spines of even the most veteran, harden soldier. This is the Blacktron Harvester!

Thanks @Aliencat and @LEGO Train 12 Volts. May be awhile before I do another monthly build challenge.

The color scheme is interesting- but I love the building arms on this. Very cool.

Very nice. I do love the black striping and the angles here- top notch.

Forge Class Destroyer- LL619 “Dominion” Length: 262 meters Armament: Anti-cruiser dual link Crusader Magnetic Acceleration Rail Cannon (4) Cruiser Buster missile tube (6) Peacekeeper long range orbital bombardment cannon (2) Rocket turret (1) Ion burst cannons (2) Heavy laser turrets (5) Quad link anti-fighter laser turrets (15) Complement: 9 Warden Class Interceptors (upper hangar) 6 Governor Class Heavy Bombers, 2 Transports shuttles or- 1 Kiltrip Defender Corvette (lower hangar) Crew: 235 Following the successful deployment of the Forge Class Battle Cruisers, the New Coalition found itself well position as peacekeepers. Peace, however, is often fleeting. A dissenting faction opposed to all forms of centralized government sprung up in the outer system of Conteruim. The Teriums as they become known retrofitted a number of older vessels with thick armor and multi directional weaponry. While the Battle Cruiser's Centurian weaponry was able to penetrate the armor plating, its line-of-sight design made engaging multiple Terium vessels difficult. To combat the Terium tactics, the New Coalition developed a new ship, the Forge Class Destroyer, equipped with direction port and starboard Crusader MARC cannons capable of eviscerating the armored Turium turtles with greater efficiency. The Destroyer also carried a larger complement than the Forge Class Battle Cruiser including heavy bombers or the ability to house a Kiltrip defender inside the Destroyer if bombers were not required on mission. The Destroyer also modified the hangar configuration as compared to the Anvil Class Carriers and the Battle cruiser to allow for hot take-offs and landings from a forward facing hangar opening. See the build log of the SHIP here:

The build is done- but I didn't have time before I left on a work trip to really get the photos edited. Here is the poster shot for the ship- but once my NEW light box arrives, I will edit and post some quality photos. See the SHIP with additional photos here:

Day 26- Light Me Up. Taking a peek at a few highlights of some the lighting effects. And moving on to the back side. The ship is largely symmetrical, but I am adding a repair bay to the side here. You can see the repair bay in the process of being added. And now it is on. A little clean up left to do on this- I need to add some details to the bottom plating under the repair bay and make a few changes to the stripes on the top plating. Likely won't be any more WIPS and the next photos will be final.

Day 25- Arraying Down on you! Moving onto the front array(s). Here is the front of the ship before adding the lower array. Here you can see the open sections where ships can land inside the ship. You can also see the older little cruiser off to the right which fits inside the large center hanger in the ship. It is not a new design- but it hasn't been posted online before either. For SHIPtember purposes, it won't make the final pictures- but perhaps I will have enough time to build a little something for inside that hanger. And then I completed the array- though it is not as evident from this photo due to the shadows down onto the array. You can see some greebles on the bridge added as well.

Day 22- Captain on the Bridge! Main thing done today was to add the bridge and finish the top of the ship as well as the transition to the bridge and a cover for the light switch. I also completed the engine section including the various directional thrusters and the larger armored versions as well.

Day 20- Filling in the Gaps- Progress on this day includes filling in the gaps so I can add the details and then greebling the surfaces on the rear some more. I like the greebles under the supports that hold the guns in place and I begin adding a few stickers here and there to complete the look. I am sure there are some people who are not big stickers people, but I love the ability to add little details that would not otherwise be achievable with the saved up sticker sheets. Day 22- Sitting by the dock of the bay Some major progress has been made, but it is not all evident. First, the skin is done on the rear and the docking port is now on. All the major greebly bits are done on both sides of the rear. The other thing that has happened is the upper skin on the backside has been places as well. It is missing some details still, but it is all attached to the ship. I also have begun working on some engine thruster detailing and the transition from the top of the ship to the bridge. Still on the "to do" list- build bridge section and stern plating sections- build front greebles and arrays- add details to bottom- then move to backside for some detailing on the plating and hanger bays. I am still also trying to decide how I am going to do the armor plating between the upper and lower half. The way it is right now is likely to change.

Day 19- Skinning the Beast Working on the greebles and preparing to add a docking port. The base below the skin is on in the back, and not the shape can be seen. I also added more girders to the space between the two main levels. I pulled the top armor plating off so I could get access to the area between the plating and the back so I could wire up the lights- more of which arrived today from Lifelites. I also did the armor skin on the back side of the SHIP, so while it can be seen here, it is a major step towards completing the ship. Light it UP- UP- UP! Speaking of...the iPhone washes some of the lighting out- but here is the basic idea. As mentioned before, the ship inside here is not new- so if I do want to display the finished vehicle for SHIPtember, I will either need to build something new or photograph with nothing in here- this is really just to show off how the lights between the levels look.

Day 17- Baby Got Back- moving to the engine, docking, and rear section again to begin working on the greebly back end. The cylinder on top is again a counterbalance. The guns have been added up top as well. Also experimenting a bit with the armor plating. This thing certainly needs another engine, and I have to extend that dark orange stripe through the back. Once the back has its shaping done, I will need to move to complete the bridge and then the front... then the top... then back to the backside to skin the second half. Day 18- Earning My Stripes- continued work on the engine cluster and rear including continuing the stripe from below up to the engineering/bridge support section.

Day 11- Shaping Up- skinning what remains on the upper half- at least on this side. Experimenting with the armor in the middle- don't love the way it looks here. I also will eventually experiment with the supports in the middle to fill it out. I also did work on the floor of the top level/ceiling of the middle level and started the work on the very top of the SHIP for the front half. Day 14- Bringing Out the Big Guns- ...Day 14- a little past half way in my slightly truncated schedule and I am working on the "big guns". I know I want them to tilt and swivel and be side mounted, but outside of that, I don't have a solid design plan. I come up with this design using a 6 x 6 dish as the top and bottom of the guns with a 8 long arch as the ship attachment point. I do have to do a little gearing inside the gun to make is not swivel like mad when it is attached through the center. Each gun is the also attached via a ball joint inside so it can tilt and rotate too! The pliers aren't for anything nefarious, I use them sometimes when a technic axel is really jammed inside an axel hole, but here they are really nothing more than counter weights for the guns. And here they are attached to the SHIP The SHIP here definitely looks too tall for it's length and sort of like a C, but that will change as the back gets extended and worked on I hope. I also think the guns make it appear a bit wider to help relieve a little of the squatty look.

Day 8- Taking it to the Next Level- The main features of the SHIP begins to take shape. A couple of notes on those features- I want a somewhat open middle section, which will allow for a medium sized frigate to park inside. The one in the photos here isn't new and therefore won't be used for the final SHIPtember build- its purpose here is as a counterweight to the skin on the SHIP to keep if from tipping. The top section will have an open front, so you will be able to see inside the hanger from the front- that gives me the challenge of building it so that the interior doesn't look like a big mess. I am using the large girder pieces on both the middle and to make the supports for the top section. I also want the top section to be slightly longer than the bottom.