vynsane

^ Thanks much, I think that clears it up and we can strongly assume 'Hütte' is the magic word here - unless you can think of something other than the two words I picked out

"Winterliche Hütte" just seems to translate to "Winter Cabin" or "Winter Cottage" - so perhaps it's something like the small Ski Chalet/cabin we've been contemplating. The only other German word that starts with "Hü..." that made sense to me was Hügel - meaning 'hill' or 'mound'... a ski slope? I looked through the "Hü..." words here: http://www.dict.cc/deutsch-englisch/h316.php and Hütte and Hügel were the only two that made sense in context, but perhaps a German speaking member could shed some light here...

Sure, if you're using it as a yardstick - then I think that further makes my point! The yardstick being "small sets with a large number of minifigures that people would want multiples of make more money in the long run than large sets with minifigures people only want one of". Your stance seems to be that henchmen/goon battlepacks couldn't sell as much as Stormtrooper battlepacks, so they won't even consider making them. Then why do they even bother having other themes than Star Wars, since Star Wars outsells every other theme... That's assuming they make a battlepack of four boring looking figures, which is a slanted way of looking at it. If they made each figure unique in the pack, with different facial prints, clothing prints and accessories - variations on the theme of their villain - then it would be more enticing. Granted, SHIELD or Hydra soldiers might be a harder sell, but maybe not. Well, that's where creativity and drawing inspiration from various sources comes into play. It doesn't necessarily have to be 'recognizable', it has to be enticing to the core demographic that is interested in the theme - that's who BPs are for, anyway. If you put together a BP of four unique Joker henchmen and emblazoned the cardboard/box with a picture of Batman fighting The Joker, the context makes it 'recognizable'. Look at how well the Collectible Minifigures sell - mainly due to being very unique in both design and accessories. Design a BP of henchmen with those same ideals and it would most definitely sell.

To be fair, that's basically a 'magazine' of missiles that can easily be taken out. It's not 'permanently affixed' (as much as LEGO bricks can be permanently affixed) meaning it's not even a 'mod' to remove it - it's built to be removable.

I don't know how likely TDKR-based sets are, given that LEGO continually says its products are primarily for children and the Nolan Batfilms are anything but. I know they've done a Tumbler set in the past, but it was only very loosely based on the films. I don't remember anything about an Ice Cream truck in the movie (the only scene it could be trying to emulate would be the one where The Joker is using a Semi to kill Dent), and the Joker figure included looks nothing like Heather Ledger's version.

That depends on whether you're a kid who's more into Star Wars, or a kid who's more into Batman. It's completely subjective, and I think it's a bit silly to use the popularity of Stormtroopers or Mandolorians as the be-all and end-all threshold for battlepack sales success. I'm also talking more along the lines of the bubble/cardboard packaged battlepacks (like the PotC, Pharaoh's Quest and, most recently, Firefighter packs), not the boxed ones you see in the SW line. You can't tell me the PotC BP would have sold like hotcakes if it had more than one Redcoat in it.

^ That's a good idea, Murdoch17! Why just limit it to expanding the fence? I actually have an idea for a "carriage house" that would hook into the fence/wall system - if someone creates a LDD file of the Vampyre Hearse I'll be able to build it to fit! I'm actually surprised the Monster Fighters instructions aren't available on the LEGO site yet...

Thanks for the praise, DraikNova... More modular extensions to the 10228 "Haunted House" wall/fence by vynsane, on Flickr This version includes a new 'small corner' module complete with 'crystal ball' adornment (as opposed to the 'large corner' featuring the urn/brazier) and a 'neglect damage' variant of same. You can see the damaged version in the lower right-hand corner of the picture.

So, I decided to design my own version - while your high-walled fence/wall is fantastic, it was important to me to integrate the official gate/wall portion that comes with the set. Since it's much lower than yours and is two bricks wide, mine ended up very different from yours. I don't mean to hijack your topic, so if you don't want my version in yours I will remove it, but thought it best to continue discussing the modular fence/wall idea in this topic as opposed to starting another one. Modular Fence for 10228 Haunted House by vynsane, on Flickr LDD File - Modular Fence Extension for 10228

Looks great! It's funny, the cockpit could easily fit into my modular spacecraft standard if it were built with technic brick 'hardpoints'...

This is a great idea, Murdoch17! I would suggest, though, using the 'Groups' palette to make the sections easily selectable, while still keeping the entire thing connected via the technic pins. The beauty of modularity is that you can add your own variations or expansions. If you download the LDD file and use one span of the wall as a template, modify it to suit your needs and repost it here! I've already got a couple variations in mind...

But the official press release was sometime in August, I believe.

Well, I'm both excited and dismayed - excited that there is probably still going to be a new installment to the Winter Village this year, since I was worried that the Haunted House was going to supersede it, and dismayed at the news that it might be larger than previous offerings, once again, because of the Haunted House. I really want to get the HH as a display piece for Halloween (in a similar fashion to the Winter Village) but it's already a hefty price tag. If the next Winter Village set is anywhere near or beyond $100 it's going to be a hard sell to convince the missus to purchase both...

I didn't say it was the only way, just the best way I'm sure there are some Point & Shoot cameras that will rival the photo quality and feature set of a dSLR or MIL camera, but you'll end up paying almost as much for it as you would for a dSLR or MIL, so really it's just a matter of priorities and interests, and whether or not the extra money is worth it to you. I went with a dSLR because photography has always been an interest/hobby of mine, so I wanted it independent of taking pictures of MOCs. Having it at the ready when it's time to take pics of MOCs is just an added benefit. Ultimately, it's the lightbox, more than the camera, that counts if you're going to be taking pics in-doors.

Fantastic builds, they definitely have the Classic Space lineage to them! The photography does, though, detract from how excellent they are. If you have the means, a lightbox setup and a high-quality camera (dSLR or mirrorless interchangeable lens) is the best way to go about photographing LEGO. If you find yourself spending too much money on LEGO to afford a lightbox (a common problem ) then I would suggest waiting to photograph them outside in indirect sunlight. If it's a clear-sky day, doing so under a front porch or awning is best, as you won't get too harsh a glare/shadow contrast. Slightly overcast skies are great for diffuse natural light when you don't have an awning or porch overhang (this is basically the type of light a lightbox mimics). Use a large sheet of posterboard or thick paper as a backdrop so the background doesn't take any attention away from the MOC. The posterboard/paper can be white or a complimentary color, though most people have problems choosing the right complimentary color, and white goes with everything (unless you're taking a picture of a mostly-white MOC).

I find that if you go with "normal" CITY bodies and carefully select the head/hair combo you can get a pretty good futuristic vibe but retain that civilian quality. That's what I did with the cyberpunk-style teen figures here: Phoenix Fireball by vynsane, on Flickr I'm particularly fond of the driver: Phoenix Fireball by vynsane, on Flickr

Nicely done, I dig it a LOT.

I agree - the best thing they could do is release a 'henchmen battlepack' with a bunch of different themed goons. A "Joker Goon" BP, "Two-Face Goon" BP, etc. Maybe even SHIELD agents, Chitauri footsoldiers, Hyrda soldiers, etc. Four per pack with a brick-built accessory, five per otherwise. Make each figure have an alternate head print so one could choose which side to show for even more variation. They would make a killing on sets of army-builders like that.

Yeah, I could see that with some large computer consoles in the center of each side, or maybe one side could have a big 'war room' table...

That's kind of the issue inherent to superhero-based sets. Not every hero has a "{insert partial character name}-mobile" like Batman. A set featuring the Spider-mobile might be funny, since it was introduced in the comics as a joke about that practice. That's why Batman works so well in LEGO form - because he has all those "wonderful toys". The 'Super Friends' toy series introduced a small jet plane for Superman - I don't think I need to tell you how ridiculous the idea of that is... This is why we get Lex in a Mech suit against Superman and Wonder Woman, both of whom are 'on foot', or we get interiors and exteriors of buildings. While Batman has the Batcave, though, Spider-man has... an upstairs bedroom in Aunt May's house. I think we're going to see more playset-based sets in most of the Superheroes line, as opposed to vehicle-based sets.

I love Spidey, so that set is definitely a must-have for me. I missed out on the movie tie-ins due to still being in my dark age.

My daughter really likes this one. I think it will fit in nicely not only into Town/City layouts, but also into her Friends "Heartlake City" layout. Olivia's the only one with a house thus far, the rest of the girls are homeless! Not only that, but the $10 sets from the Friends line would furnish all these Creator houses nicely, I think. Thanks for the review!

Not a problem! I was able to get one on Saturday at the Palisade's Center Mall in West Nyack, NY. I called ahead on Friday to make sure they had both the Hulk minifigure and the posters and the gentleman I spoke to said they should have enough of both for the next day, and just to ask about the poster. When I got there the next day, the first person I asked gave me the whole spiel about the picture with the Captain America cardboard standee and posting it to facebook and all that, and said I couldn't have one when I asked. After we did our shopping, including a long CMFs7 feeling session trying to find two Galaxy Patrolmen for me and an 'Ocean King' and 'Rocker Girl' for my daughter with another very helpful employee who was an absolute pro at determining who was in which pack, we then went to check-out and he rang us up. I asked "you sure I can't get one of those posters now?" and he said "yeah, let me go get you one" and came back out with two! So, really, the moral of the story is "it never hurts to ask multiple times!"

What a beast, it looks great! Can't wait to delve into the LDD file... Thanks for sharing it!

Nice "Expanded Universe" ADU MOCs, love 'em! The APC is my favorite, good idea using the basic aesthetic/footprint of the EDHQ.