vynsane

Another astoundingly intricate build, Sunder, well done! You might consider cross-posting all these in a single topic in the LDD Forum.

Y'know, I haven't even had the time to really devote to this - you're most definitely further along than I am (seeing as how I've not started) so have at it!

WOOHOO! (What do I win?) Now do the Beast-infected version!

Another fantastic build, Sunder - very inspiring!

Wow, that's impressive work. Great shapes and action features! This one really reminds me of the Command Ship from Homeworld: Cataclysm.

The border on the shield looks oddly rough compared to the other decal designs, which look fantastic and crisp.

Only awesomeness.

Is it just me or do the arms/legs on that sticker book cover look like the longer version (like Woody from Toy Story)?

Ah... so the poll options are a little misleading, then - it's not the orientation of the engines as much as the position of the engines AND wings. Well, since most WWII planes had wings closer to the front, I think it would be more traditional to orient the engines/wings towards the front. If you wanted to go a little less traditional (pushing the sci-fi quotient up a bit), then set the wings/engines further back. I'm less of a traditionalist, so I'll vote that way ;)

It's hard to vote without seeing mockups of each orientation - it's really a decision to make based on how it fits along-side the pieces joining to it and within the greater context of the MOC as a whole. I also am not sure which orientation you're referring to when you say "regular style" in relation to "hammerhead style" - I presume "regular" would be props forward and "hammerhead" would be props rear, but one cannot vote based on presumptions.

This is actually, quite literally, exactly the way it happened - no speculation necessary. It was delineated in the LEGO Club TV video posted earlier in this thread. The designer took it upon himself to build the Haunted House on his own time and offer it as an alternative to the Vampyre Castle set as the high-end set in the line. The decision was to continue with the castle in the 'main' line and to offer the Haunted House as an additional 'special' set.

This is completely fantastic! Thanks for providing the LXF file, as well! Definitely has a Homeworld vibe to it...

A Space-based action theme with hints of Agents of World Racers? Sign me up!

Looks cool, but... two things: Windows, Linux... No Mac version? Is there a planned future provision for supporting collections saved at Brickset? I don't have my collection inventoried at BrickLink.

Fantastic collection, but 'Sinister Surfer' is by far my fave.

Sorry I've been incommunicado - was on a road trip then incredibly busy at work (because of the trip). Will be going away again next week, which means another incredibly busy week at work after that At least next week isn't another road trip, but a stay-in-one-place vacation, so maybe I'll get some more templates made.

Great work on all of these, really! Love the VW microbus.

Perhaps the post office gets more direct sunlight than the other buildings

Which would track with last year's press release unveiling 10222 Winter Village Post Office on Aug. 5th.

I'm very happy to hear that we're getting another offering in the Winter Village series - but my wallet is screaming in agony over all the very expensive awesomeness coming our way in such a short timespan (what with the Haunted House, UCS R2, etc).

Really cool builds and fantastic presentation!

No, I totally agree he looks really cool - but that's from an adult's perspective. There's not much to him that would appeal to a kid, from my point of view. It's not the 'main' demographic I'm saying they might be disingenuous about, it's the AFoL demographic. In all honesty, it's not necessarily a point of view that I generally concur with, but it's something that the AFoL community has rumbled about for years - that our influence on the market is marginalized with the hand-wave that we represent no more than 10% of annual sales, when in actuality it might be higher than that. I tend not to agree with it, but it's hard to argue when you see multiple big-ticket sets released in the same year (UCS R2, Haunted House, UCS B-Wing), majorly hard to acquire exclusives at conventions and figures/sets based on more mature subject matter than would be appropriate to what is publicized as the core demographic.

I never said I didn't like them, nor did I say I wouldn't buy them - I am mainly pointing out that TLG is being a bit disingenuous when they spout the "6-11 demographic". Your examples above are just furthering that point. It's almost as if TLG is trying to cater to the AFoL market without publicly acknowledging how influential that market is. I don't even see how popular a TDKR Bane figure would be with kids - he's not all that dynamic looking in comparison to other supervillains.

All true, but if you take the Nolan films for what they are solely based on their merits, they are strictly for adults, easily on par with SotD or Firefly in light of mature themes. There is a wealth of source material to draw from in the Batman mythos that would easily fit into the '6-11' demographic. To pick that small portion of the whole pie, while it makes sense from a business standpoint, goes against what they've said about similarly themed properties in the past. They've skirted the issue before by producing the Tumbler set which wasn't expressly rooted in the Nolan Batverse, with a more cartoony Joker figure/vehicle. This Bane figure, as great as he is, is definitely rooted in TDKR. What happens when kids ask their parents if they can see the movie the set is based on? That's sort of my point, too. I had the sneaking suspicion that the rejections came more from a monetary standpoint than from an ethical standpoint. My contention is that rejecting mature themed properties because of a moral obligation to the '6-11' demographic but then producing sets based on other properties that don't fall into that demographic is disingenuous, not that they should produce the sets they rejected, more that they should temper the ones themed after TDKR in the same way they have in the past, by cartoonizing The Joker. Comparing SotD and Firefly to the Nolan films, then to Indiana Jones, Star Wars and LotR, I would definitely place the Nolan films in with SotD and Firefly more readily than with the others. Arbitrary distinctions? Perhaps, but we're all splitting hairs here. At the end of the day, the question is: Do the Nolan Batfilms fall into the previously stated '6-11' demographic? My answer is "most decidedly not". I would go so far as to say I would let my daughter watch Firefly/Serenity before the Nolan Batfilms, and I'd let her watch the Nolan Batfilms before SotD. The main sticking point for me is that the Nolan films are all-serious, all the time... there's no lightheartedness at all, whereas Firefly/Serenity has a healthy balanced diet of fun to serious. That goes a long way toward diluting the maturity level. As for Anakin vs. Harvey Dent on fire, the RotS scene has that "Sci-Fi violence" factor, whereas TDK is much more 'real-world'. I also already stated that I find RotS to be inappropriate for my daughter, and it really just barely skirts that '6-11' demographic, doesn't it, being rated PG-13. Also, Firefly was before the time of TV ratings, but Serenity was PG-13 here in the states, which is the same as the Nolan Batfilms. Regardless of minute distinctions made between these films, I think we can all agree that none of the following: 'Serenity', 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Batman Begins', 'The Dark Knight', 'The Dark Knight Rises'; are acceptable for the '6-11' demographic, which was really my point all along.

Ultimately, I realize all of that - they're a business, and it's definitely a move that will make money. It's just a bit hypocritical in light of continual phrases like "the film {fill in the blank} contains content that is not appropriate for our core target audience of children ages 6-11." You could easily put "The Dark Knight Rises" in that blank, and that phrase is a direct quote from the decision that was handed down on The Winchester from "Shaun of the Dead". I took them at their word on that, and I'm surprised and disheartened to see that I was wrong to do so.