VK-318

Darn it, you're just too good. That curved roof is a great touch.

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."

I'm a little late responding to this, but note that my first freebuild was on the Death Star (technically not a planet, but still...), and it went over fine. Still, part of the point in awarding planets to the winning team was to make people want to fight for the right to freebuild there.

To what @A Plastic Infinity said, I think what is being planned here is (probably) based on a classic space-opera style sci-fi universe, with spaceships that have hyperdrives, warp drives, or something similar; a background that involves humans and some robots and aliens; with at least one, possibly several interstellar states; and with the precise level of available technology left indeterminate so that individual builders can let their imaginations go to work. Not to say that any other form of sci-fi is inferior to the aforementioned system, it's just that this format leaves probably the most freedom of invention possible. To the point of participation, you wouldn't have to participate in this game to use the Sci-Fi forum any more than you have to play SoNE to use the Star Wars forum, I would think. But, since participation in any of these types of games currently extant places no obligations on you, I don't see why you wouldn't join. Because one of the things that these contests do, regardless of what kind of contest it is, is provide a forum for you to post your builds and make sure that people care about looking at them. SoNE gets a fair amount of attention when it has an episode running, not least because it spurs people to build the very best that they can, another reason to join a game of that sort. (Is the pep talk working? )

Well, maybe an Imperial officer's torso, and a shadowtrooper might be useful too.

Second that. I'd be glad to help any way I can.

I really like the addition of the non-warlike activities, that's something that is naturally lacking in SoNE. From a practical standpoint, I don't see how GoH differs too much from SoNE, except that it has fewer factions and a more central organization. That is to say, at this point SoNE has episodes for all players at the same time and with each player restricted in his episode build to the tasks given his faction, where it seems that each GoH guild hosts its own contests that sometimes allow participation from non-Guild members. That point about a central organization has got to be part of why Bob De Quatre is favoring a SoNE format: less work to manage it and keep it headed in a single direction. The political-social change you describe does sound like a really cool effect, I wonder if there's a way to adapt the SoNE-style format to make that sort of thing work? Probably, since Sci-Fi didn't have to work within the Star Wars storyline. There's only so much deviation that that overarching story will allow. Again, though, if there is a Sci-Fi RPG here I would really like to see it provide more opportunity, even in contests, for non-military activities. Warships and weapons are cool, but Sci-Fi has more to offer than just that. Some word from the mods here? What do you mods think about how the factions should be divided, and/or what the conflicts/alliances between them should be? I'm trying to help with the brainstorming here, and I'll try to get to work on any ideas you have and see what I can make of them.

For those who are wondering, Shadows of Nar Eurbrikka has two teams (Rebels and Imperials) who compete as a team in Episodes, which are a set of scoring guidelines and build requirements. For instance, one recent episode featured the two teams fighting for control of a prison base, with each of five sectors of the base being competed for and the team that won the most sectors winning the base, and hence the episode. Members of the winning teams get a tag that's pertinent to the episode. Individual players are also working to earn points. Each episode is worth a number of points based on its quality and originality, with additional points essentially based on how well it compares to the best enemy builds. Players also gain points by completing freebuilds, which are essentially any builds for SoNE that aren't part of an episode; these are generally worth far fewer points, but also can be produced in far greater numbers because only one episode build is allowed per episode, but as many as four freebuilds can be built for points between the closing of one episode and the closing of the next. I'm not sure how Guilds of Historica works. Maybe someone could give a synopsis here? More directly to the point of the thread, though, I agree that new factions might well be a good idea. The issue I spot with SoNE is that it is high-maintenance for the organizers, because it requires a lot of judging and conferences, especially when an episode is being scored. It is, however, a very organized system. If we were to allow players a wider spread of character possibilities (besides being soldiers), I can easily see a Sci-Fi Lego RPG giving SoNE some real competition in attracting builders. I'm a big Lego Sci-Fi builder, so whatever we come up with I will certainly be participating as often as I can.

H'm, good point, I probably shouldn't have made a big deal about all that here. Sorry!

Maybe it would be good to tap into the old Sci-Fi themes here. You know, Blacktron, M:Tron, Spyrius, Space Police, Unitron, Classic Space/Futuron, Exploriens ... There are pretty clear, well-accepted adversaries and potential allies, although there's no real plot as such yet. The obvious problem would be getting hold of the minifig parts, some of which cost an arm and a leg apiece for a minifig arm or leg, if you catch my meaning.

I know, but as you just demonstrated, it is easy to identify my sigfig in a crowded build. And, it looks really cool. Maybe I should give the Imperial Survey Corps a try - before the quartermaster notices my irregular attire.

I didn't know that TIE's had environmental controls! No life support systems and all that? Maybe that's why it's so difficult to adjust them ...

To be fair all around, the yellow minifigs were introduced because Lego didn't produce any color closer to flesh tone at the time, and they stayed around forever because that was the color minifigs were, kind of like climbing Mt. Everest because it's there. Fleshies are more realistic. There are also far fewer different fleshie heads around, at least by variety. Where Lego has been making yellow heads since day 1 of the minifig, and continues to do so today in such themes as the Lego Movie sets, fleshies are a fairly new addition, and there are rather fewer different faces around, which is the main reason I use yellow minifigs most of the time.

Does anyone know what happened to the shredder? I would really like to have that picture up here somewhere, I'm going to reference it my build.

Yes, I really like the way you divided all that up. Although your hangar and TIE Fighters are great, I really think the walker and shuttle are even better, not to mention being a tad more pertinant to the mission. But ... What happened to the shredder? I can't find it any more.

Wow ... I think something happened to my hat! I guess I should be pretty easy to spot in the picture, but I think that must be my dress-uniform hat; it'd be a little impractical on the battlefield.

As I said before, the Dropship lacks the "wow" factor of Benny's Spaceship!x3, but I have to agree with Artanis I's opinion. It is a good ship; it's just not quite as jaw-droppingly cool as the Spaceship, or at least not to me. And, since my Lego budget is a little sparse right now, I had to choose one or the other, and Benny one.

Neither have I, but I have given my younger brother a lot of tactical advice from time to time so that he doesn't toast his own men with flamethrowers and set himself up for ambushes. All that aside, this build definitely looks like it has a story behind it. Now that would be interesting.

Try using two of part 32013 (http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=32013) connected with a 2-stud-long axle. Unless this isn't strong enough ... ?

I agree with stefan_betula_pendula; the wheelbase seems a little long, by about 3 studs I think. And ... H'm. Maybe the exhaust manifolds would look better if you gave the pipes different lengths past the L-beam?

I'm generally a 4, rarely bordering on 3. I try to avoid doing 5, though, because that doesn't feel to me like truly constructive criticism.

Reminds me of the video game Space Hulk.

I know, I know Seriously, though, Anyone who can build something like the Zenith or that digital Shadows of Nar Eurbrikka: Episode IV entry, and provides so much constructive criticism and advice, deserves this status. Well done!

Great work, Bob. You deserve it. Now, about using some real Lego bricks for a change ...

Good heavens! First Inferno, then this? Stunning.