Bornin1980something

Further to my earlier reply, the site guidelines have paragraphs on avatars (under 'Images') and signatures.

^ Whoa, 7 posts in one day. Be careful, posting too fast can get you banned.

I would say pick one up as soon as possible, as this is not a new set any more! Most Lego sets have a very short shelf life (possibly due to the brick offering infinite redesign possibilities!), and I believe this set has already disappeared from at least one German catalogue. A shame, as this is an exceptional set, still my favourite city vehicle from last year. I believe this is the right approach for all present-day themed Lego sets. Realism in Lego was probably the aim of all the best classic town sets. Particularly among the vehicles, their 'cuteness' was rooted in recapturing the real-life look of that era. Modern Lego sets are first and foremost for kids born after 2000. Rather surprisingly, in most cases the use of less specialised elements seems to help the realism of a Lego model, and many Lego models now look more realistic than the Playmobile equivalent. In this case, however, the new bonnet piece really enhances the modern look, taking Lego into the future much better than Town Jr's printed grills ever did! It also offered an unexpected bonus in in this set; there is so much empty space below the bonnet, I found it possible to convert front-end to allow piece to slide out, and add a rather detailed engine. Even though there is no longer any latch, the fit is so snug that the piece rarely falls out (unless the vehicle is dropped!). As for the models other features, I think the single opening side panel is far better than the 2009 sets foldout back. Gaining full interior access without parting the roof (or leaving utensils hanging over the ground) allows for full playability without sacrificing realism. It is also a very simple 'classic town' type solution.The uneven height of the mudguards might actually add to the realistic impression. This set seems to represent a low built specialist body attached to a standard van front-end. This really can look a little strange. As for the absence of a ladder, it seems that Lego were trying to go for the sleek modern motorhome type look here. The boat was then added (somewhat unrealistically) to enhance playability. Modern motorhomes seem to go for external ladders less than they used to, and I think tourists who carry loads on the roof would carry folding or roll out ladders inside. Personally, I usually display mine without the boat! On another subject: is something wrong at the Reviewer's Academy? Myself and two others have yet to receive replies to our applications to join.

Count me in. My very avatar is an unreviewed set!

If you mean create your avatar image, putting images on this site can be tricky! For beginners information, I would suggest following the guidelines and links in the Welcome New Member page in this part of the forum, or the site guidelines (yes, it took me a while to figure it out). Personally, I 'deeplink' all my images from my Brickshelf account, though I had no success with this until I switched from browsing in Internet Explorer to Google Chrome. My avatar image is also from my Brickshelf account. It was inserted using 'Settings', then 'Change Picture.' I 'deeplinked' the image using the image's URL. I am no expert, having only been here about a month, but I hope this post helps.

Train related queries should go in the 'Train Tech' forum. In fact, there are parts of the forum for every type of query.

Sorry to bump this thread, I thought I should wait until the year was over for an objective analysis! Best set – The Research Institute. Very reasonably priced, nonviolent, and probably the most education oriented set I've ever seen outside of schools-only lines. Its tiny but detailed 6 x 6 vignettes are probably the best example I have seen in modern Lego of a 'less is more' philosophy. Parts have been sourced from across the range, from CHIMA to Friends. The minifigures also make great use of existing parts. Only one torso is new, but the other two are so appropriate (e.g. the palaeontologist's fossil pendant) that it's hard to believe that they are pre-existing designs! The only downsides are its limited release and its 10+ age rating – it could be built by younger children. Both of these factors meant that the sets were mainly snapped up by adult fans. I still believe that Lego is first and foremost for children under 12. Honorable mention: Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! This one set brought me out of a 14 year dark age. It recaptures the look of early Lego space products, but is more complex and detailed. It even includes hidden features, like a reactor. Worse set – Ariel's magic kiss. We live in a time of controversy regarding the overuse of pink in girls toys. Why, then, does this set includes a pink dress and a pink boat, both of which were very different and more subdued colours in the scene the set recreates!? Best minifigure – Benny, the 1980-something space guy, effectively my namesake. Having lived through the death of the old space line, I never imagined that TLG would release a replica of the 30-year-old space product. He recaptures the more innocent feel of classic Lego .Except, he is not an exact replica, but a deliberate representation of a worn figure. Lego fans young and old can now unashamedly play with their worn figures alongside him. Honourable mention: Bad Cop/Good Cop. In TLM, his head spinning provided some of the film's most hilarious moments. He wears a retro-looking uniform, including a brand-new old-style police helmet reminiscent of the classic CHiPs motorcycle cop look. The CMF version of him also includes Lego's best smart phone yet. Worst minifigure – the sick man in the Fairground Mixer. His face, his horrible face! Should I ever acquire him, I could use him with the smiling face. The second face, however, is, quite literally, a sick joke! Best theme – the AWESOME Lego Movie. Very much an extension of the movie itself and its philosophy, the tie-in sets have been cross thematic, breaking any taboo against mixing Lego products from different themes together. Generic figures are given names, just as I used to name mine. The figures can add character to almost any Lego scene, whether it's within the right theme or not! The 2 in 1 sets are particular highlights for me. Although I have only assembled those sets in civilian form, their 2 in 1 nature leads to interesting additional features and the imaginative use of more generic parts, making for a more satisfying build than typical CITY models. The days of Town Jr are truly over, except... Honorable mention: Juniors: Yes, I did live through the darkest days of Town Jr, going off Lego for 14 years as a result. This Juniors line, however, corrects the mistakes of the 90s. The models, while simplified, are far more realistic than the Town Jr line. They are also lower priced than their more complex equivalents. Juniors does not directly replace any play theme. Instead, it too is cross thematic. Four-year-olds have a variety in taste, and Juniors provides small lead-in models to many themes. Worst theme – this is hard, as I do not buy into every theme and I am reluctant to be critical in public. As a general rule, every theme is awesome! For the worst new theme, I am inclined to go with Disney Princesses. This is actually only a minor, recently created subtheme in Disney merchandise, and very rarely tells the full story. For instance, you get Jasmin without Aladdin or the genie, and none of the villains. This range is ultimately a series of individual toys/collectors items rather than the comprehensive system of play Lego is known for. Excitement the 2015 – oddly for someone who has so far not bought into any licensed themes (apart from TLM) the products I am most anticipating this year are from licensed themes. They are: Speed Champions (Real supercars for minifigures, and a good racing scene) and Jurassic World.

Sorry about the very late response, and I don't know if this would help anyone. I don't know the specifics of deeplinking images from MOC pages, as I personally use Brickshelf, but I wonder if you might be up against the Internet Explorer problem. My first attempts to deeplink images on the new members only 'Practice posting here' thread did not produce any results, and when I inquired as to why on that forum, I received this reply from Peppermint M; I immediately switch to browsing this site with Google Chrome, and success! I can now post pictures of Larry driving a Town JR car without his paaaaaaaaaants!

The dead mare must have a lot of extra stripes by now! Anyway, I looked up the Cracked article. I then followed its link to the Chicago Tribune, and from there a link to the New York Times. In the NYTimes article, it is stated that the limited edition Ideas Research Institute was "Lego’s first offering to feature women in a professional setting rather than at play or partying." This is not true! For instance, the current CITY Fire line includes several fire women (I actually created one as a child, despite myself being male!). As for the actual first such set, the earliest I could find was 555 Hospital (363 in Europe). This included a static nurse figure, faceless, but with a distinctly feminine pigtail hairpiece. The release date? 1975, 40 years ago Tomorrow! In 1978, the first-ever female articulated minifigures were two paramedics and a garage attendant. While nursing and catering may be stereotypically feminine professions, they are vital professions, and I like to see Lego celebrate the mundane. Everything is indeed awesome! Having said that, I would love to see more Lego science minifigure sets sold to the public. Normally, similar sets seem to be restricted to schools only lines. Even the friends line is branching out into more exciting stuff, like devoting several sets to animal rescue (again, not to be scoffed at). I am seriously thinking of buying the Animal Ambulance for minifig customisation. Such vehicles really do exist. Animals at Home Ambulance by kenjonbro, on Flickr If you're only interested in rescuing humans, there is Emma's lifeguard post, though if they give Emma any more of the exciting jobs she will become Heartlake's Jack Stone. Here is one girl who is not satisfied with just playing and partying! In other news, my CITY playmat has just been disturbed by an all-female car chase... ... But the men had to deal with this incident.

Attempt #5 Success with Google Chrome.

There is a forum for LDD and Digital. You might find some help there. I also have problem. I have tried to deeplink an image from Brickshelf using it's URL, but when I click 'ok,' nothing happens. The Insert screen just stays there. I can't even cancel. Could one of the staff help?

This is a great concept for a set. I love the idea of a small alternative models set in minifig scale. As a child, I made several small car MOCs, frustrated that Lego did not make any stand-alone civilian cars in the mid to late 90s. I like your set's all civilian emphasis, and range of styles, allowing distinct vehicles to be built from multiple purchases. The hatchback is cute, while the ute really benefits from the large six wide scale. However, I can suggest some improvements. On both sedans, the studded end of the door is not bonded to anything on top. In my experience, doors mounted this way, attached only at the bottom tend to snap off on any attempt to open them. Also, the side window hangs awkwardly over the other end of the door, meaning that a minifig cannot be pushed through the open door in a seated position. Also, on all vehicles except the small sedan, the wheel arches interfere with the doors. On the station wagon and the ute, this can be solved by moving front wheel arches forward, which would also improve the appearance of vehicles. Personally, I only add the door piece to vehicles if it can be fully opened. An additional feature I really like to see in Lego models is an accessible engine. You don't have to use the new fangled specialist 'blown V8' piece, a combination of round pieces and grills in grey would do. This is just a suggestion, however, and I would support your set on Ideas with or without that feature. When you make your submission, I suggest picturing your vehicles with the minifigs inside, to make it clear that this is a minifig scale set. I wish you every success in your Ideas campaign.