Lyichir

I have to say, this looks fantastic! Typically at conventions I see lighting effects employed mostly by City, Space and Sci-fi builders, but the way you've lit this shows that it can also go a long way toward making a historical scene look dynamic and moody!

Keep in mind that despite being a part of the Ninjago theme, the new Temple may well be a more traditional architectural build than most other, zanier Ninjago sets. I think the best set to compare to would be the Monster Fighters Haunted House—despite featuring the Monster Fighters characters and being branded like the other sets from that theme, it was very different from the more zany and action-packed sets from that theme, lacking the human faction and their steampunk-esque vehicles, as well as opting for generic decay and disarray over traps and action features like in other Monster Fighters sets.

I'm divided about this set. On its own, it's certainly a fantastic set... but because of its subject matter and theme, it's hard not to compare it to 8635 Mobile Command Center. And while this may have a sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing build, the Mobile Command Center is exceptionally hard to match in terms of content. This set includes an ATV, small plane, command station with screen, crane and prison cell. That's cool and all, but the classic set had all that plus another ATV, a boat, a jet-ski, and many, many more hidden weapons. Plus, even some of the features that were carried over are more aesthetically interesting but less functionally so. The Minority Report-style computer screen may look much more modern than the classic Command Center's somewhat dated projector, but a projector makes for a much more novel function than a simple stickered computer screen. The glowy prison pod in this set looks cool, but lacks the functionality of the classic prison cell, which allowed the back wall to be removed to break Dr. Inferno out of captivity (not to mention that the new one somewhat oddly folds up sideways when the truck body is closed, which can't be comfortable for the captive Terabyte). Most of this is probably nostalgia talking—I'm not normally one to look at past themes through rose-tinted glasses, but the classic Agents theme was perhaps my favorite Lego theme of all time, and the Mobile Command Center was one of the standout sets of the theme. I'm sure this set is just as amazing for new fans as the classic Mobile Command Center was for me, but for me this new set might never quite scratch that itch.

At this point, I'm starting to be convinced that the update will drop precisely when it's least convenient for me. Considering it didn't happen this past weekend when my house was internet-free, the next best (by which I mean worst) opportunity would be next week, when I'm on the Lego Inside Tour and will thus be far too busy for digital building. I do agree that the long wait this year could possibly suggest that we're getting a more substantial update this time around... I can only hope.

Darn, if I had known there were pics that good on Bricklink, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of uploading and captioning photos for my Flickr.

That's his point—there were TWO batches of clear Tahu masks released. The first (the ones released to NYCC visitors) were listed as one of 1500. The second set was numbered, exclusively for the attendees of the VIP Lego Store event, out of just 100. Considering this Gali mask is in fact numbered, it has more in common with the latter than the former... which raises the possibility that it, too, will see a comparably wider release.

There's no reason to believe that it won't ever be released. Relax. I'm as eager for an update as you are, but even having to wait another whole week or longer won't be the end of the world. I do hope that the long wait this time around means that this update will do more than just add new bricks. It'd certainly be nice if it fixed some of the long-unresolved issues I've been experiencing on LDD for Mac.

Believe me, I couldn't care less about things like the height of the Mata Nui Robot if I tried. It's got it's own gravity inside it—what's the point of even worrying about if the scale is practical? Canonizations that bother me include things like the stupid, pointless push to get the Toa Mangai's Kanohi matched up with their elements. What purpose does that serve? They're still unnamed characters—the only difference is that now it's harder for fans to put their own spin on them, because now there's less left to the imagination. Similarly, I disliked the choices for color schemes of other elements—most of them color combinations that left little wiggle room and in many cases overlapped with the actual color schemes of characters with different elements. hings like that—and yes, I'd agree that the fans are mostly to blame, but Greg also deserves some of the blame for assuming that the fans who petition him about stupid stuff like that are the only ones who care or matter. Problems I find with Greg's writing for Bionicle include his predilection for gritty, over-the-top one-liners (especially in 2006 and 2007), his tendency to divert the actual important story with alternate universe shenanigans and other side-stories that, despite being at best tangential to the overarching story, could have big effects on the status quo of beloved characters, and problematic implications such as all Toa of Psionics after Orde being female because the Great Beings wanted them to be "more gentle".

You could indeed say the exact same thing about the first wave of Gen 1. That's a big part of why so many people like Gen 2—the classic theme drifted a heck of a long way from its simple, iconic beginning. As for the discussion about Greg, I DO blame him for a lot of the problems with the story (the rest of the story team was focused primarily on "big picture" things like story arcs, so most stuff like the meandering serials, alternate universes, and boneheaded canonizations was on him). At the same time, I recognize that he's NOT a bad writer, that his work for Ninjago, Chima, and even Hero Factory has been stellar, and that one of the biggest faults in his work on Bionicle was a result of him trying too hard to give a temperamental fandom what they wanted instead of what the story actually NEEDED.

The colors look much better, almost like the new Gali's Dark Azure, but I'm sure that many of the parts (like the Rahkshi parts) don't come in any lighter shade of blue than what you used initially. Did you just light it differently? Or did you do some post=production editing? In any case, I like what you've done with the face and hair, which both look much less severe and angular.

My next Elves review is live on The New Elementary! Figured it would be worth sharing in case anyone's interested in what 41074 Azari and the Magical Bakery has to offer.

So Amazon recently added a release date for the sixth Legends of Chima graphic novel... in January of next year. That, combined with Chima's inclusion in Lego Dimensions, is making me start to wonder if the Chima theme is not in fact over for good. Is it possible that we'll see more sets next year?

It seems to me that this would go directly against the core purpose of the VIP program, which is to incentivize buying direct from Lego without having to make the base prices from the official shop any lower than Lego's retail partners. By using a points system, Lego can keep all but the oldest sets at MSRP while still offering a chance for repeat customers to get discounts.

The two colors were introduced at the same time, in 2012, as different shades of essentially the same color (like Lavender and Medium Lavender, which were also introduced at that time). I personally think the difference is significant, and while the more faded Medium Azur looked neat as a bone color in IFB and previous sets, Dark Azur is much richer and better as a primary color like on Gali.

I don't think it's so much about letting air escape as it is about allowing some space for the ball joint itself to expand and contract when snapping a ball cup on, to relieve stress on both parts.

Actually, it was barely used at all in Alien Conquest, only used for minifigure parts and basically nothing else—but since that was one of its first appearances, that's one of the main themes it's known for. As far as actual building elements go, it was more prevalent in Legends of Chima (particularly in the first year's Gorilla and Eagle vehicles) and in Galaxy Squad (for the human "blue faction"). Oddly, despite ostensibly being introduced for Friends alongside colors like Medium Azur and Medium Lavender, it has seen relatively little use in that theme.

Scott didn't get the Kai Fighter initially, it's true. But that was more due to the differences from the Storm Fighter rather than the similarities—while based on a similar fighter jet concept, it had a much less realistic, more starfighter-esque look and a much less realistic look (that did not in fact "extend" the wings so much as "reverse" them. And of course, our disinterest in the Kai Fighter still had less to do with those factors than with the amazingness of the X-1 Ninja Charger. In any case, we did end up getting the Kai Fighter as a gift, and found it to be quite different from the Storm Fighter when we actually got to building it and using the feature. As usual, having a set in-hand often gives a much clearer impression of its features and design than pictures or instructions alone can convey. My point about the use of the term "rehash" is that even if it might have offered some insight into varying types of design, by this point it's so broad as to be meaningless. Almost every sort of subject has been depicted in Ninjago, and the categories of "rehash" people have proposed prove that—they're little more than categorizations of the subjects the sets depict (bike, trike, plane, mech, etcetera). And when you start comparing sets as fundamentally different as the X-1 Ninja Charger, Cole's Tread Assault, and Jay's new wheeled vehicle, "rehash" barely even applies—you might as well just call them categories, since it's a much more accurate term to the meaning you're trying to convey.

Legs can be even worse! Particularly when you have to keep track of prints on multiple sides of them. At least in that case there are fewer to search through...

Not sure about fairies (especially considering that in fiction with clear distinctions between elves and fairies, fairies are typically diminutive). But I wouldn't doubt that we'll see others. Mermaids in particular were directly referenced in the TV special, and mini-doll mermaid tails already exist thanks to the Disney Princess range. So if the theme continues I don't doubt that mermaids will feature at some point.

The functions of the Storm Fighter and Kai Fighter are actually a perfect example of what's NOT a rehash. They're completely different—the Storm Fighter's wings fold open, revealing an array of arranged blades, while the Kai Fighter's simply fold backward for a faster, sleeker appearance. The way they work (multiple hinged segments versus turntables, rubber bands versus simple lever action) also is vastly different. I mean, if you consider the Kai Fighter a "rehash" based on a few shared features, where does it end? Are all Vic Vipers made by the fan community "rehashes"? No, clearly not—they're just variations on a common theme or motif. Just because they share a common inspiration does not mean that they're not legitimate models in their own right.

I dunno... a variation on a theme? I think literally anything would be better than "rehash", which implies a lazy or effortless reskin or copy of an identical subject, as opposed to an entirely new vehicle, designed from the ground up, which just happens to not be the first car or plane or bike or mech the series has depicted. After all, considering how many vehicle sets Ninjago has included so far, just about the only type of vehicle they could use that HASN'T been depicted before would be a submarine. I mean, the Titan Mech and Samurai Mech have less in common than 90% of Exo-Force sets. Considering one a "rehash" of the other just because both represent bipedal mechs doesn't take into account that how stark the differences between them actually are. And the same could be said about most other "rehashes" that have no similarities other than their nature as land or air vehicles or the number of wheels they sport.

I believe they utilize the new six-stemmed flower stalk from the Elves sets. I don't think it would look quite as full with only three-stemmed stalks. The box makes the set look even better! Can't wait for an official reveal!

I really don't see how any of the sets mentioned are really "rehashes". Yes, the subjects sets depict might occasionally be repeated. But just because two sets represent similar subjects doesn't mean one is a "rehash" of the other. Jay's Storm Fighter and the Kai Fighter have almost completely different structures, even though they're both jets. The X-1 Ninja Charger and Jay's new vehicle have almost nothing in common besides both being vaguely car-like land vehicles. The Titan Mech and Samurai Mech may both be humanoid mechs, but their builds are vastly different and no one would ever confuse the two. It's true that Ninjago vehicles can, for the most part, be separated into categories based on the class of vehicle they resemble, just like you can do with ANY vehicles. But calling any set with even the most superficial similarity to a past set a "rehash" doesn't do justice to the unique designs we get each and every year.

I've started trying to reverse engineer the Ferris Wheel on LDD: Interesting observations: The Ferris Wheel uses both the minifigure ring (from LoTR) and the minifigure neck bracket as non-standard Technic bushings. Several parts seem designed to be in compression: the outer ring of the wheel (due to the minifigure neck brackets on every other strut) and the trusses holding up the wheel (which would have to be slightly in compression to attach to the base at half-module intervals). Neither of those will likely have much of an effect on the set itself, since they're well within reasonable expectations of flexibility, but they're certainly a pain in LDD. I couldn't add them in LDD, since they're not available yet, but it seems that the axle holding the wheel on uses the new Technic gatling launcher (from this year's Bionicle and Star Wars sets) as a spacer. At first I was excited by the prospect that it was using those as a turntable/bearing, but the way they're attached to the hexagonal Technic plates at the center of the wheel would not seem to permit the center to spin independently. Other than that, it's just a heck of a lot more impressive than the last one. Twelve gondolas instead of eight means that the structure is based on much more complex and interesting hexagonal connections. The wheel is rotated from the outer ring (like a real Ferris Wheel), rather than the center axle itself being driven. The gondolas are minifig-scale and even feature opening doors. And the base itself seems impressively complex, from what little we can see of it. I never got the Fairground Mixer last year, but I just might have to get this beauty!

Kai being outdated is irrelevant. After all, last year's cube included "Lloyd DX", who had never existed in-story even back when the DX Ninja were around, and was no more pertinent to that year's story than he ever could have been. Also, do you have confirmation about the Chima characters being in Lego Dimensions? It'd be really cool if they were (I've actually been sketching Dimensions-style mini-vehicles for them on LDD), but I hadn't seen any news to that effect.