Shadows

So I've got nothing helpful to add today, nor do I think that any of us do, sadly. I like the way you think!

You could do with some waxing.

What does this have to do with poultry?

I wonder if we can spot the assassins by watching who cheats at cards. Win some more in that game of yours and we'll talk.

We can discuss that later.

Shanalon Dairne checking in. I don't know what else to say right now, given that some of you are assassins out to kill our Royal Family. We've been assured that there is a way to find you, and we will. Until then, everyone be careful who you talk to, you have no idea who they really are. Now stop staring at my breasts.

I have the utmost respect for the creator of this project, it's very nice. If it had been released as a generic modular, it wouldn't have reached 10,000 votes as quickly, but it still may have. Then there would be a chance of it being released. It didn't go that way. To be fair, this got 10,000 votes because of the publicity. The publicity came from the source material. The source material is inappropriate for a LEGO product. Game over. The solution? TLG should add guidelines reminding people that they aren't going to make something based on material that falls well outside what is appropriate for their target audience. That doesn't mean they won't make a set that kids wouldn't like, it means they won't make a set that shouldn't be associated with the LEGO brand. Understand the difference, it makes all the sense in the world.

You know what's even more funny? It's the parents who buy sets for the core audience who would be the most likely to have a problem with the source material for this set. The core audience would be clueless. So guess what, offend the people buying the sets and you've lost your customer base. This is why TLG is making the decisions and not the clueless fans.

In 10 pages, I'm sure someone said this, but I really can't avoid it now that TLG has done what they were obviously going to do from the start... It's a very nice build. It should have been blogged and admired by everyone, especially modular and/or Shaun of the Dead fans. If Cuusoo hadn't existed when it was built, everyone would have enjoyed looking at it and life would have moved on, just as it would with any great MOC, no expectations and no eventual disappointment. That said, once TLG became involved, the standards changed. It is, no matter how much we want to resist it, a toy company that has always made it clear that children come first. This MOC is from an R rated movie that centers around violence and gore. Not only would it require a licensing deal to be associated with the movie, but the parents of TLG's primary customer base would object, even without looking closely enough to see that the MOC itself isn't offensive. It's how people work, and TLG would have to be insane to take that risk. Why is anyone really surprised that it isn't being made? Seriously. If this had simply been released as "a new modular that fans may recognise" without the official tie-in, it might have happened. It wasn't. The lesson to learn here is that TLG isn't going to abandon their primary customer base for AFOLs. It isn't going to happen. Sure, they'll make a set aimed at us, like the upcoming Sopwith Camel, but not if doing so would associate their brand with something inappropriate. The Camel can be viewed as historical, thus taking the real associated violence out of it. This MOC can't be separated from it's background when presented as a scene from a movie only intended for adults. Apple and oranges. When a UCS set is released as 16+, it isn't because the source material could be offensive to children under 16, it's because of safety/skill considerations. Releasing this, even as 18+, would still put an adult themed movie in the LEGO brand. That will never happen.

Aw, no love for my Provost Investigator or whatever I called it, under the direct orders of our esteemed General, who was gracious enough to provide me with the only tent that had a fireplace? Sausage?

Scroll to the bottom of this page and it will all be revealed.

And then I did it again a few games later in Imperial Soldier's Mafia where, as a neutral, I told the Provosts that I was a secret something-or-other, like Provost Inspector or some crap, there to find out which one of them was scum. I've always believed that one day karma would catch up with me and 'randomly' assign me a role as an actual FBI agent, which no one would believe. Or would they?

Prohibition was a fun game. ChromeKnight, eh? Thanks for the warning.

What were we thinking?

1. I'm kind of new to this whole Mafia thing. 2. Beef or chicken, I just can't decide. 3. I don't make false claims. I really am an unkillable FBI Agent/Investigator. Again.

My reputation precedes me.

Shouldn't be a problem.

I wish I was better at it and/or ran into cases that hadn't been stripped clean sooner, I really just want 1 set of each series but can't blame people who are trying to buy whatever quantity of each they want. Shortages are much less dependent on packet feeling than the fact that less popular figures appear in larger quantities in the cases, something that none of us control. I still need parts of series 4 and 5 and all of series 6. Like trolling on the internet?

They're fine. If you like them, use them. If you don't like them, dump everything together. Seems fairly simple to me.

Certainly never heard of this being done anywhere else. The containers, while simple, are pretty neat.

Stunning! I wish it came in a smaller set, I have a feeling I might have to find another way to get it, but I can certainly understand why they chose to finally put it in the set they did.

Or they might get a visit from Grand Admiral Tantis Volrik...

These are very nice, I've always appreciated a blending of the old and the new to create something that fits both well, so I was glad to see this officially released, and now you've provided some nice recolours to give us variety. On that note, it wouldn't be hard to adapt these to pirates, the straps/belts are perfect already, imagine a vest and shirt instead of the existing tunic.

His new position comes with a certain amount of global authority, so I'm sure you'll still see him swabbing the decks visiting from time to time. <--- it's me

First set I've been excited about in ages.