Klaus-Dieter

That's an awesome display, Brickadier General! I really it! The landscape looks absolutely realistic and the whole display is full of awesome details! The only thing I do not like that much are that shoulder patterns you added to some of the US soldiers. Otherwise it's perfect and even your custom CS soldiers look great. The most I like that lovely and very detailed plantation. Very, very well done! :thumbup: Although I'm not American I totally agree with you, Tom Bricks! The minifig-scaled Western and Indian sets from 1996/97 were brilliant. So I really do not understand why TLG doesn't bring back the Western theme. Of course bandidts, a sheriff and cowboys should not be missed (like imo Indians, too and some regular Western civilians) - but with some US soldiers against CS soldiers it would be something new and interesting (Playmobil did this, too, so why not Lego?!)! Klaus-Dieter

Sorry if this picture has been posted before (but I do not want to read through 15 pages - please forgive me): Klaus-Dieter

I totally agree with you, blueandwhite! Btw: Since this year's awesome 10193 MVV surely sold and still sells very well and since there surely will be another exclusive (non-)Castle set in January (like this and last year): Do you think that we'll get another exclusive medieval set in January? Klaus-Dieter

Thanks, darkrebellion! I'm glad to read that you liked my city center to be good planed. Indeed it took me many hours to think about how to postition my sets that the whole layout looks the best and most realistic, to build a park in which the fountain of the awesome 10184 Town Plan fits very well and where to put all the little scenes with cars, minifigs and additional stuff. Why not collecting City sets, too?! - (Since now) I collect City, Western, Castle and SW (only OT). Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for this information, darkrebellion! Although you say that xwingyoda posted this I'm a bit sceptical about whether he got right information. A new minifig-scaled AT-AT would be awesome! The first version didn't include a general and the second version included General Veers - but in a completely wrong torso (plus a useless PF motor). So a new and better one is really needed! And since I do regrettably not own one version of the AT-AT until now I really would like to have a newer one! But if this information is right I could well imagine that we'll see the AT-AT as an Exclusive after Toy Fair 2010. Since it has to include something new (otherwise there would be too many people which would pass this one) I bet that it'll be 150-250 Euro and will include not only a bigger version of the AT-AT but even a Snowspeeder (to attack the AT-AT) (plus of course two Snowtroopers, General Veers (this time hopefully with a right torso!), AT-AT Driver, Luke Skywalker and Dack Ralter). Perhaps there'll be even some additional stuff (like e. g. a big gun or a small room of the Rebel Base (e. g. medical room)) and/or an additional exclusive minifig (e. g. Major Bren Darlin or injured Luke) included. For those which think that we'll get a "mega-sized" AT-AT: Bear in mind that minifig-scaled does not mean that you take the original size and then make the AT-AT exactly the same size - but in minifig size. Minifig-scaled only means that minifigs could sit/stand inside and that the vehicle/building is not absolutely too big or too small in comparison to the seize of the minifigs. A new AT-AT will supposably - like all the other SW models - be a bit bigger than the older versions - but surely not extremely bigger. Klaus-Dieter

I all bought them on Ebay since there they aren't that expensive, payment isn't difficult and you can buy as much road plates of the sort you want to have (e. g. only streight road plates). It's not only because it was only in one set before but imo a mailman needs a yellow bicycle: -the post cars are yellow, too, so why not the bicycles?! -in many countries (like e. g. in Germany) the mailman's bicycles are yellow -yellow is much more noticeable -yellow is a contrast to the red-black unifrom of the mailman Thank you very much for that link, Jesper! I haven't seen a Lego bicycle in blue before - looks ! Do you know whether this is a custom model (e. g. bicycle in other color painted over with blue) or an official one? If it was an official one, do you know to which set it belonged? Thanks, Marko! I'm glad to read that you liked my story. I thought that writing some sentences to how I plan(ed) my city center of Legostadt and then when I showed the outcome some words about the layout and some words about the different scenes shown in it would make the whole topic much more interesting. Klaus-Dieter

That's a great and very interesting topic, TheBrickster! I'd say it does depend very much on the themes in general and even the sets in detail whether combining these with City sets is possible. Imo themes that really don't go with City buildings/sets: - Power Miners - simply too ugly! - Creator - completely different building style (much bigger buildings and with backwalls and mostly without interior) Imo themes that really don't go with City buildings/sets: The most "historical" themes such as Western, Castle, Pirates and/or Adventures but even some licensed themes such as Batman, Spiderman and/or Harry Potter offer a lot of great buidlings which could surely well be added to your cities. The only problem is that there is a visible difference in between the present/realistic buildings and the past/fantasy buildings. One imo very good solution is to add a TV team to the combined set/building - so you can play and see when displayed in your layout that this is e. g. a scenery for a movie or an old house prepared for making a movie around/in it. Then even the fleesh minifig heads and hands in the newer licensed sets are no problem since this is make-up. Until now I haven't mixed any sets from City and other themes in one and the same layout. But perhaps I'll buy the Toy Story soldiers to have some soldiers for the reception of Legoland's president and/or some Prince of Persia sets (if they included some decent buildings) to have a scenery where a movie team makes a movie. Well, let's see. But all in all I do not and even will not add many sets/buildings from other themes to the City ones since normally they don't fit that good together. Klaus-Dieter

That's a great and very interesting topic, The Cobra! For me the best advent calendar is the 2009 advent calendar: -so many civilian minifigs - even a boy! (but regrettably no woman! ) -winter scenes -a lot of great additional stuff that hasn't come in the regular and exclusives City sets before (e. g. "market" stands, RC car race, lumberjack accessory, ...) (The 2008 advent calendar is my second favourite one.) For me the worst advent calendar is the 2007 advent calendar: -no single civilian minifig -not really exiting accessory Klaus-Dieter

I'm glad to hear that you bought it, Legoliner Pilot! Of course the price is worth it! Do only look how much money you have to pay for other exclusive licensed sets! I really that 10184 Town Plan set so much since it's the first real City set for AFOLs which includes such awesome, realistic and lovely details without loosing any playability or the classic character of City buildings (open walls, interior, small). It's really a must-have for every real City fan and a real upgrading of all our Lego Cities! Klaus-Dieter

That's a great and very lovely interior, Widdi! As long as you only want to light one brick or some very small bricks this surely would work, Oky Wan Kenobi. But how should it work with a chain of lights? For this a completely new mold or a cable with lots of small lights would be neccessary. Klaus-Dieter

The Turbo Tank - like the other rumoured SW sets of which we haven't got pics until now are listed for release in August 2010. The first blurry pics we got of this year's summer SW sets appeared after Christmas 2008. So pics of the Turbo Tank and all the other summer 2010 SW sets will surely not appear before this year's Christmas, too. Klaus-Dieter

I bet that the Tank Truck will be very similar to this one - but six stucks wide, much bigger and perhaps even more detailed. Btw: I don't want to give up my and your hopes but since the Repair Car will be very supposably released together with the Airport sets in April it might even be no real breakdown vehicle for our cities' streets but something like the Airplane Mechanic (which includes some sort of small "car", too). Nevertheless I don't hope that this will be the case. Blurry pics of the first wave of 2010 SW and Toy Story sets are already out - where are the City pics?! Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for this link, BlueBard! Do you mean that seriously, The Cobra?! Imo the 2009 advent calendar is one of the best advent calendars ever! Only the public worker with his car doesn't look that good, the street light looks a bit awry and too thin, the police man with the barrier is useless, the snowman looks as if someone ran a brush into him since he or she didn't like him anymore, the Christmas tree should include more yellow globes as decoration and a female minifis is missing. But otherwise it's great: you get a mailman with bag and quadbike, a waiter, a boy with nice RC cars, two ice skaters, a lumberjack with great accessory, a Santa Claus with a lovely chimney and a gift, two small market stands, a traffic light and an awesome designed fountain. I even like that it is more winter orientated. Klaus-Dieter

Thanks, Mariko! Yes, the sunflowers are my favourite part of this my MOC, too. It's strange that TLG hasn't already invented them themselves and included in some sets. Klaus-Dieter

Thanks, marvinblue! And about "borrowing": "borrow" as much as you can - EB is an AFOL site where everyone helps everyone and so you can of course use my ideas, too. Klaus-Dieter

That's a great and very interesting topic, parchioso! I totally agree with you, Big Cam! Emperor Palpatine is simply the ill par excellence. Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for the link to the pic, Oswald the Rabbit! The sheriff's office has two floors , looks really and includes even hinging doors! Why does TLG not release this with regular minifigs as a non-licensed Western set?! Klaus-Dieter

Well - when you now look here it seems as if it disappeared. So either someone deleted it since this theme should be a surprise and not already announced now or it was a wrong information. Klaus-Dieter

Thanks, fenris! There have of course to be big sets - otherwise it would surelynot look good - but imo the little scenes have a share in making the whole layout much more lively and interesting. Klaus-Dieter

I'm in the fortunate position to luckily own all Western and Indian sets from 1996/1997. (You can find them in my Indian Village and my Legoredo.) Nevertheless I surely would buy some new WW sets (if TLG didn't desgin them to badly or didn't include anything new in comparison to the old sets) and I even hope that if TLG brings back the WW theme they will even offer at least a stage coach, a saloon and a Western train with train station as something new to us. If e. g. some of Brickminer's or TheBrickster's Western MOCs were released by TLG I would of course immediately buy them! Klaus-Dieter

This is a great and very interesting topic, lifeinplastic! We already have some similar topics in the Embassy subforum - but they aren't exactly identical with yours. So here are my thoughts: I partly agree with you, lifeinplastic. It's very disappointing that TLG does only release red bicycles - there really have to come back minimum the black ones! Plus some bikes in other colors (mainly blue) would of course be great. TLG took a big step forward since they released this year some kids in City sets - that's brilliant! And they even did not only use the dark brown and tan short trousers but even some grey and blue ones. Imo these are at the moment enough different trousers for kids - well, black would be a great addition. Much more I wish TLG would release more (new) different torsos (not only for kids but in general)! Like you already mentioned, in the licensed themes every year a lot of new torsos come out. And what about City?! This year we get only two new torsos: the woman in the Camper and the farmer. That's imo much too less! Btw: Very late but nevertheless: Welcome to EB, lifeinplastic! Klaus-Dieter

Thanks, lifeinplastic! Like you can see here my city center already includes the awesome 10184 Town Plan, a small park, a lot of trees, street lamps, cars and additional minifigs. Which I'd like to add as official sets to my city center would be: - bank and/or office building - street cafe with a big terrace and many treees and flowers - mall/shopping center - big town hall/church/government/... with many trees and flowers and a black or white limousine included - taxi station - elevated train with two stations (which luckily imo will be very supposably released as the TRU Exclusive in next summer) - hamburger stall - some Impulse sets like an ice cream vendor, a hot dog vendor, a mother with buggy, an old man with stick and bench, a buisiness man on his black or blue bicycle, a child with a city scooter, ... And I'd like a statue in my city center - but this statue doesn't necessarily have to be included in an official set since I could build it on my own, too. Klaus-Dieter

You're right, Richie. Although I really like Toy Story and many of the Pixar and Disney movies the new Toy Story "maxifigures" are really . Apart from that - like you already mentioned - a WW set based on a movie (a licensed set) is no alternative to a great Western set invented by TLG themself. I think that it'll depend on whether there'll be more Toy Story Western sets out in 2011 or not. If yes then regular Western regrettably had no chance, but if no then perhaps regular Western will have a chance. Let's hope! Klaus-Dieter

Thank you very much for showing us this review, kris kelvin! This advent calendar is a really great addition for those which collect Pirates sets since it includes a lot of great accessory. The minifigs aren't that outstanding since there is no new one. But the accessories are really great! Klaus-Dieter

This is a very interesting and great topic, Macoco! My favourite train station is (although I regrettably don't own it (until now)) the 4554 Metro Station since it has an excellent architecture, is colored in yellow (and so not in the always so often used red-white-black), it includes a great interior and great minifigs plus a lovely small car and nice accessory. I own the 4556 Train Station which is imo not that awesome than 4554 but nevertheless great, too, since it includes a great interior, great minifigs and nice accessory. 7997 is imo a flop - the exterior looks more like a station for a very small village, there is nearly no interior, the big windows don't go with the ancient architecture and it does absolutely not fit that the roof already begins on the first floor. The passenger train stations from the 70s and 80s are all nice - but imo too simple in comparison to the buildings TLG offers now. 4513 is looks quite ok but it includes imo to many too big windows. 2150 is nearly as awesome as 4554 but I don't like the red color that much (since red is that often used in City buildings). The cargo train stations - totally equal from which year and decade - look all brilliant! Klaus-Dieter