JimBee

The MOC is pretty good, but the poor photo editing takes away from the experience rather than improve it. GIMP is actually surprisingly good, if you know what to do. Just increase the brightness and contrast as much as possible (without losing the original color), and increase the paintbucket tolerance enough so that you get smooth edges. Then go back and cover up anything else with the paintbrush tool. Here's something I recently edited following those steps (not bad, huh?):

Actually, you'll need more than two months. A lot more. If you get put on the list, it'll probably take about ten months to get to your turn, which should give you enough time. While you're waiting, you should build your sets, plan out the game so that it is completely ready, and be prepared to put aside a lot of time when the game is actually being played. Not to mention that, like hewkii said, you should have a solid idea before asking Draggy to host. Good luck if you plan to host.

Not for a while. The license has just been renewed for 2011, so I'd say until they run out of decent source material (I say decent because not everyone, specifically kids, follow the inifinite possibilities of EU).

Well, I haven't visited this thread in a very long time, and that's a shame. I really like seeing all of the musical tastes of EB members here. Great band, hopefully I'll see them next time they come to Summerfest (world's largest music festival). I personally like "In One Ear". Great song. I wish they were still together - they were one of the few heavy bands I like that had a female singer. Paramore is also pretty good in that category, though. I haven't listened to them in a while, but they are pretty good. I also like "Liberate". Again, another great band. I always thought the Flobots had a similar sound to Cake. I actually just recently got into Muse. I've been listening to interesting tunes such as . I simply love the bass in that song. I like "Little Lion King". Unfortunately, with their latest album (Dear Agony), they've gotten way too repetitive for me. If you listen to all of the heavier songs on that album, the intro riffs are all almost exactly the same. They do a few good songs (in general), though: So Cold, Diary Of Jane, Anthem of the Angels... I prefer "Hurt - Nine Inch Nails". Seriously though, the original song by NIN is much better, IMO. Reznor pours all of his emotions into the lyrics, while Cash reads them off a page. I love that song, as well as the video. One of the reasons I now want to see the movie "Donnie Darko", which previously I had thought too scary to watch. As for me, I've recently gotten into British electronic band Depeche Mode. I've heard them before, but I now realize how truly amazing they are. My favorite song by them is "Precious" from their 2005 album. The tune itself is great, but the video is one of the best I've ever seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts2DXY0zfLs&ob=av2e It's a shame a lot of their videos aren't available in America. Also, I've been listening to Linkin Park's new song "The Catalyst". I've gotten used to it (it's an okay song) over time, but I'm worried I won't like the sound of their new album (Sep 14). I've been an LP fan since their debut, but they keep changing, and their nu-metal roots are almost completely non-existent now. They were definitely my favorite band of all time when they were good, though.

Finally! After hours of searching, I've finally found it. I understood the clue the whole time, I just couldn't find the post. Clever, Sieggy.

Happy Birthday to you two, as well as anyone else celebrating today. Have a wonderful day with family and friends.

For future reference to all: I have a question concerning today's hunt, but I don't want to accidentally "give away" the location (if I even got it right). But I can only send you one PM for this entire hunt. What do I do? And the reason I need to ask is because I don't know whether to stop looking or not.

Well this is a fun little activity put together, thanks to WF (and the staff)! I will surely have a good time seeking out these hidden pictures.

Wow, very nice. It's boxy, but it's a nice change from the usual ultra-sleek spaceships I see in Lego form. Not to say that it isn't very smooth looking. Would you care to share how you made those little bumps on the top of the middle and rear sections? I'd be interested to see how you made them so smooth. I also like the interior, as well as the story behind the vessel. It was very interesting to read something so other-worldly.

Aha, here's my PM. At least I took a dementor down with me.

Wow. Well, first, I would like to say that this was one hell of a game, even just to watch (for the most part). You did a spectacular job hosting, Sandy. All of the roles, items, etc. must have taken a while to figure out, but in the end the results were perfect. And like I said before, the multitude of sets with nice editing adds to the experience greatly. I hope this serves as an inspiration for many EB games to come. Also, all of the players did an excellent job. I would like to particularly congratulate Lord Arjay, who played a stunning game not only as a first-timer, but as a whole. I really look forward to seeing you in future mafia games. As for the Hallowed, I must say you all were very sneaky indeed. While I did highly suspect Inconspicuous/ Valarie on the last day (I was yelling at my monitor, no, vote her! Vote her!!), she, along with the others, flew under the radar (I know Shadows has been wanting to do this for a long time, alas, he can barely keep his mouth shut ). All of the other players did great, too. Sandy, can we expect a night actions list at all? If not, it's quite understandable with everyone having more than one night action, but I would be interested to see what went on behind the scenes. Also, I would like to know what I could've unlocked with my Alohamora. Again, this was a real treat for EB mafia players. EDIT: Would it be okay to share character profiles (PMs from you) here?

Unless you've been living under a BURP, you know that a new, classical - styled Castle theme has replaced the Fantasy theme this year. Sure, there are big, impressive tower and fortress sets, but what about the more laid-back, even comical part of medieval life? Well, this set delivers with a simple yet worthy "impulse" in which you can add the exclusive red-and-white jester minifig to your collection, as well as add his performance booth to your castle village. Set: 7953 Court Jester Year Released: 2010 Theme: Castle / Kingdoms Number of Pieces: 22 Number of Minifigures: 1 Price: 3.99 USD / 2.99 GBP Brickset Bricklink Catalog My Flickr The Box: Keep your eyes peeled for this set in the store; the box is minuscule (which is to be expected for an impulse set), and, at least at the store I went to, the impulses were kept off to the side from the main Lego aisle. The design on the box is very nice looking: there's even a designated sidebar for the set info so it doesn't cover up part of the set picture. The new Kingdoms logo is pretty nice, but the overall effect of the front of the box is hindered by an annoying Warning, which covers the bottom of the set. Unlike most Lego sets, the back of this set's box doesn't feature any of the set itself. Instead, the largest set of this wave of Kingdoms is featured. Also, the box opens by the punch hole method. Too bad for box collectors, because you could rip the box if you're not careful. Instructions: The instructions cover presents a simplified version of the front of the box. As usual with impulses, the manual folds out into one page, rather than it being a booklet. The front of the manual, naturally, has the building instructions. Nothing too complicated here, although the faded stone background is nice. The back of the instructions features all (or most?) of the first Kingdoms wave of sets. Nice to have if you're looking hunt them all down. Pieces: Along with instructions, out falls a single bag full of pieces. After spending ten minutes attempting the famed bag-build challenge, I found that it isn't really possible for the set to stand at its full height within the bag. Also, the jester hat comes in a little plastic bag of its own, so it would be most difficult to open it within the main bag. Anyways, the set comes with a nice assortment of pieces. I'm not sure how common the red slopes are, but they're my first. The six red, white and blue 1x1 round plates are little, but it seems they're harder to come by these days. And of course, one can never have too much brown. The Minifig: Ah, finally the minifigure. He's probably the main reason one would get this set, and jewel it is indeed. While it's basically a recoloring of the blue-and-red jester we got in the Drawbridge Defense set last year, a rare figure like this is always welcome. The one difference between this and its predecessor, however, is the belt insignia. The Lion Knights logo replaces the Crownie one. The three studs act as juggling balls. Just look at that wide smile, he must like his job! The jester does have back torso printing, which is similar to the front, except without a belt. The head is also double sided, with a 'tragedy' face with a single tear falling to mirror the 'comedy' face on the other side. He deserves an Oscar award. Performance Stand: Next up is the performance stand, on which the apparently low-budget jester shows off his tricks. There's not much to it, but it is surprisingly tall. The ornate flags on top are a nice touch, and the pegs at the bottom make the stand much more impressive than if it were without them. I'm not really sure why a picture of the bottom is needed, but in case you were wondering what it looked like, now you know. Extra Parts: After everything is built, this is what you have left. Not much to complain about, at least you get something extra in an impulse. And studs in these colors aren't very common, so if you happen to loose a juggling ball, no worries. Completed Set: The entire set put together. It's pretty impressive for an impulse, and the minifig fills up the open space in the stand nicely. It would make a great addition to any medieval village. You really can't ask for more. Final Ratings: Build/ Design: 10/10 (What more can you ask for in an impulse? The design is solid, and the build takes less than ten minutes to complete. I see no reason for taking any points off). Playability: 9/10 (Well, you can try to make the minifig juggle, but mostly this set is meant to add to a collection). Minifigs: 10/10 (A rare, desirable figure that I probably would've paid much more for if it were in a larger set. What's more is that it is exclusive to this and this set only). Parts: 9/10 (Nothing too special, but brown parts are always nice to come by. And really you can't ask for much more in an impulse). Price: 7/10 (Didn't impulses used to be cheaper? Ah well, you're already getting a great set for four dollars (although I paid around six thanks to Toys R Us inflation). Overall Score: 45 / 50 An excellent impulse set, highly recommended if you can find it. A rare, exclusive figure and a neat stand to boot. Don't pass this up if you happen to see one, even if you don't like the Castle theme you could probably sell a few years later for a profit. Bonus: A blast from the past... So that is my review of this little gem, I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to rate and discuss the set.

I wouldn't worry about it - I have not seen much of this kind of criticism for Lego creations, and even if you do get some, you shouldn't let it bother you. You know that you didn't "steal" any ideas, and even if you did you would've given credit. It's like music - many songs have reused the same beats, melodies, etc. for decades, yet people seem to enjoy them. Good luck with your MOCing, and welcome back to Lego!

Well those prices aren't in USD, so I wouldn't get worried just yet. An yes, LSW prices are ridiculous, but there's a thread (not this one) for complaining about them. So now apparently we're getting Vos. Another high-demand Jedi, it seems unlikely that we get three new Jedi in the same set. Although I would be grateful if it's true.

Happy Birthday, def! Enjoy the BBQ!

I figured I should mention that WhiteFang has informed the Reviewers Academy teachers that he will be absent from posting on the boards for a few days. He did not mention it anywhere else as far as I can tell, so just thought I'd point this out.

Sorry for bumping this topic, but I have a question about the new PM system. At the top of a PM conversation, there's a little box that shows the participants of the conversation. I'm guessing this means you can have three or more people in a conversation now (which is useful, to say the least, especially for forum games). In fact, I think I've seen one conversation where there was three people able to view it. My question is, how do you start or join a conversation with more than two people? Does it work like the CC ability, only granted to Fellows and Staff (and under special circumstances, other members)?

Hmm, I would really like an improved version of the old shark. I do like how the new shark can swallow a whole minifigure so maybe they could incorporate that aspect. The only thing I absolutely do not want is the new shark, which is too cartoony in my opinion.

I had a feeling this would happen again. My guess is another minifig contest just like the one for Series 1, and maybe even a theme month since there's an announcement this time. Either way, I'm looking forward to more Collectible Minifgure excitement.

Good news, thanks for sharing! JediNews has been a reliable source as far as I can remember, so I'll be looking forward to these awaited figs. What's all this talk about the T-6 shuttle being ugly? For a moment I thought the boxy green one was going to be the Jedi shuttle, but it is this one, right?: I'm glad it's this one. How can this be considered ugly? It's cool and slim IMO, and I would love to see a Lego version.

Thanks for the review, Zip. I personally don't find this (or the Megbloks Halo line in general) "crappy", "cheap", or whatever else these have been called at all. In fact I find myself glancing at the Halo sets in stores all the time. It's certainly not a bad thing, but this sort of thing is just not interesting to me. A 2-inch action figure, alright. I got over the whole action figure thing when I was ten. It's cool, but just not as charming or as... "compatible", if you will as a Lego minifigure.

Nice one. I really like the colors on the first floor, and the blue floor tiles are a good choice. The slanted roof is also nicely done. The awning is what caught my attention the most, though. Seriously, using the motorcycle mud guards was genius. I do agree with Rick on the second floor, though. The dark red tiles don't look like they belong, and the overall bright color scheme does not match with that of the rest of the MOC.

Maybe. But we already got that exact vehicle in the MTT in 2007: (From my review). Perhaps there will be a newer version of this, since Lego isn't shy with the remakes. I just hope it's good looking. At least we know it's not a giant H-Ship Carrier.

I already shared my thoughts on Mystery games before, but I definitely think the main reason the game "failed" towards the end was because you, Hinckley, were too busy and could not post chapters soon enough. I'm not blaming you, we all have more important things than online forum games, but when there's no new chapters for months the players start to lose interest - and perhaps, not try as hard? As far as I could tell the game was set to run very smoothly from the beginning, it's just that the lack of time on your end could not keep up with the game. That's too bad, too. I did have fun while I was in the game, and if you ever have enough time to host again, I'd look forward to it.

We've been begging for something like this for years and now you're getting mad that they're releasing them too fast? If anything, you can get them on BL. The prices are higher, yes, but you don't have to guess or barcode check so you're guaranteed the figure you want (which, some might argue, takes the fun away but never mind that). And maybe by the time Series 3 is released the production of Series 1 will have caught up with the demand and the prices will go down on BL. On another note, I'm very excited for the elf, in particular. I've been waiting for elves since that teaser back in '09 fir the Castle theme. I hope the ears, if any, are attached to the hair, though, and not a new head mold. It'd be better for individualizing different elves, rather than have them all having the same face, you can switch heads with any minifgure.