JimBee

Ever since you joined, I've been wondering about that. And "irritated" at the pronunciation. Thanks for sharing!

I wouldn't get my hope up so high. What you've got there is maybe 100 USD set, especially with so many main character figs. What's more likely, IMO, is something like a kaduu or two, a STAP, a few droids, a gungan or two, and maybe, just maybe a new Padme. Although, the way SW pricing is going, even that might be too much to hope for. On another note... Phase 1.5 Troopers? Forgive me for saying, but now I'm just groaning at how they seem to keep making things marketable, specifically with the battle packs (in which I'm sure they'll use new 1.5 troopers). I know, I know, they have to keep doing this to make money and so on, but it just seems ridiculous. /rant.

Interesting little article to read, Blackice. It's definitely something new members should look into, and even old timers could learn I thing or two from it (I did). The part about writing good comments makes you stand out is so very true - I often find myself unintentionally skipping over "unestablished" members' comments and paying attention to usernames and group tags (and stopping to read once I see someone I know has something good to say). It's a bad habit, but I suppose it just goes to say... By the way, I think this ought to be pinned or posted in the New Members section. I think this would make posting guidelines a lot clearer.

Also, I believe that the parts there are usually slight mismolds or something that caused the minifig parts to not be fit for the set(s) they were in. I haven't noticed a difference, though, and they do have plenty of rare parts. I now have two dark red female hairpieces with the long ponytail, of which I have not seen in any set. I haven't seen some of those parts in the Build-A-Fig section, such as the new baseball cap, but then again it's been a few months since I last went, and the parts vary from store to store.

I have to say, 2010 may be the worst year for LSW, in my opinion. Very few of the sets are attractive to me, and I haven't even gotten a single one of them yet. Anyways, my favorite SW set this year is 8096 Emperor Palpatine's Shuttle. Unlike so many other SW sets, this one, if I recall correctly, has a very fair price-per-parts ratio (60 USD for almost 600 parts is about what you'd get in any other theme), whereas sets like the Wampa Cave and Swamp Speeder are ridiculously priced. Not to mention that it's been a good while since we've gotten a good, non-CW PT set. It looks great, and is definitely a ship I'd like to have to round out my Sith ship collection. The figs are also great, too, with a neat, tattered Anakin/ Vader (I like the change from gray to medium flesh for the skin tone), the rare Sideous, and one of the new clone pilots. I could care less for the action figure-y medical droid, though. All in all, a fantastic set, and one of the few SW sets that I will be aiming to buy this year. On a side note, I also really like the UCS Imperial Shuttle. Unfortunately, I have to make room in my budget for other things.

I'd have to go with the new 2010 version. I never liked the bright green and the bland printing on the old Boba, and I disagree with the statements about the new Boba looking to action figure-y. The helmet isn't much different than any other SW helmets we've gotten so far (some of which date back to '99) as far as simplicity goes. Unlike some of the other new SW minifigs we've been seeing (see all of the new GG Starship figs)... So yes, a beautiful figure that will be mine once I can get for cheap in a magnet set.

Just thought I'd drop in and say that this is a really interesting game, even to just follow from the sidelines. So many complications, but not enough to make it dreadfully confusing. So far, I'd say you've walked the line well with this game, Sandy. I'm sure it will inspire many hosts to come. Also, I'll add my compliments on the special effects. The ghost effect is particularly interesting, may I ask what program(s) you use?

I like the CubeDude contest idea. I've always wanted to make one, and I think that having a contest for them would be great. So many SWU characters, so many unique options and ways to make them.

One question - does he still count as an obstacle for the scum in this game to overcome? Usually scum have to outnumber the innocents, so does Iamded still count for one of those to outnumber?

Interesting. The figure looks like a mock-up custom to just serve the purpose of being a teaser, but I do think that there is a large possibility of PotC becoming a licensed theme. The Jack figure is kind of how I imagined it would look, just with a less-detailed hairpiece. I was hoping for something more along the lines of the elf hairpiece that we saw in the teaser for the Elf faction in Fantasy castle: I hope not. I like it when Lego stays simple, and I think having the current guns is perfect. No complicated detailing or multi-colored pieces.

Ah, thanks for the replies, everyone. I wonder what TLG is thinking, stocking these so much later in the US than in the rest of the world, and the Minifig Collector's Series isn't too easy to come by, either. I wasn't aware of the street date, but it's good to hear that there is a definite time that these will be put out on shelves.

Hmm... even though I'm not very excited about many of this year's SW sets, I still haven't even seen any of the second wave, or even some of the first wave in stores. Usually stores (especially Target) are pretty good at stocking and putting out sets around the same time/ earlier than most places, but it looks like this year my area (SE Wisconsin) got screwed. Anyone know why this could be? Is it a distribution problem by TLG, or local distributors, or even the stores not stocking as much as they used to? Has anyone else (particularly in the US) had trouble finding the new SW sets?

To recreate something already impressive so accurately with Lego bricks... is jaw-dropping! Seeing this really makes you think of how amazing these little stackable pieces of plastic are. I wonder if he used a program to pixelate a picture of the portrait or did it by eye? Either way, it must have taken an extreme amount of effort to create something so big and detailed.

My favorite entry would have to be "I am your Father" by thire5. First of all, in my opinion, you can't get much more epic than that classic scene in Star Wars, where it is finally revealed to Luke that Darth Vader is actually his father, Anakin. He screams in agony as he holds on with his remaining hand for dear life to the balcony outcropping, the huge abyss of Cloud City's lower layers below. Even though were a few other entries of this scene in this contest, I think this is the best. The Vader minifig is posed just right, with his arm outstretched. You can almost hear the famous quote coming out of the picture, "Luke... I am your Father". The improvised Luke figure is also well done. Thire5 decided to not use the official figure and go for scene accuracy instead. If you watch the scene, you see that Luke is in fact wearing dark gray clothing, and his hair looks darker from sweat. The outcropping part is also nicely built. There are interesting piece usages for parts like the railing, flex tubing parts, and even some sideways building techniques. Although all of these points contribute to the greatness of this vignette, my absolute favorite part is how Thire5 used a forced-perspective technique, using 1x2 plates in the background wall to acts as the lights that you see in the scene, a detail that really reminded me of that epic moment. So that is why I believe this entry is truly the best that fits the intentions of the contest - because it's epic.

I never religiously collect action theme sets, but I usually buy most of the small sets of the themes for interest parts in rare colors (Atlantis, Power Miners), and sometimes for unique figs that use new prints and parts. Usually, the larger sets can't offer me what the small ones can't. I can get a good sample of each theme by spending no more than 30 USD on each theme, and getting great parts and figs. That's why I like the short-lived action themes.

IMO, no. It's just when the set gets too expensive because of the figures (specifically the new SW sets), with new molds and such. But sets like the MTT, where there's 20 of the same, inexpensive minifig, are great for army building. I just don't want too many new mold figs so the prices soar. Agreed, although that's not usually a problem with Lego sets in my experience. Both. If the figs are repeats (especially in an expensive set), I will dock points for quality. If there's only one or two in a big set, I'll dock points there for quantity (although that's not a huge issue either).

Interesting question. Minifigs have always been important factors in Lego sets for me (and I'm for many others as well). In fact, I don't think I would have much Lego without them. IMO, they make everything much more interesting and playable. More importantly for me, they're great collectibles. While I would like as many minifigs in sets as possible, I agree with you that realistically, I'm fine with just a single TIE pilot (or just one minifig in similar cases). We fans could ask for a droid throw-in, but it really doesn't have a point if there's only one pilot. The figs have to be good, too. No one likes too many repeats (i.e. the overused Bruce Wayne head for Indy soldiers), and introducing new figures always brings excitement. In summary: Yes, I do believe minifigures are very important in Lego. No, that does not mean I want five unrelated figs in every set, but I like them, collect them, and look forward to new ones. And if a set's figures are not interesting, yes, I will dock points in my review.

My honest opinion on this... why try to revive something that's already dead? It looks like everyone has lost interest in the EBRP, so why bring it back, even in another theme? Not to mention that these sort of games are rather hard to work out in a forum. RPGs are fun, but usually they're a lot more interesting in flash games or video games. In addition to the EBRP "ending", three "comic games" (the other main form of RPGs here) have already failed. There may be some interest with new players here, but it seems to me that they get boring quickly. Best of luck to you in starting a new RPG anyway.

Oh no, he got you too? Killed by the beast called "Cuddles": From Hogwarts Mafia, because I was killed by the Cerberus Cuddles on Night 1. I think it might've been WhiteFang. I'm not sure, but it sounds like something he would say. Hope you don't give up on them just yet.

I like how this forum finally got its own banner, but it doesn't really make sense. It's nice and all, but what's with the random figure silhouettes? The black one on the far left I can get, but is there some kind of game that each one represents?

Exactly what I thought when TLG started adding flick-fire missiles to every SW set a few years ago. But then if they didn't we'd be complaining about how there's not enough playability. I personally don't like the Cad speeder design much. It's chunky, and nothing like I hoped it would be. Ever since that speeder chase set from Ep. II came out, I've been wanting a sleek, nice-looking casual speeder. But this is anything but sleek. Oh well, my fingers are crossed for a Bail Organa speeder.

Haha, I'm just glad I got to use my night action. I've noticed that I seem to have I thing with hats in mafia games. When I died in MCII, all that was left was Chef Walters' hat, and now Oramon's fez is left behind.

Ugh, great. Killed already. Ah well it was fun while it lasted, and I'm glad I got to play. Thanks Sandy, and good luck to everyone else playing.

You asked for remaining players to provide feedback, but I'd like to say a few words to (mostly not directed at this particular game). I think creating a mystery game would be incredibly hard. To do it, the host must be able to have everything planned out before the game even starts. Where all of the clues are, how everything interacts in the game, the reaction to choices of the players... nothing can be left to procrastination. Because if it is, IMO, the host won't know what to do because their choice affects other parts of the game as well, and they might not know if that choice can screw it all up. Also, I think hosts need to have a set time frame. It's difficult to determine if by the time it's your turn to host (which can sometimes takes over a full year), but hosting a Mystery game takes a lot of time and effort. If a host gets a spot on the list, they should get to work on the final ideas, characters, and sets right away so that everything is ready way before it's their turn. It's probably better to have everything ready and wait patiently for a few months than to wait and then rush the final stages of the game when it is your turn (I made this mistake in Dystopia Mafia). Finally, the host needs to pick out players that he/ she knows are going to be active participants. It's good to include new players, but I think before any are included, their background on EB should be checked. Do they post well, and often? Are they mature? Have they stuck with other long-term games/ activities? Those are my thoughts on this difficult category of forum games for now. I'll be interested in seeing everyone else's opinions.

Yes, actually, I am. I'll turn it off for this post and see what happens. That's odd, though, that one enter in the post box would be two in the actual post. EDIT: I think it worked. I'll let you know if it didn't though, since this edit might've changed something. Too bad, though, the RTE was pretty nice to have. Oh. Well I guess it has been a while since the change, but I had thought the admins were still hard at work with behind-the-scenes tweaking and things like that. Not that everything isn't working perfectly now.