Ql97

That is a very good idea to fix one of the major holes between the book and movie. It also would have worked well with Thorin sending the Raven to Dain. The reason I say having the dwarves fight back is a good thing, is the fact that in the book, they just cowered in the mountain while Bard did all the work. That doesn't make them very sympathetic protagonists. Having them rush into the mountain to save Bilbo, then turning their tails once they saw the dragon, would have been just as effective at making the dwarves not seem like cowards, and not involved a ridiculous, contrived plan to drown Smaug in gold.

I agree with most of the story changes that Peter Jackson made, although they could have been executed. Having the dwarves fight Smaug in the Mountain is a good idea, but the whole sequence felt a bit ridiculous and unrealistic. The Silmarillion wasn't written with a movie adaptation in mind, so like LotR, it would in all certainty need some tweaks. That being said, the movie should use more practical effects, especially with miniatures and such. Dol Guldur, Lake Town, and the mountain would all have looked better as models. Either way, the Silmarillion is probably the most viable Middle Earth option in the near future. Otherwise, we will have to wait until Hollywood decides it's time to remake the Hobbit and LotR.

Exactly. If this Orc Pit makes it, that will be 4 large UCS scale LotR sets to reach 10,000. Come on Lego! Take the hint! Give us Minas Tirith already! Actually, we have Christopher Tolkien to blame, since he won't sell the movie rights for the Silmarillion. Of course, that shouldn't stop Peter Jackson from making an Angmar: War in the North film.

I mean, LotR sets based on the book? My curiosity is very piqued right now.

At this point, I'd be down for any "normal" castle Lego were to release, meaning something that's not incredibly blocky or mounted on tank treads. A revamped Forestmen, Black Falcons, or other classic heraldry would easily qualify.

I personally think the mini-dolls worked out really great with Elves. They certainly fit the aesthetic of the theme, which also worked out pretty good. Me, I'm fine with waiting. It actually gives me an excuse to spend less on Lego.

*sigh* I find it both depressing and amusing that Elves is shaping up to be a better Castle theme than the "official" one.

I thought that was established when Lego ended LotR before releasing anything resembling Minas Tirith.

Wow. That has to be the coolest tank I've ever seen.

Since when did Flash need a motorbike?

Are the clone brands capable of making anything other than mechas?

Well. I've read my first review of a NK set, and let's just say it met my expectations. http://brickset.com/article/18001/Review-30372-Robin-s-Mini-Fortrex The most noteworthy aspect of this set is the hair piece. This is the first time it hasn't appeared in blonde. While still not perfect, I think it will look much better on Bain than the "mop head" provided by Lego.

Nice to see *you* finally show up in a set this wave. You managed pretty successfully to make him look big and hulking. The orange color looks really good. One of the best dragons you have made yet.

Indeed, I will be purchasing several of each. The Knight will be like the Highlander. I went around to my Target and Walmart, and bought every one they had each time they got a new shipment. I deprived a lot of kids from getting the full series. On a related note, I just realized that Robin's hair from NK is perfect for Bain. Well, maybe not perfect, but a lot better than the hair Lego decided to use.

That queen just blows all previous ones out of the water. You thought the NK queen looked plain before? It doesn't stand a chance now.

My problem isn't with how off-topic the discussion is. Trust me, I'm a veritable king of off-topic on other forums. My problem is that this thread is descending into a giant shouting match about who's opinion is right or wrong. (As if there is such a thing as a correct opinion) This current conversation is a sad mix of infuriating and depressing. Here, we were trying to do some constructive daydreaming, and people had to start throwing around balgerdash about how Lego sucks, and their lives are miserable as a result. If you are going to post a rant, please do so in the General Discussion, and don't bring us down over here.

*looks around* Nope. Don't see any of that around here. Of course, it's near impossible to see anything in this constant barrage of personal opinions, mantras, and assertions that everyone is 100% certain that their way of looking at things is the only valid one.

Um, okay. That's an interesting take on the Falcon.

cotton candy

The theme looks like it's supposed to be Sci-Fi, but the setting was forced to a more medieval mode, with peasant villagers, a deranged jester, etc. These ideas are great, but as you say, it would be difficult to market them directly to children. Maybe, this would work well with my idea of a theme of advanced sets made with AFOLs in mind. Kind of like what everyone is suggesting: a bunch of sets all resembling the Medieval Market Village. The $120 set could be the harbor, the $80 set could be the fair, the $50 set the tavern, etc.

asteroid belts

As I've mentioned before, it's not the genre mashup itself that bugs me, it's how Lego implemented it. They didn't even try to reconcile the two different elements, they just cut both to pieces and stitched up a new Frankenstien's theme out of the pieces. I mean, they attached tank treads to a Castle! They styled a rocket sled like a horse! The knights look like astronauts! I personally prefer Sci-Fantasies where instead of shoving the two elements together, they attempt to find a middle ground. Infinity Blade is a good example of this: Fantasy on the outside, but actually a post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi. They fused the elements together in a way that made sense. Lego didn't. Oh well. I guess whatever sells toys for Lego...

Garmdon

Agreed. Just remember though, there's no such thing as too many dragons. This is genius! This is also genius!

Instead of expressing your hatred for NK, you can, for example, say how awesome a theme based on NujuMetru's Dragon Lands would be!!