BEAVeR

And he just keeps the nice builds coming, although this time I'm somewhat more sceptical because my comrades are being killed here... But let's play nice I think you've made for Kashyyk wath the Ewok village was for Endor: a pretty big, detailed and believable piece of vegetation headquarters. I like the varied landscape at the base. There's dense foliage, plain spots, water, lonesome stems... An incredible biotope on a tiny spot, and still it feels coherent. Maybe that's because you left enough breathing space for each and every section. And with a good result! It doesn't distract, but certainly offers a nice treat when you look closer. So very, very good job with making that landscape alien and natural! And the fact that the base is irregular is worth a bonus point as well. It isn't executed perfectly though. That narrower section of the base is great to divide the scene up in the two trees, but with these irregular bases, you should avoid sharp angles, and go a little bit more convex. It's like with natural phenomena: you don't often see say a lake with those very acute angles. Instead, it's more of a convex business, where little intrusions can exist of course. Think natural, like with creating that foliage. The trees themselves aren't boring at all, and I like how one has got some very nice branches with amazing foliage (good combo of plant pieces there!) making for a very unique shape. The texture of the central part of the tree isn't optimal, however. The way you've built it, with all those angles in seemingly random directions, makes it look more like rockwork than like vegetation. It's good to want some texture, but trees have some kind of order in them. Basically, they have a rather straightforward trunk. It can have texture, but that doesn't stick out that mudge. You can have small ridges and holes though. So the detail there is more subtle. Then, the tree also has some branches. These will have to do the biggest part of detailing. But when building, you always need to be sure whether you're building the trunk, or are starting with a branch. With your design of the trunk right now, all kinds of branches seem to want to come out, but none does, leaving us with a rather indecisive looking tree, if you see what I mean. Select a few of those starts, and make them real branches. They can even have broken off, as long as there is a contrast with the more ordered trunk. That will make your construction more a tree and less a heap of slopes (I hope that doesn't sound too harsh!). The platforms in the trees are very nice and very Kashyyk-like. They blend in well with the environment, but they have a certain kind of technological appearance, making this Star Wars again. You conveyed that well with those clip pieces. That was a good decision! The grey also helps a lot. Yet, it looks in place because you kept the tone right, and mixed it with elements like those pieces of vegetation and that very primitive-looking bridge, without too much order in it. It is great to see steps of varying sizes and shapes, and it helps to tell us that those were all just grabbed from nature. It are those kind of details that tell stories, and I'm glad to see they're slipping into your builds. A detail that is missing however, is a ladder or any kind of mean to get up in the tree, because now I just assume they use magic. A little rope ladder, of just a plain rope would solve that. And the equipment the Rebel is using to detect the troopers seems a bit generic. Add a little antenna, maybe even solar panels to power it here in the wild. Making everything portable or improvisionary, you could make this look like a base that could be abandonned at any time when needed, thus telling us more about the Rebels. All in all, I like this build. Especially the top and the bottom section (the middle could use some work). It's nice to discover your character in this way, more through wtaching his deeds than hearing him talk. So I'm beginning to get quite enthusiastic about your story, and then i'm willing to forget how awkward it is that Vladivus managed to get his bike on board of that ship unseen...

Aha, great job exploring the possibuildities of the Star Wars MOCcing universe . You did something completely different this time, but it paid offf nicely! You've created a very nice small piece of ship. And what's more, it's perfectly fit for the Star Wars universe. On one hand, you have the very neat floor. I don't remember seeing that technique before, but I must admit it's wonderful. It gives detail and texture to an otherwise neglected floor. It also gives some nice structure in your build. The best part, however, is that you went a step further. I like the little inconsistencies, braking everything up. The battered look you created is just perfect, with the different colors, different textures, assymmetry... And you installed variation in it. Excellent! It's good that you didn't just include detail by the means of impurities, but also included details that aren't there by accident. Examples are that grill in the middle of the floor and that dome in the top left corner. They are very present and every meaningful, so it was great to include those. And everything is present very nicely, with that clean border and even a glimpse of detail behind the door. Very good stuff! I can still offer some advice though . I wouldn't change anything about the present things, I would just add some more. Like the detail behind the door. It would have been great if there were some kind of corridor (maybe even with a bend, so that we don't see the end and only see Lego), to give the in-universe perspective, making it look more like this is a tiny part of an entire ship, waiting to be explored. That would place this little vignette more in its context. It doesn't even need to be much, since it will be out of focus anyway. the mere presence of the continuating would be enough to 'enlarge' the MOC a lot for the viewer. Also, right now, the room is kind of empty and doesn't tell a lot of a story. I think the room should somehow indicate that our Vladivus has stayed there for a while. Maybe some crates behind which he could hide (it would make sense to place him in the cargo area, as that is the place where he was most likely to enter the ship). Maybe a sack of food could be present. Again, it doesn't have to be much, as long as it gives us a visual indication of him being a strowaway. As viewers, it would help a lot to understand the story not only because some one is telling what has happened, but because you can see the story in everything. Builds are not just builds and stories aren't just stories. They enhance, support and nourish each other. So I think, you've (already!) found a good way of depicting this new area for you. Now you can begin to use that comfort to bring us something worthwhile. I'm really looking forward to see you take that step!

Wow, this is definetly a high-class story! There isn't happening much, but boy, what a mysterious and gripping story you've created there! I really like the subtle way this situation evolves from a rather cosy and normal scene to a true horror, both in words as in bricks. The self-aware lieutentant getting cought up in his story, his listeners uneasily watching each other and just leaving, the few that persist but can't endure any longer, even his o so famous guards give up. It's a wonderful way to show how this character looses all respect and friendship around him, staying alone with just himself. And it turns out, he isn't worth a lot all by himself... So his arrogance becomes his end. Truely a beautiful and inspiring way to deal with this story. I'm still impressed... This shows your true mastery of telling stories. At the same time, the rather mysterious story makes it not very accessible. You don't give people answers, and only hint at something in the end, but that's very vague. Not sure if you want to show us who it did, but if you wanted to, I think there could have been a better way, becasue i still haven't a very clear idea. If you didn't want to show us, marvelous idea as well. It reminds me at the very surprising and touching ending of the story during episode II you wrote. It really adds the the character of your trooper, having no reason to explain something, because he doesn't have an audience. That kind of makes you forget someone else is telling the story, and drags you into it, experiencing the same doubts and challenges of the character. Well, that was a whole letter on story telling. But we're here on a Lego forum! so let me congratulate you with that fireplace to end this. The flames and rods work very well together, especially with the lighting. Very campfire like, and it contradicts the atmosphere the story is creating, offering a nice counterweight to the grave situation. For a moment I thought those minifigs were fleshies though, with that lighting, and I was about to complain about consistency in your builds. Lukcily, I had a closer look. And now, all I can say is that this is a marvelous feat, although not such an elaborate build, but a very, very good piece of story telling. Hat off to you, sir!

I'm very glad to see another of your very interesting stories taking shape! As always, you succeed to portray kind of every day scenes with a flair that makes them interesting, not because of sudden events, but by slowly building up to something. This scene has something menacing, something comedic. But it doesn't get generic, because tension is in the air. I have no idea how you do it, but I'm in awe nonetheless. Of course not only your stories are great. Your builds are always very succeeded as well. This time, you made the best sloppy build I can imagine! Don't get me wrong: I think your did a great job in portraying a hasty mess. with the exposed wires, back of the parts showing through and everything still in crates, waiting to be unpacked, but unlikely to ever get very tidy. All the sacks really seem to belong there, so naturally are they positionned, and all the gear that has been unpacked, actually serves a purpose. So I think this provisionary camp is rather succeeded! Still, I think some kind of refinement would have served the creation well. You see, there's nothing wrong with building a messy scene, but you also have to make sure people don't just think you're a sloppy builder. to portray something raw and crude, you don't have to build that way. You can make prefab-looking elements that are in themselves actually quite well built. You can have exposed wires, but those can be installed with a lot of craftsmanship. For this particular build, there could have been a closet on the wall where all the wires converge, complete with dials and the like. that won't destract from the tempory aspect, as that is just a prefabricated element. And those panels on the ground. they're nice, but lack a bit of refinement. So instead of using big pieces, you can make something quite nice from a couple of smaller pieces. there could be grill tiles in it if you want the same effect, or even hatches for maintenance. Then you could make a couple of those, with exactly the same look, but obviously seperated to give an impression of tiling. That would bring the repetition element, thus evoking the efficient but fast building of the structure. And for a really unfinished look, you could have spots on stands, because the true lights haven't been installed yet. Those kind of touches would make it look like a work in progress, but still would make for a very skillful build. But no matter how you did it, you did a great job in portraying the atmosphere and setting the scene for the story to follow. Good work on the positions of the minifigs (especially with Sgt. Brintt: excellent posing of the legs to give a tiny bit of nonchalance), and of course with the story. I'm glad to see SoNE keeps inspiring you to tell amazing stories!

8009 - R2-D2 - Theme: Star Wars (Technic) LXF File (LDD 4.3.8) Errors: - 2 grey flex hoses not attached on the head - Pipe on the head is a size too big (correct size not available in LDD) - Flex hoses at the feet are only connected at one side - Rubber bands not attached The end is coming near! Soon, there will be no Star Wars Technic sets left for me to recreate... Well, at least I got a real treat with this R2-D2. It may not look very appealing, but the functions are, while a bit simple, very entertaining. It was also quite challenging to recreate, not only with all the flexible parts and the levers that needed alligning, but especially with the legs, which are buiilt in a very bizarre way at an angle. I did my best to pose the droid reasonably, but because the legs are joined with another function, this was very hard to get right, and I left it at this... good enough state.

Welcome to SoNE, and what a nice way to introduce yourself! It will be very interesting to see this story take place from the very beginning. I hope your character will grow out into something magnificent, and I wish your builds grow with it. But you've already made a great start! I love the design of the speeder bike that, while very familiar, has an original and appropriate look. Being on Tatooine, it would have been nicer to see the more used and battered look some more. You could mix several shades of brown to accomplish that, or even add some parts that are totally out of place, but act as a sloppy replacement or handy mod. And besides the bike, there is quite a lot to like. Take that base. I love it that you created an irregular one, because it looks so right. And that tree breaks the tiny bit of landscape up: you created quite a varied landscape with a minimum of pices, so well done! The little tower is great as well, and definetly feels in place. The threefold symmerty makes it very Tatooineish, helped by the round parts. Still, it might look a bit too clean. From a totally abandonned piece of equipment in the middle of the harsh environment, I would at least expect some sand heaped to one side of it. Maybe there's an antenna that got loose. Maybe some of the foundations are exposed, and maybe it doesn't even stand upright. You have plenty of potential to add something extra to the tower and make it somewhat less generic. That will make your character look more special and less random too. Not that it is now, of course, but you can always go the extra mile. So I really am curious to see which way this will be going. I'm eager to see the fall of your character to the wrong side of this conflict! Especially if such fine builds will keep it company!

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys! In fact, I'm a little surprised that there's such a fuss about me pittying Ewoks, while me defecting to Rebel blogger seems to be encouraged . Anyway, I'll do my best to deliver intersting and correct news, and offer some undiscovered creations. And I'll try to keep things short (just for the sake of uniformity ). But don't you think the length of my posts will decrease!

Good... good! You're getting the hang of this SNOT thing. The base looks very nice, and I like the fact that it isn't all blocky, but has some snice angles too: that really makes it more interesting, and adds to the snow/ice atmosphere. You coud have taken it further and made the edge consisting of only angles. Same goes for the wall and the door. It's great that you added those angles to frame the door snugly, but again they're a bit too regulat. you coud exploit it further and give the impression of icey rock, both as an architectural element as a natural element. I like the roundness the groove brings into the build too. You could continue this by fitting some slopes in the doorway, to crete some extra rounded corners. This would fit in the same team. And to complete the illusion, you could cover up those studs on top with... slopes again. you could create some kind of overhanging ice cliff. Or some grills from the heating system. There are a lot of possibilities, and it are these kind of small details that make the difference between a good and a great MOC: you need to deliver something as a whole, comprehensive build. Because how better certain parts will be, the more obvious the somewhat less worked out parts will become. By putting thought in these kind of areas that normally don't get the focus, you will show how much dedication went into building it. In the crash scene, I really like how you have created a whole landscape with just a couple of bricks. Well done ! The crashed ship looks nice, and it's refreshing to see a ship that isn't beautifully finished but a wreck instead. You could enhance the feeling by thoughtfully braking the tiled surfaces up with some studs here and there. And adding some tiny bits of wreckage here and there (but still in logical places), would help to convey the impact the ship made. If you had the opportunity to make a bigger landscape, it would be great to showcase some piles of snow that got heaped by the crash. But that would require a lot of bricks... that don't come in Mixels . Still, you've done a great job in depicting the crash site, by making the wreck assymetrical, showing the pipes and laying the ship at an angle. It kind of is a shame on the other hand, because it looked like one fine ship! Finally, the speeder and the walker. The color sceme is quite intense, but it works on a planet like Hoth. Still, I think those two vehicles don't scream Star Wars. Perhaps the overuse of color (odn't get me worng: those colors are great, but I think you could do with less, or maybe with only one shade of kblue...) does it, but I think lack of technical detail plays a role too. Especially the walker looks like a collection of basic bricks. don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good elements in there, like the plate with bars, the angled sections, the antenna... But it lacks some finesse. Some more specialized 'technical' bricks would be nice. Minifig tools always make for good greebles. And the shape could be less blocky too. The top is great, but towards the bottom things get quite basic. There could be more slopes down there, somewhat simulating legs, because now it looks like a box on legs which doesn't look very practical. It's hard to say what i mean, but my biggest advise would be to keep building and to keep trying new things out. Look closely at what other people build. And let your creativity run free. And keep trying. Up untill now, that building has already delivered some really nice builds from you, so I would say: go on with it!

Another amazing build. Almost perfect... if it weren't for the poor Ewok But apart form that, you have some great stuff in there. You have the nice, functional hatch, the badass cannon (you've done a lot with a small amount of parts there!), the sweet speeder that looks greebly and speedy at the same time, without looking very uncomfortable, the arm... even the vegetation is pretty spot on in this one. Once again that mix of curved, round and skew pieces delivers very well (although I have the feeling the trees in the previous builds were a bit more detailed, but those were bigger whatsoever), and this time you really get away from squareness with those branched going all directions. Very nice! I also really like the concept of having both the stem and the trunk in the build. But they don't really connect. It looks like they're a bit too far apart to belong together in my opinion, and while it is great that you laid the trunk at a certain angle, it doesn't correspond to how it should have hit the ground. Okay, they could have moved it, but still you're missing a potential interesting effect here. It would have been great to see both parts just barely seperated, with a tiny bit still attached. It could also give the tree an angle in the vertical plane, which would add a nex direction to the scene, which is always good in natural environments. Also, the cut in the tree could have been cleaner, because once again, the fact that the tan is recessing that far in the tree kind of takes away the believability. And I owuld suspect a clean cut from a saw, and not a ragged end from an explosion, because that would attract way too much attention, and in that case the tree would have fallen away from the site. So my guess is that the two incompetent recruits actually cut the tree the wrong way, but still managed to make room for the ship... something like that. MstrOfPppts already mentionned the problem with the base, and I wholeheartedly agree. In general, you have two options that look good: 1) making a rectangular base, maybe even with a border. This makes it look more professional, but is mostly suited for artificial environments. 2) making a base with wedge plates and round plates. Think about the shape of a pond or something like that: you have an irregular edge, but never straight corners. These make for great bases for natural scenes. And while the idea of an irregular base is present, the very sharp angles clash a bit with the natural concept. And as for the hole, that would be the perfect opportunity to get a second layer of that wedge base under it, but in a different color, making the hole much clearer. Because that's another little issue with this vignette: the transition between the colors is too abrupt. In general, you don't want to recognize the part, so in natural environments, you should avoid cleary showing the edge of big plates, either in shape or color. Avoid making square patches, and go for more natural shapes. Then the artificial bit (which is your strong point, so you should highlight it) would have a far greater impact, making such a great contrast with the natural environment, without making the MOC a mumbo-jumbo of all kinds of different elements. I don't want to look like the know-it-all here, though, and I hope you find the right tone in my comment. Consider it some useful advise (that's what I keep telling myself, at least ) for you and for any one that might read it. I'm only trying to give you some new impulses, so that we can get to see new, even more marvelous builds from you! And with this one, you've certainly set the right tone. Because I haven't even mentionned all the fine details like the different angles on the bike, the ridges in the arm and the twirling hoses, and even the detail on the inside of the hatch. But perhaps that's just my way of punishing you for hurting that Ewok .

Ah, we're back for a healthy dose of MKJoshA freebuild, and man, it never gets boring. I'm saying this a lot lately, but these builds really deserve it: yet another well succeeded build! I love how you've once again managed to portray a different kind of location in a very nice way. Som deisging cues are great, and I like how you've kept this build mostly consistent. Like with those profile bricks. They are very beautiful, and you've used them all throughout the build. Yet, it doesn't become repetitive, because of the use of light and dark grey variants. And I'm really digging the combo of those profile bircks with the arches, both in the doorway as above it. The cheese slopes also continue this trend of horizontal lines, and the colorful vertical pillars break it up beautifully. I like the way they're colored, and it really brings the MOC to life, and it's fitting as well, considering it's a nightclub. I would've loved to see this color scheme continue a bit towards the top, maybe by coloring the round plates as well. Still, the roof is brilliant, and I like how this MOC reminds me a bit of a jukebox... All in all, you've made an excellent creation here. You made variated consistency, which makes everything look quite interesting. Well done, and I appreciate the little details like the panels to give a slight ridge to the top corners... that's really some high-class stuff you've got there Still, since I cannot resist to give some little tips, there are some improvements to be made. The clips on the side have already been mentionned. They are a nice idea, but could be integrated better. It would be nice to have the tile part of the clip at the same level as the wall, so that all the focus goes to the clipping part, something that would be helped by using light grey ones all having the same orientation as well. Also, placing them at regular intervals would be a vast improvement to get away from the randomness, but it would be best if you could allign them with the stripey pattern of the profile bricks. All of this would make them look more like a part of the building, and less like something that was slapped on: the big problem is that it looks like you were indecisive in this part, and didn't make a motivated choice. While the door itself is great, there still are some tiny remarks to be made about it: firstly, the light shines through. Covering up the back area with some simple bricks would already fix this. Second: it doesn't look high enough. But then again, maybe on Fondor gravity is strong and people don't become that big, or am I insulting the EU right now ? Finally, the base. It looks good, but seems a bit unnecessary, and gets away with a lot of the focus while it shouldn,t. It is too big, in my opinion, Making everything look like it happens on a stage rather then right in front of your nose. A little piece of street would have been better, I think. And using that SNOT technique perhaps would have been better for the actual floor, because now we have those corners of the tiles sticking out, kind of messing up the edge. Finally (finally for the second time...), I think the fig posing could have been better. Kale looks kind of stupid with that eternal smile, and the poses don't really convey the play between asking and offering. Except in the first picture. There things look really great! With these freebuilds getting better and better, I hope you still find time for your episode entry, and that it will rock!

Thanks a lot for the feedback. It seems like I have quite an controversial build here, polarizing the forum between Ewok lovers (let's just say not-haters) and Ewok haters. Your welcome. That sure sounds tempting, being an apprentice of someone like you... but do we have to real from the Rebel side? Then I will never join you! Glad you liked the build and the story. Writing a book does sound tempting... but then I won't have so much time for building, and when you'll need a book for understanding my entry, maybe things have gotten a little bit too crazy. Let's just view this as a picture book then. Any one wants to pre-order this beautiful coffee-table book? And about my loyalties: well... euhmm... I hope I don't end up being Lord Vader's dessert... but I've already told you that I will stick to the Empire, even with flashbacks if i get myself into impossible situations (and, who knows, a wormhole might appear that enables me to go back in time to mess everything up...) MstrOfPppts doesn't like my build ... but you're right, I understand how hard it is to get your thoughts to sound right in such a comment, and I know you only point out the bad stuff anyway. But still ... No, let's get to business. I can see what you mean, since I had the same feeling the first time I stood back to watch the creation as a whole. Somehow something felt lacking. To this day, I still have no idea what it could be, but actually the build has started to grow on me, and I'm getting more and more satisfied (without even doing something for it.. so yes). So I guess you'll just have to watch it half an hour more, and maybe you'll appreciate it more then... but still, maybe you're right that there isn't an initial wow-factor. Yes, more trees could do the trick, there could even be a small stream of water. There could be more destruction. There could be more original equipment to analyse the site with. I would love to build those things. It would even be great for the story to have total desolation every where. But unfortunately I don't have unlimited time (certainly this time of the year), and those things would all take plenty of time and bricks. And I already said that I don't like to make this things too big, because that would be unfair (me and my conscience...). Yes, some obscure EU vehicle would be very nice (like Goatman and Markus have shown us), but plenty of people are already doing that, and I'm looking for originality in other domains. Being a pilot doesn't necessaraly mean that you get to test all kinds of whacky prototypes (especially with my dubious condition). But I have to admit the main reason I went for a familiar vehicle was that I needed something to get my building back going, because I was really hitting a wall with that vegetation. And doing something as 'simple' as a TIE Bomber gave me the confidence to go on. I know I'm remaining very close to canon with my builds, and indeed maybe it's time to change that a bit... just keep pushing me with your awesome comments! And about the story: sorry, I guess I like writing like that too much, and I don't often get the chance to do it, so I guess you're the victim of it. It's my personal style, so I guess it won't change too much, but I hope at least some of you have enjoyed it, and I really hope it has made people think, so I'm very glad you've already taken the pain to read it. Maybe something will stick (I know that's setting my hopes very high).

Wow, this build lives up to the expectations you have been building! It's a nice variation from the ragged Tattooine to this very smooth build. The very clean, almost clinical atmosphere really give it the waiting-room-feeling, and that's perfect for this scene. Yet, it doesn't become boring at all with so many great things to look at. The orange was a very nice touch, and the white line running all along the corridor is a nice design feature that ties the two rooms in you MOC together: well played. Also, the back wall has some nice details with the lightsabers and the antenna pieces that seem to be popping up in all of your freebuilds lately. the angled border is an intelligent feature that fits seamlessly into the scene (although lowering it a place migth look better because of that black shadow right now), and in my eyes it is one of the details that shows how you've progressed in MOCcing. In fact, everything in this scene is well integrated, even the maintenance area. The grid is a nice choice, and somehow the flashy colors look very realistic. The safety cones around it are a cute feature. Adding some more equipment for the droid, or even the replacement panel placed against the wall would bring it more to life, and make it less like a gaping (but beautiful) hole everybody is just gazing at. All the way at the back, those detailed columns of complicated curve pieces look really nice, and make me wonder why you didn't include them in other parts of the build, and kind of hid it there. They could be of good use giving the panels a more rigid look. And finally... for the NPU with that fist piece. I'll remember that one, thank you very much. Despite all the beautiful parts, I can still point out some things that could do with some improvement. Like the top border of the MOC. The use of cheese slopes is nice and all, but the different colors are a bit over the top here. Sure they add more detail, but they don't add more sophistication, being a simple variation between colors. Furthermore, There seems to be no functional pattern in them, and they take away from the main focus of the build. Instead of playing with colors, playing with textures would have been more subtle here. So I would have liked to see a plain grey strip of cheese, but with e.g. some clips in logical places (consequently above the pipes and tubes for instance). Another remark on color: while it's nice to break things up, I think the colors are a bit too scattered now. On the angled piece for example, you have grey going to white going to grey going to white. Bigger patches of colors would give the eye more rest, and could be used to express functional coherence between certain elements (whatever that may mean ). Also (but we're really going into little details right now), something about the windows is bugging me. Maybe it's the rather chaotic pins you see that contrast on a deep level with the smoothness of the build. There's a remedy for this however: You could take bigger panels (or a smaller viewport), and place it behind the wall, making it so that the top and bottom cannot be seen. This would result in some very clean windows, and you would have more free space for an optional frame. But thinking about it (smoothing the harsh corners with cheese slopes wouldn't be a bad idea, I think), I'm not sure if i would even notice if there were no windows at all, so you could spare yourself the bother in that case. I also agree with MstrOfPppts about the rays and the trans clear pieces. you might not have more red lightsaber bars, but placing the orange parts next to each other, e.g. right in the middle, or one at each end would give some symmetry to it, and it could be easier to accept. Or you could just delete the top and bottom bar, since they don't really add a lot to the security, and only consume energy! You could create the floating effect without trans pieces. In fact, you have the ideal situation: you could somhow attach the chair and the console to the wall, and photograph it so that the connection isn't visible. Well, that's about all I have to say. I thinks it's a wonderful MOC, and I'm looking forward to see the positive trend in your builds continue.

Hehe, interesting to see your character becoming completely wild, with bare chest and a spear. Indeed, he is the Star Wars Tarzan! And he is standing in a very nice tree. The texture of the bark is extremely well done, and it's good to see those branches sitting at different angles. The variation between tiles, studs, slopes and curves make for some very nice vertical detail, and even the little ridges are pretty convincing. But the fact that it consists of two distinct parts is a bit too obvious... The tree looks very smooth (sort of), but then there's that rather sharp angle between the sections. It would be nice to have osme kind of transistion region, an angles portion in between the two flanks to make the tree look less square. Then the illusion would be almost perfect. Still, it could be a bit better. I'd like to see some really big branches. Goatm could be standing on one for example. In general, it would be good to have some more substantial branches because that would show how Goatm moves around: it would give him more secure ground, and it would enhance the fact that the story is taking place in the high canopies of the trees. Because as it is now, it seems that your character will have a hard time to move on with all those tiny twigs... Still, you did a great job depicting the natural location! I'm rather fond of the ragged Gorax. The mumble of slopes and curves are very effective for the rough hair, and the nose, single tooth, pointy ear and heavy brown add a lot of character to the face. Not much to improve, except perhaps a skin with more wrinkles. I think pneumatic tubing could work fine, or adding some height differencet between the several layers of bows that make up the brow, or working more with cheese slopes... To add yet some more, an actual eye would be a nice touch. Now it seems kind of empty, and those studs showing through don't exactly add to the realism. Just osme black tiles could do, or some black ball joinst... a good choice for the eyes would really enhance the already great monster you depicted. Finally: the placing of the head. Actually I love the way it is positioned now, towering over everything. And I know it's an abstract take on it, but maybe there could be a more realistic placing for the head, maybe to the side of the build and more in the distance. But the idea I have about it is very vague, and let me say it again that this solution already has a very distinct visual impact. So yet another terrific freebuild. I love the fact that you keep playing with different textures, and this face (is it the first time you build something like it?) looks really good. Keep it up!

@ VK-318: if you don't figure it out in time (nad believe me, getting those things right can be quite a pain), my offer is still valid, especially since I have no MOCs of my own that need rendering. I look forward to all the entries still coming this week, especially if they ensure that tag appears under my picture!

Wow, thanks every one for the awesome comments. I'm glad you enjoy the build (and most of you) the story! Thanks for your kind words. If I could I would give you a short account in German,aber mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr, mit nur ein Stunde Deutsch pro Woche in Sekundar. And I don't think you'll understand Dutch much better then this English. But let me give you a short and simple version of the story: My character has to see if a site is good to build the generator on. To get a closer look, he drops some bombs, clearing a piece of the forest. He's very impressed with the destruction he has done, and respects the silence. While working with the analysing equipment, suddenly an Ewok is staring at him. It attacks him, but he has his blaster. He thinks back at the traumatic incident on Sullust (see Every Shot Makes Two Victims), and doesn't kill the Ewok, but stuns it. He's very glad that he did that, and feels good again. But then he discovers an Ewok that has been crushed by a tree, and he feels bad again. He thinks about how bad war is, and he decides to change thingS. But he doesn't know how... I hope this helps you to place the images in a better context! Glad that some one who is an expert in both domains, loves my build and story. I do spend a lot of time thinking and writing. In fact, coming up with a story is the first thing I do in an episode, and it develops further while I'm building. That way, I try to give a coherent entry. Using symbolic imagery in this story was something new for me, and I did my best to link it to the build, like the expressions about the footprint, the uprooted beliefs of the character and the fleeing ferns (which also make for great alliterations ). The internal dialogue is one of my favorite parts about writing, as I really can become the character, and I hope that shows through. I don't read and write as much as I would like nowadays, but when I do, I thoroughly enjoy it, and it's great when other people can enjoy it as well. Wow, I'm surprised how many people actually read the story. I'm very thankful. And about the vegetation, I'm glad you all like it, because it was a whole lot of work to get the right look. It was the first time ever I had to build something like vegetation, and it gve me a lot of headaches. In fact, I built that TIE bomber to get away from plants at last... But when I finally found how those palm leaves make great ferns, Everything came together quite nicely. Still, it was very challenging to get the random orientation in there with all the weird collision errors in LDD, and it was quite hard to get some gradual destruction in it. And it had to be right to give the effect that the story needed. So this creation might not seem very big, but a lot of work went into it, and I'm very glad you appreciate that. A big thanks for the first part of your comment and feedback. About the roots: I looked at a lot of pictures of uprooted trees, and you'd be surprised at how much difference there is in size of those roots. I agree that these might be a bit too small, but otherwise they would block a big bit of the scene. The big reason I refrained of using those stems, is that they would also be upright, and would break up the blown-over look of the build completely (I did use some of those stem with leaves pieces, but placed those near the back of the build for that reason). Also, with those pieces you always have a gap that's rather difficult to fill in, and I thought I already had enough variation in my vegetation. I agree that it could add some subtleties to the build though. Attaching the cockpit at the side could work (and I admit I didn't consider it , but you have to have some details on the bottom as well (and the bottom of a real TIE bomber is pretty flat anyway), and, while it would certainly add to the greebles, maybe it would break up symmetry... butthat's a big maybe, and in the future I will definetly explore less obvious ways of attaching those pieces, so thanks for the tip! Now for the second part of your comment. Well, tastes differ. I for one especially like those kind of conflicts, and I'm pretty anti-war. So with my builds, I try to criticize other rather violent builds where war is depicted as something fun (but i'm not saying those builds aren't amazing as well!). I hope this gives SoNE something more nuanced, and can teach people something along the way. But of course I have nothing against you wanting to be a bad guy. It even gives me something to fight against, to form a contrast with. It our those kind of builds and story that give more meaning to mine, to I really think they can coexist, and probably one will not be better or worse than the other. And I'm very glad to get another view on my story, so thank you for that as well! Psychotherapist... But fear not, I won't be leaving you alone (and in particular: I will not defect to the Rebels! I have never said I have something against the Empire. I only have something against war). I might be taking an unconventional route though... And when I get stuck, I can always have flashbacks to the time I was bravely fighting for the Empire! So you really are not alone, and I don't need therapy. I'd like to see such a freebuild though . Thanks for the compliment on the bomber. I'm glad you like it as much as I do. And that thing are actually targetting sensors, I believe. And about my face: I thought it was time to get things more personal, and I think showing your face really takes that a level further. I've always wanted to use that very nice hairpiece, but for the color I needed something to stand out in the environment, so I chose this nice ginger (especially since others have already claimed the black variant ). Don't be fooled however, as the person who is typing this is not a readhead. But then again, I guess that you don't wear a hat all they and that MstrOfPppts doesn't have that huge scar in real life. And lets just leave LegoSpy out of this Your last sentence is very interesting... I see what you mean, that my builds seem to be less and less substantial (and my stories more and more...). But in these last couple of episodes, I haven't done very much artificial stuff, and I saw that nature takes up a lot more parts. For example: A Fluffy Tragedy had only about 1400 pieces, while this one has 1000 bricks more. so I wouldn't necesseraly say that my builds are getting smaller. Of course, I could get really gib and make a whole lot of vegetation, with multiple trees and a tiny Ewok settlement and caves and such, but my filosophy is that I want to play fair with using LDD. If I start to post entries with thousands and thousands of bricks, it wouldn't be fair and fun any more. I want people to see that SoNE isn't for the select few with a lot of bricks and a lot of time, but that you can achieve quite alot with rather small (ok, let's say intermediate) builds. I hope you understand that philosophy. Thanks a lot for this wonderful birthday gift, Lobot! And thanks for what you wrote too. I'm glad I can keep surprising (although I had the feeling that this was a bit too similar to my previous entry, but oh well), and that you keep enjoying it. But who says it's bad for the morale? People who like shooting Ewoks like they're on a carnival can watch e.g. Goatman's build. But people with moral concerns, who normally would go to the 'good guys', now see that they can join the Empire too, without giving up their principles. So, looking at the bright side of it, I think it's only good for our moral! Does that make sense ? Thanks a lot for reading and liking! Well, you don't have to have a lot of figures to join. in my entries, I've never used a stormtrooper (I did use 2 snowtroopers), and only one TIE pilot. That amount of figs is even present in my tiny collection! Remember that a build isn't made by the figs. you can always go for microscale (or for big scales, and that would be a first in SoNE). Or you could even have a go at LDD, and I would be very eager to help you with that! It means a lot when something with your story-capacities enjoys mine. Glad you can appreciate the broadness of SoNE. I always enjoy people's different takes on each episode, and that's what makes such a community build worthwhile. And I'm very glad that you care about my character! About those Rebels, I repeat: I've never ever ever had something against the Empire! But let's just wait and see where this is going with those Rebels and me... I've already an entire scheme laid out

I'm not going to participate in this minifig color discussion. Let me just say that I'm glad that at least the Ree-Yees' head isn't yellow. But I'm here to talk about one very nice build. With all these freebuilds, it's nice to see you grow. In this build, it becomes apparent in the junk. this time, it really looks perfect. There's a good mix of tiny, loose parts and bigger assemblies. And while it definetly looks messy, it's still tidy enough to call it a shop. The building is another example. From some angles, that decay looks absolutely terrific. There's a perfect interaction between straight and rounded, and and some SNOT too. However, the effect is quite a bit less from several angles. This is the part where it gets very difficult to explain what I exactly mean... well, while some studs look really good, something bugs me a bit with those round plates in the Technic holes at the side. Maybe it's because everything has crumbled in, and this is pertinently poking out. Also, there could be even some more variety in the mess. you could add in some kind of layer structure with plates for instance. Also, Tatooine buildings tend to have rounded corners. On the side you should have to do it with SNOT (or maybe don't, as those very, very lovely greebles take the focus in that area), but on the top it should be fairly easy, and it would instantly bring Tatooine even closer too the MOC. Anyway, that building has some excellent elements, like those grills to make it Star Wars again. Finally, let me just say straight that I have no idea how that speeder bike got up there, or what is even the purpose. But I'm not a junk specialist The little stalls are nice, and I like the vibrant colors. To make it a bit more realistic, I would recommend (as MstrOfPppts already said in his great wisdom) to blend in some darker earth tones, as it is exposed to the harsh environment after all. In comparison, the red stall seems very clean, so I would recommend some cheese to break up that border a bit. Same goes for the base. You've already made it more interesting by adding that angled portion in, but it would have been way nicer (and Tatooine-er) to have it irregular all the way through, perhaps even with a second layer beneath it. that would match the mess better. It's good that you created variation in color, height and texture in your base, but I should be careful with those tiles. The effect is rather... more elevated plates and less tiles should be better in my opinion. Anyway, don't let me convince you this is a poor build, because it really isn't. It has good parts all around, but it would be a bit boring to only point those out, wouldn't it? I hope you find this equally enjoyable and mmaybe you can even learn something from it. Because I already learnt a lot from your builds! Like my SW plantetography. All hail the Galactic Positioning System!

“We have located a site that might be suitable for the generator,” they said, “but our sensors can’t get a very detailed view of it. Go check it out” So here I am, surfing over the forest of the green moon in my TIE Bomber. And not a tiny bit regretful to be away from battle for this one time. I still need time since… since Sullust. Being away from war, some nature, no killing to do… that will surely clear my mind. My computer says I’m approaching my target location. Not much to see here, except form those tightly packed trees that populate this planet like skyscrapers on Coruscant, making it nearly impossible to reach most places. But they say this particular position offers some kind of tactical advantage. Well, let’s find out. Let’s ready some seismic bombs to clear the area to get a closer look. Let’s pull the trigger, and bombs away… A strange feeling overwhelms me… pulling that trigger… Two loud explosions resonate through the forest. It shivers and trembles as if it’s frightenend. When the last dry creaks and dust settle into silence, the wound becomes apparent. Like the footprint of a giant, all forest has fled away from a gaping patch of destruction. Slowly and carefully I manoeuvre my craft to my newly created landing site. I shut down the engines, and all is silent. [soNE Ep. V] Uprooted by Bert.VR, on Flickr From down here, the destruction becomes even more apparent. Frightened ferns have flocked together, while a once mighty tree got uprooted. Respecting the victims of this unfair battle, I silently unload the analysing equipment. Now it’s just waiting for the long analysis to end. The humming of the machine seems almost disrespectful in this perfect si- Snap [soNE Ep. V] The human in me by Bert.VR, on Flickr A strange, furry creature is staring at me from between the bushes. I must be staring back. The creature begins walking towards me, muttering, accelerating, raising its spear. It comes running at me, suddenly silent, with a look of determination. I already have my blaster in my hands, and I’m ready to pull the… No… not again… I’m acting on instinct now, but somehow something in me – the human in me - is powerful enough to set the blaster to stun just in time. And I pull. The creature stops, and with a look of anger crashes down on the ground. I’m deeply impressed. This might have been my very first shot where I wasn’t the victim of. Instead of blindly shooting, I finally did what is right. Not what’s right according to the instructor of the academy, but what feels right. I’ve spared the life of an innocent creature that had nothing to do with this war. This is what it feels like to be a hero. Heroes must be the ones that know when not to pull the trigger. It seems that I’ve done something good in this horrible war. That uncertainty of the past couple of months… gone. I am a good person after all. I almost want to thank that creature for attacking me… But why would it attack me? Sure, it might have been confused after the blast. Perhaps I destroyed a part of its home. But whatever it was, at least no one died today. No collateral damage this time. Instead, I gently put the unconscious creature in a bed of ferns. A beep from the analysing equipment indicates that it is time for a second sample. With a renewed bounce in my step, I begin to pull it to the other side of the landing site. I stop when I discover a path between the plants. This must be where the creature came from. It goes straight into the forest, until it’s blocked by that tree, where… It can’t be… It may not be… What have I done… My legs give away, and for who knows how long, I just sit there, staring into the distance. [soNE Ep. V] No... not again by Bert.VR, on Flickr I have killed once more. Another creature couldn’t get away in time and was buried beneath a tree. Only its tiny legs remain. And it’s my fault. This time, I caused a fluffy tragedy. I have become as despicable as those who I always despised. Who was I to think I’m a good person after all. This time, it wasn’t even a foe. Not even a friend. The creature had nothing to do with this war we’re fighting. It never accepted the risk of getting killed for its cause. And yet it perished in this war. They call it collateral damage. As if it is not at all important and can just be ignored. This creature, these trees with all the invisible but beautiful life. Just collateral damage. How absurd. Everything that I’ve been telling myself in the past is simply invalid. Nothing is trivial in a war. And not a thing that you do isn’t your responsibility. That’s the thing about war. You start and fight with only your goal in mind. And then you even begin to forget that and only think war… war… war… You don’t see what happens. Well, you don’t see what really happens. You’re not clearing a landing site. You’re destroying age-old fauna and flora. You’re not stopping the enemy. You take the life of a living being. You’re not a hero. You’re a monster. War clouds your mind with brutality. War is blinding. I kept telling myself I could go on with this war, as long as it didn’t involve direct battle. But I was wrong. How can I participate in such an act of collective and destructive blindness, even with trivial acts? This small… small and everything but unimportant event… it uprooted my entire way of thinking about this war. Just like this tree, it was firm once. But one big blast threw it over, causing death and destruction… On the other hand, once the dust has cleared up, new light reaches the soil, and new beautiful things get a chance to grow. Once, I firmly believed in the good of this war, perhaps even without any good reason. I shot, I bombed for it. And my own acts, my own shots I fired, my own bombs I dropped, blew me away. Seeing all the damage I’ve done, all the sorrow I’ve dealt, I lost those roots. And nothing but a wreck remains. Immobile, without any purpose. But new lights starts sipping into my mind. What good is it to leave this war? It will still be as destructive. That’s no way to repay for all that I’ve done. I must end this war without one spill of blood. War will be the only victim of my further deeds. Only then will all of this get a meaning. But how? How can I end this war without damage for my friends and without damage for my foes? What’s good for one, is bad for the other. It’s impossible. I’m just a simple pilot, I have no power. But what about these inspired moments... when I refuse to kill a creature that’s attacking me. Maybe not all is lost after all. When the new tiny plants bath in fresh sunlight, maybe then I will be strong enough to do something. But now, those little plants are fragile… and the eclipse of war is still glooming. But through losing my roots, I think I’ve finally found firm ground. I’m not happy. Just determined. But still sad. The data of the analysing equipment indicate that this site isn’t fit for construction. Maybe it’s for the better: this place might find rest again. But then what was the meaning of all this? That’s the question I have to answer. I feel weak. [soNE Ep. V] Firm ground? by Bert.VR, on Flickr ___________________ You can find the LDD file here EDIT: instructions for the TIe Bomber can be found at Rebrickable, if anyone would be interested. The build consists of 2377 bricks. The TIE bomber (including pilot) has exaclty 1000! I hope you enjoy it. Comments are more then welcome.

I'll see what I can do. Don't expect it tonight though (but you may expect something else... I had a quick look, and it does support decorations! There's an area for each eye, and a big area on the top of the head, so reproducing the original design should not be a problem.

I already thought it might come in handy for you (mostly because you explicitly said so ), so your welcome. Sorry for the wait, but my episode entry and my exams got higher priority than this. Making different expressions is fairly easy once you have these templates, so I hope to see them in you future entries! Any other requests?

I also have made decals for the rebel trooper and pilot. they can be found on the same page. Here's what it looks like: Another tip when making colored decorations: It seems like the decorations in the render always turn out darker, so you should anticipate by going for lighter colors in your deocrations.

To even things out, I've made decals for the rebel trooper and pilot as well (the pilot's torso is already in LDD, so you can just use that one). Here is the result: The decoration files can be found here. The files for the stormtrooper and TIE pilot, as well as a tutorial on how to apply them, can be found here.

While I have to agree that the crashed parts somehow defy the laws of physics (and that's on of my exams to follow ), I think those parts make for a very nice composition. The wing serving as a very distinct background, and the cockpit to really interact with the tree, maybe symbolizing the clash (or crash) between nature and technology. It's a bit a pitty you just used the official set (although there isn't much to improve on that), and maybe it would have been better if you had built one with some features specific for a crashed one, like loose tubes and wires bulging from a broken pylon or some trans cheese slopes to simulate a broken window. The tree loks great! You've combined plates, tiles, slopes, pillars and even LURPs to make a very succeeded texture, and i'd like to see more of it! It's a pitty to see those holes though... if you can't work them away, you could still embrace them and use them as little cracks or grooves in the tree. But you'd have to make sure to have some kind of dark (or tan) background, so that it doesn't look like you can look straight through the tree. It's an interesting concepts to have no kind of ground in your build, letting it end in another canopy of leaves. However, it doesn't look very convincing as canopy, and more like a denslly vegetated piece of ground. Maybe that's due to the tree broadening towards the base. Maybe it's the solid look of the sand green pieces. The only thing I could suggest would be to use more plant pieces. If you don't have any, maybe a loose and chaotic structure of small plates could do the trick. To make the configuration of wreckage more believable, it would be nice to have thicker branches to support it. Because now it seems an incredible feat for goatm to get out of the cockpit without making it fall all the way to the ground. It could also help to get some more different angles in the build. you could even break some branches off, indicating that the fighter isn't the only thing that has been damaged. It would explain your rather soft descent as well. But all in all, a very interesting idea for a build, with some great work on the tree. Keep it up, and you'll quickly rise to high ranks!

I have to say I really like this entry. Yes, it is small, but it has a lot of great elements that make it an extraordinary little vignette. First off, those tree trunks. I love the technique you used. The shape is pretty good, and the studs give it the texture. The fact that you showed the section is very nice, and I especially like the various chips poking out of it, giving it a ragged edge. And it looks like a very nice and thight construction as well, almost like a new standard! Still, there could be a little more refinement. You already added some olive cheese slopes on the trunk, but I'd like to see some more texture. There could be leaves, thicker stacks of plates, some tiles, some color differentiation, muchrooms, grill tiles... A healthy mix of those could bring more life to the tree, making it more realistic. It would also make the tree less straight. Another thing to consider on this matter, is to broaden the tree near the base, making the beginning of roots, because now it almost seems man-made. And instead of using just tan, adding some dark tan would help to evoke the rings of the tree a bit more. I've already said I like the chipped chunks, but adding a bit more variety with specialist parts like grills or clips could be better. But on the other hand, I don't think that's what a tree looks like when it is cut by a chainsaw... A final remark about the tree is that having the leaves hanging down more (instead of perfectly horizontal) would add to the naturalism as well. But still, this is a very, very nice piece of tree building. Maybe the best design I've already seen this episode. And there's more to this vignette then just some trees, hurray! That explosion in the background is quite succeeded. All the different colors, and those single rays make it nice to watch. Maybe some extra pieces flying away (like your helmet ), or the beginning of some smoke would be nice. That would also help to define the scale for the viewer, because now it's very hard to judge if you intend that explosion to happen far off, or really close by. Playing with the sharpness in the picture could also help. Finally, there's the ground. Nothing too special here, but it's nice to see some color variation and height difference. Some more cheese slopes there would help to make it more dense and less spiky though. So you've applied some great techniques in this MOC, although they could fare well with a bit of refinement. But anyhow, you've got me really excited for something big like this (especially the explosion, because we all like big explosions, don't we?), so let's hope you find some time to show us what you really can!

There's also a way without going into the LXFML, using the trick bbqqq explained here. The very end of the video shows you how to do it, and I'll round it up here once again: 1) without anything connected to it, click on the piston of the actuator, with the FLEX tool switched on. 2) now you can move the two components independently, but for some reason only with the rotation tool. So you attach the piston to some kind of assembly with which you can translate it with only using the hinge tool (the video shows an excellent construction). You hinge and hinge, and tada, there you have it:you changed the length of the actuator! I checked to see if it still works on the present LDD, and it does. Hope this helps the people that rather avoid the LXFML editing.

Glad I could help you! It's looking really good what you did there. Did you come along any extra tips or techniques while you were making this?