Brick Miner

also, while we are on the subject of MOCpages and odd things... i thought id mention this. this isn't the only "screwing" with MOC pages that i have seen. the site must be a target for this kind of activity. for example... my saloon MOC was on the site for about 3 or 4 months, and had accumulated about 20 votes in that time period (most during the week of its release, appropriately)... then in one or two days my total jumped to like 50-55 *wacko* now, it's possibly that about 30-35 different voters logged on in those two day and each voted once... but it seems more likely (based on the activity before and since then) that one person or program (???) openned mulitple accounts and placed mulitple votes ??? (note: i've only had a few reviews and/or feedback since then) why do this ??? i don't know, people are strange ??? BTW, it also dropped my overall 5 stars rating X-D to 3 stars |-/ -------------------------------------------------- anyone else notice anything strange ??? - BrickMiner

:-D :-D :-D i think norror meant primo pirates... referring to the next age group LEGO caters to (ages 6-24 months) going down sequentially from juniors (4+).he was making a joke, it was hilarious ;-) -------------------------------------------------- as to the topic, i think it's sad... the duplo line was much more fun than the juniors line. and it was better conceived and followed through on. not that i was interested in purchasing them, but i think they were a good product. i do agree with phes.. it does seem like the 1-4 years age group is way off for pirates (at least here in the states). i would think 11-16 years would be the target pirate kids (not counting the adult market that is ;-) ). - BrickMiner

im surprised to read so many new-er movies *wacko* -------------------------------------------------- it's hard to narrow it to just one... Night of the Living Dead (original), Dawn of the Dead (re-make), Forbidden Planet, The Fountain, and The Shining, all make the cut for me. there are countless others. though, any darren arnofsky or stanley kubrick film is a must see. i find directing the most appealing aspect of movies... all the above are fine examples of great directing (aside from DotD possibly :-D which is just plain fun ;-) ). - Brick Miner

ya, i know what you mean... sometimes they're as bad as politicians :-D as well, i hate all that is artsy-fartsy... i get real sick of eclectic-this-and-eclectic-that talk. it's really popular among the art gallery/museum crowd |-/ however, i still appreciate art, i think there is a big difference between the two. talking about how you perceive something is just another way of learning about yourself... and that is what art lets you do, learn about yourself. likewise, i was trying to make that connection to LEGO MOCing (if one even exists). -------------------------------------------------- BTW, i liked reading your response Alex54 !!! - BrickMiner

uhmmmm, ya... and about those AquaRaiders ;-) - BrickMiner

*sweet* that is good EA... as others have said, the sleeping bag idea is very creative/original, especially when you incorporate the "hidden" gold. i love the story that is implied here, much like my own MOCing (i think that is why i like it so). it's very reminicant of the detailed story telling that LEGO suggested though their official WW sets. the MOC would benefit from a snake or scorpion for even more playability ;-) however, i do wish the photos were better, but i understand (all too well) the trials of having bad photography equipment ;-) this is much more than i expected from a Exo-Force fan :-P - BrickMiner

this is an interesting topic, for sure... i can't speak for LEGO MOCing (as i currently have more ideas than my budget allows), but creativity in general always comes in waves. i think of my creativity as juice filling into a cup. when your cup is full, you are at your most creative. and as you use the juice, the cup empties. when your cup is empty, you can't produce megabloks. to make it worse, the cup is only so deep and can only hold so much... so you can build it up for too long, without losing some of the creative juice altogether. it's a pretty classic and simple analogy, but at least in my case, it's true. -------------------------------------------------- most of my day is spend drawing... some months are easy, and some are hard. however, if i can take a few days off, when i come back, my work is always better. that is a much better option than the alternative... forcing my self to be creative, that is when you get in a rut. you definitely can't force creativity/inspiration. also, i think your mind needs that time off, to reflect on your work, and process what your mind has learned. it is very similar to one of the current theories on sleeping. your mind need to sleep, in order to process all that is learn in a day... it's proven that without sleep your ability to retain knowledge decreases dramatically. and this decrease is directly tied to how much sleep you have missed. i bet your ability to do some creative building will return ;-) however, if creativity is in fact, tied to age... i don't have much to look forward to. because at 27, i hope my best work is ahead of me :-$ - BrickMiner

well, they are official... they say "LEGO" on the studs. and the sellers who acquire these are trusted AFOL commuity members. however, as to figuring out where they come from, i don't know... i actually posed this question in a relevant thread here...http://eurobricks.hosting.ipsyn.com/eurofo...?showtopic=7848 some answers were offered, but nothing entirely concrete. im actually placing an order for more red logs today, so while im at it, im gonna ask the seller ;-) ------------------------------------------------ also, i'll get back to you norro, when i have some more typing time ;-) for now, i can say this... thanks !!! - BrickMiner

this isn't real important, or relevant to anything... however, i've been adding my new MOC to MOCpages.com (western section), and found this to be a little funny... http://www.mocpages.com/directory.php/13 someone needs to tell the admins :-D BrickMiner

EA, your reply suggests you are planning a WW theme all your own. am i reading that right ???if so, im excited to see what come of it !!! WW is a great theme with lots of possiblities, i think you'll have some fun. *y* *y* *y* ------------------------------------------------ thanks for leaving some feedback norro !!!im hearing a lot of "boxy" and im not sure that is exactly the right word (or maybe it is, and i don't understand), because isn't a stage coach a box on wheels :-D now, if you look at the image askua posted, the red cabin is a perfect box, with rounded bottom corners (which i did). however, i do understand too tall, and maybe that is making the box frame of the coach look of out place. i'd like to discuss more on this !!! ah, you know i do recall LEGO using this technique... sometimes im so stuck in the WW i forget to look outside my theme for inspiration and technique :-D i was using the money carriage in GOLD COITY JUNCTION as a starting point, which doesn't apply this technique. however, your right, using black bricks would look much better with the white horses.thanks !!! ------------------------------------------------ well, that is a nitpick :-P now, about the dynamite... it's interesting that both you and 007 have pointed this out, as for me, it would have never even crossed my mind. see, i interpret that piece to be a stick of dynamite, not a stick of lit dynamite. i mean, if you are playing that piece as being an active explosive, then the sticks of dynamite placed in the general store (via the instructions) are about to blow up the place !!! i think LEGO intended those to just be dynamite, and they are drawn with sparks to make it more "action packed". but maybe you already knew this and were trying to be funny, and i am just being stange *wacko* :-D ------------------------------------------------ gottcha B, the comments are appriciated. yes, it is rather large, especially next to SHERIFF'S LOCK-UP.you know, i have always been disappointed that the official WW LEGO city was not very tall (one of my few grips). i mean, all three structures are pretty much the same size, and only one level/room. now, im not asking for skyscrappers, but variable heights always make for more visual appealing presentation. as a result, all of my MOCing attempts have ended up in multiple story buildings !!! note: im probably going to get "dinged" for building a three story train station ;-) . however, using this technique has been quite successful in improving the overall "shape" of the city. consiquently, STAGE COACH HOLD-UP looks supurb next to the larger structures, like GUNSLINGERS SALOON. all-in-all, the height comes down the the concept of building a coach around the dressed lady. yes, the ghost town is obviously where we differ the most !!! and boy, you guys aren't going to me off on this one !!!------------------------------------------------ and thanks for expanding on your review of my stage coach, that is appriciated !!! i have no problem taking comments constructively... but as with anything, it's always considerate to mention things you like about the piece, as well as things you would change... or at least acknowledge the hard work or inspiriation behind the piece of work.i admit, i may have gotten a little defensive when all i read was "im not sure about this one, BM" :-$ but it's all good, and i am glad to have the feedback... to put it in perspective, i am working on a revamp of GUNSLINGERS SALOON. i felt you and norror provided some great feedback for my premier MOC. thanks B !!! -------------------------------------------------- thanks for saying so GR !!!- BrickMiner

:-D maybe i thought you were referring to that older tower, because admittingly, it reminds me a little of my coach 8-| :-D gottcha ;-) ya, it all comes back to that stupid slope dress. maybe mrt's thought of switchable legs (similar to the studio's lady) should have been applied.it's just that idea didn't sit well with me... i really really wanted a stage coach completely designed around the dressed lady. maybe a bad concept :'-( -------------------------------------------------- again, thanks for the thoughts and feedback everyone !!! im still trying to perfect my MOCing style... hopefully i'll have it down by the time my largest MOC, LEGOREDO STATION, is ready for publication ;-) - BrickMiner

:-D i didn't think you like my MOCs much as it was !!! i think our vision of the WW is greatly different Brickster... and i have come to find this out though our MOCs ;-) personally, i felt this was my most historically accurate MOC yet... and that is not to say that im going for historic accuracy. overall, however, i felt this MOC was quite a success, ranking slightly higher than my saloon, but not as high as the ghost town. it is interesting that anyone would judging the success of my stage coach on its accuracy to the wells fargo coach. yes, it was an inspiration (which i thought i interpreted very well), but was never to be a cookie-cutter miniature. my WW MOCs are to be considered a kids toy, based more in romanticized fiction than reality (which all official SYSTEM LEGO themes are ;-) which is what im trying to copy). i mean, how many times have you seen something like this in the history books: however, all that said, the MOC should still be reminiscing of old western iconography... so, if you are getting a medieval european feel, then i have obviously failed. if my camera was as good as yours i would consider it. honestly, my canon is so bad there is no way i could release a photo, without some form of touch-up. it's really that bad, yet so easy to fix with photoshop ;-) -------------------------------------------------- yup. :-D lets compare: -------------------------------------------------- i would strongly encourage this mrt !!! i feel presentation is a huge part in sharing MOCs on the internet. after all, the presentation is how we gather information about the model. so we better make it good ;-)and your MOCs are of high enough caliber, it would be a prefect end to the project (and all the hours spent on it) *sweet* - BrickMiner

:-D i would love to work on the box art designs... but im not sure about actual sets designs. after building a few AquaRaiders sets, im not sure im comfortable working with all these new pieces. the hinges and modified bricks have really changed since the 90's |-/ -------------------------------------------------- yes, i almost had to make a removable roof, because the dress makes the figure so tall, and she doesn't bend !!! :-D maybe if i was a jedi, but i'm still just a cowboy ;-) :-D hmmm... i hadn't even considered that. it is true that it dosen't appear on ever WW box... so that could still be considered a "legal" move for me.and thanks for going "all-out" ;-) - BrickMiner

receiving some WW pieces though charity doesn't sounds that bad at all !!! you could always pass the blessing on to me :-P in any case, thanks for the kind words !!! ------------------------------------------------ :-D your right... there is a lot of focus on the figures. however, they are one of the highlights in the official LEGO WW world... so, i think their spotlight is well deserved. also, im trying to "paint" a world in which my MOCs live. in a way, im not just making sets... im trying to expand the western world that LEGO begin to develope. and, i want viewers of my "sets" to understand each character and MOC's place within that world.however, id like to show a picture off the coach with the top off, and also the interior chair (the only two features of the set). so i'll get on that !!! yes, one of the things i battled with. i wanted the female figure to be able to ride with a comfortable amount of space above her head... so as to not look too un-natural. this was difficult with her slope dress :'-( i did what i could... and, while the coach is high, it doesn't seem unbelievable to me. actually, they are 1x2 brown plates, interlocking as you described ;-) your right, the back-end would have been way too unstable as 1x1's... and LEGO would have never done that ;-) when your taking photos, it's hard to gauge how long of a photo you can take. the size of the image is actual dimensions of a mid-90's LEGO box (same size as chief

oh, gottcha ;-) back to the MOC... i forgot to mention that i really liked the use of the stone face at the center of the pyramid temple. i have to note, it's interesting that LEGO used this same face design twice (6262 and 6278). i would have thought they would have designed an original moai for each set... but they didn't. so, as a by-product the face design seen from 6262 and 6278 becomes very representative of LEGO's vision of the islanders. it almost becomes their icon, along with kahuka's mask image. thus, its inclusion in the MOC suggests connectivity to the official sets... which i like. - BrickMiner

in the spirit of expanding the official LEGO Wild West collection, my most recently completed MOC... STAGE COACH HOLD-UP wild west set #6722 Pieces: 146 (including

what history debate are we referring to enoa :'-( id like to read it. io guess im really out of touch with the pirates forum :S the LEGO islanders are definitely a mythology all-there own... again, im not sure which debate we are talking about, but it seems they are highly influenced from south pacific islander culture... im not sure there is much of anything else.... the moai and volcano iconography lead me to believe so. however, it would have been nice if LEGO would have placed this theme in south america... and instead of having pirates as the foe... had the imperials. Then, if it would have been the imperial armada (implied to be spanish conquistadors) it could have been a nice "search for the fountain of youth" theme. ***feel free to move this post to the actual debate thread if nessesary ;-) - BrickMiner

here you go ;-) http://eurobricks.hosting.ipsyn.com/eurofo...?showtopic=6423- BrickMiner

thanks for the AR update !!! its nice to know AR has a home at EB *wub* - BrickMiner

yes, now that you mention it... i remember reading something at LEGO.com (hobby trains section) that talked about engineers and architects making up the "older" AFOL fan base. here is the article. BTW, this thread is taking on a whole new question... "are you a math or art guy/gal ???" -------------------------------------------------- copmike and lord david... i didn't realize there were so many digital artist here at EB 8-

very nice perception snefore... and i agree completely. that "representation or a reflection of someone's ideas" is what inspired this thread to begin with. i find MOCing LEGOs a great tool for diving into the depths of our minds... and finding reflections of how we perceive the workings of our world.LEGOs, in a matter of speaking, are a modern art movement... much like the impressionists who used blotches of paint to interpret their environment... we use basic geometric cubes and slopes to interpret the world around us. --------------------------------------------------

yup, i know what you mean... im finally getting to a point where i can't have everything on display at once. im sure others are way past that point... but it's hard when you finally get there...what to put away ??? :'-( the angler fish set is deceiving by the box art... i was "saving" mine for a while too... but it's worth opening and by far my favorite... but im prone to favoring small and medium sized sets... as you probably know ;-) - BrickMiner

i have shopped with LEGO.com PaB twice now.... it is interesting to see what is cheaper on BL and what is cheaper on LEGO.com. minifig elements are cheaper on LEGO.com (not that there is much), but this goes back to support BlueandWhite's post about and minifig prices on BrickLink. it is where all the profit is made from "parting out".im mean, for example, on BL a Lando Calrisian is 30-40 USD. if LEGO offered it online that fig would be the same cost as Engineer Max or Conductor Charlie... about 1 USD. personally, i have only used LEGO.com PaB for train tracks. its the only "old" gray still in stock ;-) -------------------------------------------------- :-D ;-) - BrickMiner

im curious B... right now, are you planning on getting any of the AR sets ???- BrickMiner

in what part of the world did your brother see this ??? and at what kind of shop had it on display.im still trying to figure out who these displays were made for ;-) thanks - BrickMiner