LEGO!

[Rollo Tomassi]

My two Creator Houses arrived today. The 6754 Family Home and the 5891 Apple Tree House. The guy also threw in a bunch of green bushes and trees as well as that little SmartCar set(but without the fig).
The Family Home has an oddly designed interior with the fireplace directly under the stairs, but at least it's got interior room to add some furniture. The Apple Tree house looks nice aesthetically from the outside but has little interior play value. Also, neither house has any windows on the back side of the house, which is a bit strange.

Still, a good start to my neighborhood. I got the recent Hill House set, but I'm waiting to put it together until after Xmas when my daughter gets hers. Now I'm looking to get the Yellow Beach House from a couple years ago. Are there other house sets? I'm skipping the log cabin for now.

[vynsane]

i'm not really sure on the houses, they're not really my cup of tea. i got the apple tree house for my daughter last year for xmas, but you're right - there's little to no play value to it, but it's not a CITY set, it's a CREATOR set, so i think that's the difference.

anyway, you should check out brickset, specifically the CREATOR theme to see if there are more houses you're not aware of.

and now for something as unrelated to CITY as possible...


Blacktron Transgressor StarDrive by vynsane, on Flickr

A Blacktron "Transgressor", engaging the StarDrive propulsion system.

Having salvaged the wreckage of an alien starship whose original point of origin could only possibly have been from outside the currently-explored galaxies, Tanuki Corp. was able to reverse-engineer the intricate propulsion system into the faster-than-light Tanuki Corp. StarDrive module for the Modular Starfighter System.

Immediately upon the first successful test flight, Blacktron agents, who had infiltrated the Tanuki Corp. structure as janitorial staff, commandeered the prototype and fled to a moon on the far edge of the galaxy, where the homing beacon was deactivated, and the trail grew cold.

Recently, starfighters baring the same configuration and cloaked in the black, yellow and translucent red markings indicative of the Blacktron consortium have made quick hit-and-run attacks on convoys, leveraging the faster-than-light capabilities of the StarDrive module. This craft has come to be referred to as the "Transgressor" class.

This configuration uses a modified version of the PLM-T1 weapon module and a newly-developed "StarDrive" module, heavily inspired by Nathan Proudlove's Retro Rocket.


Blacktron Transgressor Cruise by vynsane, on Flickr


Blacktron Transgressor StarDrive by vynsane, on Flickr

LDD Files

• StarDrive Modular Starfighter (color-coded modules)
• Blacktron Transgressor ("painted" version)
• StarDrive module

Modular Starfighter Fuselage Extender Collection by vynsane, on Flickr

Promotional image from the Tanuki Corp. Fall 7012 solar cycle catalog.

Feeling a bit inadequate among your peers in the high-traffic spacelanes? Think your performance could use a little enhancement? The Tanuki Corp. Modular Starfighter System Fuselage Extender modules can help!

Currently available in four, six, or eight standard units long, each module can add more power output at your fingertips (except for the hollow cargo container module). Most feature two rows of up to six module hardpoints on each side (two rows of two for four-long, up to two rows of six for eight-long) to allow multiple engine and weapon mounting options.

Order yours today!

The idea here is to add more mounting points for additional modules while lengthening the entire fuselage so certain modules can clear others. Adding two rows was another aspect, so you can add the same module at an angle, top and bottom. The back-story I created hints that each one is able to increase the power output of the entire craft - I guess they're additional batteries or small reactors or something, IDK.

LDD File

• Modular Starfighter Fuselage Extender Collection

[Rollo Tomassi]

Blacktron is the tits. Lego should definitely go back to the well on those badboys with some updated modern sets.

I checked Brickset last night. There was a plain ol' "House" set that came out in 2007 which looks to be the first one in the series. And also an upscale Town House the following year. That one came with a car and garage. Looks nice, but goes for pretty penny now. It almost looks like the missing link in the jump to the Modular sets.

[Ran]

I really want to see Rollo's Lego room.

My wife has the Log Cabin, one of my daughters asked for the Hillside House, and the other one asked for the Apple Tree House. They already have the City House and another Creator house. I believe it is either the Family House or the Beach House. It is probably the Beach House, but I'm not positive.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I really want to see Rollo's Lego room.

Sadly, I don't have room to show everything at once...yet. But I do have those Space pics I took last year. I tried uploading them before and couldn't figure it out, but maybe I'll try again.

But my kids said they wanted to build a city over the holidays, so maybe we'll do that and post pics before we break it all down.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Best way to Motorize an Emerald Night over in the Brickset Forums.

Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk.

Also, my Maersk Train arrived yesterday. Zoooooommmm!!!!

[vynsane]

HAHA, nice...


DbM Swoosher by vynsane, on Flickr

Taking a break from the Modular Starfighter System, I wanted to really give DbM a try before they closed shop.The only time I really worked with the DbM palette was when I first discovered LDD and I quickly learned about Universe Mode and never looked back.

I figured a small 'swoosher'-style starfighter would fit the bill and not break the bank - boy was I wrong! All 185 pieces here can be yours for the modest sum of $50.66! Yikes! Maybe I'll go with a Rover instead! Seriously, I'm perfectly prepared to pay a modest premium for the convenience of having all the pieces I need packed up and shipped to me, but that's a bit ridiculous.


I tried coming up with a clever alternate starfightery meaning for the DbM acronym, but I'm home sick from work today with a 48-hour flu courtesy of my wife and daughter and the DayQuil is just not helping my thought process.

Anyway, as I got more into the design I realized I could probably build this thing out of the actual physical bricks in my collection, thus fully negating the need for DbM in the first place, and if I find the time I may do so.

If you want to play with it in the virtual world, download the DbM Swoosher LXF file.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Defense Bio Mech. A breakthrough in ergonomic biometric piloting controls. State of the art software installed in the cockpit and specialized flight suits are carefully calibrated to respond to a multitude of interfaces including retinal targeting, body heat, nerve stressor points, and the slightest subliminal body movements. All of it is processed thru the latest quantum computer. The result is meta-instantaneous response between the pilots actions and the Swoosher's flight.

Yeah, $50 is crazy for 185 pieces. I could swallow $25-30. No wonder they're shutting down DbM.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I took advantage of S@H's 10% off sale and ordered a Tantive IV today. Normally I eschew SW sets because of the LucasTax, but the 10% knocked $15 off an I get the Free Holiday set and free shipping along with it. Plus, the set looks bitchin'.

Since I got both the trains I wanted, my next purchase is going to be the first two Winter Village sets.

Then I should have enough VIP Points to put a serious dent in the Imperial Flagship and only pay around $100 instead of $180.

After that, any recommendations? I figure the Pet Shop will hold until their next Double VIP promotion. Primarily looking at Sets that are retiring soon so I don't have to pay the asshole secondary markey on them.

[Ran]

If you go to Target's website and look at the coupons, they have a $5 off Lego coupon you can print. It is good until 11/23.

[vynsane]

i would peruse brickset by year, particularly 2008, 2009 and 2010 and make a list of sets you NEED to have, WANT to have and would LIKE to have that still have prices for LEGO S@H, each list then ordered by the year that they came out.

[Rollo Tomassi]

The only thing from 2008 is the Death Star for $400. Yikes! And some train Power Functions, but I don't see those going anywhere for awhile.

From 2009 there's the Republic Dropship for $250, the Battle for Endor for $100 and the Mideval Market Village for $100. And some dinky city sets I still see in stores like the Camper.

And 2010 has the Imperial Shuttle for $260.

If Star Wars wasn't so GoshDarn expensive I'd go for the Shuttle and the Death Star. I guess the MMV is the next purchase. Oh, and the Space Shuttle. Forgot about that.

[vynsane]

the space shuttle will still be around for a while, so MMV should be the next one. i would love to get that for my daughter - she loves the Castle/Kingdoms sets and has also loved playing with the Winter Village Bakery set we just put together the other night, so would probably REALLY love MMV. just not in the cards, though.

there's a 40% off one 'educational toys and games', 'adult games and puzzles' or 'gift selection' in-store coupon at B&N right now, good through the 24th. i would love to use it on the Kingdoms Castle from 2010 for her.

also, i like the alternate acronym you came up with for DbM, but it has two control sticks, so it's not fully bio-feedback. still, it's better than anything i came up with, which was nothing

[Ran]

Sale on Amazon. There is a little bit from all the themes.

http://toysnbricks.com/usa-amazon-29-of ... itzu-dojo/

And more pictures of the Superhero sets:
http://toysnbricks.com/lego-superheroes ... -pictures/

[Rollo Tomassi]

What the hell? S@H isn't offering the 2nd Holiday set with purchases over $100 anymore? When did that stop? I thought it was thru November. Dammit.