Saturday, August 31, 2013

Pick of the Day: Soyuz Rocket

Pick of the Day

Soyuz Rocket
by Kei_Kei

This is a great build.  It uses very clever techniques to get the curves that are expressed in the shape of the actual rocket.  On top of that, this is a critical element of international human based space endeavor as the Soyuz Rocket is how we get astronauts to the Space Station.

Make sure to check out Kei Kei's Lunokhod 1 project as well.

Notables

Bricksauria
This is a relaunch of Senteosan's Dino outside of Jurassic Park's license.  A clever move.  Certainly it is a slower pace to 10k but it will not be hampered by any difficulties in licensing.
BTTF - Marty​'s Truck
Another great offering from Team BttF.  I stand by my previous statement though that Lego is already working on this or has decided not to do it. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with producing new sets for BttF on Cuusoo, but keep in mind that these pursuits are no different from all the minecraft reproductions that populate Cuusoo. 

Ghostbusters Ecto-1
by welliAR
Very well done!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Turtle Party Wagon
by jalex
An interesting idea but this is suppose to be an anniversary set.  If that is your core excuse for recreating an existing Lego set so soon then state it int he title.  A lot of people will not look at projects that seem to be duplications of existing Lego sets.
Home Alone - Kevin's Mad House Fiasco!
Very well done.  Fans of the movie, or just people who grew up when it came out should take a look.  This has a lot of memorable play features from the movie.  
LEGO Harrower-class dreadnought
Impressive build.  
Neck Bracket with Double Studs
by CCB_18
Always resize your image to fit on Cuusoo.  
Truck with Hydraulic Arm
by Hajdekr
Very creative part use.  Will need to try some of these techniques out. 
Ghostbusters ECTO-1 Collectors Edition High Detail
Regardless of how good your design is, producing practically the same design right one or even two people have already taken it to 10k is something I will never understand.

If you do this, make it clear what makes your project different and worthy of support. 
Ice Planet Celestial Sled V2
I think homage sets are the key to getting through to a lot of AFOLs but you need to innovate the design a little, not just build based on the same principles.  
Pirate Ship Segments
If your project reaches production it will result in a single set.  So, if you publish a project that by definition requires more than one set to make sense, then your project is dead on arrival.

It is fine to promote a line concept but your actual product must be able to stand on its own as well. 

Friday, August 30, 2013

"Bricksauria" escapes Jurassic Park

Senteosan of recent Cuusoo Jurassic Park infamy has gotten his project to the doorstep of 5000 support without a single word from Cuusoo.  This is very unusual as they usually give a comment at 1000.
As Jurassic Park is set for Kreo in 2014, many people suspect that all the Jurassic Park projects will be archived anyway.
Possibly in response to this, Senteosan has relaunched his amazing dino as a Jurassic Park independent "Bricksauria."  And suddenly we have a new, mind boggling well crafted project independent of any IP.

Autoblocks T-shirt

Found this awesome "Autoblocks" at TeeFury.com.  If you like it you better hurry because it is only available for a few more hours.

Rebrick Roundup:Caterham 7 by Sheepo


Yesterday did not yield many new projects on Cuusoo so I figured I would show you something I found on Rebrick instead, this Caterham 7 by Sheepo.

Sheepo does a mind bending job cramming technical marvels into artistically and accurately rendered shells.  They never fail to impress.   You may recall their Land Rover - Defender 110 reached 10,000 on Cuusoo, making it the first technic based project to do so. 


This video speaks for itself but if you would like to see some more pictures or other work by Sheepo, please visit his web site.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

CPotD: Gyro Drop

Cuusoo Pick of the Day


LEGO Friends' Gyro

I love dynamic builds.  I love it when brick joins with art and motion.  This seems to be most popularized with rides, which makes sense because of the minifig scale.

Well, this 'Gyro Drop' is no exception, bonus: It has magnets!

On top of the fun dynamic nature of this build is a great moc in and of itself.  The concept is instantly recognizable even without the electronics and quite colorful.  

A video of the build in motion (a must for any dynamic project) can be found here.  Also, if you have links in your project, make sure to make them into hyperlinks so people can click on them conveniently like this hyperlink to how to put hyperlinks in Cuusoo projects.

 

Notables

Mini Modular: Ghostbusters HQ
Accurate and Cute.  What more could you ask for.  I have to try the trick  Edubl31216 is using to make the sign hang.  How tight is it I wonder...

 

Asajj Ventress's Trident-class Assault Ship
This ship has always made me think of a cross between the Nautilus and the Giant Squid that attacked it. This is a great design but I do wonder how well it would perform IRL.
If you like the concept though, vote for it and see what Lego can do with those arms.
Disney's Planes - Skipper’s Flight School
This looks like a real Lego set, probably because it looks a lot like the Duplo set. Fantastic MOC all around and something to be really proud of.  Lego is probably following the same pattern as Cars though.  They are starting with Duplo, then for the next movie (Its a Trilogy) they will produce Lego system sets to serve the audience that they seeded with the Duplo
The Velorex 16/350
by Hajdekr
A great, elegant, clever little build.  

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Pick of the Day: Sherlock

Pick of the Day


Sherlock
by flailx

This is a really great show.  I have no idea if it could make brand fit.  It is a bit on the violent side and goes some places that Lego has avoided but I don't really care, that is for Lego to figure out.

This figures designs are perfect and the build is top rate.  Make sure to also support for one of my favorite projects on Cuusoo,  King of Red Lions,also by flailx.

Honorable Mentions

Star Trek - U.S.S. Defiant

The Defiant is one of my all time favorite fictional vehicles and this a fantastic representation.  I would certainly place it for pick of the day if Kreo did not currently have the Star Trek license.

Please do check out and support this project.  It is 3p (three plate ) scale with a deck and the whole crew.  


Dragon (DRG-1N) - MechWarrior Online

Very well done and distinguished Mech and a fine addition to the Lego MechWarrior "line."  It does however look liike it is falling backwards to me and the knees look a little weak.

Notables

Barriss Offee V.S Anakin Skywalker
This is a great MOC and a great playset.  I think the market might be too specific though for the piece count and complexity. 
Snoopy 65th anniversary
An ornament for 2015!  Very good show  Kelvinwin.  Way too many people miss the beat on projects vs demand vs production.  If you can get the support for this, you should be able to get it to production in time.

With Friends Like These...

If you are coming from Brickset please forgive the double post but I really want to get this project out there. 
  This week, we are featuring a project based on the Friends line.  There are no where near as many friends builds as standard minifigs but they are certainly out there.

With Friends in Space, Builder42 showcases perfectly an aspects of my favorite projects on Cuusoo, stepping outside the box and preconceived notions of Lego or what we do with that Lego.

Builder42 has done an amazing job customizing these figures, reimagining them in an more action driven sci-fi perspective with a real anime feel, of course the Macross inspired flightsuits and helmets add that effect.
Even with the harder edge of these elements you can see it still works well with the standard Friends elements like this pink skirt.
The project also showcase quite well that pink and space craft can go together quite well.
When Lego produces the VF-1 (fingers crossed) I might just have to commission Builder42 to make me one of these amazing figures.
Also make sure to check out Builder42's Calamity Jane 2.  The other reason I am bringing you this project today is to showcase the importance of Tags.
I can't believe that both these projects would be lounging around in the SUB 100! range if people knew they existed and in Cuusoo, if you don't have the right tags, you are a blip on the radar and if you have NO tags, its like you don't even exits.
Tags are what drive web of interconnectivity on Cuusoo.  If you have no tags, you are basically sitting outside the network.


As a personal Plug, if ladies that kick butt is something you support, then please check out my own Legend of Korra project.  

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Weekly Crowd

News

I am going to a new format.  I am going to be reviewing daily (or near daily) again so there are going to be fewer projects in the weekly review.  If you would like to see more please check out my daily review.

Discworld Gets Rincewind and Reaches 2000!  

The title pretty much says it all. I have finally created a Rincewind model I like enough to share and in doing so I finally got my Discworld project past the 2000 mark.  I think I did a good job capturing his essence.  I am pretty satisfied with the Luggage at this point too.  My Legend of Korra project is not doing too shabby either as it is now 925+.

Oz Contest

JeremiahKC has done something I have been expecting for a while now and expect to see with greater regularity in the future.  As part of the The Road to OZ, he has integrated a contest.

At 8000 support (very soon) one entrant will receive a Dorthy brick build model.  At 10,000 one entrant will receive Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion brick built models.  It is a clever move but I undstand these activities can be legally complex.  I will be watching closely (and have entered as well).


Kickstarter

Bricktable


The Bricktable is a very well though out design.  This is a table with a trap door to a funnel.  So you pour out your Lego onto the table, find what you need, then pull the trap door to pour all the Lego back into your container. 

Apps

Mini Mi

I just found this new minifig themed app .  It is the kind of genius that is obvious in hindsight (aren't the best ones that way). 


Mini mi allows you to construct a wide variety of figures by cycling through a an extensive menu of options.

The app is well thought out with several  suboptions within each existing option, for instance, you can add glasses to face or change the color of each arm individually.   One great option that is much easier to implement virtually than in the real world is short sleeves

I give the developers, 7on2, significant props for including a wheelchair option for the lower torso.


I will be honest, the interface takes some time to get used to but here is a quick start guide:

  • Slide a part left or right to cycle through options
  • Double tap a part to see the full menu of options for the element selected (including locked content)
  • Tap a part to go to coloring and sub options for the given part
  • To get to face customization, Tap once to get to color selection, then tap on the face again in the color menu
  • Swipe the image up to save


I could see this being a great tool for the Cuusoo crowd.  People can use it to make Custom figs for their ideas and post them to their projects.  I contacted the developer and (at least one of them) they gave their permission to use their art in this way.   We will have to see if Cuusoo is ok with it though.

The app itself if free and well worth the price.  The monitization comes in the form of expansions.  $0.99 unlocks a theme (Space, Music, Sports, Pirate, or Castle) and $3.99 unlocks the whole thing.  


Pick of the Week

Invader Zim House and Voot

Although I am a self proclaimed aficionado of animation I must admit my familiarity with Invader Zim is low.  I do however find this design irresistibly charming and well thought out.

The windows are cleverly designed into show accurate shapes regardless of the complex geometry.  But on top of that (Literally) the roof cracks open to reveal a hangar for the ship which is a great density of build.

After cracking the roof open the sides can also be pulled down granting access to the first floor which, is itself another greatly orchestrated MOC, expanding on the already numerous play features of the house 

Buggyirk and Jiminyc have certainly provided Cuusoo a project to be proud of with a large potential audience and a highly playable design.

 Honorable Mentions


Jurassic Park


This would have been a shoo in for "Pick of the Week" for me. I mean, LOOK AT THAT THING!  It is brilliant on so many levels.  It is one of the rare projects (only one other ((trivia time boys and girls)) that I posted to Brickset within hours of it  being published.

It has however been brought to my attention that Jurassic Park is getting the Kreo treatment in 2014 and this projects is therefore dead in the water.   So very sad!  I hope to see more great projects come out of  Senteosan though.

It is significant to point out that Brick Queen's Jurassic Park project got a 1000 support comment that did not archive the project, which has been historically the action when a project reaches 1000 with an IP that is currently locked down.  It has been quite some time since a project has reached 1000 with a locked down license.

This could mean any of a number of  things:

  • Human error (Cuusoo Staff may have been unaware of the Kreo Conflict)
  • Kreo might not have exclusive rights to Jurrasic Park (Unlikely I would imagine)
  • A silent change in Cuusoo policy
I am very curious to see what comment Senteosan gets back.

Lamborghini Aventador

I think this is hands down the best brick  Lamborghini I have ever seen.  Its technique is remarkable. The position for the number one spot was fierce this week however but I will be mentioning this baby again in the future, you can count on that.

I said this before but it bears repeating: "I have never seen a car look so good covered in that much SNOT."


Baba Yaga and Her Chicken Legged Hut

I will admit that I am biased on this one.  I have a strange affection for Baba Yaba and her Chicken Legged House.  What I am unbiased about though is how well orchestrated this design is.  Its a fantastic representation.

Some might feel that specific stories about Baba Yaba might be too intense for young audiences but these stories are true of pretty much all mythological beasts.  We see a ton of the Greek/Roman figures in the Lego Minifig line but the Minotaurs origins are certainly not family friendly.  

Monday, August 26, 2013

Pick of the Day: Kerbal Space Program.

Pick of the Day

Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal, I have not played it but I hear about it enough from my gaming group.  This is an ideal project:  Good fan base, active community, viable scale.  On top of that, its just so damn cute.

Very clever implementation of the Fez to create characters that are compelling and recognizable yet inexpesive to produce and inviting to the members of the Kerbal fanbase who might really like Kerbal but not want a full scale figures cutting into their budget.   

 

Honorable Mentions


Elven Dragon

Lizardman is one of the early guys on Cuusoo and they have been producing content for a long time.  He is one of the very rare Cuusoo creators to have taken an idea that is all there own, not even based on historical events and gotten it past 1000.  No Small Feat.

This is perhaps my favorite offering of his to date.  Those feet look amazing. and the ring around the neck is fantastic. 

Project: F-Zero X
by Zurtech

We get quit a few F-Zero projects but I think this one is my favorite to date.  Very well designed vehicles and figures.

Chibi Lego builds ( CHIBO'S ) Marvel - The Ave
by DarthKy

Evergizer Bunny this guy is!  Hulk does seem a little small though. 


LEGO Star Wars Lars family's Tatooine house
by SHuN23

This is probably the best MOC I have ever seen of a boring boring place.  Really utterly fantastic, but what is the play value?  Moisture farming at its most exciting!

Correct me if I am wrong but what happened here was: Whining Luke, Driods Purchased, Droids cleaned....Everybody dead.

So, to reiterate, I want it absolutely clear:  I think this is a work of art.  It is irrational how awesome I think this design is.  If I saw it at a Con I would go all giggly with respect.  As a product though it is the doorstep to adventure, the remains that are burned away, the cocoon that is cast off and discarded for the butterfly to take flight.  Ultimately it is a graveyard.    

I am not saying that a product could not be made of this, but the scale of the build does not match the thematic nature of the establishment.  

Notables

Two-Face's Two-Faced Getaway Car
A fun design.
Planes
These builds are phenomenal but it is my understanding that such things are shortly to be produced.  Great work though none the less. 

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Daily Crowd

Kickstarter

Move over Sea Monkeys,  Dino Pets are going to eat your lunch!

 

 
This is a kickstarter to develop a product based on a bioluminescent dinoflagellates.  Since the "dinos" feed off sunlight upkeep is about a simple (or simpler) that caring for a house plant but when you seal it all up in a cute little package you get a biological night time buddy night light.

Pretty genius, literally.   


Cuusoo 

Pick of the Day


Baba Yaga and Her Chicken Legged Hut

I love folk lore and mythology.  The further it gets from the "classics" the more I love it.  Baba Yaga is up there with my favorites and this is a fantastic implementation of her iconic Chicken Legged Hut.
I doubt this project has a shot at 10k, but I will certainly do what I can for it.  

Notables

Castle Builders
I have come to accept that projects are posted that fly in the face of the likely on Cuusoo, but I am always baffled when there are projects whose actual concept is fundamental antithetical to Cuusoo's stated policy of one set per project.
In this case Gollum.Jones (Clever Avatar btw) is promoting a good idea (but one that is not new to Cuusoo) where you can get chunks of a castle in individual sets.  I mean, if this project were to get to 10k Cuusoo would ask them, what single set of the required series do you want produced?

Granted, by the time a castle project gets to 10k, all the rules might be different...
 
Bicycle Shop
If your build is type of shop, go all the way.  The only way you can tell this project is a bike shop is that there is a bike in it (and the project dialog of course).

Give it life, flavor, and style.  
Unimog Black Edition
by Hajdekr
There is some very nice greebling with this one.  Check it out.  
CJ7 Jeep
by Showard
This is a very detailed design.  It had a lot of value adds that you will only notice from looking at the project, for instance, there is an engine under that hood.
The Tumbler with The Dark Knight
by kaze21
I should really keep a running tally on the number of tumblers on Cuusoo. 
The June Bug
by Evora
A well done design for a beautiful car, the Maikäfer.