@loserface:
Blacktron I, aka Cool Blacktron.

@mikejonas:
Other than the stickers on the torsos (yes, unfortunately, from the pics they are not making special painted torsos for this promotion), these should be entirely buildable using the LEGO Digital Designer program, and purchasable through the LEGO Factory. As such, the pricing shouldn't be too out of whack with the piece count because they wouldn't be allowed to order special pieces that aren't already in production. See, when they design a new set, every piece/color combo has a "price" associated with it, and they have to keep the set as a whole under a value based on its intended MSRP. If a part/color combo is already in production for another set, it's "price" drops compared to what it would be if they were forcing a special part run just for this one set. This is why Star Wars sets have a lot of filler bricks in primary colors, the UCS Batmobile used 1x1 black TECHNIC bricks (which it specifically needed in a few places) in those few instances when a regular 1x1 black brick would have worked, and certain highly specialized pieces will show up once and never see the light of day again (even if they'd be perfect in another situation). Now, that being said, a lot of us AFOLs tend to build very dense constructions, piece-count-wise. Where an official LEGO car might use a few dozen pieces, an AFOL car of the same size might use over 100 just to push the level of detail as high as possible. For instance, I built a minifig-scale Dodge Tomahawk which, under LEGO piece-count rules would clock in at 64 pieces. In constrast, the (a href="http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=7620&cn=519&d=70">smallest Indiana Jones set is 79 pieces, and inludes _three_ minifigs (with accessories) and _two_ motorcycles, plus a sidecar, a gatehouse, a flag, and some crates. Another good example is the fan-designed Cafe Corner, which fits on a single green baseplate, and has a piece-count that's about 40% of the UCS Millennium Falcon. And there are AFOLS who could have cranked that piece-count well over 5000 without changing the size, by doing stuff like using 1x2 dark-red plates to simulate actual minifig-scale bricks. Heck, I know a guy who'll spend $100+ on a single tree.

@easy2panic:
Here you go. Software's free, and you can buy anything you can design. LDraw is a more versatile program, though.

@Vagabum:
Really? I'm pretty sure the original sets included _five_ colors (black, white, red, blue, and yellow).

@st3nz:
Even better is hooking up with a local LEGO User Group, and being able to wow the unsuspecting public with your cool creations.

Purple Dave

Sortafast

Kered

2. There are support groups for AFOLs (Adult Friends/Fans of LEGO) - www.lugnet.com, www.classic-space.com, www.classic-castle.com, the Flickr communities, and many others. I think you'll be amazed at what you find there.

st3nz

Vagabum

Yep. He sure does:

+ Watch video

That and the fact that Beastman never looks him in the eye when they make sweet, sweet, boney, beasty love.

Out2gtcha

BigBaboo

I was just looking on ebay to see what kind of LEGO is available.

It looks like one can get some stuff on there pretty darn cheap, but the used stuff I'd run through the dishwasher first. ;)

strider_mt2k

As for favorite sets I would have to go with pirates. With the growing popularity of pirates in media and IT (See pirates v. ninjas) I'm surprised they don't bring back the large schooner sets. Plus my wife loves pirates and I could dig getting her a pirate ship; I would get to put it together ;)

auslander

ninjagin

Even the big plastic tub I got at a container auction for a buck.

Cross-eyedCyclops

Yeah no sh#t. Sorry, no sh#t to the no falcon update, not to the fact that Jesus doesnt care. He cares.

He'll be getting on the Falcon update ASAP. Right? Please say its so..........

Out2gtcha

freakshow1

mine has to be the old school castle system. i don't really like the newer dragon or the knights system.

pixelchild

Space Skull FTW!

wizardofpants

scarbrtj

Oldbrass

aquiros

Or you could become the creepy guy in the neighborhood that invites children to his house to play with his toys.

Guizzy

@pferde_schwanz: With a name like that, you'd think all the ladies would be flocking to get a piece!

ry_ry

easy2panic

Another good thing is find someone who has 'em and ask to borrow them for the weekend.
Make a little time to play and you'll know if you're into it by your first bathroom break. ;)

strider_mt2k

Yeah, cause I'm pretty sure in the current political climate having the 'bad guys' named the "BLACKtron" like in the days of yore (aka the 80's) is probably out.

It's funny, looking back at media from the 80's and even the early 90's I'm amazed that some of it ever saw the light of day...

OddManOut

mnit

Ahhhhhem. Let's just say 24-??

I also believe that Hardees is about to start up their logo infringement suite against Star Justice as well.

Out2gtcha

pferde_schwanz

mikejonas

Loserface

Maybe we need to start a support group to make playing with Lego's acceptable for people between 24-34....

@werk

TommySez

I only just last week made a passable Eagle from Space 1999 that I always wanted to make as a kid.
(It took decades to figure out that it was easy if I just changed the scale a little. -duh!)

I would buy these with no other purpose than to fuel my collection of pieces.
(All sets do get built at least once, just the Star Wars stuff stays built!)

strider_mt2k

pferde_schwanz