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Black Six

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Blog Entries posted by Black Six

  1. Black Six

    Blind Speed Build

    By Black Six,

    Officially, I came in second. But as you can hear Todd say near the end, the winner actually cheated. I will carry this proud victory in my heart of hearts forever.
     
     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1Yyb0Spk_w

  3. Black Six

    Missing Contest Prizes

    By Black Six,

    There were some periods during the past couple of years where I was super busy and wasn't able to send out contest prizes in a timely manner. For the past few months I've been going through my records to get them all squared away. I think I have a majority of them done at this point, except for a couple where I'm waiting to hear back from people.
     
    But there's definitely a good chance that I have missed or overlooked some contests and prizes, and I'd like to resolve that.
     
    So if I still owe you or someone you know a contest prize, please send me a PM or leave a comment here. Spread the word so as many people as possible hear about this. I really want to make sure everyone gets their prizes.
     
    Thanks for your help, and if I owe you something, I'm sorry it's taken so long.
  4. Black Six

    Fun in RPG Land

    By Black Six,

    The Bionicle RPG forum has some of our most active topics and the BZPRPG is a pretty popular game.
     
    The LEGO RPG forum, not so much.
     
    I've been thinking a little bit about what we can do about that. I'm open to suggestions. I have considered merging the two, but then we'd have to figure out what to do with Bionicle RPGs selected via contests and LEGO RPGs selected via judging. Certainly not an insurmountable problem, but something to consider.
     
    I'd like to hear what you guys have to think about the state of the RPG forums and how to run things moving forward.
  5. Black Six

    BZPower Livestreams

    By Black Six,

    Man, it's been far too long since I last posted here. Things have been, and still are, busy. But I need to get back in the habit of making blog entries, so here we are.
     
    Back in September, we hosted a livestream celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Mask of Light's release. Despite not going entirely as we planned, it was still a lot of fun and I think everyone enjoyed it.
     
    I'd like to do more of them - would you like us to? What would you like us to stream? Other LEGO movies and videos like Hero Factory and Ninjago? Playing games like MNOLG or the TT Games?
     
    Does anyone have a suggestion for a platform to use? Should we stay with YouTube or looking into something like Twitch or Ustream?
     
    Let me know and we'll see what we can do!
  6. Black Six
    It would seem that in the hustle and bustle of packing up all the MOCs at the end of BrickFair that someone's creation ended up in the wrong box. Wasp received a MOC that does not belong to him or his brother.
     
    If this belongs to you or you know whose it is, please let me know ASAP so we can get it returned.
     
    Thanks everyone!
  8. Black Six
    I have a lot of stuff to send to people, now that BrickFair is over. I hope to get things sent out as soon as possible, but as you'll see below, there's really a LOT. If you don't see your name on the list below, add a comment or PM me to make sure I'm not missing you. Right now I'm not adding any names (except for a couple exceptions) because I don't have all the MOCs and prizes in front of me. As I have time, they'll all be added to the list.
     
    Convention MOCs
    All the people who sent MOCs that were displayed at BrickFair Alabama, Bricks Cascade, BrickFair New England, and BrickFair Virginia and have not gotten them back yet.
    Tomaku
    Wasp - Shipped 8/19/13
    Obsessionist - Shipped 8/12/13
    Takua Dragonstar7 - Shipped 8/12/13
    Klatix the Fire Agori - Shipped 8/12/13
    Atamai - Shipped 8/12/13
    Bfahome - Shipped 8/12/13
    Imatron - Shipped 8/12/13
    Great being Velika - Shipped 8/12/13
    Soldier 1st class Voxumo - Shipped 8/12/13
    Malignus - Shipped 8/12/13
    DeeVee and Nukaya - Shipped 8/12/13
    I have a box full of stuff for them that wouldn't fit in their luggage.
     
    BBCC 65 Finalists
    I'm keeping them separate from the convention MOCs because I can.
    Ballom - Shipped 8/15/13
    Mushy the Mushroom - Shipped 8/14/13
    Force_UnBleached - Shipped 8/14/13
    Arpy - Shipped 8/14/13
    Bundalings - Shipped 8/14/13
    ghidora131 - Shipped 8/14/13
    Set Reviewers
    I have no idea what you're talking about.
    ChocolateFrogs - Shipped 8/17/13
    Nuju Metru - Shipped 8/16/13
    xccj - Shipped 8/16/13
    Sisen - Shipped 8/16/13
    Bfahome - Shipped 8/12/13
    DeeVee - Shipped 8/12/13
    BioniLUG Members
    Some members still need stuff.
    Jedi Master J. - Shipped 8/21/13
    EmperorWhenua - Shipped 8/21/13
    Trydeltix - Shipped 8/21/13
    Klatix the fire Agori - Shipped 8/12/13
    Brickthing - Shipped 8/12/13
    GBV - Shipped 8/12/13
    Bfahome - Shipped 8/12/13
    Raffle Winners
    Free sets and videogames.
    Bionicle Raptor
    LockmanCapulet
    Javi
    Cratak
    Zrel - Shipped 8/19/13
    Meiko - Shipped 8/19/13
    SmoothJazz - Shipped 8/14/13
    DeeVee - Shipped 8/12/13

  9. Black Six
    In case you only read the blogs and ignore the forums, I just made a topic about the party we had at BrickFair. Go check it out and give me some feedback. I want to know how we can improve next year!
  10. Black Six
    BrickFair Virginia is less than a week away! On Friday, August 2nd at 11:30 AM, Kevin Hinkle will be doing his LEGO Question & Answer panel again. Todd is doing the same thing he did at BrickFair New England where we get to ask our questions over lunch at a nearby restaurant. It'll be interesting to see how it goes with a much larger crowd.
     
    Anyway, I know a lot of you unfortunately won't be able to make it, so once again I'm giving you the chance to come up with some questions to ask Kevin about LEGO and the community. All questions are welcome, whether they're serious or silly (or somewhere in between). Leave them in the comments below.
     
    I'll do my best to ask as many as I can during the convention and see if I can steal some of his time later to ask the remaining ones.
     
    For those of you who are going to BrickFair Virginia - I can't wait to see you all!
  11. Black Six
    The new year is almost here and that means the LEGO convention circuit will be starting soon. The first big event is BrickFair Alabama, taking place January 17-20 in Birmingham. The Bionicle display last year was pretty nonexistent, and we want to change that this year. In fact, we want to make sure the Bionicle display at a bunch of events is amazing - and we need your help. Read on to see what you can do.
     
    UPDATE: BrickFair Alabama is over, so this article has been updated for Bricks Cascade. You can ignore anything that has been struck out.
     
    UPDATE 2: Bricks Cascade is now done too. Our new focus is on BrickFair New England in Manchester, NH. You can still ignore anything that has been struck out.
     
    UPDATE 3: BrickFair New England is also over. Our last event, BrickFair Virginia, is coming fast. Focus on the parts that have not been struck out.
     
    The Bionicle theme coordinators from four events are collaborating to help make sure Bionicle is well-represented. We want to make it easy for you guys to have your MOCs on display at as many events as possible, and we'll do our best to reward you for doing so. BrickFair Alabama is right around the corner, so you'll have to act fast to get in on that event. To make all this work, there's a lot of planning that has to happen, so please bear with us and the large paperwork trail required. We need to know what you are sending and what events you would like your creations to appear at. BrickFair Alabama is in January Bricks Cascade is in March BrickFair New England is in May and The last event we're covering, BrickFair Virginia, is in August, so this is a long-term commitment, but we plan to do our best to compensate you. We also have to worry about shipping costs. I've created the below to help organize things for the coordinators and the builders. When you PM me, please include answers to ALL the below questions.
     
    BrickFair AL 2013 - January 17-20, Birmingham, Alabama
    How are you sending MOCs?
    I'm bringing them (in person)
    I'm shipping them
    I'm not sending MOCs to this event
    How are you getting your MOCs back?
    I'm taking them (in person)
    I want them shipped back (include return shipping from Birmingham, AL 35203)
    I want them shipped to Bricks Cascade (include $4 per Toa-sized MOC, $8 per Titan-sized MOC, or total cost of shipping you paid for BrickFair AL, whichever is less)
    Bricks Cascade 2013 - March 7-10, Portland, Oregon
    How are you sending MOCs?
    I'm bringing them (in person)
    I'm shipping them
    They're being shipped from BrickFair AL 2013
    I'm not sending MOCs to this event
    How are you getting your MOCs back?
    I'm taking them (in person)
    I want them shipped back (include return shipping from Portland, OR 97232)
    I want them shipped to BrickFair NE 2013 (include $4 per Toa-sized MOC, $8 per Titan-sized MOC, or total cost of shipping you paid for Bricks Cascade, whichever is less)
    I want them brought to BrickFair VA 2013 (include $5 to cover baggage fees)
    BrickFair NE 2013 - May 9-12, Manchester, New Hampshire
    How are you sending MOCs?
    I'm bringing them (in person)
    I'm shipping them
    They're being shipped from Bricks Cascade 2013
    I'm not sending MOCs to this event
    How are you getting your MOCs back?
    I'm taking them (in person)
    I want them shipped back (include return shipping from Bel Air, MD 21014)
    I want them brought to BrickFair VA 2013 (free)
    BrickFair VA 2013 - August 1-4, Chantilly, Virginia
    How are you sending MOCs?
    I'm bringing them (in person)
    I'm shipping them
    They're being brought from Bricks Cascade 2013
    They're being brought from BrickFair NE 2013
    I'm not sending MOCs to this event
    How are you getting your MOCs back?
    I'm taking them (in person)
    I want them shipped back (include return shipping from Chantilly, VA 20153)
    Now you may be saying, "that's a lot of money for shipping and I won't see my MOCs for months, what's in it for me?" Don't worry, we've thought of that.
     
    Perks
    For each event your MOCs appear at, you get one prototype part
    If your MOCs appear at two or more events, you get a Proto boost
    If your MOCs appear at three or more events, you get a custom rank title of your choice (to be approved by the Administration)
    If your MOCs appear at four or more events, you get a free six month Premier Membership (No longer available except to those who shipped their MOCs to BrickFair Alabama.)
    Your MOCs will be seen by tens of thousands of people, inspiring children and adults around the country
    Many awesome pictures will be taken of your MOCs by BZPower staff and members and will appear on the front page
    We will try to get other goodies to return with your MOCs if we can - who doesn't like surprises?
    But wait, there's more!
     
    Blog Assistant Nukaya has volunteered her time and talent to take professional studio-quality pictures of your MOCs if you send them to three or more events. Here's the scoop:
    You can have up to three pictures taken. The pictures can be of three different MOCs, the same MOC in three different poses, or some combination therof.
    If she has the time/is feeling generous, you might get more pictures.
    Pictures can be standard photographs (Example) or fancy (Example).
    Only one MOC can be in each photo. No group shots of multiple MOCs will be taken.
    PM Nukaya to let her know which MOCs you want pictures of and if you want standard or fancy.
    Any questions about the process can be directed to Nukaya as well.
    Please note, the above perks stack, so if you send MOCs to all four events, you will get four prototype parts, a Proto boost, custom rank title, professional photographs, and a Premier Membership. Pretty cool, right?
     
    Money
    Obviously this is all going to cost something, and information on shipping costs to be included are mentioned above. There are several ways you can send us the money:
    Include cash in your package (not recommended for international shippers)
    Include check or money order in your package (PM Black Six for information on who to make it out to)
    Send money via PayPal (PM Black Six for PayPal account information)
    Any money left over after all shipping is done will go to support BZPower via hosting costs, contest prizes, and future events like this.
     
    Shipping
    Here are some requirements and tips for shipping your MOCs:
    All MOCs MUST be shipped inside a ziploc bag, one MOC per bag, unless they are small, simple MOCs.
    MOCs often break in transit and a ziploc bag will contain the parts and keep them from getting mixed up.
    If your MOC is especially large, break it up into sections and put each in a bag.
    Each ziploc should have your username and the name of your MOC. This can either be written on the bag in permanent marker or written on a slip of paper and inserted in the bag.
    DO NOT use packing peanuts or similar packing - they make a big mess. Bubble wrap and tissue paper or newsprint are best.
    Include two copies of your return address in the box.
    Pictures of the completed MOC should be included, as well as a few simple building steps if necessary.
    Put your username and the MOC name on the pictures to help keep things from getting mixed up.
    If you've read the above and want to participate, here's what you need to do:
    PM Watashi Wa for his address if you are shipping for stuff to BrickFair Alabama.
    If you don't want to send things to BrickFair Alabama, we'll have shipping information for future events soon.
    PM DeeVee to let him know you are sending something to Bricks Cascade. MOCs should be shipped to:
    Patrick Biggs
    230 NE 99th Avenue
    Portland, OR 97220
    USA
    PM Black Six to let him know you are sending something to BrickFair NE. MOCs should be shipped to:
    Andrew Bulthaupt
    516 Mast St.
    Bel Air, MD 21014
    USA
    PM ChocolateFrogs to let him know you are sending something to BrickFair VA. MOCs should be shipped to:
    Benjamin Paczak
    6008 Jan-Mar Dr.
    Falls Church, VA 22041
    USA
    PM Black Six with your answers to the above questions so I can keep track of everyone's MOCs.
    Also include what MOCs you are sending, as well as descriptions of the creations (for MOC cards), links to BZPower topics, Brickshelf galleries, or any other pictures or info on your MOC.
    Figure out how much money you need to include/send.
    Package up your MOCs, along with pictures, return address info, and money (if not sending via PayPal)
    Ship the packages. Confirm that they will arrive at their destination by Friday, July 26, 2013.
    Send payment via PayPal if applicable.
    Please note: failure to follow the above instructions and recommendations could significantly delay the time it takes to get your MOCs back. We will do our best to return everything, but if we are missing information or payment, it will take longer.
     
    FAQ
     
    Can I send art?
    Yes! Follow the same process as above. If you are sending artwork, we suggest getting a large printout from somewhere like Staples or Kinkos and send it in a shipping tube
     
    I want to build something new, but don't have enough time for BrickFair Alabama. What do I do?
    You can send some existing MOCs you have to BFAL and then your new stuff to the next event you're able to. If there's enough room, we'll combine everything and send you one box back, otherwise you'll recieve multiple packages when all is said and done.
     
    I want to send stuff but don't want to wait until August to see it again. Can I get it back after each event?
    Yes, if you include return shipping we can send it back to you after an event and you can then ship it to the next one. This will likely be more expensive though, and we do not recommend it.
     
    Where do I ship things if I don't want to send them to BrickFair Alabama Bricks Cascade BrickFair NE?
    We will have shipping information for other events in the near future.
     
    Can I just send one MOC and still get the perks?
    Yes, you aren't required to send multiple MOCs. But the more the merrier!
     
    Will perks be rewarded to pieces of art?
    You bet!
     
    Do we get perks if we bring MOCs in person to multiple events?
    Yes, if you bring them it still counts as long as you let us know in advance so we can keep track of them.
     
    My printer is broken so I can't include pictures, what do I do?
    While we really prefer it if you include at least a couple actual pictures, you can send us links to them on the Internet. In fact, we suggest everyone sends us additional pictures digitally, via BZP topics, Brickshelf galleries, or otherwise. We'll have smart phones and laptops on hand to look them up on, and having more angles will make it easier to reassemble your MOCs.
     
    I live in (insert country here). Can I participate? How much do I have to pay?
    Yes, everyone is welcome to participate! Please note, all costs above are in US Dollars. You will be responsible for paying the shipping costs from your country to the first event your MOCs will be displayed at. Then you need to include the appropriate amount based on the rules above to get your MOCs to additional events. Finally, you will need to include the same amount it cost you to send your MOCs to us, but converted to US Dollars. We suggest using PayPal for sending the money as it's less of a pain to deal with customs and will handle the conversions for you. Most importantly - check with your post office to find out how long it will take your MOCs to be delivered and send them with as much time to spare as you can.
     
    I'm still confused...
    PM Black Six or post in the comments.

  12. Black Six

    Furlough Fundays

    By Black Six,

    For better or worse starting July 8th I'm going to be off every Monday for eleven weeks. As those of you who have spent time with me on days off know, they're usually spent on the phone or replying to emails for various work-related things. For the government furloughs, however, we are expressly forbidden from doing any work-related activities. What am I going to do with my extra day off then? I know, maybe finally play some of the many videogames I have acquired over the years but never finished or in some cases even played.
     
    And you're going to help.
     
    Below is a list of games and series that I need to play to some varying degree, with descriptions. You tell me what I should play.
    Halo - I never did beat Halo Wars, and there's plenty more achievements to get in the others. I never got all the way through Anniversary either, come to think of it...
    Mass Effect - I need one more achievement in the first game, then I need to bring my character through the second game again, and I haven't even played the third game yet.
    Dragon Age - I played the first one all the way through but never got through all the DLC. Only played the demo of the second one.
    Bioshock - I played the first one, would probably play it again to harvest instead of save. Haven't played the second one or Infinite.
    Gears of War - I've played the first game multiple times and used to LAN it. Only played Horde Mode on the second. Never played the third or Judgement.
    Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - I have the Ultimate Sith Edition but never played it. Don't have the sequel though.
    Batman Arkham Asylum - Own it but haven't played it.
    Fable - Beat the first one, own the second and the third (it's free on Games on Demand!) but never played them.
    Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay - Heard this was pretty good, picked it up cheap but never played.
    Ghostbusters - Same as above.
    Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Ditto.
    Dead Rising - Fourpeat.
    Guitar Hero/Rock Band - There's always more songs to play and more achievements to get.
    Have at it!
  13. Black Six
    I'm still catching up on a lot of things after BrickFair New England, which was a blast. I had some of the most fun there that I've had at any other convention, met a bunch of awesome people, and caught up with some old friends.
     
    But before the convention, I asked you guys for some questions. At Kevin Hinkle's TLG Q&A I asked a few, but wasn't able to get them all in. So on Saturday during the public hours we sat down away from the crowds for a little bit to chat and go through some others. What you see below are not exact quotes, they're sentences constructed from the notes I was taking on my tablet typing away as fast as I could. Please do not treat them like infallible quotes that could not possibly be wrong and must certainly represent LEGO perfectly.
     
    Questions are in italics, responses are in bold.
     
    How long until Galidor comes out on DVD?
    When you find it and burn it to a disc.
     
    How are you doing?
    A little overwhelmed lately due to the changes on the team - really just trying to continue to deliver on the expectations of the community and assume the new responsibilities. It's tough but I'm hanging in there.
     
    When are we getting old fire back?
    [Kevin had a really clever reply for this that I forgot to write down. ]
     
    Who's your favorite Toa?
    Lhikan.
     
    What year of BIONICLE was your favorite?
    2006 because of the cartoony styles of the Piraka.
     
    Were Bionicle-themed sandwiches ever considered a viable option during the theme's 9-year long run?
    I can neither confirm nor deny. Sandwiches? Really?
     
    Q: THANK YOU FOR THE PIZZA
    Q: ALSO YOU'RE RIGHT THE SUPERMAN: RED SON ARC IS BRILLIANT
    Q: YOU ARE MY HERO KEVIN
    I'm glad to know you read that.
     
    How is the Hero Factory theme doing in terms of sales?
    Okay, not stellar, but not 'oh my god get rid of this line right now.'
     
    How is the constraction category as a whole doing?
    We're still trying new things to see what we can do with it.
     
    Is there ever any chance of bringing Christoffer Raundahl or another Hero Factory designer to a convention in the United States?
    That would be awesome but I do not get a say. I just decide which event gets designers - only one or two a year to spread across the conventions.
     
    What has The LEGO Group's experience with their expanding social media presence been like?
    They've learned a lot from it - testing new waters and expanding. They're trying to rope it into a single voice/channel of communication.
     
    What kind of considerations go into determining whether a theme gets a page on a social networking site? As an example, currently LEGO Ninjago, Duplo, and Legends of Chima all have official pages on facebook, whereas LEGO Friends does not and the LEGO Hero Factory one has not been updated in over two years.
    It's based on marketing drive - what does the company want to push and when?
     
    What can expect from the future of LEGO Digital Building?
    It will still be in existence, we're still exploring that realm of the LEGO experience.
     
    How Chima doing? Is doing as well as LEGO has hoped?
    It is doing well; there's still a lot more data to collect.
     
    What sort of opportunities are there within LEGO for mechanical engineers?
    Most likely in the Czech Republic and Mexico where a lot of the moulds are made and manufacturing is done.
     
    How successful is the Collectible Minifigure line lately? Are they going to continue?
    Extremely successful and has introduced LEGO to other retailers. Definitely going to continue.
     
    Have you guys made any strides in the color purple? I've seen purple in a considerable number of new sets, so I'm wondering if there's anything behind that (new science, heightened demand, market research, etc).
    It's a little of all of those. If it's a licensed set it's going to have it, but otherwise they're always making improvements in quality and color consistency.
     
    I'd like to thank the BZPower Community for all their love and support and have very much enjoyed meeting the staff and members at conventions. I enjoy talking to you all - keep up the great stuff and keep Bionicle alive!
     
    As always I want to thank Kevin for supporting BZPower (and now BioniLUG). We really appreciate all your hard work and look forward to hanging out with you whenever we can!
  14. Black Six

    Ask LEGO Questions

    By Black Six,

    BrickFair New England is right around the corner, taking place from May 9th to the 12th in Manchester, New Hampshire.
     
    LEGO Community Coordinator for North America Kevin Hinkle (kevinhink on BZPower) will be there representing the company. On Friday he's holding a Q&A session where attendees get to ask questions. I love thinking up questions to ask Kevin, but I can only ask about light grey 9 volt Bionicle monorails so many times.
     
    That's where you come in.
     
    Give me some questions to ask Kevin about LEGO - they can be funny or they can be serious (or somewhere in between). I'll pick a few and ask them during the Q&A, and provide you all with the answers (hopefully). If there's a lot of good serious ones, I'll ask him those during other parts of the weekend and get you the answers too.
     
    You have until Tuesday, May 7th to submit them here!
  15. Black Six
    Somehow over the past few years I've accumulated a bunch of Nerf guns that have been taking up a lot of space. I'm looking to remedy that issue by getting rid of some. Most of the below were bought used, but they all work and I've cleaned them all up to the best of my ability (in some cases that includes taking them apart and running the plastic pieces through the dishwasher). I've removed the air restrictors from several of the spring guns. No ammo is included.
     
    UPDATE: The Titan, Hornet, and orange Hyperfire have been sold. All the rest are still available.
     
    Make an offer, I'm really open to anything. Just note that you'll also be paying for shipping on top of whatever you offer.
     
    Thanks!
     

  16. Black Six
    I recently made a comment in a blog that was worded very poorly. It did not properly convey my thoughts and I apologize to anyone who felt offended or restricted by the statement I made. I have since edited the comment to try to be more clear, but have been contacted by people who still have questions.
     
    It is the view of the Administration (and my personal view as well) that everyone should be afforded the same natural rights regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, political views, or however you'd like to categorize people. I would say anyone who disagrees with that and expresses views as such would be considered intolerant and/or discriminatory.
     
    In the specific context here, I want to be clear that you can talk about marriage on BZPower. You can say who you want to marry, who you're married to, what kind of person you'd like to marry, whatever, no matter your gender, race, creed, sexual orientation, etc...
     
    On the flip side, you cannot talk about political or legal cases of any kind on BZPower. Nor can you talk about political activist or lobbyist groups. Politics as a whole are not allowed to be discussed on BZPower.
     
    So if there is a legal case about marriage, such as United States v. Windsor, or a lobbying group, like the Human Rights Campaign, you cannot discuss them on this site. The same goes for any case or group, no matter what they are supporting. No politics are allowed.
     
    Remember, we are a site about a children's building toy. That is our focus here. I understand and appreciate that many of you have strong views about such cases and the causes they affect. But BZPower is not the place to talk about those things.
     
    Again, I apologize for my poor choice of words in the situation. It was not my intent to offend and did not reflect my views. I simply want to keep BZPower a safe, family-friendly website for everyone.
  17. Black Six
    That's what I said almost a month ago when I decided to dig out my Gameboy Advance and copy of Pokemon Blue. I kept reading people talking about the newer games and it made me recall the fond memories I had playing the original back in the day. I've been going through the game again, having a lot of fun the whole way. I even picked up a used GBA SP because how did we ever live without backlit screen? I mean seriously you expect me to play in only the most ideal lighting conditions?
     
    Anyway, I'm currently in Celadon working my way through the basement of the totally-not-a-casino fighting off the evil Team Rocket. Then I'll be taking on Erika assuming I'm leveled up enough. My current team consists of:
    -Bulbasaur
    -Pikachu
    -Geodude
    -Gyrados
    -Drowzee
    -Machop
     
    I really wish I had a fire Pokemon to help out with Erika, but I've yet to come across any. I've been working on training up Drowzee so hopefully he'll be enough to carry the team.
     
    I've also ordered copies of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, so I get to try out some more recent (only a decade old) Pokemon games. I can't really justify a DS, so nothing past that for me, unless I get really into it.
     
    Let me know if you have some suggestions for my team. Also - what should I evolve my Eevee into?
  18. Black Six

    Toy Fair 2013 Coverage

    By Black Six,

    Toy Fair was a blast this year. I have a lot of things to say on the matter but that will have to wait until I get you all the coverage of what LEGO is releasing this year. I'm still in the hotel working on editing pictures and getting ready to leave tomorrow, so while I'm busy with that you should head over to this poll and vote for what you want to see first. I'll be listening to what you all have to say, so get to it!
  19. Black Six

    BrickFair 2013 AL

    By Black Six,

    So I suppose I'm a bit behind in updating this, but I thought I'd give you all a summary of the first part of my recent vacation - BrickFair Alabama!
     
    Things got off to a poor start when I forgot to set my alarm for my 6:45 AM flight. I'm a light sleeper though, and went to bed early, so I woke up with enough time to take a shower, eat something, finish packing, and hop in my car so I could park at a friend's place and catch a ride to the airport.
     
    I feel the need to add that at 5AM it was already in the 50s in Maryland.
     
    I got on a plane, flew to Charlotte, got on another one and made it to Birmingham by about 10AM thanks to the time difference. And it was cold. Like in the 30s cold. I thought it was supposed to get warmer as you went closer to the equator? A shuttle bus took me to the hotel and convention center and I checked into our room. Then I headed to the convention center and started distributing the floorpads, which I was in charge of. I helped out with some other stuff and then went back to the hotel room to wait for John (Watashi Wa) to arrive. Around that time he texted me to ask if it was snowing. I looked out my window to see it was coming down so hard I could barely see. There was very little accumulation though and it was all gone by the next day. They called it the 'Blizzard of 2013.' I laughed at how cute they were.
     
    Anyway, John showed up and we got all the boxes out of his car - all the MOCs you guys sent in! We found some table space and began setting things up. Obsessionist once again wins the award for 'best instructions for how to assemble/disassemble a MOC.' You're awesome man. Anyway, with the space claimed and the MOCs mostly assembled, we headed out to find some food and ended up at Dreamland Barbecue, which was delicious. Their sauce was sweet and had enough of a kick to make it interesting and the service was excellent. Highly recommended. Back at the convention center we played some Bingo - I won the Maersk Train! Then we had the opening ceremonies followed by the door prizes. At some point during all the festivities Kevin Hinkle showed up, so we, along with a couple other AFOLs (Abner!), started harassing him. We talked for a good long while about all sorts of stuff from community support, to LEGO Stores, to when Abner would actually build a MOC. It got late as tends to happen so we went to sleep.
     
    We slept in on Friday and when we eventually got motivated John and I took a walk to get my first ever Chick-fil-A. It was good, and I'd go back, but not something to go out of your way for. Back at the convention center, we discovered more Bionicle MOCs had shown up, built by a couple of the younger Technic builders. We incorporated their stuff into our display and finished setting up and arranging what we had. Kevin Hinkle hosted a session called 'AFOLs vs TLG.' He'll be doing it at all the North American events this year, so you should definitely sit in if you have the chance. He talked about a lot of the problems the Community Team faces sitting between the fans and the company and it was very insightful.
     
    I forget what we did after that; that may be around the time we went and watched some How I Met Your Mother and New Girl. We came back at 5PM for the LEGO Q&A hosted by Kevin along with the 10232 Palace Cinema set reveal. It was actually pretty brief - I think people are finally running out of questions. I plan on asking you guys for some for BrickFair New England. Then I participated in the Combo Build - we were given an ExoForce set and a Chima set and had to build something in 30 minutes. I didn't win because I suck at building, but I got to keep the sets (up to three free sets!). Then we had to set up stanchions, for which I was also volunteering. As cool as some of the people there were, they pretty much abandoned us and there were only a handful worrying about setting up and taping down the stanchions. Alabama, I am disappointed. After that though we had the Organizer's Dinner - we were at the cool table with Kevin and Todd Webb. Lots of fun discussions and delicious free food and drink ensued. Thank you so much Todd!
     
    Saturday was the first public day, and I got in early to start taking pictures. The nice thing about the smaller conventions is that it only takes about thirty minutes or so to get everything, versus two or more hours at a big convention like BrickFair VA. Then I had to set up the LEGO Guesstimate, which I was also running. We helped Todd with a couple more things, then grabbed some breakfast/lunch from Subway and returned to watch the public. There was a much bigger line than last year, and it wrapped around and around the lobby. There were a lot more people in general, and I feel like Saturday was close to matching Saturday and Sunday COMBINED from last year. A very good turnout and there were a lot of good comments on the Bionicle MOCs on display. Thank you everyone who sent your stuff in! Oh yeah, that reminds me, Brickthing's MOC got caught in customs, but it arrived late Friday, and John's sister was kind enough to bring it to us so it could join the display.
     
    After the public hours, Kevin schooled us in a game of Minotaurus (I demand a rematch in New England!) and then went out to dinner with John and me. This is where the talk of a BZPower LUG started coalescing and Kevin talked to us some more about how LEGO is planning on supporting online communities and the challenges they face. We also talked about Pokemon a lot, and other videogames and things like that. Then we headed back to the convention center to get a closer look at things, watch the blind speed build, team speed build, etc. We wrapped up the night with more HIMYM and New Girl. We might have also watched Hamlet 2.
     
    The highlight of Sunday was the NFL Conference Championships more public. Sunday was a lot slower than Saturday, especially to begin with, likely because a lot of people in the area participate in various religious activities on Sunday mornings. Things picked up though, and while it wasn't as crazy as Saturday, there was definitely an improvement over last year. I ran the Guesstimate again, which went well during all four drawings. I was approached by the Bird Theme Coordinator, who wanted to thank the five of us who participated in the bird theme by giving us free LEGO. I got a free Witch Doctor set, woohoo!
     
    Before we knew it, we were kicking the public out and starting to pack stuff up. We got the Bionicle stuff down fast, then started on the stanchions. Then it was the floorpads, many of the boxes for which seemed to have disappeared. We took a break to attend the closing ceremonies where I unfortunately didn't win anything. Then it was back to breaking down for a while. Once we got to a point where a lot of the work was done, we brought all the MOCs back to the room, cleaned up (floorpads and stanchions get dirty!) and went to get some dinner at the hotel restaurant and watch the Ravens beat the Patriots. We ran into Todd and a few of the other volunteers there and were invited to their table where Todd graciously paid for our food again. The Ravens did indeed beat the Patriots, and everything was grand.
     
    Then it was back to the hotel to pack up and get ready for leaving. I had a 6AM flight back to Charlotte, but from there I wasn't going back to Maryland. But that's a story for another entry.
     
    Before I wrap things up, I'd just like to go ahead and thank a bunch of people:
    Todd Webb (and his family) for hosting, running, and organizing BrickFair, and for his generosity in buying us food and other perks for volunteering.
    Kevin Hinkle for being awesome, for donating some (unannounced) prizes for a contest later this year, giving us all sorts of insight into The LEGO Group, and for dinner.
    John (Watshi Wa) for being our Bionicle Coordinator, receiving MOCs, helping out with setup and breakdown, driving me around, and for the delicious Chick-fil-A; less than two months until PAX East!
    Everyone who sent MOCs in - Obsessionist, Brickthing, Great being Velika, Imatron, and Banjax2077 - thanks for making our display infinitely better than it was last year at BrickFair Alabama!
     
    BFAL was a great event this year and I had a blast. I look forward to returning in 2014!
  20. Black Six
    It's time for another new feature! I spent probably too much time recently looking through addons for BZP after our fundraiser blew away our expectations. This one caught my eye and after some discussions and testing, you all get to see it.
     
    There's still a lot of other cool things out there, but we don't want to overdo it. But there's always some planning and scheming going on behind the scenes, don't worry.
  21. Black Six
    As I mentioned near the end of this entry, once I was done with BrickFair Alabama I didn't head back home. Instead, I hopped on a plane and headed for sunny Orlando, Florida for a real, live vacation.
     
    I can't remember the last time I took a trip of more than one night that wasn't for a LEGO convention or PAX East. Sometime back in high school I just kind of stopped going on normal vacations. So this was the first time I had done something like this in a while, probably closer to a decade than I'd care to admit. Also, I hadn't been to Florida since I was in second grade, which was about eighteen years ago, making this even more of a big deal.
     
    Back when I started planning to go to BFAL, I was talking to a friend of mine who now works at Disney and mentioned the idea of stopping by on the way since I would already be down south. It turned out the plane ticket would only be about $50 more, they could get me 50% off a hotel room, and into all the parks for free! With a deal like that, I couldn't pass it up. So I took a few more days off from work and made my plans to hit up Walt Disney World.
     
    I had a lot of fun, and going with someone who knows the parks really well was like having my own personal tour guide. We knew which rides had long lines that we should get to early or Fast Pass, the best order of doing things, and where everything even was. We crammed a lot into the almost four days I was there. We did most of what Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom had to offer, and spent some time in Downtown Disney as well. Unfortunately we didn't make it to Epcot - next time!
     
    Some of the highlights for me were Star Tours, Disney Quest (so many videogames - if you go and play some Guitar Hero Arcade, see if you can beat any of my high scores), Festival of the Lion King (my favorite Disney movie), Space Mountain, Muppet*Vision 3D, and Toy Story Midway Mania. There were lots of other fun things too though, so many I've probably forgotten some of them.
     
    If you've never made it to Disney, definitely put it on your to-do list - it's a blast no matter how old you are, as long as you're a kid at heart. Big thanks to my friend for organizing things and being my guide while I was there.
  22. Black Six

    New Profile Settings!

    By Black Six,

    Thanks to your incredible generosity, we have some additional funds that we can use to add some new features to BZP. We started off by closing a couple Tracker tickets.
     
    The first one is Add Default Font Feature. If you head over to your profile settings you can define how all your posts and other content look by default. No more playing with the RTE or adding BBCode tags every time you post! This is never something I've really been interested in, so I'll let you all tell me how it works out.
     
    The other ticket is Block users from profile feed. Again, if you head over to your profile settings, you can now control who can view your profile (Everyone, Registered Users, or just Friends), who can view your contact information (Everyone, Registered Users, or just Friends), and who can comment on your profile feed (Registered Users, Friends, or people who are allowed to message you). So if you want to block someone from commenting on your profile, you can choose the last option and then just block them from sending you PMs. There are some additional privacy settings we could enable if we decide to, but I think those should be sufficient.
     
    There's certainly still some funds leftover, and they definitely won't go to waste supporting our hosting and licensing costs. But we are certainly open to adding some more cool things. If you know of any addons for Invision that you think would improve the site, feel free to open a Tracker ticket so we can look it over and get feedback from others.
     
    Thank you all again for donating and helping make BZP a better site!
  23. Black Six
    Check out this Tracker ticket.
     
    I know a lot of people have asked for this feature over the years. We've found an addon to do it, but it's not free.
     
    We've set up a donation goal to gain the funds necessary to buy the addon. If you are interested in making this happen, please consider donating. Every dollar counts!
     
    If fifteen people donate one dollar, we'll have enough. That's not much, so please help out!
     
    UPDATE: Thanks to some generous donations, we've already exceeded our goal. Our payment processing system seems to have backed up though, so it's not reflected on the page yet. Thank you so much everyone who donated - we'll be sure to put it all to good use!
  24. Black Six
    BrickFair Alabama is eight days away! So much stuff to worry about! To help me not forget anything, I'm going to make a list here. Let me know what's missing.
    Clothes
    Toiletries
    Wallet
    Passort/drivers license
    Boarding passes
    Snacks
    MOCs
    Brick badges
    Prototypes and other pieces to give out
    BZPower Guestbook
    BZPower business cards
    Camera
    Laptop
    Phone
    Other phone
    iPod
    Packing tape
    Umbrella
    Tablet (maybe)
    I'm sure I'm overlooking something...
  25. Black Six
    This entry contains spoilers! I discuss both The Hobbit (the book) as well as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (the movie), and even go into The Lord of the Rings (the books and movies). If you don't want any of those spoiled, stop reading now.
     
    We good?
     
    Great!
     
    I loved the framed narrative. I was expecting it since we knew Ian Holm and Elijah Wood were in the cast, but they did it so magnificently. I love how it ties into The Lord of the Rings movies and the beginning of those where Ian Holm does the 'Concerning Hobbits' narration. Perfect, absolutely set the right tone.
     
    I loved the history of Erebor and seeing the Lonely Mountain and Dale in their prime. The way they cut the arrival of Smaug was teaser-ific (in a good way). Except Thorin and Balin were supposed to be away from the Lonely Mountain when Smaug came, and they witness it from afar. Also, Thrain and Thror are supposed to escape from the secret door and be the only survivors. I'm not sure what they gained by changing that.
     
    I loved most of the Unexpected Party, especially the dishes scene. Except it was supposed to start at tea-time, which I'm pretty sure is the afternoon, not the evening. I also missed the colored hoods which are very clearly and explicitly mentioned in the book. Also, I wanted to see them playing their instruments. I'll concede that all of those are pretty minor in the big scheme of things - but I wanted to see them all in the different colors!
     
    I loved the trolls - they captured their personalities perfectly. Except that they completely changed everything else. It was supposed to be raining, they were supposed to be having a hard time lighting a fire and they all see the trolls' fire from afar and send Bilbo to investigate instead of their ponies being stolen. Bilbo gets captured when trying to steal a troll's wallet. The dwarves then go one at a time and get captured instead of all of them fighting until the trolls threaten to kill Bilbo. And it was Gandalf who confused the trolls until they turned to stone. I'll concede that a talking wallet (as described in the book) would have been silly. Also, since the book has been broken up into several movies, they had to start developing Bilbo's character as a quick-thinker earlier by having him delay the trolls.
     
    I loved the council scenes in Rivendell. They're touched on in The Lord of the Rings, and I think they did them well. Except for everything else. I disliked the whole Azog storyline - he was killed by Dain well before the events of the movie. The dwarves and Bilbo were supposed to enter Rivendell peacefully and by choice, and where were the singing elves? I wanted to hear their songs! And then there was the whole mistrust thing - I know there's little love between dwarves and elves, but they added Thranduil to the flashback and then made Thorin despise all elves - totally different from the book. I'm sure it will come into play again in the following movies when the dwarves are captured by the elves in Mirkwood too. And then they leave secretly, without Gandalf or their ponies?
     
    I loved the Great Goblin. They did a good job fleshing out that character a bit (literally) and even included some of the singing stuff I'm about to gripe about. Also, the battle scene was fantastic, if a little over-the-top. It takes a lot of creative license, but it's fun at least. Except the stone giants were a bit much. It would be fine to include them, but the whole 'getting caught on the giants' knees' part didn't do it for me. Neither did the change of the 'front porch' scene, with Bilbo trying to leave and then the floor opening up instead of there being a crack in the wall. And they took out the goblins' fun little evil songs. I'll concede that Gandalf not being there at first worked out in the end in this regard.
     
    I loved the Riddles in the Dark - they nailed this in spirit if not in complete accuracy. But no real complaints on that... Except for how Bilbo got there, and how he found the Ring. They have a flashback scene in The Lord of the Rings that shows this, and it's quite different in the new movie. Bilbo shouldn't see Gollum until he gets to the lake (really he's not supposed to see much of anything except the darkness) or see him kill the goblin (although in the book it's mentioned that Gollum had recently eaten one). Then for the escape he should lose his buttons on the door, not on some crack in the rock. And Bilbo shouldn't see the dwarves and Gandalf escape, they're supposed to have quite the head start, since Bilbo is supposed to have been knocked out for a while. I'll concede that the buttons are a minor detail and at least he lost them.
     
    I couldn't stand the tree scene. It's supposed to take place in a glade with a wide open meeting area. Obviously Azog isn't supposed to be there. They're all supposed to get in the trees before the wargs even arrive. And then there was the silly and contrived 'trees falling into one another while the dwarves jump from tree to tree.' I'm sorry, but I don't see a pack of wolves uprooting trees like it's nothing. And then there's the battle scene with Thorin and Azog where Bilbo saves his life but he still is maybe dead and then they're all falling off the tree over the cliff only to be rescued by the eagles. And where were their aeries and why didn't we hear them talk? Smaug has a voice actor, so obviously they're making some creatures that talk. At least there were still eagles.
     
    Other things I loved: Radagast in his entirety, Dol Guldur and the references to the Witch King of Angmar, the score by Howard Shore, and the sneak peek of Smaug.
     
    I think in general they made it a lot more serious than the book. Which makes sense since it's a children's book and that wouldn't have worked nearly as well as a movie. But the part of me that really loves the book wishes they had kept it a bit more innocent.
     
    All in all, I enjoyed it. If they had not included Azog it would have been a more manageable length and I think I would have liked it more. I will still be seeing the sequels and buying the extended editions and all that though, make no doubt about it.
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