[ENTRY] 6246 Crocodile Cage - Remake 2023

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

Hello!

I'm running out of sets (especially since there's more than one that someone else has already made and I don't think I could create a better one) that I'd like to revisit, but this one is still here. And this is the 6246 Crocodile Cage remake. I increased the set dimensions a bit to get the detail I had in my head. I added one more native, because I think there's plenty of room for it in this area.
The top of the set is modular and there are also some movable parts, like the rock that hides a golden trophy or the secret door at the back of the cave. In the cave are the skeletons of a couple of stranded pirates and the skulls of two natives who died in battle.

Instagram

Flickr

 

 

[zinnn]

wow this may be my favourite set of yours so far! love all the play features and hidden spots

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

1 hour ago, zinnn said:

wow this may be my favourite set of yours so far! love all the play features and hidden spots

Thank you! 😉👍😎🍻🏴‍☠️

[Yperio_Bricks]

Another great moc of yours! Love all the features and the big cave with the statues and stuff. I wish you would take on some bigger mocs!

[Horation]

A solid playset with AFOL detail

Theme

Brown is the way to go for islanders! The skulls and bones create a brilliant atmosphere, and there are enough crocodiles and minifigs for an actually decent fight. Normally I'd have complained about the lack of cannons, but it actually makes sense : a lone adventurer (not necessarily a pirate), seeking a lost treasure, finds it's guardians, fearsome warriors of a rocky island. A brilliant, brilliant idea done really well, there are so many play features that if I covered them all, this would take another 200 words, in short : treasures, treasures, escapes and hidden features galore!

Build

The play part is clearly the most important, but the build wasn't abandoned, the ''marsh'' effect at the front works, but I'd consider using dark green for those bushes, as it would add to the atmosphere, now for the main build, I'm not a fan of the rocks on side technique, because it makes a gap, and I must ask you whether you tried it the other way, but if you won't change it I understand. Now The rock work is beautiful and the statue works, as do the colours, just maybe add a few vines in those headlight bricks' holes, so that way it doesn't feel needlessly empty.

 

 

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

49 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Another great moc of yours! Love all the features and the big cave with the statues and stuff. I wish you would take on some bigger mocs!

Thank you! 😉👍🏴‍☠️🍻

I also have a bigger moc. You can also see my very first digital moc, lighthouse fortress or my 19000+ piece temple on my insta account. However, if you want to see a bigger one in the current contest, I may not have time or ideas for that. Especially if I am looking for something that no one else has made in this contest.  

But I can promise that if I win with an entry, I will share the instructions for the winning entry for free with anyone who wants it 😉 .

[Marooned Marin]

This is my favourite entry from you at this moment.

So much playability packed and so many details, and your presentation skills are superb!

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

8 minutes ago, Marooned Marin said:

This is my favourite entry from you at this moment.

So much playability packed and so many details, and your presentation skills are superb!

Thank you! 😉👍🏴‍☠️🍻😀

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

6 hours ago, Horation said:

A solid playset with AFOL detail

Theme

Brown is the way to go for islanders! The skulls and bones create a brilliant atmosphere, and there are enough crocodiles and minifigs for an actually decent fight. Normally I'd have complained about the lack of cannons, but it actually makes sense : a lone adventurer (not necessarily a pirate), seeking a lost treasure, finds it's guardians, fearsome warriors of a rocky island. A brilliant, brilliant idea done really well, there are so many play features that if I covered them all, this would take another 200 words, in short : treasures, treasures, escapes and hidden features galore!

Build

The play part is clearly the most important, but the build wasn't abandoned, the ''marsh'' effect at the front works, but I'd consider using dark green for those bushes, as it would add to the atmosphere, now for the main build, I'm not a fan of the rocks on side technique, because it makes a gap, and I must ask you whether you tried it the other way, but if you won't change it I understand. Now The rock work is beautiful and the statue works, as do the colours, just maybe add a few vines in those headlight bricks' holes, so that way it doesn't feel needlessly empty.

 

 

First of all thank you, I'm glad you like it. 😉😀🍻🏴‍☠️

Maybe brown would be ideal, but I'm a child of the era when there were only yellow figures. I liked that independence much better, but there is charm in the more colorful characters of today.

In hindsight I saw an entry that had dark green vegetation and yes, it would look better with that. But I'm using the palette of the bricklink designer program at the moment, where the elements, colours and figures are limited.

I'm not going to change the bottom row of rocks. Anyway, I've only tried this technique, but I'd already do it differently actually. If I could have done the rock laid out like this, believe me it would have been really nice.

When I started taking the render pics, I remembered that I originally wanted to put something green everywhere, but then I wanted to have a round number of elements and so I could fit it in.

[iragm]

Yeah, this is your best entry so far!!

It's a bit awkward having 2 plates of water -- why have more than 1?

And the use of color here is OK, but perhaps the weakest part of this MOC.  I'd like to see some dark gray on the lower rocks (with light higher up, to accentuate the height of the cliffs), different shades of green used on the foliage, and perhaps some dark tan bricks here and there.  I think if you too the existing shape, which is excellent, and just played around with swapping out colors, you could go from great to amazing.  And make no mistake: this is great as it is.

I love the hidden secrets, how the cave opens, and that the rock pieces are well enough hidden to not stand out.  The rock technique looks good to me, I like the bottom row of rocks being sideways.  There's a lot of undercut rocks here, which makes sense if the waves were wearing them away.  The lagoon in the front is very well designed, my favorite part for sure.
 

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

10 minutes ago, iragm said:

Yeah, this is your best entry so far!!

It's a bit awkward having 2 plates of water -- why have more than 1?

And the use of color here is OK, but perhaps the weakest part of this MOC.  I'd like to see some dark gray on the lower rocks (with light higher up, to accentuate the height of the cliffs), different shades of green used on the foliage, and perhaps some dark tan bricks here and there.  I think if you too the existing shape, which is excellent, and just played around with swapping out colors, you could go from great to amazing.  And make no mistake: this is great as it is.

I love the hidden secrets, how the cave opens, and that the rock pieces are well enough hidden to not stand out.  The rock technique looks good to me, I like the bottom row of rocks being sideways.  There's a lot of undercut rocks here, which makes sense if the waves were wearing them away.  The lagoon in the front is very well designed, my favorite part for sure.
 

Thank you! 😉👍🍻🏴‍☠️

The water is two layers because I couldn't get it to be rounded and held together by something like a plate or rock, whatever. It's not the only time I've had this issue, but I'll take a picture of the bottom tomorrow if I remember and then I think you'll understand.

Yes, it could be more colorful, but then that would be the problem. I think at guard camp,at was either the first entry it was a problem for someone that used too much color. You can't please everyone, but I scaled it back and that's why I had those colors. I always think about the bottom of the cliff, how it could be dark and where the water doesn't reach it could be light, but since I can't do it the way I imagine it, I prefer to keep it light grey

[MstrOfPppts]

Interestingly the stairs and the statues just float in the air while you remove the whole upper plate! Building digitally allows for such hiccups (;

A great and again largely inflated model as it's already expected by you.

As for the double water plates they still look silly. It'd be better to more closely follow the coast line with the water and extend it further out only where there is some build to hold it connected to the rest of the build. Regular square bases (even if rounded) look too simple anyway. In my eyes that is - but to each his own ...

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

39 minutes ago, MstrOfPppts said:

Interestingly the stairs and the statues just float in the air while you remove the whole upper plate! Building digitally allows for such hiccups (;

A great and again largely inflated model as it's already expected by you.

As for the double water plates they still look silly. It'd be better to more closely follow the coast line with the water and extend it further out only where there is some build to hold it connected to the rest of the build. Regular square bases (even if rounded) look too simple anyway. In my eyes that is - but to each his own ...

There is nothing wrong with that. The top plates are assembled in such a way that the whole thing can be lifted up as one. If it bothers you that I left the other landmarks there, I'm sorry.

It doesn't look silly to me, it makes sense, but I've written that before. I don't think it spoils the experience, but it does for you, then I can't help it. I've built a base that if you move it, it won't splinter just because the elements can't overlap.

I've used square tiles for water before, and then that was the problem. That's why I have the rounded plates. I like it better anyway. But who likes what 😉

[zinnn]

@MyFirstMOC-Hun random question: why are you using here two tiles (1x3 and 1x1) instead of 1x4 tile?

 

Also, could you take a photo from the back of the set?

Edited July 15, 2023 by zinnn

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

For example, I've rebuilt this one many times and it's so common that you could replace two or three with one battery. When I make an instruction, I usually rebuild it and correct these errors.

[Rogue Redcoat]

First of all, this set is great, I love all the play abilities and vegetation. The only things that need a fix are the color of the rocks just a little variation in the color would do, and the two layers of the sea need to go (one will suffice). The only other thing is you might want to add one palm tree to break up all the bushes. Keep up the epic builds and as always, Happy building :)

[MyFirstMOC-Hun]

1 hour ago, Rogue Redcoat said:

First of all, this set is great, I love all the play abilities and vegetation. The only things that need a fix are the color of the rocks just a little variation in the color would do, and the two layers of the sea need to go (one will suffice). The only other thing is you might want to add one palm tree to break up all the bushes. Keep up the epic builds and as always, Happy building :)

Thank you! 🏴‍☠️👍🍻

I've tried to explain why there are two layers of water several times, I won't do it again. There are two, you have to accept it and that's it 😀.  In the next entry it's done differently, although there are still two layers. I don't like this new solution so much, but I am forced to build it this way.

[Rogue Redcoat]

2 minutes ago, MyFirstMOC-Hun said:

Thank you! 🏴‍☠️👍🍻

I've tried to explain why there are two layers of water several times, I won't do it again. There are two, you have to accept it and that's it 😀.  In the next entry it's done differently, although there are still two layers. I don't like this new solution so much, but I am forced to build it this way.

Ok, I guess it is good for now after all it does add the sense of waves!

[US_Army_Tom]

Hello! New member, here, and I admire this build! Lots of detail, modularity, and playability. I am not too familiar with the original, but the 90s version of myself would enjoy this set to no end!

That said, one thing that always bothered me about the islander sets is that they always fail to provide living shelter for the islanders. Its as though they do nothing but guard their gold and respect their statues/chief. How about a hut? Or a lean-to? Give them the basic things they need to survive day-to-day, including the rainy days. Not sure if there's room for you to add such detail, but I don't think I am the only one who would appreciate it.

Great work and good luck!

[Mazin]

Impressive details and landscaping work as always, bud! And those passages and hidden comparment in the rock are pretty cool too, i espiecially like that entrance with bars, because we haven't seen this kind so far in Yur sets. It's kinda like a sewer drain  ;) But i like it. Is it supposed to be a sort of crocodile kennel?

That tribal totem and characters, as well as decorative elements with blazing skulls are awesome as well, and the prison door is just amazing. 

I'm not sure if i'm a fan of those stairs tho, to be perfectly honest. I do envy You for what You've done with them, can't deny that, lot's of work behind them for sure, but i just don't think they work there. I think they could be less decoratite, and maybe instead of them there could be some walkway build into the rock. Maybe even build the way that it would go around the entire structure. 

Or a simple rope ladder, or a ladder made out of spears, a neeting, something truly primitive in appearance would be more convincing. The way it is now those stairs seem out of place. Like if they were stolen from Cinderella's castle, if You know what i mean ;)

Then again, since You've built such an impressive stairs, i guess those Islanders could use some boat/canoe next to them. Cause right now they seem to lead to nowhere, they end up in the water and i believe Islanders get into that island and to those stairs by some sort of a craft? Thus, maybe it would work better if those stairs could be replaced by some creepy sacrificial slide? :) So that a prisoner would be sacrified by letting him slide straight into the death by crocodiles jaws, crocodiles being sacred creatures of the native of course ;)

I do recall seing this kinda "slide of tortute" in some classic Hollywood adventure movie, or maybe it was some cheap italian sword-and-sandal flick, cant be sure. But movies are always a good source of inspiration.

But the thing i'm most confused with this set is that flat top. I mean, i totally believe this part would work better as a completely separate You know, if all that grass and jail could be offered separately. Then it would do. Right now, this type of the rocky island seems just... not Your quality ;) It's like a terrace, huge field of green, that could use some more additions here and there, just like that rocky jail on the left is great, the same way i'd add some playable featutes here and there. Maybe, if this whole island is a sacrificial place, they could have a boiling pot, to cook those unlucky ones. Creepy, i know, but this whole set is kind creepy, and creepiness seems to be a leading theme of this whole contest ;) So why don't we go all the way into the kid-unfriendly zone ;) 

Generaly speaking, it needs balance. The same way You've focused on the left side of the island, the right part seems neglected. I think it would look better if Youd decide to repisition those stairs to the very right part, together with the baseplate/water and make stairs actually face the prisondoor. This way You would create this kind of longer path leading to the jail, and then those two bushes could be positioned on both sides of the island, together with blazing skulls. Did this simple drawing to show You what i have in mind.   

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Mazin

[durazno33]

This is very well structured, and laid out. Good color combos and texturing. I don't have much to add that hasn't been said other than that pirate looks way to happy to be facing down two crocodiles. Maybe he's just really confident he can get out of the situation easily? Does he have an alternative terrified face on the back of his head? That might be the only thing I would add.