SoNE Contest Episode III: Return to Echo Base

[Lobot]

To mark the festive season we felt that Episode III of SoNE should be located in the most suitable planet we could think of. Christmas just isn’t the same without snow and ice, and fortunately Hoth has both in abundant quantities!

In addition to the primary objective for each faction we’ve added some additional ones which we hope will make it as fun as possible; your entry can meet one or all of the objectives. Entries can be of any size, and can be constructed using actual LEGO or LDD. You can also decide if you want to include the Wampas in your entry; however they’re unpredictable when cornered and probably best avoided!

Imperials

Imperial Officer: "Right, it's a bit nippy down here, so let's crack on with trying to find some intelligence"

Snowtrooper (Bob): "Can we have a bit of fun as well? I really want to break something!"

Snowtrooper (Steve): “And if we're going to be here for Christmas, do you mind if we put up a few decorations to brighten up the place a bit?....."

Imperial Officer: "Honestly, whatever next?” (sigh) “OK, you can if you want to, but it must be done in your own time!"

Objective for the Imperials:

• Explore Echo base and search for military intelligence
  
• Destroy any remaining equipment to prevent further use
  
• Decorate Echo Base
  

Rebels

Princess Leia: "I can't believe that you forgot to pack my wardrobe, I insist that we go back for it"

Senior Commander: "Well, I suppose we could say it was a mission to recover essential equipment or something....and we could destroy the servers that we left behind at the same time. Yes, that sounds almost plausible...."

Princess Leia: "Right, that's sorted. I'll expect to have it back in a couple of days then. I can’t bear to wear white for a moment longer!”

Objectives for the Rebels:

• Recover any useful equipment and armaments that were left behind
  
• Destroy the abandoned servers
  
• Recover Princess Leia’s (extensive) wardrobe
  
• Covertly decorate Echo Base for the resident Imperials as a gesture of seasonal goodwill.
  

Rules

From the Core Rules:

• Your faction will receive points based on two factors:
  
• Points: The average number of points per builder.
  
• Builders: Two points for each builder.
  
• These two totals are added to each other, and the faction with the higher total is the winner.
  
• All the players on the winning team will receive this tag to commemorate their victory.
  
• You can only have one of these tags or one of the Community Build tags at a time, but a log will be kept of all the tags you've earned in your profile in the Characters topic.
  
• The player who receives the most total individual points, regardless of team, is guaranteed a spot among the next set of the blog's Showcased MOCs. (This member must still be able to provide a picture big enough and of suitable quality to be used in the Showcased banner.)
  
• You will receive XP equal to the number of points you are awarded from the judges.
  
• Other prizes to be determined.
  

Episode III Rules:

• All rules in the Core Rules topic apply.
  
• The Episode will run from 7^th December to 14^th January 2014. As long as it's still 14^th January somewhere in the world, you can still enter.
  
• All entries must be built from real LEGO or with Lego Digital Designer LDD). No clone brands, no third-party custom parts.
  
• All entries must be posted as a new topic in the Watto's Junkyard subforum, the title prefixed by, "[soNE Ep. III]". (For example, "[soNE Ep. III] A White Christmas on Hoth").
  
• Entries can be of any size, and must meet at least one of the objectives for your faction.
  
• Remember to make your entry appropriate to your rank and goal. From the Core Rules:
  
• Your build will be scored in two stages, to make it easier on the judges by lessening the number of builds that must be scored in greater detail:
  
• In the first stage, the judges will award a score from 1-10, with a '1' being "Minifig on a Plate", a '5' being "Your Average MOC" and a '10' being "Flawless Concept and Execution".
  
• In the second stage, the top five builds of each faction (so ten in total) from the first stage will be scored based on basic predetermined criteria: up to 10 points for the concept and appropriateness to the objective, up to 25 points for your execution of the build, and up to 5 points for your presentation of the entry.
  
• For builders who make it to the second stage, their second stage total is added to their first stage points, and that total is divided by two. You can earn a maximum of 25 points in each episode.
  
• The amount of points you earn is also the amount of XP your character earns.
  
• Entries posted after the deadline will be disqualified from the episode and will not be eligible to receive XP.
  
• This episode/contest is open to all players of Shadows of Nar Eurbrikka, even if they joined EB or signed up for the game after the episode has begun, with the exception of the Star Wars staff, who are not eligible to win XP or prizes; the EB admins and moderators, who are not eligible to win prizes but may earn XP; and the episode host, who is not eligible to win prizes but may earn XP.
  
• One entry per member.
  
• All entries must be new creations, not posted anywhere else prior to being entered in the episode. You may be asked by a staff member to change your entry if it is too similar to an earlier creation.
  
• Post pictures no larger than 1000x720, as specified in the EB Member Guidelines.
  
• You may do a 'full-blown photo edit' with all the text, effects, background compositing, support erasing, and other effects on one picture. All your other pictures may have no editing other than colour adjustment or background removal for a solid-colour background. For obvious reasons, any photo editing that changes the shape, functionality, or colour (not tint or adjustment, but actual colour) of a LEGO piece is prohibited.
  
• All entries are considered WIPs (Works In Progress) until the deadline passes. Until the deadline has passed, you are allowed to change and improve your MOC.
  

[Lego Spy]

Oh, you're hosting this episode Lobot! I guess it's not who I thought it was.

Come on Imperials, we can destroy some Rebel remnants!

EDIT: What exactly does "Decorate Echo Base" mean exactly for the Empire? Never mind - decorate for Christmas.

Edited December 7, 2013 by Lego Spy

[Wedge09]

Come on Imperials, we can destroy some Rebel remnants!

Empires can't won Awesome episode, I'm in for sure

[Lego Spy]

Empires can't won Awesome episode, I'm in for sure

Imperials can win! While you're looking for your leader's clothes.

Edited December 7, 2013 by Lego Spy

[Lobot]

Oh, you're hosting this episode Lobot! I guess it's not who I thought it was.

Yep it's my turn

Awesome episode, I'm in for sure

Thanks, excellent stuff! I'm even allowing snowball fights so get building!

[MKJoshA]

Well this should be fun!

[jtr]

as a newbie, i just wanted to say "this is so cool" - I just worked out what this SoNE stuff is all about. I thinks it's great, hopefully if i get more time (dad with young kids) i'd love to build and enter myself.

eurbricks is a great resource for the lego community

[Lego Spy]

as a newbie, i just wanted to say "this is so cool" - I just worked out what this SoNE stuff is all about. I thinks it's great, hopefully if i get more time (dad with young kids) i'd love to build and enter myself.

eurbricks is a great resource for the lego community

Let me suggest to you joining the Empire!

[BEAVeR]

This is going to be great and so much fun! Thanks in advance!

Just a few more questions:

- It's hard to be a pilot in this episode (I'm a good pilot, but I can't fly a TIE inside a refrigerator!), so is it OK if we support the ground troops right now?

- As for using LDD. I presume we can only use existing bricks, right? No extnded mode?

No matter what the restrictions, those rebels will get a defeat under the chrisms tree!

[pihlbrick]

- It's hard to be a pilot in this episode (I'm a good pilot, but I can't fly a TIE inside a refrigerator!), so is it OK if we support the ground troops right now?

Pilots can land and get out can't they? Or in your imperial case, get shot down and flee:)

[BEAVeR]

Pilots can land and get out can't they? Or in your imperial case, get shot down and flee:)

I think you've mistaken me for one of your own "pilots". I'm surprised you hit him, it must be your lucky day!

Well, now that pilot has indeed a reason to be on the ground...

[Lobot]

Well this should be fun!

That's the idea!

Just a few more questions:

- It's hard to be a pilot in this episode (I'm a good pilot, but I can't fly a TIE inside a refrigerator!), so is it OK if we support the ground troops right now?

- As for using LDD. I presume we can only use existing bricks, right? No extnded mode?

A mixture of troops will have been left behind to help with the operation, and pilots will be amongst them.

I haven't used LDD much, so perhaps Bob can clarify this, but if they're official LEGO elements it will be fine

[TWP]

Really? Returning Leia's wardrobe?

Anyways, This episode looks to be one of the most intersting so far! I hope I will be able to paticipate.

[Bob De Quatre]

- As for using LDD. I presume we can only use existing bricks, right? No extnded mode?

No extended mode, except for parts that exist but are only available in extended mode (like 1x2 curved slope).

As Lobot said, as long as a part/color combination exist in real brick, you can use it in LDD entries.

I haven't used LDD much, so perhaps Bob can clarify this, but if they're official LEGO elements it will be fine

I'm the LDD master

[BEAVeR]

No extended mode, except for parts that exist but are only available in extended mode (like 1x2 curved slope).

As Lobot said, as long as a part/color combination exist in real brick, you can use it in LDD

Thanks for clarifying this for me! I guess you'll be using LDD Manager to check if the part-color combinations exist in real life then? So I can use the same guidelines as you guys.

Ideas are already boiling inside my head... I think I'm about to unveil one of the Alliance's darkest secrets this episode... this is going to be very interesting!

[Kaitan]

Hi,

I'm thinking of joining SONE , just the thing to bring me back to lego!

One question, do all the pictures within an entry have to be of the same unaltered build? My idea is that I build a "set" then have the mini figures run around to tell the story :) Or does everything have to be static and unchanging?

Thanks

K

[Flare]

This sounds really awesome, OK well I'm on it!

[Lobot]

One question, do all the pictures within an entry have to be of the same unaltered build? My idea is that I build a "set" then have the mini figures run around to tell the story :) Or does everything have to be static and unchanging?

Hi Kaitan, It would be great to have you involved. I've always been very fond of your Cloud City MOC

Re: your question, I don't think that should be a problem, but I'll check this with the rest of the SoNE team and get back to you.

[Tom Jurassic]

I used Extended by accident, but hope this is okay:

" This is Pilot 117 to Princess Leia, I was en-route to the Hangar when I stumbled apon one of the Auxilary Armoury Stations. I can hear Imperials above the position, so we need to hurry. If you can send some more men, I will load the weapons into my Gunship so we can get them aboard the Home One before the Imperials breach the Base. There are also a couple of computer access points here, If you can send a technician down here, we can disable them to prevent the Imperials accessing our Weapons Databse. I repeat, this is Pilot 117 to Princess Leia on a code one frequency, please send men to the Auxilary Armoury near Hangar AG-4G Immediately!"

[MstrOfPppts]

Awsome idea for an episode. Although SW is supposed to be more serious it's very welcome to do something for the fun.

@Kaitan: I think it's easier for the judges if you create only one static MOC, since that's what they judge and most of us create. Use the freebuilds to tell stories and gain XP ...

P.S.: Empire has better cookies!

[Tom Jurassic]

Wait, do I need to post a Seperate thread for my Build?

[MstrOfPppts]

What, you've already done yours? Else yes, it sais so in the rules ...

[Bkrosell]

I'll start my build right away!

[Lego Spy]

I'm the LDD master

That's for sure. Just look at your signature!

P.S.: Empire has better cookies!

We're also decorating the Echo Base for the holidays!

Edited December 8, 2013 by Lego Spy

[Lobot]

One question, do all the pictures within an entry have to be of the same unaltered build? My idea is that I build a "set" then have the mini figures run around to tell the story :) Or does everything have to be static and unchanging?

Hi Kaitan, provided that your entry complies with the core rules (link) that should be fine