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As of today, I do believe that I have at last finished a project of mine that I've been working on for a long time. No doubt that this project has already been attempted by countless before me. In fact, while doing Google searches for reference pictures, I stumbled upon quite a few attempts by various people. As a recent victim of art theft myself, I refrained from using anything but the Rock Raiders manual and direct screenshots/videos from the game for reference, to avoid copying anyone else's models. Some of you who know me may know that, for a long time, it has been my goal to recreate Rock Raiders vehicles and buildings from the PC game in LEGO Digital Designer. Back before LEGO Digital Designer Extended (and, before that, LEGO Universe) mode was available, I did my best to recreate some of the assets in LEGO Factory and DesignByMe, such as the Tunnel Scout, Power Station, upgraded Small Transport Truck, upgraded Small Digger, and Super Teleport Pad, but I was limited by the limited LEGO Factory pallet. Once LEGO Universe mode was released and I had access to so many more bricks in every available color, I restarted my project. jamesster, you might remember this screenshot I sent to you early this year, showing my work-in-progress Power Station, Super Teleport Pad, Support Station, and Docks. But, sadly, as I found only a limited supply of screenshots online, was too lazy to make some myself, and had difficulty interpreting the blurry pixelated images in the Rock Raiders manual PDF, the project was temporarily put on hiatus. Now that I've got Rock Raiders installed on my new Windows 7 and quite a bit of free time on weekends, I was able to return to this project. After discovering that Search N' Rescue made a great sandbox level for constructing buildings and teleporting in vehicles, I took tons of reference screenshots. You can see a few of these screenshots here. Plus, I found that the RRU Wiki, as well as Lair's own screenshot gallery, proved to be valuable assets. But still, what to do about those grainy pixelated images in the Rock Raiders manual PDF? That's when I discovered this website, which provided high-resolution renders of the vehicles and buildings. This allowed me to make out so many details that had limited my progress before, allowing me to finally finish my project. Since sometimes the manual renders and the in-game models differed in certain details, I tried to combine "the best of both worlds" whenever such a discrepancy showed up. But first, I've already given credit to RRU Wiki, Lair, and the Rock Raiders Fan Wiki for providing images. Before I go on, I must also give credit to Daedalus304, who provided LXF models of the Rock Raiders sets and created custom replacements for the Rock Raiders cockpit, chassis, drill, and mining laser. I also used penguin3332's LXF model of Rock Raiders HQ for the Upgrade Station and Mining Laser. Okay. Now that credit has been given where it's due, I present to you... Note: As the Teleport Pad, Upgrade Station, and Rapid Rider are unaltered from the original sets, they will not be covered in further detail below and are included in the above screenshot merely for purposes of completion. Vehicles Upgraded Hover Scout A Hover Scout with engine and radar upgrades. Upgraded Small Digger A Small Digger with engine, radar, and drill upgrades. Note that the magnet holder brick is not included in LEGO Digital Designer, so the magnet has been placed off to the side while a brick-built solution has been substituted in. Upgraded Small Transport Truck A Small Transport Truck with engine, radar, and cargo upgrades. Because the Jet Engines cannot be placed in their correct location due to collision errors with the tires, I had to opt for the next best option available. (Rear View) Small Mobile Laser Cutter This was one of the trickiest models, and I still don't think I quite got the rear correct. Thanks to the odd angle of the manual render and the low-poly in-game model, the front end of the laser stumped me for quite a while; however, after watching the Small Mobile Laser Cutter clip in the main menu, in which the laser turret is raised to aim upward, I think I finally figured it out. (Rear View) (Side View) Tunnel Scout This was probably one of the first models to be finished... it probably helped that my LEGO Factory rendition gave me a headstart. Upgraded Loader-Dozer A Loader-Dozer with engine, cargo, and radar upgrades. I know that the Slanting Standard 2x4/2x2 has a more detailed in-game model (as seen on the Cargo Carrier) than what is used for the Loader-Dozer, but while I originally used the Rudder 1x4x3, I realized that the Slanting Standard 2x4/2x2 was much closer to the scale of what is used for the upgraded Loader-Dozer. Also, if you notice, even though it is not three-dimensional like it is on the Granite Grinder, the upgraded Loader-Dozer uses the same mudguard design as the standard Granite Grinder according to its 2D textures. Also, just for future reference, whenever the Chrome Crusher scanner shows up in these models, I'm using the set-accurate version, not the in-game version. Upgraded Granite Grinder A Granite Grinder with drill, radar, and engine upgrades. Large Mobile Laser Cutter Since the flex tubes cannot attach properly due to collision errors, I've just put them off to the side. Hoo boy, if I thought the Small Mobile Laser Cutter was tricky, it was a piece of cake compared to the Large Mobile Laser Cutter. If you look at one of my reference screenshots, you can see that entire parts of the Large Mobile Laser Cutter are untextured! Plus, its rather compact build made it difficult to discern how its chassis was designed, since it was clearly not the standard Rock Raiders chassis. That's the story behind that LMLC-Interior.png screenshot, which helped tremendously in figuring out how to build the chassis. (Rear View) (Side View) Upgraded Large Mobile Laser Cutter A Large Mobile Laser Cutter with drill and radar upgrades. I'm not fully sure about how the radar upgrade is attached; unfortunately, studying the radar upgrade as it appears in-game did not really help, since it appears to be attached to a place where there is no possible connection. Upgraded Chrome Crusher A Chrome Crusher with drill and engine upgrades. Yes, I am aware that these flex tubes are too long, but the original tubes are not flexible and Daedalus304's original LXF looked empty without them. I think the Chrome Crusher has the most subtle in-game engine upgrade of all the vehicles, since it does not alter the Chrome Crusher model at all; it simply changes the textures. Of course, for the LEGO Digital Designer model, it required a bit of alteration to the model itself. Cargo Carrier Before I discovered the high-resolution manual renders, I actually found a screenshot from the Cargo Carrier slider puzzle from the PS1 version, put it in MS Paint, and did the slider puzzle myself to piece together the highest-quality picture of a Cargo Carrier that I could find at the time. (Rear View) Buildings Tool Store A Tool Store, as it appears in beta and in the manual (right) and as it appears in the released game (left). I decided to include both models for the heck of it. In fact, one beta screenshot on the RRU Wiki actually helped me figure out how the beta Tool Store was built in the rear. (Rear View) Docks These two models of the Docks are exactly the same, except one has the Holder 16 MM bricks angled upwards while the other has the Holder 16 MM bricks angled downwards (in-game, a powered Docks has an animation that switches between the two version). For this model, I was more faithful to the in-game model than the manual render. (Rear View) Power Station Of all the models here, this one probably underwent the greatest changes upon discovery of the Rock Raiders Fan Wiki, since the front of the lower half of the larger tower is actually more compact than it appears in-game. I did not bother attaching the flex tubes to this one, mainly due to collision errors. (Rear View) Support Station I don't think I have much to say about this one... it's pretty darn accurate, if I do say so myself. (Rear View) Geological Center Did LEGO ever actually produce dark gray sloped bricks with those Rock Raiders radar decorations? I thought they were only available in teal, and yet the Geological Center uses them in dark gray. Ah, well, too bad LEGO Digital Designer lacks most Rock Raiders decorations. (Rear View) Ore Refinery That large antennae is not in the in-game model, but is plainly visible in the manual render. However, for the most part, I used the color scheme of the in-game model, not the manual render. I may want to make an alternate model with the manual render's color scheme, though... (Rear View) Upgraded Mining Laser A Up. 1 Mining Laser. You know, I find it interesting that the Mining Laser is the only time you see one of the actual Rock Raiders in-game, and it's Sparks. Some remnant of the beta stages, perhaps? Still, even with dual laser turrets, the Mining Laser is useless for its intended purpose: mining. Takes forever to blast through dirt. And yet, it can destroy your buildings in just two shots. Data Design Interactive, I don't think "griefing" was what you programmed the Mining Laser for... Super Teleport Pad Because just "Super Teleport" sounds just silly. Like the Tunnel Scout, this model was mostly finished in LEGO Factory, so when LEGO Universe mode came along, it was completed quickly and easily. ----- So, what do you guys think? An impressive attempt at recreating the buildings and vehicles in the most accurate presentation to date? Or am I just someone who is late to the game and trying my hand at something done countless times before me to much greater fanfare? And now that the buildings and vehicles have all been done, what's next for me to do? Oh, just you wait...

:t *clicks Edit* *picture shows up instantly* Victory.

This is the kinda crap that makes me question if you are a real Brony.Not me. He was just saying it in the perspective of haters, and was trying to annoy them less.

[12:40:58 PM] Jamesster: SON [12:40:59 PM] Jamesster: FATHER [12:41:22 PM] Jamesster: I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN [12:41:22 PM] Jamesster: LOL I KNOW RIGHT [12:41:22 PM] Jamesster: HERE TAKE THIS CARD [12:41:21 PM] Jamesster: LOL OK KTHXBAI

We don't lock topics for questions that get answered, so you know. We like to have them open in case someone has the same question but the answer doesn't work for them.

You know, he acts incredibly casual considering he hasn't seen his son for years and has presumably been trapped on that little island the whole time.

I had that on the PS2. It was HORRID. I feel like looking up the PS2 version now. I had one of the older ones before that, never knew what happened to it, lost it or something. I think I still have the cover for the box somewhere. Edit: Didn't find any (or at least don't think so), saw two plays that didn't specify PC or PS2, looked like PC though. Best part. :P

I had that on the PS2. It was HORRID. The PC version was quite interesting. When running away from the police while playing "Back in Black" after using cheats to get the F1.

Funnily enough, the PS1 version was the one I grew up on. And I STILL managed to love it. Admittedly, LI2 is a guilty pleasure to me -- I only like it for nostalgia. The GBA and GBC versions were probably better, though a bit boring.

Post compiler? RRU has not changed, so nothing is "FUBAR" except your computer or possibly your sanity.

I'm not really sure where to start with my reply to this, so consider this praise for everything. You're also the first person to build everything, and at least the first to ever try to reconstruct some of these things. So, yes, to everything. Sorry I can't say something more constructive. I don't know where to begin with something like this. Good luck building the Explorer without LDD crashing a lot.

Great to see this finally complete! Excellent work, very accurate. The bridge WIP is looking very promising as well. Are you thinking of posting any of your other big LDD projects here?

That doesn't give any relation between them at all. I was asking him before he never came back why he "guessed" that it was Stunt Rally when that clearly has nothing to do with Loco, and if he had actually played Stunt Rally he would know that there is not one reference to Loco in the entire game there is a billboard advertising Loco durrr

[2:57:30 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: I just stayed up until 2 watching an anime about cats [2:57:32 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: wtf [2:57:39 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: it was the most surreal thing I have ever seen [3:00:39 AM] Sadie Meowsalot: Tokyo Mew Mew? Chi's New Home/Chi's New Address? [3:00:47 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: no [3:00:57 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: something about some cat named nyan [3:01:58 AM] Sadie Meowsalot: wat [3:03:47 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: [3:03:55 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: I am baffled as to what I am watching [3:03:59 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: it is the weirdest thing ever [3:04:10 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: especially when the TAXI BECOMES A WHALE [3:09:24 AM] Sadie Meowsalot: That cat shot a beam from its tail [3:09:33 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: yes [3:09:53 AM] Lair of Rockwhales: and later it becomes a flying midget furry and turns a taxi into a whale I CAN'T GET OVER THAT

[1:26:08 AM] Jamesster: ALL HAIL THE BROWN TAXI NINJA

[10:45:16 PM] Lair of Rockwhales: WELCOME TO POLITICS, IT'S LIKE HELL BUT WITH VOTING MACHINES

Alcom wins.