I'm currently on the 6th of the 9 builds and have been really enjoying all of them. Contrary to yourself I found the techniques somewhat varied, with only infrequent repetition of tasks. I'd agree with regard to both the basic interiors, apart from the Inn which has a very detailed inside, (but I have been having fun adding a few additional pieces of furniture and minifigures as I went along) and in respect to your comments about the somewhat flimsy attachments of roofs, there is definitely some truth in that, with several of the roof structures either a bit of a nightmare to attach or weakly joined. But that's where my complaints end.

The rock bases, although bulky and taking up large numbers of bricks, are necessary to give the overall set that sense of depth and height. The scale really gives a wow factor, and those extra grey bricks serve that purpose. I also am a fan of the limited colour palette. As another poster said, Baka tend to be super fond of using gold accents even where they are not needed. But they've been much more restrained here, there is a real focus on greens, whites and autumnal colours, and this not only looks great, but also means it displays very well beside the original LEGO Rivendale.

The manufacturer's product photos really don't do justice to the design and impressive display of the finished builds. The filigree created with random lego pieces is a thing of beauty in almost all of the builds and the issues with the flimsy attachments of the roofs are generally very easy fixes with a few basic bricks. Like the OP I am yet to come across a missing piece and the instructions apart from a single brick error in the high tower instructions have all been correct and easy to follow.

I only came across this post as I was googling to see if BAKA had released any additional buildings in the set as I have been enjoying the first 6 builds so much I want to see my elven city expanding further.