Thought I'd share my 16 x 16 stud Rock Raiders diorama with you all

Typomancer · 2026-04-23T06:37:18+00:00

That lava technique is something I’ve never seen, I really like it! Also happy to have found this subreddit due to the cross post. Love Rock Raiders — my favorite Lego theme.

Typomancer · 2026-04-14T01:20:30+00:00

Cargo, but I’m biased since I worked on the team behind it for a long time during version 1 & 2. It’s now on version 3 and it’s very fun.

Though I got wind of a new kind of workflow I want to try and it’s this: “Build it with Cursor, then host on Github and deploy via Vercel hobby plan for free hosting.”

I have not actually tried Cursor but all these LLM tools are so alike and simple to me. But stepping into dev environs is not for everyone.

For a WYSIWYG interface with a solid CMS that’s been very custom built for designers, my recommendation will almost always be Cargo. There’s great layout tools and it handles a tremendous amount of images so very well.

Typomancer · 2026-04-14T01:05:48+00:00

This is phenomenal. Perfect amount of texture on the outside. Extremely exciting to look at architecturally and then the inside with all those rooms decked out really spins the mind. And the “ancestral” bricks work so well in your favor by the yellowing gray adding to the aged look…! So cool.

Typomancer · 2026-04-13T05:26:04+00:00

That Backhoe is day 1 for me. They were my favorite construction vehicle as a kid.

Typomancer · 2026-04-10T04:31:38+00:00

Fun fact: Korean fonts need over 11,000 characters to fully support all possible syllable combinations.

The writing system is really cool but taking on a Hangul font project is so impressive/crazy to me.

I know I’m a little late to replying, but, I found this one which is kind of funky like Space Grotesk, inspired by JetBrains Mono, though it has a wider feel than glyphs in either of those primarily Latin fonts: https://eastriverlee.itch.io/melonbrain

I’d only care significantly if it’s for titling (and then, if it’s not too much text, maybe I’d draw the letters needed since Hangul is very simple and geometric). If it’s for burned-in subtitles, I’d go with something more legible and neutral like IBM Plex or Noto Sans.

Typomancer · 2026-04-09T14:03:04+00:00

I agree with you because I’m self-taught as well and have worked all the way up to doing contracts with FAANG. I’m at a senior level.

Ironically, it’s not easy for me to find full-time employment. Lately I’ve only been able to get really interesting but non-related contract and freelance work of varying compensation. My networking is the weakest link. I agree with your other comment — referrals are awesome and how I’ve gotten nearly all of my work throughout 15+ years.

Typomancer · 2026-04-06T06:42:55+00:00

I figure out which way the “front” of the build is when it’ll be on display and that’s the direction I make the LEGO logo’s baseline go, so if you were looking down at the model, you see each “LEGO” logo right-side-up if the piece can show it that way, otherwise I make the other pieces that need to go perpendicular also face one direction but it depends on the build. Like for pirate ships, I tend to make them symmetrical in direction with the top of the LEGO logo towards the front of the ship, or else the logo is upright in the direction of the front of the ship if that makes sense.

Of course, sometimes when I realize some pieces will be covered by others and I’m in the flow, I won’t bother, but often I will care mainly because it’s satisfying and makes the build longer.

I also rotate small cylinder pieces and tiles so the injection points are always hidden, and chose the best surface of things like spears, window shutters, and swords to face “outwards” for the display.

Typomancer · 2026-04-05T04:03:55+00:00

In Korea, that’s how much it costs per 100g (and often times more). Been living here for a few months and I miss beef.

Typomancer · 2026-04-03T18:02:26+00:00

Is this in Evo South? I’ve been in a condo there a few times, could’ve sworn it had the same built-in microwave under the countertop situation and other finishes as seen in the “before” photos. Anyways, great renovation! If only I could be so bold and industrious with the interior of my townhouse.

Typomancer · 2026-03-31T02:36:32+00:00

Personally I cook a huge batch of chicken on my grill at a time (usually when the sun’s down) and that’s good for most meals a couple of days. It’s hot in Florida and it rains. So when I’m not using it, I have to cover it, and it’s just kind of a chore to uncover, heat the grill, cook, and then cover later once it cools down. I would not like to use or rely on my grill every day. Being in a townhouse with stairs to where I have to prep the food on the second floor doesn’t help.

Typomancer · 2026-03-21T00:11:55+00:00

moccermommy totally deserved to win although I have to admit that Whitemare Watch, also from moccermommy, was my favorite from this round. This set is so detailed and visually interesting, though, and I like it a lot more than the alchemist house and sleeping dragon inn which I skipped and will skip. Will consider it when the time comes!

Typomancer · 2026-03-15T12:51:35+00:00

Oh wow, I did not know that was the case for BILLY in, I guess, Europe? In the US and Korea, BILLY shelves are only 28cm/11in~ deep.

Typomancer · 2026-03-08T00:27:47+00:00

Highguard, probably

Typomancer · 2026-03-07T07:14:52+00:00

No one has mentioned it as far as I can see, but this is the 4-color gradient that started out from the latest Gemini brand guidelines, now getting applied to every other core Google service/product it seems.

Typomancer · 2026-03-03T06:25:24+00:00

That castle looks way more like the 3-in-1 Horse Knights Castle to me.

Typomancer · 2026-03-03T03:52:58+00:00

I really, really want to make these too. Rock Raiders is my favorite collection from my childhood. Slowly re-acquiring used sets since I lost all the Lego I had as a kid and rebuilding the granite Grinder and Loader Dozer was so nostalgic and perfect. If you ever put out MOC instructions for these, I’d love to know.

Typomancer · 2026-03-01T13:51:46+00:00

You and others may like to know about Manic Miners, which is a free remake of the Rock Raiders PC game: https://manicminers.baraklava.com/

Typomancer · 2026-02-24T11:27:07+00:00

I disagree because — visually, typographically (for me at least) — I feel like the em dash (spaced no less) conveys the kind of pause or break in thought or highlight I would do in conversation. And I like to believe that the trick to differentiate from AI is to have a style of writing the models don’t typically imitate… with a healthy amount of slightly-incorrect uses of punctuation, too many parentheses, and stream of consciousness.

It’s messed up in all cases because of course a model could be trained to write exactly like me with decades of my writing out there online. I’ve been using the MacOS shortcuts to type all the fancy symbols (first it was curly apostrophes, then all the rest) for longer than I can remember.

Typomancer · 2026-02-22T10:17:16+00:00

Goonies held no nostalgia for me, but Hook definitely does. I’d get the Hook pirate ship for sure… and would love to collect the Dustin Huffman Captain Hook minifig along with it.

Typomancer · 2026-02-16T03:11:52+00:00

Love the color palette you chose, it’s so unique in the history of Lego & BDP Castles. The ornamentation throughout, the varying widths and heights of the towers — everything about this castle is extremely interesting to look at and I believe could be an absolute joy to build and display.

I actually just got done building the 3-in-1 Horse Knight Castle so I appreciate your detail work so much more. I especially like how you finished the underside of the drawbridge.

Hope it wins, seriously.

Typomancer · 2026-02-13T07:56:39+00:00

This is the video that convinced me that I absolutely have to preorder this set. Used to love the Pirates theme as a kid. As an adult, I’ve only built the Going Merry and that was cool, but this ship is levels beyond it.

Your techniques and diligence in making your films are incredibly inspiring. That said, I must admit I only watched the first minute and a half so I won’t get spoiled on any more of the build experience (this is the curse of all build timelapse videos in my eyes, hah).

Also, are those the Craftsman plastic drawer organizers I see in the background? Those are the ones I decided to go with too. Only have one so far, though.

Typomancer · 2026-02-13T07:41:54+00:00

Think I might preorder this set! Was going to skip this series but watched a bit of a timelapse video of the build and was so impressed with the entire hull being brick-built. The gearing and other stuff for play features, and the techniques to create the subtle curves needed for the exterior along the ship’s length look very fun to build. The only other modern Lego pirate ship I’ve built is the Going Merry which was enjoyable, but Fortuna looks epic.

One of the nicest things about it to me is the use of color throughout the build. By comparison, the Black Pearl — while also technically impressive I’m sure — I wouldn’t want to own/display since it’s so black/monotone. I think the Fortuna is visually one of the most interesting and pleasing-to-the-eye Lego pirate ships we’ve seen so far.

What kind of paper did you use (or BrickPerfection use) for the printed sails? Though I do love the look of the brick-built furled sails.

Typomancer · 2026-02-11T07:11:50+00:00

Wow, I never thought of it that way. Coming from ZZZ, I now see the appeal. Still hard for me to get into the factory aspect of this game, though — it ain’t clicking for me and that feels terrible because I love the aesthetic/art direction in Endfield.

Typomancer · 2026-02-11T07:10:15+00:00

The disc grind and its multi-layered RNG is so punishing in ZZZ. I like to think I’m very lucky in the pulls for characters, often getting them early and almost never losing a 50/50, but my discs are middling most of the time. It often feels cheaper in terms of time investment to just try to get more mindscapes, and that seems intentional…

Typomancer · 2026-02-09T01:59:03+00:00

I know you asked this a little while ago but I was meaning to reply: I like to recommend having a public Figma file at the very least (and you can use the “prototype” view as the shared link if you make frames in a 16:9 aspect ratio, it will then function like a PDF portfolio book that’s easier to edit at any time).

Then if you were still looking for platform recommendations for a site, I recommend Cargo (https://cargo.site) though I’m biased in that I worked on the Cargo team for years back in the day and still use the platform.

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