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LEGO Set Review Form	V2.4
        created by Joshua Delahunty  (Internet: dulcaoin@alumni.cse.ucsc.edu)

This is the LEGO Set Review Form.  It was created to facilitate the
creation of reviews by allowing reviewers to concentrate on what to
say, rather than what to include, in a review.

Having a pre-defined format allows LEGO enthusiasts to compare reviews
using the same criteria. It assures the reviewer that no important
points will be missed, and the reader that comparable information will
always be found in a well-defined location.

This format is based on what's worked, and what hasn't, in free-form
reviews that have been posted to rec.toys.lego in the past.  E-mail
any comments or suggestions for improvement you might have to me at
the above address.

You should use this form as a guideline, rather than a rule. Try to
write for an international audience, and make it fun!

LATEST UPDATE
2.3 -> 2.4	"Favorite Theme" changed to "Favorite Lines/Themes"
26-Aug-1997	(Most reviewers were listing a favorite product line
		instead of a theme, and were listing multiple items).

2.2 -> 2.3	Copyright notice changes.
07-Feb-1997

2.1 -> 2.2	Category -> Product Line changes, keeping update history
15-Jul-1996	alive. Updated contact e-mail address

2.0 -> 2.1	Undid some of the stats moves, placing values near
26-Jun-1995	where they go.  Rearranged sections again.

1.3 -> 2.0	Simplified the form, moving all the 'stats' information up
11-Jan-1995	front, and making the input format much more free-form in
		style.  Cleaned up instructions and category/theme types lists.

INSTRUCTIONS

o  Replace items in angled brackets (<,>) with your review information.
o  Step counts for each model, price and reviewer information are optional.
o  Leave headings in ALL CAPS in the review.
o  Remove any section where the answer amounts to "None."
o  The copyright section at the end is optional.  You may leave it as-is,
   change it to your liking, or remove it entirely.

LIST OF PRODUCT LINES AND THEMES

Here are some example lines (ranges) and themes.  There are many other
values than those shown here. The product brochures that come with
medium and large-sized sets are the best place to look for the correct
values.

Product lines: DUPLO, Basic, Town System, Space System, Castle System,
 	Pirate System, Paradisa, Aquazone, Expert Builder, Technic,
	Model Team, Belville, Boats, Trains, Wild West (Western).

Set themes: Race, Flight, Rescue, Blacktron, M:Tron, Space Police,
	Spyrius, Black Knights, Dragon Masters, Forestmen, Pirates,
	Imperial Guards, Islanders, Aquanauts, Aquasharks, Universal,
	Model, Police, Fire, Coast Guard, Freight, Metro, ...

---------------------------------- CUT HERE ----------------------------------
<set number>
<product-line> / <theme>
<set names (on separate lines)>

Ages <x>, <x> Pcs. (C)<date(s)>. <x> page manual: <x> models, <x> steps.

Price Range: <x> <state monetary units>

RATINGS	(Scale:  Must-Have  Excellent  Very-Good  Good  Fair  Poor)
Set: <Rating>  /  Models: <Rating>  /  Playability: <Rating>

DECALS?  <Yes/No/Some/Large?/Attractive?/Cover-Multiple-Bricks?>

SPECIAL FEATURES/COMPATIBILITY

<Leave in any special features that apply, and REMOVE any that don't.>

[X] Light Bricks <specify voltage>
[X] Sound Bricks <specify voltage>
[X] Motors <specify voltage and size>
[X] Trains <specify voltage>
[X] Monorail
[X] Really Floats
[X] Magnets
[X] Pneumatics
[X] Pneumatic Compressor
[X] Flex-System
[X] Control Center/Computer Connection
[X] Sensors


SET DESCRIPTION

<Describe the set.  List the main colors that are used, what models
are supplied for building -- in the instructions, and on the box as
well.  Give the reader an idea of what's included in the set.>

SPECIAL ELEMENTS

<Describe any of the elements in the set that catch your attention.
Be brief, and only describe the elements. Leave your impressions of 
_how_ they were used for later.

Briefly mention elements that are *special or unique* to this set.
Mention pieces that are *new*.  The display tray is usually a good
place to look. Any special features of the set will often involve new
or unusual elements.  You might mention any *non-plastic elements*
here (to indicate how LEGO sets are changing lately); pieces such as
metal grappling hooks, string, or cloth.



IMPRESSION

<This is the main narrative of your review.  Here you should be as
free-form as you want to be, describing your impression of the set.

Below are some points to consider while writing your review, followed
by a list of subjects you should consider covering, to add narrative
to the ratings you gave at the top of the review.

* Write in complete sentences and paragraphs. Make your descriptions
readable and lively.

* Temper your enthusiasm.  It's fine to feel fanatical or pissed off
about a set, but if you let that show in your writing, any point you
try to make will be lost if you sound like a loud, overexcited
electronics-store commercial, or a toy-store terrorist with an axe to
grind (and plastic to burn).

* Include the narrative background surrounding your acquisition of the
set. This is a good way to get across what first excited you about the
set in the first place and it often makes for a fun read.

* Write a description that you would want to read.  Ask yourself if
mentioning something about the set would seem overly obvious or out of
place.

* After you've completed the section, ask yourself if there's anything
else you would have wanted to know about the set if you didn't already
own it, and were reading someone else's review.

* When deciding whether to leave information in or take it out,
consider whether it's something that you'd want to see if you were
reading about the set. If just one other person wants that
information, then the information serves a purpose.

_Things_To_Cover_
Set Rating
<Explain why you rated the set as you did; concentrate on
how the elements add to your LEGO collection as a whole.>

Model Rating
<Explain your model rating. Were the elements used
effectively in the model(s)?  Does it fit in well with similar sets
you have? Did you get any exciting new ideas from the instructions?
Does the set look good as a display piece?>

Playability Rating
<How "playable" is the set? Does it spark your
imagination?  Would kids like the set?  Could they do a lot with the
set, given a vivid imagination?>

Likes/Dislikes
<Write about what you liked and disliked about the set. Be specific.>

Scale
<What scale is the set at?  Does it accept Mini-Figures?
Technic Figures?  Does it seem to try for a certain scale and fail (as
in the case where a Technic figure can't reasonably reach a steering
wheel, for instance)?>

Errors
<List anything that was wrong with the set.  This should be
rare, but it can happen.  Examples are missing or melted elements,
mistakes in the instruction sheets, etc.>

Extra Elements
<List the elements that are left over after you built
the "main" model, or if you're really diligent, which elements aren't
used in _any_ model in the instructions. This helps other builders who
might worry that they forgot a step somewhere in the instructions.>


CONCLUSION
<Would you buy the set again, for yourself or as a gift? Would you
recommend the set?>


REVIEWER INFORMATION
Review Written: <Date of Review>
By: <Name>	<Login>
Age <Age>	Favorite Lines/Themes: <Your LEGO areas of interest>

< Discuss if you collect LEGO sets as part of a collection of
elements, or if you appreciate them more as separate models - this
will probably relate to your ratings choices at the top of the review.

This section is intended to give the reader an idea about you as a
reviewer, so that the reader can make a judgement about your comments
and ratings in relation to his or her own. >


COPYRIGHT

This review is Copyright 1997, by the author as named above.  The
author grants publication rights for all uses, public and private,
with the following exceptions: all information in the document must
be published in full; any for-profit use requires express written
permission by the author for publication in full or in part.