Im one of the few that actually like the ROTS design, and I think I can see what they went for designing it. This thread isnt about the design choices though, but about your cool mod that is looking great!

I think that making the neck longer might be a good idea after all if your aiming for ROTS Vader. Its a pretty simple fix that makes all the difference. Ppl use the MR and seem to make it work.

A few years back I reworked the Rubies Deluxe into a 90%-ish ROTS. I have none of your skill so the result is nothing like the one you will get. But I think you will have a massive work on the helmet, as the Rubies is based on the original and looks nothing like the ROTS. I think you will more or less have to build a new one to make it look ROTS. The helmet is by far the toughest part in making a ROTS helmet.


Cheers

The more I've worked on ROTS-related projects of my own, the more I've come to respect it. The way I see it, it's half of Brian Muir's sculpt, mirror-flipped.

On the OT domecap, some parts stick out more than others, and the flange is a byproduct of the asymmetrical shape. Carving up the dome to make it purely symmetrical is impractical. For something like that, I'd much rather do a scratch-build. But even so, I wonder if that's even practical since MR recasts are offered on eBay.

Even though extensive work has been done to rework and resculpt the face, I'd still like to keep the dome-half of the project within a modification versus scratchbuild scope, so the project is focused more on adding ROTS characteristics rather than subtracting what's asymmetrical.

It was pointed out to me that the 2nd paragraph of my last post reads like I'm going to buy a recast dome for this project. Were that the case, since the recaster on eBay is selling the mask and dome, the pair would invalidate this whole project and thread.

Rather, if I were making an almost symmetrical dome (I have a method in my mind) the time and effort it would require would best be paired up with my Scratchbuilt ROTS Vader project (a different thread here in Works in Progress).

What I learn from this project (I've picked up some subtleties on the ROTS from studying photos and sculpting onto the Rubies) that I think can benefit my older Scratchbuilt ROTS project.

My dilemna is that given availability of a recast on eBay, would fans prefer to buy the recast instead of investing in a fan's Scratchbuild (this thread, conversely, is a Modification). My scratchbuild has been on the back burner because of this. I don't want to invest so much into a project that nobody wants. But the scratchbuild is a whole other subject.

For now, I'll continue to mod the Rubie's purely for my learning purpose and to develop an eye for the ROTS design.

When this mod is done, I'm open to a trade with something other than just another Rubie's plastic helmet.

Since my Scratchbuilt ROTS is looking so much better than the Rubie's, I've decided to convert the Rubie's from the ROTS state back to OT.

Here is the new project:

http://www.therpf.com/f62/sculpting-new ... er-180998/