Calling all gamers! Check out this cool, compact Deep Rock Galactic Drilldozer creation from JaoGosma, a mining machine with moving wheels and rotating drill. Show your support for this set in the comment box below!
ABOUT YOURSELF
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What is your name?
JaoGosma. -
Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
My Instagram account is: @jaogosma. -
Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of?
I think my absolute favorite MOC is the brick separator car. -
How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
It started when I was a kid, when my cousin gave me an old bucket of LEGO® bricks he didn’t use anymore. -
What is your favorite LEGO theme (current or past)?
My favorite theme is Bionicle, I have lots of fond memories there. I think speed champions influenced my building the most though, because of the creative and clever ways pieces are used to achieve certain shapes. It made me think about and look at every piece in a different way, more than any other theme. -
What is your favorite official LEGO set ever? Why?
The galaxy explorer has been my favorite set ever since I got it. I don’t know who designed it, but they did an amazing job. It’s filled to the brim with crazy building techniques, it looks perfect, and it’s a 3-in-1 where each version is as good as the others. Spectacular set! -
What is your favorite LEGO element? Why?
Brackets in general are probably my most used pieces.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I had recently started playing Deep Rock Galactic™, and there’s a lot of things I felt would look good in a LEGO set. In the end, I went with the Drilldozer. The design doesn’t need much context to be cool. I think it could be appreciated by fans of the game as a brick-built version of the Drilldozer, and by everyone else as just a fun mining vehicle! -
How long did the process of making the project take and what did you have to research?
I started working on a Deep Rock Galactic build in May 2023. Initially, I was going for the Drop Pod, but it would have been too big if it were to have all the features I wanted. So, I scrapped it in favor of the Drilldozer, and that went really well.
From the original idea to completion, it took about a month. I used a bunch of in-game screenshots of the Drilldozer to use as reference, and I looked at a 3D model occasionally. Even though the 3D model would be better for accuracy, the screenshots really captured the feel of the game.
About a year and a half later, in September 2024, I made the Glyphids and added them as an update to the Drilldozer. They don’t like to stand still, which made getting screenshots difficult! So, I relied mostly on 3D models, and it took me about a week to build them. -
What special challenges or frustrations did you face creating the model?
There wasn’t really a single most difficult part to recreate. The trouble was that the Drilldozer is a very detailed and textured thing, too detailed to be accurately recreated in LEGO bricks without making it huge! So, the most difficult part was figuring out which details to keep and which to let go. The treads lost the most detail, and I removed all wires. On top of that, I felt that keeping the proportions of the in-game model would make the brick-built version too fragile. Therefore, I chose to make the whole thing chunkier, but also more durable. -
If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him/her? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I’d tell myself to not worry too much about the small details, and worry more about the bigger picture. I spent a lot of time stressing about tiny, barely noticeable details, and once I finally let go of them, the whole creative process started flowing a lot better. -
How long did it take to complete the model?
It took about a month to make the Drilldozer, Molly, and the dwarves, then a year and a half later I made the Glyphids, and that took a little under a week.
I posted the Drilldozer on Instagram and on the Deep Rock Galactic subreddit, and that kicked off the project with about 3K supporters in the first month. After about a year and a half, it had climbed its way to 7.5K supporters. Then I made the Glyphids, shared the update on Instagram and Reddit again, and about a month later it had reached 10K. -
How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
It felt pretty good! I was used to the supporter count climbing slowly throughout the months, but the Glyphids addition really drew a lot of attention to the project again, and before I knew it, it had reached 10K. -
Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The original submission had 1,291 pieces. The Glyphids then added a little over 600 tiny pieces, so about 1,900 total. -
What is your favorite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
The angled panels on both sides of the Drilldozer are by far my favorite part. It took a lot of bricks going in various directions, and maybe one or two slightly illegal techniques, but it turned out great.
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If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I used BrickLink Stud.io to build and render.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
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Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas Product Idea?
Sharing and promoting your Idea is the most important thing you can do. Search for communities that might find your Idea interesting and share it with them. -
What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I shared the project on Instagram and Reddit when I first submitted it to Ideas, and then again on the same platforms when I updated the submission with the Glyphids.
The Deep Rock Galactic community did most of the heavy lifting! They shared and supported it throughout the whole process. They’re the ones responsible for the Drilldozer hitting 10K, and I’m so grateful for their support. -
What is your favorite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
Tales Of The Space Age was my favorite Ideas submission. It made me really happy to see it become a real set! -
What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
It’s a fun platform to be a part of. There are plenty of amazing creations to get inspired by, the challenges are always interesting, and there’s always a chance that your Idea could become a real set.
If you’re thinking of joining the platform, make sure your submissions have clear pictures that are recognizable at first glance. Make the important parts really stand out from the background. And don’t forget to promote your submission – it won’t get to 10K by itself!
