I do agree that it is a much easier method for some folks who don't have the tools or space or even the same level of craftsmanship. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. For some people, it's a great starting place to get into prop making. Everybody has to start somewhere. My problem is when people won't challenge themselves to go the next step...
Before this is kabashed and this thread becomes another one of
those threads: I just wanted to say you hit it on the head; I feel the exact same way about this and 3D printing (albeit, the former being the most cost effective). I think both are wonderful tools to get people who are genuinely curious into this hobby. I don't agree that it encourages laziness as both methods still require a certain amount of tenacity and skill to get looking really good. If I grew up in this generation where things are done mostly digitally now, I'd have lapped up the opportunity to play with 3D rendering/printing and modeling pepakura. For me, analogue (by hand) is still more comfortable to work in, though dated it seems to be now.
What my problem is is that whilst it encourages people to join in the fun, and those who like to take it to the next step; it also concurrently presents safety and that's where I think people get stuck. You know that if you do the work, and get good at it, it'll come out looking just like the original model intended to look. It'll look like the movie's and everyone else's for that matter, who also downloaded the same file. For many, that's a good place to be. For me, I like variations that just happen if something is scratch-built; even if something is made to look exactly as it appeared elsewhere, that item absorbs a character, a sense of humanism, just from osmosis. I also like pushing my own boundaries, if there is more and if it's in my reach, then I'm going to go out and try it. I've tried printing and I've tried pep; they both lack
that feeling for me and that's all it boils down to. How far do you want to reach and do you like it?
ON THE SUBJECT AT HAND: Anything popular and begins to flood the forums with identical builds, that's a bit tedious. Above them all, though, I will concede that I have no interest in Iron Man builds now unless it is actually being made from high-strength, light-weight metal alloys with all the accouterments (jets, rockets, AI assisted UI, laser cannons, etc) and powered on a palm-sized arc reactor.
It gets on my nerves how people still rag on Return of the Jedi, stating that the Ewoks were put in to sell Star Wars licensed teddy bears, but no one bats an eye at a series of movies that has 42 variations on a single set of armor to sell toys.
