[ENTRY] Rock Island Refuge (Now Finished)

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

Update August 24th:

I think I've reached a final product. I'm going a way for work tonight so I won't have time to make any more changes. Thanks to all you creative critics out there who provided me with insight. Without further ado...

Behold, Captain Redbeard's newly renovated Rock Island Refuge. 31 years have passed since the famous menace of the Brick Seas took over this rocky isle. Now he and his crew have a place to relax and party in between plundering stints on the Barracuda. A second cannon and weapons cache have been added to defend against the pesky Bluecoats. The dock has been expanded and crane upgraded. Some secrets still remain though. Let's see what the Island looks like in 2023.

 

Scallywag has gotten quite adept at fishing off of his raft. Looks like fresh Mahi Mahi is on tonight's menu unless the seagull has a say in the matter.

Port and Starboard need their potassium!

Capt. and Scallywag eye the new weapons.

The party deck never runs out of rum!

Pirates gotta eat after a long day of plundering!

How cute is this Toucan hatchling going to be?

Scallywag makes sure the latest raid's booty stays safe.

Captain Redbeard is not aware that the back wall to the brig can be opened by Imperial Rescuers.

Hang in there bro.

Quartermaster needs a nap after ordering the crew around.

Looks like this island was first discovered by the Armada. It's Captain Redbeard's treasure now!

 

I thought I’d go ahead and show ye mateys what I got so far since the deadline is rapidly approaching. This way I can get some feedback from the creative critics while I still have time to make changes. The DarkNStormy Crew has had a busy summer which didn’t leave much time for Legoing. Luckily ‘lil Stormy is back in school and I have a few days off this week for finish my project. Oh and he’s planning on entering a build as well!

Anyways here’s what I got so far.

I used some techniques from the new Eldorado set because it uses the same baseplate after all. It doesn’t match it exactly though. Some other changes of note from the original:

1. I went with brown for the dock instead of black. Just my personal preference. Plus the new PoBB set has a brown dock.

2. I’ve gone with just light bluish gray and dark bluish gray for the rockwork, going for a wet/dry effect. The original had more green on the raised baseplate. Instead I’m adding vegetation like leaves and vines onto the gray rock.

3. I shied away from the use of black for the upper parts, and tried to build it more into a seamless rock transition from the base.

4. I changed the placement of the jail door and the stairs for better functionality.

5. I changed the pit into a sea cave with a hidden entrance that rotates to open on the backside of the island. It still has the top door that hinges open that the original had.

6. I added the beach at the bottom of the ramp. It provided a more seamless transition. I figured since the new Eldorado added some sand then I could too.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by CaptainDarkNStormy
Update with Finished Photos

[Yoggington]

So far so good. I particularly like the rock window now where it was previously just a straight tower.

Hard to critique at this point. my one question mark would be whether it would look more interesting if the wet/dry rock divide wasn't a perfectly straight horizontal line. A plate above or below the line here or there could break it up nicely.

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

17 minutes ago, Yoggington said:

So far so good. I particularly like the rock window now where it was previously just a straight tower.

Thanks!

Quote

A plate above or below the line here or there could break it up nicely.

Noted!

[Mister Phes]

3 hours ago, CaptainDarkNStormy said:

Anyways here’s what I got so far.

It's finally made it's debut in the LEGO Pirates Forum!

Been following the updates in the Classic Pirates Facebook Group.

But will it be ready by the deadline?

[MstrOfPppts]

Another remake of this awesome set! I like the brown pier, it also works better in my eyes. All your mentioned changes make sense, though I do miss some black in the building. It's just too gray. Besides Lego never cared for the wet effect, even if you look at Ray the castaway or the PoBB set there is no dark tan to tan transition by the water. Taking this in consideration I think you'd be just fine if all the rockwork was DBG in contrast to the LBG fort. Now it's kind of too molded together and hard to see where the rocks stop and the building continues. Still I'd go with a lot more black in the building. Also the ladder should then be changed to the dark tan one or the older brown one ...

Love the work so far and fingers crossed you'll manage it till the deadline!

[Mazin]

It's hard to say much at this point, and boy, harry up mate, cause i do really wanna see it finished before the deadline! ;) And then i guess You could still use some time window for eventual changes, based on our suggestions or not.

But even at this point i guess i've made few important observations. 

1. Although its definitely different from the original and from an another entry with that title we'e seen in this contect, it is a proper ROCK ISLAND now ;) Cause, in contrast to all those black RIRs this one actually looks like something build in a rock, with rock, and it is indeed what it's name would suggest, a hideout in a sort of rock castle sitting on a rock. So i'll give You points for that :) 

2. Seaside castles and rocky islands are typically associated with wildlife, birds, flying over it or making nests everywhere ( not to mention those obvious white traces ), so i'd add it there. A seagull or too, perhaps some egs or nests. A sealion or a seal would be something new. That is if You'd be brave enough to move a bit away from the classic carribean vibe ;)    

3. Lack of black might scare others from considering it a proper remake, but as i said in a different entry with RIR, original seemed to be to black and too depressing, and thus it would be cool to actually redevelop remakes into something with more fun, more life, more color. Then again, so far reigning blackness was simply replaced with grey, but i hope You'd add some color here and there. 

 4. Pirate hideout of this size could only mean that it was reposesed by them from some previous owner, conquered from some local imperial boys, or perhaps simply taken after it was abandonded. So i'd suggest leaving some hints in the build to who those preious owners and constructors of this castle were, like remnants here and there. If it's sort of a ruin, then perhaps You would be able to show that some wals, entries, or windows were part of something bigger, probably more decorated, had all those elements that pirates obviously didn't opt to renovate or that they might have vandalize even more.

And then, of course, since they are pirates and they like to collect things that belonged to others, maybe that loot could be build into Your structure too? Like elements that clearly used to be part of merchant or imperial ships here and there. Or souvenirs from a raid on the Islanders etc. You know. New windows straight from governors quaters, foreign flags used as a roof or a hammock, ships' figureheads sticking out of walls etc. 

5. I absolutely love the idea of an underwater section. Seeing that this whole rock island is so big it immidiately hints to the idea that there should be some big space under it. So i'm hoping You'l devolop a nice chunk of it :)

Perhaps pirates could have a hidden garage inside it with a concealed entrance. There's surely enough space to do so.

6. Different staircase is a nice change, they look very nice. That "handrail" could be less regular tho, like, right now it looks seemless, and i think it should have a more irregular, to signify the fact that it was ripped from that rock.    

I also have doubts if there's enough space on them to stick a figure in there? 

Jail looks very appealing, but is it accesible enough?

7. I'm  not sure about that beach. In Eldorado it looked well, but that compound was build with lots of white and yellow elements. And with Your reigning rock grey and earth colors i'm affraid there's too much contrast. For now at least, cause it might get better when we'll be able to see a bigger picture :) It's not that i have anything against sand, it's just that it looks too nice and it should probably have a more dirty rotten look ;) Like, if You've seen ramps leading from any structure or buiding into water You probably now what i mean... especially if there is an outflow :) 

8. Seeing Your dock i guess You won't fit a cannon in there and it will be moved somewhere else?

9. Very nice work with plants, wood and rock so far. I like those gaps. Keep up the good work. And for God's sake, hurry up! :)

Edited August 22, 2023 by Mazin

[Rogue Redcoat]

Not much to say, cause it looks great so far perhaps you should add some more vegetation and please add some black not just the ratlines, other than this perhaps we could see where the tree is growing from? Anyway happy building :)

P.S. Even if you don't finish it by the deadline I'm sure it would make a killer MOC :)

[iragm]

This looks great so far, good shaping on the baseplate, nice dock (looks very Barracuda Bay!), the bridge is good, and the plant life is planted in such a way that it makes sense.

I hope you're able to finish it in time!

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

Thanks for the feedback y'all! I took some of the suggestions with me as I worked on it for a few hours this afternoon. I made some good progress. I'll share another photo tonight of where I'm at.

15 hours ago, Mister Phes said:

It's finally made it's debut in the LEGO Pirates Forum!

Been following the updates in the Classic Pirates Facebook Group.

But will it be ready by the deadline?

Yes, it will be ready!!!

12 hours ago, MstrOfPppts said:

Taking this in consideration I think you'd be just fine if all the rockwork was DBG in contrast to the LBG fort. Now it's kind of too molded together and hard to see where the rocks stop and the building continues. Still I'd go with a lot more black in the building. Also the ladder should then be changed to the dark tan one or the older brown one ...

I've started to add more DBG in the upper parts to add some differentiation, but I wanted to make the upper parts look like they were more in line with the base rather than built on top. Oh and I already swapped out the ropes for tan ones. I had ordered some specifically for this build but my son grabbed them for something he made and I was temporarily using the black one to figure out spacing.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

1. Although its definitely different from the original and from an another entry with that title we'e seen in this contect, it is a proper ROCK ISLAND now ;) Cause, in contrast to all those black RIRs this one actually looks like something build in a rock, with rock, and it is indeed what it's name would suggest, a hideout in a sort of rock castle sitting on a rock. So i'll give You points for that :) 

Thanks!

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

2. Seaside castles and rocky islands are typically associated with wildlife, birds, flying over it or making nests everywhere ( not to mention those obvious white traces ), so i'd add it there. A seagull or too, perhaps some egs or nests. A sealion or a seal would be something new. That is if You'd be brave enough to move a bit away from the classic carribean vibe ;)

Brilliant suggestion! I have plenty of birds: Parrots, seaguls, toucan, bluebirds, etc. They will be included! Perhaps a nest somewhere too!

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

3. Lack of black might scare others from considering it a proper remake, but as i said in a different entry with RIR, original seemed to be to black and too depressing, and thus it would be cool to actually redevelop remakes into something with more fun, more life, more color. Then again, so far reigning blackness was simply replaced with grey, but i hope You'd add some color here and there.

I've started to add more DBG pieces in the upper sections so it's not just all DBG. Also more vegetation so plenty of green.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

 4. Pirate hideout of this size could only mean that it was reposesed by them from some previous owner, conquered from some local imperial boys, or perhaps simply taken after it was abandonded. So i'd suggest leaving some hints in the build to who those preious owners and constructors of this castle were, like remnants here and there. If it's sort of a ruin, then perhaps You would be able to show that some wals, entries, or windows were part of something bigger, probably more decorated, had all those elements that pirates obviously didn't opt to renovate or that they might have vandalize even more.

Another solid idea. I'll see what I can fit in in various places.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

5. I absolutely love the idea of an underwater section. Seeing that this whole rock island is so big it immidiately hints to the idea that there should be some big space under it. So i'm hoping You'l devolop a nice chunk of it :)

Perhaps pirates could have a hidden garage inside it with a concealed entrance. There's surely enough space to do so.

This is definitely worth considering. My original idea had it as a smaller area but maybe I could make enough room for a rowboat for a quick getaway.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

6. Different staircase is a nice change, they look very nice. That "handrail" could be less regular tho, like, right now it looks seemless, and i think it should have a more irregular, to signify the fact that it was ripped from that rock.    

I also have doubts if there's enough space on them to stick a figure in there? 

Jail looks very appealing, but is it accesible enough?

I went ahead and made the stair "railing" more irregular. The jail is accessible and there's room for multiple figs.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

7. I'm  not sure about that beach. In Eldorado it looked well, but that compound was build with lots of white and yellow elements. And with Your reigning rock grey and earth colors i'm affraid there's too much contrast. For now at least, cause it might get better when we'll be able to see a bigger picture :) It's not that i have anything against sand, it's just that it looks too nice and it should probably have a more dirty rotten look ;) Like, if You've seen ramps leading from any structure or buiding into water You probably now what i mean... especially if there is an outflow :) 

Yes I live in a coastal area so I'm well aware of what that looks like. I'll experiment with ways to make it look less nice. I still need something there for the ramp/water transition. I like the idea of sand better than more rocks just to add some differentiation.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

8. Seeing Your dock i guess You won't fit a cannon in there and it will be moved somewhere else?

The rear part of the dock does have enough room for a cannon. I'm also going to put one on the rocks in the front.

9 hours ago, Mazin said:

9. Very nice work with plants, wood and rock so far. I like those gaps. Keep up the good work. And for God's sake, hurry up! :)

I'm hurrying!

5 hours ago, Rogue Redcoat said:

Not much to say, cause it looks great so far perhaps you should add some more vegetation and please add some black not just the ratlines, other than this perhaps we could see where the tree is growing from? Anyway happy building :)

P.S. Even if you don't finish it by the deadline I'm sure it would make a killer MOC :)

Thanks, I'm excited to see it finished.

I've added some DBG pieces to the upper part. I think it helps break up the LBG pieces and looks better than black.

1 hour ago, iragm said:

This looks great so far, good shaping on the baseplate, nice dock (looks very Barracuda Bay!), the bridge is good, and the plant life is planted in such a way that it makes sense.

I hope you're able to finish it in time!

Thanks!

[durazno33]

Looking like a great foundation for something spectacular to come!

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

Ok I'm calling it quits for tonight. Here's what I got.

Rock Island WIP by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

Rock Island WIP by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

Rock Island WIP by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

Rock Island WIP by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

Rock Island WIP by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

 

 

 

[Mister Phes]

2 hours ago, CaptainDarkNStormy said:

It's really taking shape and shaping up nicely!

[MstrOfPppts]

Love the overall shape, all the hidden details and play features like the hidden chest, the opening in the rocks and so on. Though adding DBG into upper build doesn't help, it's even harder to distinguish rocks from what used to be the fort ...

[F1stzz]

4 hours ago, MstrOfPppts said:

[...] it's even harder to distinguish rocks from what used to be the fort...

I mean yeah, the original set was kind of a take on representing the long-abandoned ruins of a fortress which were appropriated by Redbeard's scallywags. Barely getting these sorta vibes from the entry here, tbh 

[MstrOfPppts]

1 minute ago, F1stzz said:

I mean yeah, the original set was kind of a take on representing the long-abandoned ruins of a fortress which were appropriated by Redbeard's scallywags. Barely getting these sorta vibes from the entry here, tbh 

Sure but if we presume that all DBG is rock than it seems like towards the top the rock has grown into the abandoned LBG fort build instead of plants. Or it's hard to imagine that the rocky pillar would stand so high on its own while they would build the fort around it. Anyway, just my cup of tee, miss some black in it and that's it. Still - rock island means that the island is made of rock, not the fort that stands on it ... (:

[F1stzz]

4 minutes ago, MstrOfPppts said:

Still - rock island means that the island is made of rock, not the fort that stands on it ... (:

Well, the actual part usage in 6273 highly indicates the idea of an abandoned fortress (talking about all the black corner wall panels with scattered stones pattern, panels with windows, 1x2 bricks placed in such a way as to simulate the defensive wall structure, all the lattice fences and so on). So one would expect the remake to, let's say, "follow the script" when it comes to its appearance 

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

1 hour ago, F1stzz said:

Well, the actual part usage in 6273 highly indicates the idea of an abandoned fortress (talking about all the black corner wall panels with scattered stones pattern, panels with windows, 1x2 bricks placed in such a way as to simulate the defensive wall structure, all the lattice fences and so on). So one would expect the remake to, let's say, "follow the script" when it comes to its appearance 

 

1 hour ago, MstrOfPppts said:

Sure but if we presume that all DBG is rock than it seems like towards the top the rock has grown into the abandoned LBG fort build instead of plants. Or it's hard to imagine that the rocky pillar would stand so high on its own while they would build the fort around it. Anyway, just my cup of tee, miss some black in it and that's it. Still - rock island means that the island is made of rock, not the fort that stands on it ... (:

I guess I had the wrong take on this. I interpreted it as just a rocky island that RedBeard’s crew made into their own makeshift fortress/hideout. This is my first time remaking a set that I don’t have the original of. I didn’t think of it being an abandoned/taken over imperial fort.

[MstrOfPppts]

Well all I am trying to say is that the original had a distinct line between the land and the building that went from gray to black. A lot of gray parts already existed that could be used in the original to simulate continuation of rocks into the building. But that is not the case. In your build I find the rockwork too integrated into the building which also causes a more plain color scheme with too much gray. It doesn't matter if the building on top is an old fort or just a pirates wooden shacks built it's just some minor aesthetics in my eyes. Anyway continue with your build, I'm sure it will turn out amazing!

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

Aight, I shifted gears this morning and worked on the raft. What do y'all think?

Raft 2

22 minutes ago, MstrOfPppts said:

Well all I am trying to say is that the original had a distinct line between the land and the building that went from gray to black. A lot of gray parts already existed that could be used in the original to simulate continuation of rocks into the building. But that is not the case. In your build I find the rockwork too integrated into the building which also causes a more plain color scheme with too much gray. It doesn't matter if the building on top is an old fort or just a pirates wooden shacks built it's just some minor aesthetics in my eyes. Anyway continue with your build, I'm sure it will turn out amazing!

Thanks

[CAESARBLACK]

On 8/21/2023 at 9:22 PM, CaptainDarkNStormy said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like this alot.
I would try to make it somewhat modular like the eldorado remake.

[Rogue Redcoat]

1 hour ago, CaptainDarkNStormy said:

Aight, I shifted gears this morning and worked on the raft. What do y'all think?

It looks nice, My only questions are why are there the 2x2 logs with the pattern and the 2x2 logs without halfway through, and perhaps a parrot would be better than a seagull :)

[CaptainDarkNStormy]

54 minutes ago, Rogue Redcoat said:

It looks nice, My only questions are why are there the 2x2 logs with the pattern and the 2x2 logs without halfway through, and perhaps a parrot would be better than a seagull :)

Because I don’t know what my 7yo (or his friends) did with the other 2x2 round tiles with the wood grain. 😂

[MstrOfPppts]

The raft looks nice, I like the sail! I'd switch the black with either brown or dark tan also looked good in some other raft entries.

[Mazin]

2 hours ago, CaptainDarkNStormy said:

Aight, I shifted gears this morning and worked on the raft. What do y'all think?

Raft 2

Thanks

Love the overall design, custom sail is impressive, Your pirate is a very intruiging character and i guess he's got this love-hate relationship with his seagull sidekick ;) Awsome. And that Barrel with fish is a a nice addition too. Should he get a fishing rod or a spear to be able to hunt them tgo? Or perhaps his seagull is specificay trained for this purpose and he's angry that she doesn't want to do her job ;) 

Speaking of barrels tho, maybe You could use their covers to replace those two central elements in the base of the raft? I mean, wooden stuff is very nice, but i'm not a fan of those shiny pieces sitting between them :) 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Mazin

[F1stzz]

3 hours ago, CaptainDarkNStormy said:

Aight, I shifted gears this morning and worked on the raft. What do y'all think?

Banger  Tho I guess a paddle is needed for the scallywag to steer it