Kwatchi

That's certainly a build to be proud of. You can see the effort that went into it. Well done.

My wife walked by as I was finishing it and had the same reaction for the same reason. :)

Thanks for the new title DD

Neat little build. You have managed to produce a nice little flotilla this month.

I'd be interested in the Harry Potter half. What specifically are you looking for? Off the top of my head I have some spare Hobbit orcs and fleshy bits I don't need.

Well, that is officially the first BoBS building I have no desire to rob and light on fire. :) I'll simply echo the previous commenters; it's gorgeous. I'm happy just to be playing in a field that includes builders who can accomplish this.

Wow. You certainly set the bar for what a large build should strive for. Well thought out building structure and a dynamic scene with proper background story. Hopefully this shows up in a convention display in the future.

March 2016 MCRA As reported in the Kings Port Adviser: But what really happened? (see Gulagurag's version here) ==== "I tell you Captain, this is Bardo!" "Mr. Montriche, do you know what that young pup over yonder said to me before he passed on? He asked why the blazes we'd attack the town as small as Tarlo. I was of course incensed at his temerity and slander, and sent him to make his apologies to Hades for his lies. But then I looked up, and what do my eyes behold? A sign. A sign stating in letters clear as an ocean breeze: 'Tarlo Town Hall'. And I'll prove me point to you right now. Hand me that map." "..." "Mr. Montriche, when I took you on as navigator, you told me that you had been gifted with a classical education and such by your family. Math, Music, Arts, Literature. Youe had tasted them all you said, though freely admitted having chased skirts 'round the local pub more than keeping your nose in a book. So I have a question for you now." "During all that learnin', did they not teach you how to hold a map the right side up?" "Youth is wasted on the young..." "Ms. Maicy! Round up the crew and get them back to the ship, and inform Captain Amara we're leaving at once for Charlatan Bay. And then find me a suitable 'guest' for the little celebration we'll be having upon our return home if you please. No sense in being antisocial."

To all Sea Rat Captains, please join the discussion in the MCRA 4 PM thread on the following. Hopefully we can resolve this internally in time for the next MCRA. Note I will not be continuing the discussion with players outside the faction. Not to be rude, but you've said your piece and I don't believe you have a say in how we decide to enjoy the game going forward. Well... Ska gets say I suppose. :) === In my line of work (engineering consultant) we tend go about things by identifying the problem and then proposing solutions. So here's my take: PROBLEM: THE SEA RAT FACTION AS IT STANDS IS IRREVOCABLY BROKEN It is not just a problem of rules per se, but also one of perception. Our scope is too broad and our roles conflicting, and within three months our membership been split because of it. For whatever reasons we now have two halves of a whole: Free Traders and Pirates. And neither half is right or wrong. Free Traders (or say smuggler nation) are those who have entered the economic game and are both prospering and enjoying in it. While staying free of trappings of nations, they are playing by the established rules and are building towards set goals. This being a Lego community, building goals is an admirable quality. To function properly, Free Traders need 1) Escort ships, of which the best we have access to are the 'royal' ones; 2) not be attacked by other factions with impunity under the lazy argument of "Well, they are all pirates so I can do what I want to them because they're bad". Pirates are those who got into this game to roleplay the romantic figure of an independent pirate lord fighting ship battles and hiding treasure on far away islets. They came in expecting Blackbeard, Jack Sparrow, Long John Silver and got a game of city building and trade convoys overrunning everything. What Pirates need is not so clear as everyone of them sees this differently to be honest, but a set understanding of their place in the game would be a good start. I don't believe these two can coexist. Free Traders will always suffer from being painted by the same brush as Pirates and the latter will always suffer as they cannot draw upon the faction resources (i.e. royal ships) to compete against the ship class arms race as these are desperately necessary to the traders. We will continue to pull in opposite directions and suffer for it. I have three possible solutions, and two of these solutions do not require much of outside help from committees or decision makers. And we're 'owed' a solution to this as individual players in order to make sure our continuing in the game yields what we all most want... what we feel is fun. SOLUTION 1: The Do Nothing Approach We struggle on as is and try to come to internal compromises every month while waiting for Ska to fix things. SOLUTION 2: The Great Dispersal This would equate to something of a faction reset. A proclamation would be made in the forums stating along the lines of 'These Captains have had a change of heart and now being of good conscience wish it be known that they will except a royal pardon in exchange for taking a vow to the crown'. Any Captain could sign their name to the document, at which point the factions would be allowed to enter negotiations with either individuals or the whole lot of them with aim to switch over to their side. Any properties they had licensed would be reimbursed and "retconned" to appear in one of their new factions holdings. Those who stayed (or didn't get a pardon offer ) would continue on as Sea Rats with the new understanding that they were lumped in with pirates and that all nations were permanently hostile with them, barring a separate agreement. SOLUTION 3: The Schism Rather than the Free Traders leaving, it is the Pirates that do so. Free Traders keep Bastion, the fleet, and the colours. They gain a legal court system and pseudo respectability but are required to keep their ports upon to Pirates for building and trading in perpetuity. Any who stay are granted pardons for past endeavours, as it is discovered they had sailed under a Letter of Marque from Garvey (retcon again). Sea Rats may declare war as a faction if/when they feel it convenient of course. Pirates, willingly, take with them the shirt on their back and not much else. They give up access to the court system, faction ships, and a capital city. While they might have a nominal faction leader for rule purposes and gang up occasionally, they operate as independents. They own no islands unless they take them by force, and any squatter settlement they establish is at their peril. Pirates will be hostile to all the three existing factions unless a deal is cut (i.e. letter of marque, etc.). For Pirates, it becomes a game of survival more than anything else. Once the split happens, the new Pirate (or Buccaneers maybe) Faction becomes closed to new player membership. That simply is because it would be a bit much for an entry level experience. In order to join, a player would reach a certain arbitrary goal (e.g. time played, Dbs collected, ship size, etc..) and must MOC their fall from grace. Player could conversely leave the pirates faction upon receiving a pardon, which once again needs to be MOC'ed and agreed to by the new faction leadership. In exchange for the new pirate's loss of previously licensed properties (which become unlicensed rather than destroyed in case he switches back later), they gain a discount on ship costs, while keeping the squatter building costs (losing the artisan yield bonus). While separate factions, both Sea Rats and Buccaneers would compete in challenges jointly due to the low numbers at present. Any faction Dbs and FIPS would go to the Sea Rats in their entirety. CONCLUSION In case you didn't pick up on my slant, I like solution 3 the best. But this would need to be a majority decision. Hopefully you have thoughts on the matter.

I put my response to this nonsense in the Mardier Challenge thread. It should clear up some of the misunderstanding. .

I'll have to delve into this discussion properly this evening after I get home from work, but I'll quickly type up a few salient facts since I seem to be a point of discussion. 1. Sea Rats are not what we thought they'd be! Within the first month of play they morphed into a faction of free traders, as the EGS had pirate actions at a poor risk/reward. I for one joined BoBS late and balked at being a trader; it wasn't what I had in mind when I joined. Internally, our faction is split on the subject. And if I am not mistaken, no SR captain has sailed on a pred cruise since I joined in February. So rather than SR=pirates, it should be more SR= independent traders/smugglers/contractors. 2. At present, Eslandia has an INDIFERENT reaction towards Sea Rats in the political system. So I am curious who ok'ed the predatory cruise with a royal ship contrary to the crown's position? Seems treasonous to me. 3. My actions last month were my own and reflect an in-character negotiation I had with the ESL leadership (Kai) regarding establishing a free port on Ferro Azure. Negotiations took a sour turn unfortunately and I sent my latest counteroffer via the MCRA. So at this time you can safely assume I personally am Hostile to ESL, and I'll presume vice versa. I'm a mini-faction of sorts. 4. I don't make berth anywhere at present, but I will establish a colony this month (once the challenge islands are handed out) so ESL can 'seek revenge for my cowardly attack' and keep the storyline going. Because that is my focus atm; the Db rat race is secondary. Hope to see you on the seas. MUAHAHAHAHA!

Vive la Brique Libre!

Vedauwoo, not that SR would ever stoop to such lows as blockade extortion , but this is probably something that would be better (and more fun) if declared and roleplayed openly on the forum imho, and not hidden away behind Oz's curtain.

Your courtyard fountain is a clever idea. Nicely done! And I love the DW references as well. All you need now is an appropriate antagonist: Master Drumbeat of the SS Dalek?

Lol. A challenge was issued to a fictional character and when they don't respond the challenger declares themselves the winner? Is there plans to challenge a hurricane next? I understand the thinking but this turned a little silly now. I think there has been ample time for Mardier's champions to step up. The reason no one has can be speculated upon, but one might be that no one wanted to support a borderline attempt to overturn a negative MCRA. I would suggest a compromise. If the (previous) owner of the Fenix wants to MOC a rescue, let them post it here and the BoBS community can vote if he was successful or not. But as for the lost faction 5A... 'He's dead Jim'.

Lovely ship and story. Could you add a picture of one of your 9 pounders if you get a chance? I've been struggling to create a build for a small weight gun that I like and what I can see of yours is promising.

Edmund Milton had been a minor partner for trade consortium headquartered in Belson. After a series of catastrophic events decimated their trade convoys, the company was delinquent on a number of loans. Rather than face Debtor's Prison himself, he fled with the firm's remaining wealth (damning his partners in the process) and bought passage eastward to the Terraversa colonies. He avoided the ports of the "civilized nations" for fear of recognition and established himself amongst the Sea Rats where his past would not be of concern. Using his contacts with smugglers and merchants of 'less than stellar conscience', he acts as a trade factor for successful pirate captains looking to sell off the unwanted loot from their most recent prize. The high value cargo (e.g. molasses, tobacco, bananas, rum, ginger) finds its way on to merchantmen heading westward, but the rest is sold at auction. It is at Milton's auction house that a less successful buccaneers might be able to stock up the necessities once a fleet comes in; everything from captured ships to slaves to pistol shot will eventually come through the auction floor and can be yours for the right price. Milton is devoted member of the old faith and begins every bargaining session with a prayer to the patheon of three. But rather than a gavel he uses the butt of a pistol to signal his decisions, because the gods alone can't protect you in such company. My brother got me watching Black Sails as of last week (only two episodes in; no spoilers you louts!) and it had me thinking about how Sea Rat captain's in BoBS would dispose of unwanted ships and loot in the absence of having an official prize court . So I dreamed this up. While it is as bit larger than 16 x 16, I can't decide yet if I'll consider it a small or medium commercial enterprise in game terms. Property: Small commercial Status: Licensed

The accuracy of the cocoa tree some brilliant thinking. Top notch effort.

Great concept Captain G! It really tells the story of what is happening. Have you found out what exactly you are mining yet, or is this just in anticipation?

There might a recurring theme in my builds... but what do I know. If I ever bother licensing stuff, it'll likely end up small anyway based on cost alone, and it is much closer to 16x16 than 32x32 so that makes the most sense anyway. Frankly, I need my order of tiles to finally come in so I can start building bigger scenes.

Considering the Eslandolians attacked a Sea Rats Trade convoy last month (prior to the raid no less), doesn't that make you pirates as well?

Milton's Auction House | Kwatchi | Sea Rats The True Tale of the Sacking of Tarlo | Kwatchi | Sea Rats New Beginnings | Kwatchi | Sea Rats

Welcome aboard. That boat looks like a good start to me.

Dear Governor Smaugton I have considered your request. It brought to mind a line of Milton's: "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven". All my best to you and yours, Captain Meloche

Nicely done V.