Captain Dee

Shiver me timbers! She be a mean one! That's about all it takes for a pirate intro. I assume she done stoled th' boat elsewheres?

This is a very good lively seaside scene. The rocks and dock look great, and the buildings (what we can see of them...) are fine as well. I've always liked that upside-down roof technique as a way of using those parts and it works great for this. The wall textures and cobblestone are good as well but what really makes this nice is the realistic crowd of people. Good work.

This is a nice little scene. At first glance (the Corrington thread) it seemed a little confusing but with the description it makes perfect sense. I like the recessed windows, the bookcase is great and the plant in the barrel is a nice addition. Good work.

This is to me the perfect character intro - a couple of very good scenes, good photos and plenty details in a small space. The bar is fantastic, the tiled brick walls look great and the scenes of the soldiers and students are really good close-up shots. Excellent intro.

This is a quaint little build in a good way. The corn/maize looks pretty good built from those pieces, and the cottage is nice despite being so small. I suspect food production isn't on everyone's priority list to build, and as a farmer myself I think this is a great way to introduce a character. Good work.

Wow... that's quite an introduction. The overall build is unique, and while the exterior is perhaps a bit plain the inner details are nice. You have a good variety of minifigs, and I'm curious about this suspicious Corry ociffer... The microbuild turned out really well. Good start.

That's a fine vessel and the level of detail is great for something so small. It looks nice against the painted background, but I think the Lego water technique is the better of the two. It has a good surface appearance and the color (what is it exactly?) looks fabulous. Good work, and while I'm at it your other big ship is great too.

This is a neat concept and it turned out pretty good. The lighting looks difficult, but it adds a little mood to the scene that a painting would surely capture, and I like it that way. The flags are somewhat distracting but besides that this is fine. I agree that more scenes of this nature would be cool...

The Economic Game System (EGS) rules say: "The first two free builds a month will earn a builder 10 DBs per build, after which, each free build earns as many DBs as it achieves on the approval chart listed below." I read this to mean that 1 free build per month earns 10 DBs, 2 per month earns 20 DBs, and more than two requires approval to earn anything extra. The chart shows: 1-3 approvals = 2 DBs 4-6 = 3 DBs 7-15 = 4 DBs 15-25 = 5 DBs 25-35 = 6 DBs 35+ = 7 DBs As you can see, 15, 25, and 35 are incorrectly listed on two lines of the chart. Perhaps it should read: 7-14 15-24 25-34 35+ But that's up to the powers-that-be. The EGS rules also say: "The MOC has three weeks from posting to earn its approvals." And "Approvals are given by members within any faction other than the builder's."

Sir Stig - yes, posting your sigfig in the correct setting/context earns you 25 DBs regardless of whether or not you participate in the game system (EGS). Posting 2 freebuilds each month earns you an additional 10 DBs per build, or 45 DBs total using your example. You get the first small ship and property free but your first two freebuilds don't have to be used to build that ship and property. If you post more than 2 freebuilds in any given month, the number of DBs you earn for builds 3 and up for that month is determined by the number of approvals (thumbs up or stated approvals) given by members who do NOT belong to your same faction. (It isn't a direct count - 10 thumbs up doesn't give you 10 DBs - there's a chart explaining it somewhere in the rules) You could earn a lot or a little on these extra free builds, but your first 2 each month always earn 10 DBs apiece if they are deemed sufficient. I hope this helps! EDIT: I've been thinking about the issue of scoring freebuilds 3+ (per month) differently - it will be necessary for the builder to identify these as numbers 3 and up for the month or else they may not get the approvals/thumbs up they need to earn any DBs on these builds!

I struggle to see how Oleon could even EXIST without at least having a substantial amount of domestic trade - that is, within its own borders and among its own people. Even so, history tells us isolationism rarely worked out well - even if we aren't pursuing reality. If you have numerous coastal ports there should be quite a bit of trade between those ports. Otherwise, why would they even exist except for fishing? Every single port cannot possibly be a big naval base. Goods and citizens of Oleon would be moving quite a bit within Oleon (and the same for the other factions) regardless of outside trade. Likewise it seems snobbish for anyone to look down on trade (as a part of commerce) when most people would have been at the very least somewhat dependent on it, even if it was land-based. Generalizations may work as quick descriptions but I think any advanced sea-going society from that time would have included a little of everything.

You've included a good variety of minifigs in a nice historic setting, and it shows that you don't always need a huge amount of parts to make something fun. All that lacks is a pic here on EB...

You've built yourself a fine looking brig. She looks really nice from this angle and the colorscheme is good. It's cool to see so many classic bluecoats as well. If you need a name I would suggest some variation of "Brigitte" or "Bridgette" unless that's too feminine for you! I look forward to seeing more pics if you can get them. Good work.

"I'm dreaming of a [redbluegreen] Christmas..." One can at least wish, right? I'm for sure not getting a white Christmas at 60°F. It seems there's been a huge effort put into this. The teasers look great, but they're like appetizers that we can't touch. I've got my knife and fork ready...

Thank you Phred for giving me access. I didn't think I was going to offer any input because everything looks pretty good, but Ska brings up an important point. Ship rigging is confusing for many casual viewers/builders, and if you're going to provide names I think they should be correct. Otherwise we're not only missing a good educational opportunity but also potentially adding to the confusion that already exists. Then there's the ship index to consider, for the same reasons. I'll be unimpressed to go digging through the index and find a sloop (using Ska's example) that's identified as a brig by the builder - especially if it's included in the title. If I set sail across the Brick Seas and encounter improperly-identified rigging I'll be tempted to shoot down the mast(s) to correct the error ;-) Seriously though, I really like the idea of generic names. Nothing will be incorrectly labeled unless the builder makes a mistake, it won't be confusing, and experienced builders would be free to label their ships correctly if they want. Regardless of whether you're talking ships, cars, or flowers, I think not having a label is better than having an incorrect one. I for one will have a hard time building something that is listed with incorrect or confusing rigging. Of course the option always exists to add names later, but I'd still provide a generic name too. As for the vessel above, it looks great Phred. I like the colors, the sails are nice and I'm especially impressed that you didn't feel obligated to build tumblehome sides!

Haha, that's great! It's a nice scene even without the monkeys. Is it just me or does the classic monkey always look more mischevieous than the other two - he looks ready to party. Good work.

Exellent bridge design. Besides being big the modular design is really nice. Those colors are great and there are lots of cool details. Good work.

Your workshop interiors are always nice and this one is no exception. Despite the unadorned floor it looks great with all the different details. The table in particular looks really good. You've crafted quite a tale by now - I didn't realize this saga had so many parts. Good work.

"Walk like an Algussian"? Please don't do that again - I nearly choked on my Pepsi! Dragon-taming would make for an interesting scene, but they're so cute they look harmless. I'm all for the magic monkey idea too!

That's a fine little build, but the texture of the base is so good I actually prefer the pic without minifigs. They must do a lot of beheadings for the pedestal to be so red! Nice work.

I really like the dungeon in terms of build quality. It just looks dark and foreboding like a dungeon should look and there are lots of nice details. The second is pretty good too, although I must confess all the strange creatures are beyond my interest. Overall you've done well with just these two entries.

That is a beautiful tree. The hideout is nice too, and I'm.glad to see the classic Forestmen so prominently featured. I also like how you used leaf pieces for the vegetation on the ground. I've always liked that technique and when done in a different color than the tree as shown it looks so much better than the grass stems, bamboo pieces etc. Good work.

Well whaddya know... I just bought the book "Castles of the World" and this one is on the cover. I think that's a great scale to build in and it looks fantastic. It makes a fine display piece without being gigantic. Excellent work!

That's a really cool technique and it looks great for the walls. The staircase and floor are really nice as well and you've included some good interior details. Good work.

This just keeps getting better and better and it looks fantastic. Great work so far.