Henjin_Quilones

Welcome to the Guilds, @Patgeo! Nice character introduction, and I look forward to seeing some builds from you. Also, as far as I am aware, regular red and regular blue are the official colors of the guild, unless @Kai NRG changed that; but I see builders using dark red and dark blue all over the place, or even some combination of the different shades. So all I am saying is that you don't need to worry about dark blue in the banner specifically. Oh, and in the future, banners can be brick-built, too, rather than made from the official flag pieces if you don't have the flags available. But that's neither here nor there. Welcome again! [Edit: I just re-read the first post and I guess she did change that! Or else I was sadly misinformed the whole time before Book III...]

This looks great all put together! I love the ceilings especially. I am a Latin teacher, so this really makes me happy, and I hope you share a picture of this build with Nerva's forum all together. That would make my day.

This looks great, especially the landscaping. The variation of greens is just amazing, allowing the natural part of the build to quite frankly overshadow the castle. I also really like that you did not overdo it on the trees, but instead kept the trunks small and the foliage scaled appropriately. I dislike it when trunks get enormous and out of proportion to the foliage, but you did a great job here. @TheLegoDr, the carter's torso is I believe Anakin's from the earliest wave of SW sets, just with different arms. At least I am pretty sure, since I have that fig in my collection somewhere.

Thanks, Mandee! I hope I don't scare you off of trying your own dragons. Others have set the bar high, and I was just trying to meet that bar myself. And what idea did I have/use first? Thanks, Kai! The lava was something I was pretty happy with. The neck is not his best part, but I am rather fond of the head myself. It fit the character of Moto to me, somewhat boxy and a little lumpy; homely, even. If you could be specific, what part of the head do you dislike? I plan on making more dragons, so I'd like to avoid things that are unpopular or fail to impress. Yeah, the neck is a little too ridged, I admit, but I felt that the alternative was just too smooth (2x2x2/3 curved slopes with no studs). There is not a whole lot of middle ground, and I went with the texture to try to mix it up a bit. Perhaps it was the wrong choice, I don't know! I love the riders too, and will give them their own day in the sun soon, hopefully. I dislike that Joto is barely visible in the main pic, too, but it was a sacrifice I made to get a better angle on Moto. For example, on Hewa, you can see his rider, but I feel like the dragon is then not shown to full effect. Oh well. Thanks, Narb! Glad you like the base (and the dragon, too)! Presentation is key, right? You can build things that are really cool, but if no one can see it or you don't convey the coolness somehow, no one will notice or care. So the base is an effective way to amp up the presentation. I myself stole the idea from @Legofin2012 back when he was pretty active up in Mitgardia. And Deara is coming at some point, but she has not made her way over here yet. I may try to incorporate her into a larger scene as I begin to build out my Book III story in earnest. Thanks, T'LOB! As I said above in the description, the size of the wings is deliberate, so that Moto can crawl through lava tubes and other more constricted areas and not harm his wings. Though yes, for a dragon of his size you would probably expect more surface area to make the idea of such a massive creature remaining airborne less ludicrous (though no matter how big the wings, in real life a dragon could never get lift unless they had lighter-than-air bodies, as I understand the science, at least; darn physics!). I prefer magic as the true explanation for dragon flight, so really the size of the wings doesn't matter much.

This is a great ship, Gabe! I love the many details of it, and the brick-build shaping is pretty good, too. I am a big fan of completely brick-built hulls with no large pre-fab pieces (not that they are bad, or are cheating, but I like it when people try other techniques. The way you mounted the rope ladder on the side is probably my favorite detail, but the colors, the teeth on the battlements, and the water are all very nice too. I don't know that much about cogs, but it seems like it sits a bit too high above the water, and that a ship of its size should have a greater displacement than it appears to be displaying. However, I don't know how much is under the water, or anything really about the general buoyancy of ships...

The cliffs are great, and I like the stormy quality of the water with its darkness. It must be a cloudy day for the water to be so dark. You know my preference for trans-light blue water, but this is also quite spectacular, and you have captured the feel of the waves quite well. As others have noted, the cliffs are really the scene-stealer here, though, and the high level of texture really gets across the idea of crumbling limestone. The one thing I really don't like is the tan; it seems to bright and out of place compared to the gloom of the sea. I suppose it is dead grass or something, but it seems off to me tonally. More dark tan might have worked better in my view. That said, it really is a stunning build and it is nicely capped off by a micro Cedar Serpent, complete with the dark orange hull! On a different note, in Book II the DeVine Isles were closed off for people wishing to settle there. I am not sure yet if we are opening them back up or not, so it would probably be a good idea to site your settlement on the Mainland, on a Mystic Isle, or in the Enchanted Forest. There is plenty of coastline up near the DeVine Isles in the Enchanted Forest that would be prime real estate for a settlement of the same flavor as on the Isles themselves, with lots of craggy cliffs and stormy seas.

Great to see that, Grover! I've got another one of my own up, too:

Moto the Fire Dragon A freebuild for Avalonia < Previous Elemental Dragon Moto and his rider, the elf Lord Joto, are the Fire Guardians protecting the Elvish kingdom of Mwamba from any fiery threats, especially from volcanoes. Moto's wings are smaller than those of many of his peers, enabling him to crawl into lava tubes and into magma chambers without catching the membranes on any sharp edges. Lord Joto sits on the Elemental Council of Mwamba and was one of those who supported gifting dragons to the ragtag collection of Hesperian exiles that showed up on the streets of Bandari, including Galaria. More pictures: ______________________________________________________ ............................................................................................................ Moto finishes the collection of the Elemental Guardians of Mwamba, both dragons and riders. I need to build a council chamber for them to meet and show the story of Galaria and her friends being given permission to form a soul-bond with infant dragons and learn the basics of raising them, but I have been having trouble finding the time lately for much building. Hopefully soon! I've got some other stuff ready to go, but I need to have a day to take the pictures; maybe this weekend, unless another hurricane decides to drop lots of rain on us... C&C welcome. Moto is probably my second favorite dragon I've made. I was rather pleased with the base on this one, so hopefully @TitusV doesn't find something to dislike about this base, too! (I don't think any lines are too straight on the front, at least...)

I did it when I was joining the Guilds, so why not? I created a side character, who ended up later being the wife of my main character, and posted a picture of her to the guilds first while I waited to get my main sigfig out of storage.

Thanks, he is the king, so I guess he has to protect his people. I have the idea that there are various kings of the high elves, all with ornate golden helms of different styles, and Mfalme is one, and Fingole is another. The Atalantean guards from the Justice League Aquaman set have a nice fishy helm that I have been considering for some sea elves, too. Thanks, T'LOB! Thanks, dG! I can see where you are coming from on the Ringwraith vibe, but King Mfalme is a good guy for sure. I'll hopefully get another build with him in it to show him off a bit more clearly, as I really like the fig.

On Bricklink it is this element from this set. It is the same sticker that I have been using to represent Hesperia, for example here above the door, or here on the banners beside the throne, but on the dark green round tiles that came with the set. It's a great sticker!

It looks much better, and my old eyes can finally see the details! Thanks!

No, I actually stole it from this build of yours. I claim nothing as to originality!

Well, of course Titus was just teasing! That's what we tree-hugging tights-wearing Avalonians do, whenever we are not bragging about how great our own land is. It's probably because we are so well fed by the fertile fields flush with verdant vegetation, so we can't imagine people barely managing to scrape by with just some shriveled little shrubs. I mean, those poor little skeletons need some meat on their bones, but they'll never get fully fed in barren Nocturnian mountains; they need to get some nourishing Avalonian produce in their non-existent undead bellies to fatten up a bit... And you should build an Avalonian landscape sometime; I'd like to see that. Have I mentioned that Avalonia is great enough times yet? Because Avalonia is great...

A lovely and imposing structure to be sure! I will echo some earlier comments and say that the arches on the central balcony don't work very well, due to their difference from the rest. It seems odd for most of the building to have a certain style and then a particular part to be different. I don't know that it is a bad style per se, but it should be used in a building on its own, rather than trying to mesh with different styles. I love the arch over the door, though, and the double-arched windows in the towers also look great. The action conveyed here is nice, with the crane lifting up the dome, and the builders all about their work. At first I did not like the flat and studded terrain, but then I read the description that it was unfinished, implying that the courtyard had yet to be paved; that should have been obvious, but I guess I am just special. And of course they would want the site to be flat to build a building on it, so it makes perfect sense the way you did it. On the top of all the walls you have cheese slopes, but some are all facing the same direction and others are placed like teeth; it bothers me slightly that they are different, even from the crane tower to the two domed towers that have the same decorative striping. Did you try it with them matching, and choose this because it looked better? I wonder how it would improve the unity of the building to adjust the arches and the cheese crenelations (I'd try it with all teeth, personally). Anyways, just some thoughts. I really do like how it looks and am super excited to see more of Mophet when you finish those builds.

I like the way you made the side of the church textured with the dark bley sections, showing some disrepair. Also, the half-stud offset of the stained glass is a nice touch. I think that using just three flowers in the landscape is a mistake, though, because it seems so random without being natural. I would put some more on there, in the same color rather than three different colors, and clump them together as though it is a flower patch. The roof is very nice though, and creates a nice image of a tiled roof. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing more of Amos' adventures.

I feel your pain about detailing the whole of a building and then only showing one side. At least it looks good when you look at it, and it seems more satisfying, too. You have a real knack for creating beautiful builds, I must say; the way you balanced the yellow mass on the left with a touch on the right in the shield is inspired, and the overall composition is just lovely. As a strict purist, I harumph a bit at the yellow leaves, but I really cannot argue with the result. Having lived places with lots of birch trees in the northern USA (aspen trees look similar, too, and those were all over the mountains where I once lived out west), I can say that you have captured the autumn appearance of the tree masterfully. And the stud-shooter trunks are excellent. About the overall build, something that I note is that your builds in the Guilds have all seemed very clean, which is a good thing; I think it has to do with your restrained use of color; aside from the figs, there is only one green on the ground, there are three brownish tones, two greys, two yellows, and then a touch of black and white. It makes a final product that is very visually pleasing, which is further enhanced by excellent photography. Great work.

So good to see something new from you, Exetrius! The whole build feels so very Nocturnian, from the color choices in the landscape to the grimness of the tower. I enjoy the landscaping, including the very obvious vegetation (perhaps @TitusV was merely comparing this relatively barren landscape with his home in lush Avalonia?), but especially the rocks; they are nothing fancy, and just two colors, but they are very appropriate. The story is fun, too! Great work keeping the Darklands alive! Or at least undead...

Glad you liked the goats that have been popping up (in one of my builds, as well as a build by @TheLordOfBricks, not to mention a bunch more before that, since I at least did not invent them), and I love the way you used the old viking horns on them; I wish I had some of those, because they look better on the goats than the standard horn pieces. As far as presentation goes, posting from Flickr with closer to 800x600 pixels makes it easier to view the images, rather than the 300x200 size (give or take a bit) that you have posted here. I do like that you did not put the pictures side by side as you sometimes do, because that just makes all of the images blur together, so this is nice. As Gideon said, a bit more brightness in the images would also be nice. Otherwise, I am glad to see something of Conrad's past. I think you are the first person I have seen in the Guilds using the new medium articulated legs, so good job on being the first there!

@Spud The Viking, welcome to the Guilds!

@mlongworth Helenia has been added to the map, right on the coast, beneath the river and hard against the Kaliphlin border.

The trees are really nice, and I like the overall layout. The snow also looks pretty good, especially the bits on the roof. The things I think could be improved include the log bricks in the house, which, while appropriate for the small shack, look a bit odd with the plates between to throw off the illusion of vertical logs. It might look better if you used the log bricks sideways to make it look more like a typical log cabin with horizontal logs. Also, using a different color for the door can cause it to stand out better, even just dark brown or dark tan, or dark orange would make it pop out against the reddish brown. Beyond that, the biggest thing to improve is photography. I applaud the use of the white background to eliminate distractions, but the little gap in the corner should probably be fixed somehow or other for future photo shoots. Also, the angle of photography is a bit high, and the results might look better if you shoot from more at minifig eye level, rather than from a high, tower's eye view; this allows the viewer to enter into the scene better and experience something closer to what the figs themselves might see. Finally, adjusting the brightness in some sort of photo editor would enhance the view, too, as right now they are a bit dark. That being said, this is a very nice little build and a great addition to Mitgardia. You asked for constructive feedback, so I gave it! I look forward to seeing more from you, as well as reading the story when you get it written. Keep it up!

On the coast, or further inland?

@micaz, this was discussed a little while ago in the Book III thread, so to answer, I will quote @TitusV's fairly accurate and thorough response from there below. I hope this helps, and we would be glad to have you here on GoH! If you need further clarification or have any other questions, ask away and we would be happy to answer. Quoted text in italics: * BoBS is about the Age of Sail, with the needed margins, but GoH is all about the Medieval Ages, with the needed margins as well of course. A pretty obvious thing, but I thought I'd mention it as well * GoH, or at least Book II, doesn't posses an 'active economy'. Participants don't own money or something, though Book I awarded coins to the Guilds, but this was more of a small contest and turned around prestige, they didn't have in-game value. That means no web forms to fill in or build limits! (I had almost forgotten, but we do have a build registration thread! You would have to ask the leadership whether it is still used) * As the Book I coins show, the competition between factions is very different. Of course, we're all very proud of our own guild (up Avaloniaaaaaa *insert trumpets*), but there's not something like a faction's PM thread, simply because there's no really secret information or need to 'outsmart' the others. Even the diplomatic ties between Guilds are not clear. One faction declaring war on another, or guaranteeing a smaller nation (which we don't have, bythe way, except maybe Cedrica) as one would frequently see on BoBS, just doesn't happen here. Except of course when the leadership would decide so, but that's another story... Consequently, the board game aspect of the Guilds is a lot smaller (on the other hand, it got pretty high during the fourth challenge of Book II, led by the excellent @SkaForHire who you may know as one of BoBS's game masters). (This all also doesn't mean 'normal' members can't have a big impact on the storyline, even using private threads and such. We all know how close the Algus came to destroying the Guilds!) * Following this last fact, there's no 'rush for land'. Even with the anniversary challenge, GoH isn't about expanding your empire, as is the Age of Discovery centered BoBS. Intrafactionwise, only Avalonia has a tradition with every member claiming a certain territory, but this too has been abolished for Book III. Of course, a lot of people are Lords (of just residents) of a certain city or region, but they don't have a zone of control. Even more so, Nocturnian cartographers are known for not caring about exact locations of important locations... Interfactionally, the above-mentioned diplomatic actions between factions, as determined by the leadership (of course with participation of the guild members etc), sometimes result in border conflicts (an excellent example here is the third challenge of Book II, where Avalonia and Mitgardia were at the edge of full-out war), but conquering pieces of other guilds or actual border change... No, I can't honestly remember having seen something like that (I'm not even sure whether something like that has happened in BoBS). Could an older member (@soccerkid6, or our beloved grand daddy ZCerberus) maybe confirm? Or wait, I just recalled something, hmmm... Let me look some things up, I'll get back to this in a few moments! As you see, it will take a bit of time beforing getting to know all the lore amassed throughout years of building or the more subtle differences (of which @Henjin_Quilones has already mentioned some), but I hope this can get you started! EDIT: I have found it At the start of the fourth challenge of Book II, Ska posted a little resumée of the main points of view of the three different sides, which can be found here (under the list of challenge preludes). When one looks to the second row, last column, one can see that the DK has promised the island of Esterbroke to the Avalonian guild (if you don't know where this is: on this map, its the island right south of the Mystic Isles). And considering the fact that this same DK has come out of the Kali civil war as the most powerful of the three, I think we have a first border change ever!!! May the Dragon ever expand - or wait, am I talking BoBS language now?

@mlongworth, where is Helenia on a map? I would like to add it to the official Map of Avalonia as a hamlet, but I don't know where to put it.