Keymonus

Each of the builds is very nice, and would be worthy of its own thread. Together, with the little background and the soldiers, they represent a wonderful idea and a well-executed project... I like the unique feel of each settlement!

Cool banner! Good luck for the contest!

Nice little ship! By sure not as impressive as a full armed frigate, but will do its job against little smugglers or canoes full of angry natives.

Lovely gunboat! The flag is surely the masterpiece, as well as the firing cannon. I like the hats of the oarsmen… do they actually exist as physical parts?

Wonderful build! In my opinion the tower is a little too high and slim for a port fortification (I wouldn't want to receive a 32 pounder broadside on it! ), but esthetically speaking your build is very nice, both as structure and as wall texture. The minifig choice is very nice too.

Welcome on board! We had by far too few pirates for a pirate-themed game (and so too few targets for the cannons )! I had some problems with Brickshelf too, while Flickr is super intuitive and very easy to use! In general, you can always post whatever you want, the only rule is not to invade too much other players’ storylines (for example, don’t try to kill or kidnap other characters without their permission). You don’t have to anything special (forms or similar) unless you want to join the Economic Game System. However, you can do all this stuff in a second time; my suggestion is to start posting builds and stories and only later (if you want) enter in the most complex dynamics of the game. In any case, just have fun!

August 619, Infero Pordejon, a plantation house in Charlatan Bay outskirts "I think we have reached an agreement. Now my soldiers are at your orders, Sir. Let's write down the conditions." Said Ezekiel Keegan, dipping the pen in the ink. "I'm glad that you find our conditions reasonable. With your collaboration, I'm sure that this useless civil war will see its end." Replied Tristan Rimbaud. Despite his mildly satisfied expression and his measured words (diplomacy has is code, even when the negotiation is over), he felt incredibly relieved: these words, probably, represented the end of the battle for Lowtown. Just in time, considering that the involvement of Oleander forces had finally become public, and the risk to get unwanted attention from other empires or, even worse, to be considered a traitor from Oleander police secrète, was becoming higher and higher every day. Ezekiel Keegan… a rich plantation owner, who, at the beginning of the civil war, had raised a small but well trained militia, armed with the muskets of the defeated Ashen Guard. An astute man, according to many a former Corrish officer: his soldiers occupied several key areas of Charlatan Bay during the first weeks of disorders, outgunning even the Marderian garrisons. In those days, he was almost controlling Charlatan Bay, but his assault against Fort Saint Millar was a disaster: he lost twenty men and, even worse, he lost the control over the gangs he had subdued. The Oleander volunteers and Gustav's militiamen had to fight only a couple of times against Keegan's soldiers, and remembered very well those fierce battles. Now, with the Sugar plantation treaty, Keegan had just moved on their side, bringing along forty expert riflemen. "So, let's recapitulate the terms: 100 doubloons in silver ingots, private trade agreements with the Rimbaud family, and special consideration for a rank in Charlatan Bay forces after the war. I also keep the plantations I control in this moment. In exchange, I recognize Gustav von Bricktin as rightful ruler of Charlatan Bay, now and in the future, and I put my men at your orders." "Correct , monsieur Keegàn" replied Tristan, intentionally stressing his Oleander accent. "But don't forget that all the trade agreements are subordinated to your relations with my mother country. And, obviously, to the capture of Fort Saint Millar and the re-opening of the harbour, whenever it will be!" "It seems reasonable, obviously I have to wait until you capture the fort..." Keegan seemed a little confused… good sign: he had just smelled gold, but now the profit was stepping away, delayed to whenever it will be. It was time for the final jab. "You will do something better, monsieur Keegan. You will come with us against that damned fort!" Tristan left the plantations, followed by his guards. The agreement he had obtained with that greedy and ambitious man, with a bit of luck, would have represented the end of the Battle for Lowtown. That, notably, was nothing like a battle: no real uniforms, no ranks of soldiers, no artillery or cavalry charges, no trumpets or drums; on the contrary, an endless row of ambushes, skirmishes and raids, alternating with alliances, treasons, bribing and intimidation, distribution of food and propaganda among the common people. From the muddy alleys of the city to the most malfamate taverns, from the nearby jungle to the lairs of the gangs, Tristan and Gustav had lead their men again and again, fight after fight. Now, at last, this bloody war was going to end: a final assault against the intimidating bastions of Fort Saint Millar, then Charlatan Bay would be back in control… Soon Gustav would re-establish peace and order, as much as possible in a pirate settlement, and the Oleander contingent could finally make his way home; they had lost seven soldiers, and many others, including Tristan, had been wounded, but the campaign was almost over. The reconstruction would have been long and difficult, no doubt about that, and violence could rise again, but keeping foreign troops in a Sea Rat settlement for too much time would have done more harm than good… what was going to happen next was in his friend's hands, their roads had to part again. Another part of the Charlatan Bay storyline, nearing to its end. I apologize with all the Sea Rats for the permanence of Tristan and his men, by far too long, but real life issues complicated a little the original plan of a blitz campaign. Anyways, my soldiers will leave soon; as usual, I want to underline that I'm not trying to occupy Charlatan Bay, and the presence of my volunteers is only a part of a joined storyline. I hope nobody feels offended by the presence of my soldiers or by the storyline itself, but PM me if you want me to change something.

I suggest you to go south, towards Lotus Empire and the others, especially if you want to try something new (ships, architecture). My vote, however, is a little biased... I would like to organize an AMRCA in distant lands too (even if I am thinking about North)

I'm glad to see you back and I hope everything is going well IRL. As the others said, no great happenings; three weeks ago I launched a minichallenge about ice trade, it still doesn't have a deadline, I think I'll make it last till the end of November.

Great build, it really has a strong Arabian feel, very consistent with the description of Pan! The white building is surely the best, but the tan tower in the background is very well executed too!

I'm glad to see the WTCM back again! I always like to see the news of the New World reported, both by this dubiously impartial newspaper () and by the KPA. PS Now and in the future, jump in my stories as much as you want, both as WTCM and as character! Connections, references and collaborative projects make BoBS by sure more lively, and the WTCM helps a lot!

Lovely build! The stream of water and the mill itself are inventive and very well-executed! I noticed only later the nice angle of the building, another nice touch!

Perfectly correct, this was just a general size reference. To be honest, I will not be counting stud after stud if it is exactly 1000 or larger, and I don't expect exactly square entries (and, even if the entry is 980 studs, I'll pay the price anyways ). I think that after the editing I will be definitely bullet-proof! Thanks! Wonderful idea! Please, build it in Altonia (as I am building something similar, but we absolutely need raw materials for an ice trade!)

First of all, welcome back in advance! I think the only great updates are an increase in fort upkeep cost (as my poor friend @Ross Fisher can testify ), the possibility to stop at uninhabited islands during MRCAs (no gain, but you can use that as starting point for your fleet in the next turn) and the establishment of hideouts (secret bases, lasting for a certain number of turns, where payers can hide their ships)

I added pictures to the topic and edited some unclear passages of the rules. As @Darnok asked, here you can find some builds belonging to Rimbaud family, but don't feel compelled to use the same style, colours or symbols: follow the style of your settlement or, basically, build in the style you prefer!

Welcome in the Brick Seas! I like your introductive build, even if your uniforms have too much red and too little blue for my tastes! Nice writing too. PS: I think you chose a wonderful face for your minifig, probably one of the best here in BoBS… and mine is only an aesthetic comment, absolutely no personal involvement!

More than right!

Ok, everything clear, thank you!

Ok, sorry for the inconvenient! I had to organize a Royal property (faction rule for the noble titles) and I tought that having something on the other islands would have been nice too, but actually I only touched on it in my faction chat. I hope it doesn’t cause any problem, I thought mini challenges didn’t require additional work from the leadership, if you prefer I can delay the whole thing of some months

I’ll provide some links, but don’t bother too much about that, even my own buildings don’t have a strict common style! I suggest you to build in the style you prefer, or in the style of your settlement. Their coat of arms is the shield from the townhall of modular city, but also in this case you don’t have to use it.

If they miss ice, they are more than welcome!

Ice, probably the weirdest good ever traded after the discovery of the New World: worthless for the ones who own it, but impossible to buy, no matter how rich they are, for the ones who don't have it. Nevertheless, frozen water is a quite useful commodity: ice and snow, stored in dedicated cellars during winter, have been used for centuries by the Halosians for the most different purposes, from preserving perishable foods to preparing slush and ice creams, from providing relief to the feverish people to cooling the drinks of the wealthiest nobles. Storing clean snow in a ice house. This is a common winter activity in the Old World, especially in Northern regions. All the ones who moved in the New World, however, had to reconcile themselves with a simple fact: the temperate weather of their motherlands is one thousand miles away, and here in the archipelago you can't collect snow and keep it for the summer, since there is no snow to collect. And, in the scorching summer of Breshaun, under the sun of Mesabi Landing or in the sultriness of Pontelli, you have no way to keep fish or meat eatable for more than a couple of days, unless you cover them with salt, or to drink something cold, unless you have the stomach to add some saltpetre to your grog. Starting from this problem, Charles Lautrec, an Oleander merchant, decided to start a new business, something never seen before: collect ice in Altonia, during winter, store it in insulated warehouses and then ship it to the archipelago. Charles Lautrec, the Ice King The first voyage was a complete failure, the cargo melted and monsieur Lautrec almost bankrupted. His enterprise, considered by most a complete insanity, was noticed by the René Duchamp, the financial administrator of Rimbaud family, who decided to finance the ambitious project: delivering ice to tropical islands. Huge profits are ahead for Charles Lautrec (the Ice King as people nickname him), for his supporters, and for anyone crazy enough to follow their business. (placeholder => ice cutting in Altonia) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category A: Icehouses and warehouses Before ice can be delivered to a settlement, a dedicated infrastructure must be built: otherwise, ice would melt in less than a day. If you want to see ice in your settlement and keep it for more than a few hours, a storing place, owned by Rimbaud Family, must be present. Aim: build an icehouse, an insulated warehouse or something similar in your settlement. Requirements: it must be licensable as a small or medium build. Rimbaud Family (me) will buy it for twice its licensing cost and license the property. Gain for the participants: Twice the licensing cost of the build you submit. Opening a settlement for Cat B builds. Deadline: TBD, according to the participation. Prize for the winners: 1st 50Db+ 25% of the revenues for Cat A properties (for 4 MRCA turns); 2nd 25Db+ 15% of revenues (4 MRCA turns); 3rd 20Db+ 10% of revenues (4 MRCA turns). Winners decided with public voting; I will build something in Cat A but I will not enter the challenge (my builds will open settlements to Cat B, but will not enter the competition). Category B: Fresh fish and cold wine Now your settlement receives its monthly supply of ice. What to do with it, is completely up to you: build a super expensive ice statue to impress your guests, drink something cold, sell ice cream or slush (in Italy it was done since the Middle Age, using snow from Alps and Mount Etna), preserve fish or even try to send tropical fruit back to the motherland. Aim: use your fantasy and build something (more or less historically accurate/possible). It can be a commercial activity, a private use of ice or something different. Requirements: you don't have necessarily to build something in category A, but you can build only in settlements hosting a category A build or in Eltina (see later). The property can be licensed or not; if you don't want to license it, Rimbaud family will gladly buy it at 1.5 the licensing cost. EDIT: You can also build something not licensable in EGS terms. EDIT: You can also participate building in Altonia, provided that you build appropriate steps of the trade (ice cutting, the loading in ships, the transport to the port… or something similar) Gain for the participants: in this case, nothing but the possibility to build something unusual. Your faction or individual players, however, may decide to offer incentives for builds in specific settlements. Deadline: TBD, according to the participation. Prize for the winners: 1st 100Db; 2nd 50Db; 3rd 40Db. Winners decided with public voting; I will build something in Cat A but I will not enter the challenge (my builds will open settlements to Cat B, but will not enter the competition). Category C: Eltina Royal Project While ice trade is moving its first steps in the archipelago, the aristocrats and merchants of Eltina decided to finance something bigger, both for prestige and for economical reason. Eltina Ice House will provide all the ice needed by the elites, but will also allow the storage and preservation of valuable goods, in particular tropical fruit, imported cheese and fresh meat. Ice will also allow a more efficient brewing process for beverages usually requiring cold winter months for their production. Aim: building a Royal Commercial Property in Eltina, starting from the unloading and the transport of the ice, continuing with its storage, and ending with its uses, in particular to preserve goods. Requirements: The quality needed for Royal Builds, and some coordination with the others to reduce overlapping (for example, two ice houses would be useful, but showing storage of fruit in all the builds would be a little boring) Gain for the participants: Honor and glory: you are contributing to the glory of Oleon, our homeland won't forget your dedication. Each participant, moreover, will receive a flat of 50Db for each entry exceeding 1000 square studs (consider about 32x32 as reference, but also 950 studs will be fine; the cut-off is only to have an easier calculation of the overall size). Deadline: The completion of the project Prize for the winners: No winners for this category. If the build is completed and approved, each participant will receive an extra prize of 25Db. EDIT: Post your entries directly in this thread. Please specify the settlement and the EGS class. This mini-challenge is funded and organized by the Rimbaud family (that means with my personal funds), so I can't offer super high prizes, but I hope you will enjoy it anyways. If you have any question, feel free to PM me. Multiple entries are allowed (and encouraged), but you can win only 1 prize in Cat A and 1 in Cat B (your builds take the first and third places => you get the first prize, the third prize goes to the fourth classified). If you need inspiration you can look at wikipedia pages about ice trade and Frederic Tudor, the real Ice King. Voting will be opened at the end of the challenge.

I like all your builds and your writing, but the mob scene surely stands out! The way you gave identity to your characters without a too long description, the way you created an historically accurate but still original new aspect of our Nation is simply great! I’m looking forward to seeing if/how will your story evolve! IC The poor have their reasons, and a good rule should take into account the needs of all the social classes. When seditious people try to revert the order of society, and turn our illuminated monarchy into anarchy and chaos, into the rule of the worst and of the most ignorant, we must crush them with all the necessary force!

Lovely build! The house is very nice, but the orange trees are the real masterpiece, simple but effective! The minifig posing is very good too. I would only suggest to add some close up photos, I think they would add a lot.

Lovely build, Ayrlego! The terrain is very well done, and the way it connects with the building is very natural. I also like a lot the colonial style of your buildings, sooner or later I should try something similar!