The Stad

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I think when all sections come together it should look better. If you look at the contour lines on a topographic map they tend to be pretty regular and generally parallel to each other, which was what I was aiming at. Thanks, I try to have a reason for everything I build, it tends to make people question it less . I'm not familiar with that Conan movie (I think I've only seen the Destroyer) but I can imagine Arnold in such a predicament, now that you mention it. Thanks dG, that means a lot coming from a posing master such as yourself! Thanks HQ, I agree with the comments on the shrine. Working with just 1x1s on each pillar made the texturing a bit difficult, but I have a few ideas for improving it... Thanks SK, I'm excited to get them all together too! Just one more to go... Thank you Rogue, it was certainly a fun little challenge. Thanks Grover, I think you're right from a photographic composition standpoint, as this module does seem a bit cluttered. I want the village to feel like it's been built a couple times over, with the new being set right on or around the old. The problem is that that style doesn't always make for the easiest pictures. As for the dark tan, we'll see how the whole layout comes together. There may be some more mountain flowers around the village...

Another great installment in your story! I've already told you how cool the mech is, but I also have to say that your hangar bay is top-notch. Really satisfying mixture of industrial-looking textures with space-agey smoothness. Well done all around.

A few words come to mind when looking at this, impressive and terrifying being the first among them. The picture of it eviscerating a horribly out-classed exosuit is the icing on the cake. This thing is really cool.

I think that this would be really cool, and it touches on a point that makes me a little nervous about the future of the guilds. This whole adventure started at a time when Lego was in the midst of a castle theme resurgence, and then came LoTR and the Hobbit, and all those themes served to fuel the builds and drive the aesthetics of stories. I mean, the official heraldry of Avalonia and Kaliphlin came directly from the Kingdoms line, and the Hand of Corruption is based on the official Uruk-Hai figures for cryin' out loud. I just wonder, as those themes get farther into the rear view, how do we make sure that there aren't too many barriers to entry for those who are considering the guilds but don't have any of the "appropriate" minifigs? An official GoH Lego theme would be the most effective way to propagate those parts, followed closely by a new, generic castle theme, but neither of those seem to be forthcoming (there's not even a "normal" CMF series on the horizon).

I’ve seen some long shot wishes in these forums, but this has got to be one of the best. While we’re at it, put @Derfel Cadarn in charge of set design!

Many thanks SK, I feel like an official participant now!

Thanks for all the effort you've put in and continue to put into the guilds ZC. It's easy for us on the outside to piss and moan about, well, everything, but so much of this wouldn't happen without your hard work. It's good for all of us to remember the things that should come before our hobbies.

I don’t think anyone is too concerned about the way in which the leadership is selected, but rather making sure there are enough leaders so that all the guilds can function. If there is a lack of bodies to put in those positions, then it seems worthwhile to consider those with experience who have volunteered. However, if we knew that every guild already has a leadership team, I think much of this current conversation would go away. It seems that the primary concern among players is resolving whether or not Nocturnus will be kept open and/or if Varlyrio will become open to play. As far as Varlyrian style is concerned, I don’t think it would fall only to the leadership to enforce the standards that have been established over the past several years; there are many vocal builders here that know what “fits” in this fantasy, and who aren’t afraid to coach players who are less familiar. So it really comes down to establishing a more fleshed out vision of the guild (which is admittedly no small task), and naming the players that will tackle the administrative roles. From the traffic this thread is getting, I think there’s a lot of excitement for the next book, and I think I can speak for many when I say we have a lot of confidence in what you guys are cooking up. The only question that remains is what guilds will be available to the participants.

It’s always seemed to me like the driving force in GoH has been the individual players. Since there hasn’t been much of a guild-against-guild dynamic to this date, the membership of guilds has not had a major effect on the way that this game has been played. As far as I can tell, this has been a place where people can come and build their own individual stories in a shared world. While other games like AG or BoBS have come across as unbalanced because they’re built around the weekly generation of points or the acquisition of territories, GoH is moved forward by monthly or quarterly challenges which are won by individuals. Case in point, the current story is founded on the winning individual entry from the last book (I know and love the combined story, but ultimately it is HQ’s story that officially won), and the point spread between the four guilds had nothing to do with determining the winner. I think the point I’m trying to make is that, unless book 3 is going to have a drastically different gameplay mechanic, I don’t think the player count for each guild will affect the way in which everyone plays the game, and how the game is driven forward. To that end, from an administrative standpoint, would it be more straightforward to simply have overarching leadership, rather than guild-based?

You did a good job with the overall shape, though I think the middle section is a bit too thick. I might mix in a few non-primary colors too, but that's more personal preference than anything else. All-in-all, well done.

If Valyrio is going to be open to join, shouldn't that decision be made sooner, rather than later? Since there's only a month left to declare allegiances for Book 3, I think all the options should be in front of the players by now. Just my two cents, I'll still be building for Mitgardia regardless...

This is a great overall composition, with lots of fun details. I'd echo @TitusV on the white tudor house, I think it could use a treatment more similar to the facade on your dark tan house, which has some pretty awesome depth to it. I really like the angle of the stairs, and the way that you've incorporated different levels into the city makes it feel really dynamic too. And your interiors are a lot of fun.

While larger towns might have horse mills, water mills, or even wind mills, Sorgheim was not situated in a way that would allow any such luxuries. It had no stream running through it, felt little wind, and was lacking in ground level enough for a team of horses to turn around a post. Thus, its people had built a small mill in one of the few relatively level areas in their mountainside village so the townsfolk could grind their wheat into flour, though it required slightly more effort than they would have preferred. Many hands make light(er) work. An old traveler stops at an ancient shrine to thank its forgotten gods for his safe journey. Another section of my Sorgheim layout. I have two big exams coming up, then I'll (hopefully) finally have the time to finish this little project!

So many great things to see in this moc! The vegetation around the house is quite lovely, and I really like pretty much everything about the roof. Plus you pulled together a very well-detailed interior (npu on the "power" element in the bath tub, by the way). My only critique would be that, while your chimney looks great and is cleverly-done, its location at the bottom of such a significant roof would be problematic when snow starts to pile up and slide down against it.

Thanks HQ, trying to keep the momentum going on the freebuilds before the (hopefully) impending Book 3. While it could use some improvement, it's pretty easy with some mixels joints and bracket SNOT pieces. Having a back to keep light from coming through the build would probably make it even better... Thanks Grover, that was indeed the intended look with the rectangular tiles. I'll definitely incorporate a little more dark grey and tighter spacing next time around. Thanks mccoyed, I agree that there is some further development required, but I'm glad it looks like what I was hoping it looked like!

The man was beyond the age of pushing a plow, but not so old that this journey was too much for him, and so he was given the task of leading the cart into the highlands. While the fields in the lowlands had been quite fruitful last year, the mountains of the Burial Isle had seen little rain and yielded sparse harvests. Thus, to hold the inland communities over until their crops had begun to mature, the well-supplied granaries of the coasts had been instructed to sell their surplus to those towns and villages that were soon to face hunger. The old man didn't mind the task so much, though, for the sun on that spring day was pleasant, and the scent of the flowers around him made that of the oxen beside him almost tolerable. This was a quick, experimental build to try out the rock technique and give the tree (which I've had for a while) a place to go.

Great job on this one, three months well spent I'd say. I actually think the back of the hill works quite well, and I'm impressed that you matched it so well to the shape of the plates at the base. Your windmill looks great, and I like that the stone portions of the buildings match each other. While I really love the texture that you achieved on the wattle and daub portion of the half-timbered level on the house, I think that the longer faces would benefit from a few more vertical timbers, maybe corresponding with the window frames.

This is a beautiful piece, and I love how recognizable the castle is even in its heroic form. You've done an excellent job of adjusting the features away from "evil" while still retaining so many of the design gestures that made Minas Morgul so iconic. I want to think that this is how Minas Ithil looked before the Witch King came. All around, a fun, wonderfully realized creation.

The palisade around Sorgheim was erected in haste, though not without care, and its earthen ramparts were broken with bastions that allowed defenders clear sight along the outer face of every wall. If an enemy were able to make their way to the base of the wall, they would find little shelter from guardsmen's arrows. Another section of a larger scene, this goes with the gatehouse I posted last week. C&C welcome as always. Hopefully I'll find more time to finish the other sections soon...

Wow, I'm a little behind posting to this thread. Any chance I could get a scorecard going on the first page? Agriculture: Defenses:

I've admired this on your brickshelf for some time now. I have to say it is a beautiful moc, from the smallest details to the overall composition, it looks absolutely terrific, and I'm very impressed by your 7 day build time. The only thing that I would change is the base of your lighthouse. It seems a bit out of scale with the straight portion, and maybe slopes too dramatically for my eye, particularly given the verticality of the rest of the buildings. But that's just, like, my opinion man.

As they toured the island, Makny and his father would stop in many towns and villages, making sure that local affairs were in order and speaking on behalf of the Lord of Førstlys when needed. One of the stops on their journey was to Sorgheim, an ancient village that stood at the base of the mountains where could be found many of the tombs, crypts, and barrows that gave the Burial Isle its name. In recent years Nocturnian raiders had begun to frequent the shores of the island, occasionally making their way deep inland. Thus, the people of Sorgheim, like so many others, had bolstered the defenses around their town. The gatehouse at the center of their palisade made use of an ancient, crumbling arch, which they had cleaned and rebuilt to an extent, and which the Jarl's men now patrolled. I've been sitting on this for a while because I wanted to post it as part of a larger assembly, but with the guilds being so quiet lately I figured I might as well post it now. I'll probably clean it up a bit more before I post the whole scene, but for now C&C are welcome!

Great work with your textures on this, and I really like your vegetation. The shaping on the roof and top floor are terrific, and I love your wheelbarrow. There are so many excellent details, it's hard to count them all, and I feel like every time I look at your images another clever assembly reveals itself. Very well done.

One of your best yet. The corvette looks so sleek and sinister (perfect for Mantis) and you have some terrific parts usage, as others have mentioned, in the red fighter.

Your version is a fair amount bulkier than the source material, but I like the overall form and style of it. I think the lower legs could use a bit more length and could be built out more to give it more of a look of mobility and stability. Props to you for integrating the stud-shooters in there, I can't ever bring myself to use them for their intended use, but they really work well in this case!