CapOnBOBS

What a fantastic floor!

"To gaze upon its spendor is to truly understand your own mortal insignificance and to know with certainty the true power of the immortal gods!!!" -Breshaun Post

This is great discussion. I think relative to your "unwritten rule 2 and 3" your last point is really the central idea.... "don't be weird about it" There is plenty of room to run with a story in this little universe of ours before you venture into some dark little corner that will start.... or could start... making it uncomfortable or offensive to somebody else or that would represent a fundamental change to the game. For all three though and specifically the steam engine / technology question. I have thought of it this way... am I incorporating some little gadget to make this build more interesting, or because I expect it to gain some advantage in the way the game plays out. I just put a pump in my last mine. The mine didn't need a pump to qualify as a mine, the pump wasn't some magical new tech for which I would be justifying the mine producing more than other mines, it was just a way to make the build (hopefully) unique and worth looking at. Keeping on that acid test, and at risk of putting words in the mouths of the court... I get the impression that collectively, they are/everybody is all really supportive of people building what they want to build... while at the same time... there are some rules and boundaries to the structure of the game that need to be maintained consistently from player to player, build to build, etc. So... I'd guess, a ship with some experimental steam engine being tested on board, that basically was a novelty that makes for an interesting lego build would be widely appreciated, as long as the story was clear that this CL V ship with this neat steam engine, has the performance and specs of a CL V ship. Example going the other direction, I'd thought a Breshaun-Eltina rail line would be cool and that if we built one, it should count for a pirate-free trade run between the two cities every turn... cause... trains... Story wise it makes sense, tech wise, I think it makes sense, but I scratched the idea because I think it would move us off the fundamental point of the game. We may still do a rail road, but I wouldn't ask and don't think anybody would accept that rail line to equate to a trade run. I think the whole discussion highlights how well the structure of BOBS is set up and the good work that is done by the court to keep it on track (friendly, fun, engaging, not weird). So, even though I've gone 12 rounds with each of the court members at this point over something specific here or there. I do genuinely applaud the work you've done to build our little universe. And related, I think we thought we'd have heard from the MCRA turn and account summary by now. If there is nug work that needs to be done, I'm happy to crunch some excel to help keep the pace up?

Is Really nicely done! It captures the local monument feel very well while also the statue itself is large and impressive enough to be powerful without overpowering. I agree doing minifigs in studio is tedious, but I also think it turns the scene into a story, well done.

Really outstanding opening salvo! What an exciting new character to have on the Brick Seas! Welcome! Excited to have you!

As the city of Lavalette expands in the boom that the treaty in Terraversa brought to the RNTC, what had once been the outskirts of the town has now become prime shopping locations. In the growing urban sprawl, the enterprising craftsmen of the RNTC have converted a large old farmhouse into a custom silver smithing shop. The actual farmland of the homestead has long been sold off and incorporated into the city proper. The farmhouse maintained a bit of space, "good bones" and a rustic appeal, despite being along a major artisan road. The biggest challenge in converting the home into a silver shop was the installation of a large safe. The safe allows specially crafted silver pieces to be safely stored on site. A sturdy railing between the cashier and the patrons along with security provided by RNTC troops ensure the security. The inner walls of the old house were knocked down to create a large open space for the shop's interior. Display pieces on the newly installed bay window attract passers-by and allow the rotating smiths (typically two smiths at a time will be in the shop), to show examples of their craftsmanship to inspire customers. From the back, the large artisan shop could still be taken for a quiet country farm house, but, from the front, the flying flags of the RNTC complete the scene to attract customers to a shop that clearly puts quality of custom products and customer service, over pure quantity. Drawing in the exact clients the smiths dream of, those who will spare no expense to get their custom pieces done. Note: Back home in the middle of nowhere to visit the rels, lots of old farmhouses, though not timber and stucco. If really built, the safe door would actually swing open and shut (obviously my favorite part of the build). Note: Woven into the story a bit... I think this may be the last build required for Lavalette to upgrade to a "Large City" (ATTN: @Ayrlego, @KotZ) Being licensed to the RNTC as a large artisan. ( @Captain Genaro)

It is a clear violation of the laws of physics and the laws of the movie timecop. There is a really nice light brown globe made out of those two spheres from at least 1 pirates of the carribrean set but I couldn't find it in studio, just the spheres, not the printed globe on them. So yes, the whole scene is centered on an impossible design, but by putting those little green pieces in/against the blue sphere, it created a land mass effect better than just having the globe being just blue. Please don't judge me too harshly for it, it is a pseudo replacement for bricks that actually do exist. A moment where it would have been easier to do with real bricks.

Those who support an agrarian focus in Westface believe that a truly honest living is a living made harvesting the resources the land provides, while those who profit from passing goods from one hand to another are not "creating" true value. So it is no surprise that prospecting has returned now that the fate of Westface has been determined. Which brings us to the claim recently struck out along one of half a dozen tributaries unofficially known as "Little Drake" because they each flow into the Drake River. Too busy panning for gold in the river, the team spent days hunched over their pans before recognizing the tell-tail rust color in the rock cliff behind them. Well, once the figurative (not literal) gold mine was recognized for what it truly was, the team wasted no (more) time. As the miners dug down alongside the river, following the rich seam of iron below ground, the shaft began to fill with water. A state of the art solution, a true modern marvel, was found to fix the problem. First, small dam held back the creek just enough to control a steady flow. Second, a waterwheel was built to turn the flow over the spillway into mechanical power. Third, a marvelous contraption was installed that used that mechanical energy to pump water out of the mine and dump it safely back into the creek. But, now that the shaft is safe (enough) and deep (enough), the team is having a difficult time bringing the rich iron ore back to Westface fast enough and demand for the raw ore far exceeds their capacity to mine. If you are going to have problems, these are good problems to have.

Anybody else looking for a collab team for Part D? @LM71Blackbird and I are going to do one and would like to have 1 or 2 more on the team. Probably not including the big bluffs I'd posted earlier, more focused on the river, but haven't laid everything out in detail yet, plenty of time to add builders and ideas.

Q: I think I have seen at least 1 "Troop Build" that was for a battery of artillery. When that occurs, do the troops raised count as "Crew" numbers (like 30 per Company) or as "Cannon" numbers (like 6 per Battery)?

In support of the agrarian roots of Southern Terraversa... small teams continue to pan the resource rich silt of the many tributaries to the Drake River... in search of new mineral wealth (@Ayrlego) to fund the newest country in the Brick Seas....

Anybody not on a team yet for Part D, Was thinking something big like this.... only probably better when we are done with it. ( @KotZ) Could potentially do 1 row of 32 x 32 less so that it is just 1 row of 4 32x32 or if people are motivated, do 1 row more so it is 3 rows of 4 32x32 (big enough for a royal build. Interested parties? I'd really like to do terrain and bridge so the actual scene of what is going on a-top both bluffs is 100% open to whatever ideas anybody has.

Just realized the final product was 12 x 32 x 32 baseplates: 12,288 studs! That is a monster, I guess the last time I gave any thought to how the final product would be licensed (if at all) it was not nearly that large. The final product was 2 x 32x32 baseplates larger than a royal build footprint, though there was some open space, there were also multiple tall builds. I'm not sure if it would be cultural (parade, lots of flags) or artisan (street fair and shops)? Great work @KotZ for keeping the steady drive alive to get it across the finish line. This was a lot of fun! It was really cool to see how @NOD, @KotZ and @Professor Thaum tackled things each in their own ways along the way. High fives all around. *Hype hype hype for final product*

I tried to weave this in a cohesive way to your story without committing anybody to anything in the future. This is a place that "can" house the real quiver, or a decoy. It is a red herring and a layer of security and and added mystery without, I hope, boxing anybody in on the story. If I missed that mark and took us in the wrong direction, I am happy to edit the story.

In the months leading up to the war in Terraversa, a brave group of Oleander adventurers recovered the legendary Quiver of Artemis and entrusted it to the Order of the Faith for safe keeping. Now that the devout and loyal peoples of TV have found sanctuary in the embrace of the Kingdom of Light, Nola Mar is, quite logically, growing into the spiritual center of the Faith and of Oleon. In commemoration of "The Recovery" of the quiver. A shrine has been established in Nola Mar over the very site which the relic was reportedly found. The shrine offers a forum for pilgrims to come and celebrate the recovery of the quiver and the twists and turns that led to their independence and incorporation into the Empire of Oleon. The shrine is modest in size (medium cultural), but ornate in design, befitting the momentous occasion that it commemorates. A large ornate circular stained glass window presents a landscape scene of Nola Mar in the age of heros featuring many gods and goddesses in the scene and in the sculptures lining the shrines flying buttresses. Inside, as we may expect, we find a fountain for purification before religious ceremonies, candles for individual prayers, and a large gold and marble statue of Artemis complete with quiver. An ancient grave of an Order leader has been marked with a large sarcophagus in the rear of the shrine. We know from the records that an ancient crypt was discovered below the earth on this site, so it makes sense that an order leader would be re-interred on the spot. But, there is more to the shrine than meets the eye. The sarcophagus pulls back from the wall, exposing a narrow shaft and rope ladder into a musty and poorly lit cavern. Below the public shrine, we find an eerie scene. A private shrine in the midst of the restored crypt. Torches throw shadows and a pale glow across the shelves of bones. A walkway brings members of the Order to a little bench to kneel and a smaller shrine complete with a replica of the quiver. THIS is the exact location that the quiver was recovered from. It is now a closely guarded secret of the order how extensive the underground tunnels are, hot deep the crypts run, and just how much members of the Order come and go throughout Nola Mar as they please hidden from the prying eyes of would be thieves. We know that the Order has produced multiple well crafted replicas of the actual quiver and this hidden Shrine, though secretive, could at any time be home to one of the elaborate decoys or a temporary home for the genuine article. Such painstaking measures are well justified to ensure the safety and protection of the powerful artifact. Dulce et Decorum es, "It is sweet and fitting" that Oleon, the Faith, the Order, and the Quiver, should all find themselves building the spiritual home in Nola Mar, where the Quiver was in fact brought into the rightful hands of the Crown and Faith.

The tides of the war in Terraversa had taken their toll on the Admiral's old, weather-beaten, and war-torn body. To recuperate, he had retreated to his estate in Eltina and had been running his ever growing economic empire from his study in the West Wing of the large brick home. He kept busy, but work had stabilized since the peace treaty. Today was an exciting day though. After a deafening silence from TV, a crate arrived from Nola Mar. "COLONEL Edward Beauchamp!? a Knight!?" the Admiral had to sit down as his head spun with the excitement. Edward had achieved the recognition that his family had long sought and never achieved, a title in the peerage system of Oleon! How wonderful! But, as important as this news was, it did not require a crate... under some straw packing material, the Admiral revealed an enormous silver mounted globe. The details were exquisite, the craftsmanship outstanding. The letter continued, "I bought this from an outstanding craftsman in Nola Mar. The central location of TV has given their cartographers access to the most up to date charts from across the Brick Seas. Hopefully, you can use this to track the comings and goings of your ever increasing merchant fleet as they carry your latest gambits far and wide!" Note: First crack at filling in the hollow shell of the Beauchamp Residence. Please consider a ship number increase build as now the Admiral has an up to date and finely crafted globe to better track his fleet. Probably licensable as a small residence, but likely will not unless I get behind.

The popularity of the RNTC's Vineyard of Light wines has kept a steady pressure on the trade company to increase production and availability. This demand, plus the profits on sales of course... has led the Vineyard to purchase a prime piece of real estate in downtown Lavalette to showcase their wines. With a style somewhat inspired by the large fest tents used in places like Punto Sur to celebrate Oktoberfest, the style is also recognizably consistent with the large sprawling vineyard buildings on the outskirts of town. Now that the Vineyard of light owns a large artisan location downtown, patrons don't need to haul themselves into the hills on the outskirts of the growing city in order to enjoy the popular wines right from the source. A popular location now for the local garrison, the locals, and tourists, there is always a steady crowd enjoying a glass in the open air garden and the powerful scent of the flowers lining the seating areas. For a little extra, you can pay to go up into the VIP loft. Many of the undeniably legitimate merchants, so legitimate that you would never need to bother specifying that they are legitimate because it is automatically assumed... like to flaunt their completely legitimately earned wealth by reserving the VIP for their loyal crews to reward them for their totally above board job performance. All in all, a happening new spot to enjoy a bottle of the RNTC's new popular line of Vineyard of Light wines any time of day, now accessible in downtown Lavalette.

Hey gang, thanks for all the nice comments. I chuckle that now, I am thinking about actual architectural styles to match builds, "a government building to represent our religious faction would likely be classical, let me see if I can make classical" so I am very pleased to see it came through and is appreciated. For Posidon/Neptune, you can imagine I started with him in the center facing straight out and said, "meh, that sucks!" I laughed that I was really overthinking and over analyzing some classic sculpture to make it "not suck" it is now my favorite part too. Building on the ruins and keeping the scars as a reminder and memorial was my very first thought when I read the great challenge vignettes that @Ayrlego came up with. "Pearl White" makes a good marble texture, but does come off as a bit transparent too. It is hard to tell how it will turn out when you render it. I was less happy with the effect on the columns but it works alright.

This keeps popping up to the top of the feed and every time I see another little detail I like. This really is a great build.

Challenge IV Part A: Oleon has transformed a section of rubble in King's Port into an Embassy to strengthen and support our new neighbor and hopefully a friend who realizes the wisdom of burying the hatchet as our Most Benevolent Sovereign clearly does. Challenge IV Part B: Oleon and the Order of the Faith have constructed the Shrine of the Recovery over the crypt in which the Quiver of Artemis was found in Nola Mar as another step towards safeguarding the quiver and making Nola Mar into a cultural/religious center for the Empire. Challenge IV Part C: Pro-agrarian prospectors, committed to living off the land, have tapped into a rich seam of iron and found a technical solution for their flooding mine shaft.

It was a long and complicated road that led to war between the Crown of Oleon and Arch Duke Oldis, but when Ultima Ratio Regum (Historic note: "The Last Argument of Kings:" cast on every cannon forged during Louis XIV's reign) is called for, then there is no worse an enemy than the forces of Oleon. The destruction of King's Port has demonstrated this plainly enough to the inhabitants of the Brick Seas. But... once the final shot has been fired, and the peace signed, there is also no greater friendship than to be a friend of the Kingdom of Light. Now, it is time to demonstrate this fact to the Arch Duke and the whole of the Brick Seas as well. This is why recently promoted Colonel (COL) Edward Beauchamp and the Garde de Grenadiers du 1er Régiment (1st Regt Grenadier Guards) immediately transitioned to humanitarian assistance and then the reconstruction of the Arch Duke's Capital when the Peace Treaty was finalized. With the help of the young Colonel, the Crown's representatives selected a moderately sized plot in the center of King's Port's governmental quarter as the site for an embassy. As a memorial to the brave soldiers and ferocious fighting on both sides, the Oleander Architects preserved the pockmarked remnants of the plot and incorporated the ruins into the new embassy. Though, as a representative of the Kingdom of Light, the structure must still demonstrate the piety and majesty of Oleon. A public drinking fountain on the pristine side of the new embassy allowing the King to provide a drink to any who are thirsty. The balcony in the back of the building provides an appropriately grand forum for discussing how the Oleon can improve relations with their new neighbors and to promote healing, peace, and cooperation with the Arch Duke's new government. As the candle lights reflect off the gold of the chandelier, a representative from Oldis' military HQ, the Charge d'affaires, the recently appointed Ambassador Renee Durey, and COL Beauchamp discuss the final details of the security agreement for the new embassy. A small garrison of consular troops will protect the actual facility and Oldis' own forces will take the Oleander Embassy into their security responsibilities as with the rest of the Government Quarter, but without access onto the grounds. This pledge from the forces of Oldis to protect, with their lives and honor, this mission which Oldis has recognized as enjoying the rights of sovereign Oleander territory, is, in itself, a great leap forward for the new relationship. With the security of the embassy confirmed and the affairs of the crown in King's Port clearly now the responsibility of diplomats, and not the military, COL Beauchamp is satisfied that his troops are ready to withdraw to their quarters in Nola Mar. As he walks out of the building, leaving King's Port for the first time since the death of COL Delange, his own promotion, knighthood, and the honor of Commanding his beloved Grenadiers, Edward looks up at Neptune, who ebbs and flows the fortunes of men as often as the changing of the tides, and wonders what the gods have next in store for him and his Regiment. To be licensed as a medium cultural build demonstrating, and providing a headquarters for, Oleon's support for the Arch Duke, a former enemy, now turned friend.

Herbert's family had lived in the lowlands of Ile Dionysus for generations. Long enough anyway that his accent was nearly incoherent to the settlers trickling into his not so sleepy anymore (literal) backwater. That was all just fine by him. His large plantation was now doing better than ever. Where before, he had raised the crocs as something between pets and dinner, he now found it hard to keep up with the demand for croc meat and croc leather in the suddenly so popular town of Nouveau Oleandia. In fact, after "Ole' Bessy" won the blue ribbon at the gator pageant, he found a new opportunity/problem in entertaining the curious folks who travelled to the city limits to see where the magic happens. "Now see-ya, dem-teeth-is ???? ?????, but memba, ????? ????? ?????! But, whatevya do! Don' ????? ???? ?????" - Herbert warned the enthralled guests. "Honey, did you catch that, it seemed like an important safety note?" Deloris asked her husband. Deloris' husband, "huh, no honey, I'm sure it is perfectly safe. Places like this have very strict guidelines." "Now... who y'all wanna come'n down-uh un feed'm?" Deloris' Son, "OH! MEMEME!" Yes, even though he had been forced to license his large croc plantation with the new settlement, business was sure doing well for Herbert. He was pleased to see that by offering visitors to pay to feed the crocs he was not only making money, but also cutting down on his own chores. He was quite pleased with himself and the little niche he'd carved out of his little mosquito invested, swampy, crocodile filled slice of heaven. NOTE: Changing continents so all the bricks are packed up. Trapped in a hotel room and committed to studio for a little while. After seeing the croc bonus on the island, I couldn't resist a large croc plantation. Given the flavor of the settlement, this seemed the most appropriate direction to take it. Herbert and Ole Bessy are honored in the parade in the Nouveau Oleandia collab build.

So many techniques to steal! To start, the paving stones in the first shot, (like I ask my daughter all the time...) "Is that SNOT?" Then I see a wagon built with Droid arms (acknowledge 2nd Droid arm build in as many months). Then paint roller? As a lantern hook? Outstanding stonework all around, but will steal the 1 x 1 plates inside the arch! Finally, is that a homemade greencoat torso? Always a treat to see your posts.

Wonderful! I love the winch and mechanics of the drydock. Very colorful build too without losing any realism. Great work.

Definitely should come join the Blue Coats on the Brick Seas.... this ship is beautiful! Well done!