Math Wizard

Ahoy Matey! You know me by now- It’s Captain Crit, back with another criticism sandwich for polly! Ye did a great job buildin’ this, a good beginning to the story of Steve. I’ve really come to love this style of yours, with the classic background and brown and gold tray- It looks quite fitting for this model! As always, it was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite good already. The biggest thing I can think of is that the beach doesn’t quite match the rest of the scene, since it is quite studded, while the rest of the scene is quite smooth. Also, the grassy patch on the right seems a bit out of place for some reason. Perhaps if you removed this it would give you enough pieces to cover the beach with tiles and bows. Me favorite part o’ the build is the tiny boat. It is a great nod to what Steve would go on to do later in life and is well executed, particularly the wand for a bow and the custom sails. Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. A short story, yet fantastic at conveying exactly what is happening. Interesting to see two groups of imperials clashing with each other, rather than with the pirates, and that the pirates are the ones helping Steve escape. Great twist! It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks incredible already! The only things I can think of is to remove some of the studs from the dock, and try to add texture by raising/lowering planks instead. It was hard for me to pick out me favorite part o’ this build. I really like all the texturing and weathering. From the rocks and waterline, to the walls, to the roof, it really makes the model come together. It seems to strike the perfect balance between too much and not enough, something I often stuggle to do. I also really like the posing of all the minifigures, particularly the bluecoat getting pushed of the edge of the rocks. It truly is an all-around great build! Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. A short story, yet fantastic at conveying exactly what is happening. And of course there’s the added suspense of not knowing what will happen next- Will Steve fall? Fight back? Something else? Can he even swim? It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite good already. I might rotate the tiles for the water 90 degrees, and then stagger each row by a stud, in order to make it look a wee bit more natural and less grid-like. I would also be good to use paper that doesn’t have holes in it in the background, or perhaps just edit them out of the current photo. It was hard for me to pick out me favorite part o’ this build. I really like the water gradient, the pier design, and of couse the 4+ figure. He really adds to the story in a phenomenal way! Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! You know me by now- It’s Captain Crit, back with another criticism sandwhich for polly! Ye did a great job buildin’ this, a good ending to the story of Steve. A simple story, yet effective, and with. a great build to accompany it. It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite good already. The biggest thing I can think of is the same as what has already been said- perhaps add some tan for the beach, rather than just the lime. It could also maybe use some scattered trans-blue pieces to represent water along the shoreline as well. Me favorite part o’ the build is the irregular shaped island. It is quite cleanly done. I also like the horns for water, they really add to the presentation. The microscale is quite well executed throughout the build too. Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! You know me by now- It’s Captain Crit, back with another criticism sandwhich for polly! Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. I love the way each entry ye build adds to the previous one to keep telling the story of Steve. It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite good already. The biggest thing I can think of deals not with the build, but with the presentation. I would suggest adding some blue on the lower half of the pictures to depict water. With the current purple and white background some of the builds make it appear as if the boat is flying! Me favorite part o’ the build itself, is how well you stocked the boat, with everything Steve could possible need. Many other builds have good exteriors, but are rather lacking insides, but this build has both- well done! Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. I love the way the first couple photos keep zooming out to reveal the whole scene, which keeps changing the readers perspective. It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite fine already. Only a few small things really come to mind. On the wanted sign the sticker appears to be off center, which really bothers me. In the second picture it looks like the flag is coming out of steve’s head. Perhaps a slightly angled photo would be better? The other nitpick has already been noted by others, but it would be great if the flag was rotated slightly so we could see it in the 3rd photo. Me favorite part o’ the build itself, is the sloped ground and cart. The cobblestones look great, taking us to a desert scene, and the cart is super simple yet effective. The sloped ground really adds to the story of how young Steve would pull this off in the first place. Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. The story is quite excellently written, with the pictures to tell the whole tale. I loved the edited photos from the original set as well. Your build was also photographed excellently- the presentation really makes this build stand out. The water looks quite realistic, no matter what scene, and the views through the telescope add a nice touch. It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite fine already. The only thing I can think of is to clean up the inside of the ship. The outside looks quite smooth, but the inside had a lot of exposed studs and seems a wee bit cluttered. Me favorite part o’ the build itself, other than the epic presentation, is the front bow. I love the way it curves down at an angle, making the ship seem extra sleek. Great work and its good to see you building again! Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy once again Matey! I’m still sailing these seas and I hear that polly wants another critism sandwich! Ye did a great job buildin’ this, especailly in just two days! I love the reference to yer other build, with all the clones scattered throughout. I only have a few small nitpicks with the build. The first is the change in color partway up the building from tan to white. If you didn’t have enough pieces of either color you could have mixed them to create weathering, but I think the clean break looks a bit strange. The only other thing that bothers me is the biggest palm tree. Something about the thick smooth trunk, or maybe the green pieces, just doesn’t feel quite right to me. Other than that, the build looks great! It was hard to pick just one favorite from this build, so here are a few. I really like the technique used for the roof- quite effective and good color choice! Contrary to others, I also really like the contrast of the navy water and yellow sand- I think it really pops! I also like a lot of the smaller details in the build- from the golden hinges on the fortress door to the chef cooking up some fish. Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. The story follows a great progression of events, and I love how open ended it is. Who knows what Steve will do? I’d love to see a follow up build if you have time! It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite fine already. My main nitpick is the same as others have said- I think it could be a wee bit better if the island weren’t quite so crowded. There’s a lot packed into a small space which makes it quite busy. Me favorite part o’ this build, aside from the story of course, is actually the volcanoes in the background. The simple style really frames the build well and makes the scene seem far larger, even though they aren’t part of the primary build. I also like the presentation of the first photo, with the island in the foreground, Steve coming in at an angle in the midground, and the volcanoes in the background. The loose pieces used to convey the water look really great here! Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. The story is quite excellently written. I never would’a guessed they were all interrelated- What a surprise! It was a tough task to come up with a critique for this build, as it looks quite fine already. Perhaps if you added some tiling for floorboards instead of exposed studs it could make it a wee bit better. I’d also love to see some sort of trigger for the clone machine- A wheel, lever, or button of some sort. Me favorite part o’ this build is the posing of all the minifigures, all running out from the cloning machine, and the simplicity of the cloning machine itself, built in true pirate fashion. I also never would’a guessed you took multiple photos and edited them together- your editing job is very clean-great work! Fair Winds Matey!

I should be returning the 17th of July. Thanks for running this contest- It was a lot of fun, as creative writing is one of my three main hobbies, and I was able to combine it with LEGO in these contests!

Becoming a pirate is hard. Very hard. Becoming a part of the famed Redbeard's crew? -- so hard some might call it impossible. Yet Steve was desperate. Just several years ago he was a prosperous merchant, but oh how the tables had turned. And now, here he was, the cave mouth looming before him and the dangerous steps carved into the mountain behind him. Even he could barely believe the turn of events. It all began with a storm. Several years prior Steve decided to take up exploring. He had heard rumors that in the far east there was a land that contained double sided plates, inverted cheese slopes, and pure gold Bionicle masks. He couldn’t resist. Steve spent all he had to finance a ship and fill it with the most valuable things he could find, hoping to trade it for the immeasurable riches that this land held. Then the storm struck. Steve’s ship was battered tossed by the wind and waves, eventually smashing its hull open from the pressure. The ship began to sink, but Steve managed to escape in a lifeboat, riding out the storm like a cork in the ocean, bobbing up and down. The storm finally passed, and Steve could see nothing of his ship, his crew, or the goods his ship once contained. Certain that hope was lost, he laid back on the lifeboat, consigned to his fate. But fate is a strange thing, and while Steve lay there, awaiting death, a ship appeared in the distance. As it drew close, Steve felt hope swell up in his chest. He frantically waved, trying to get the ship’s attention. Then he noticed it- The skull and crossbones flying over the ship. This wasn’t any ship- it was a pirate ship! He thought fast, for he knew pirates rarely let captives live. He decided that if they saved him, he would claim to be a pirate himself, and with his navigation skills, perhaps he could join them. He knew enough about pirates from the stories and tales that were told. He could fake it- right? Luckily for Steve, Redbeard was in a good mood that day, and decided to pull him up, if only to have a bit of murderous fun with him. When Steve’s legs hit the deck of a ship once more he collapsed, exhausted. Redbeard laughed menacingly. “What do we have here?” he asked. Steve’s story quickly spilled out- how his ship (though he said it was a pirate ship) wrecked in a storm and he was the only one to survive. He regaled Redbeard with the tale of how actually he and his three companions survived, but how he murdered them to save provisions for himself, as that seemed a very pirate thing to do. Unfortunately, Redbeard didn’t fully believe him. “Well, if ye be a pirate, why don’t ye prove it?” he asked. “I’ve got a map here. It’s an island that all pirates know well. We’ll drop ye off there and return in a weeks time. I’ve three tasks for ye, quite simple if ye know how, and when I return I expect to find them done. If so, ye can join my crew for a time, but if not, it’ll be the plank for ye!” And so they had left Steve on this island, now five days ago. He had managed to find the leg-o fruit in the rainforest that covered the island, stolen a Billundain parrot from the islander village, and now pursued the legendary Kirk. Unfortunately, Steve knew not what this Kirk looked like, or what it even was. He hid the parrot and fruit at the base of the mountain, for it was the only part of the island he had left unexplored. As he began to climb he noticed a precarious set of steps winding up the sea-facing side of the mountain. Perhaps he was on the right track! He began to climb, still unsure what he was looking for. At various places he saw what appeared to be sprung traps- skeletons impaled by swords, and a treasure chest filled with a venomous snake; definitely not treasure. So here he was- at the top of the mountain, a cave looming in front of him. Would he succeed? Would he become Steve the pirate? Or would he fail his task and die a gruesome death? Steve’s fate depended on what he did these next few hours… The Final Task by Grant Decker, on Flickr And for those of you who want a closeup of Steve, here he is: Steve by Grant Decker, on Flickr Thanks for checking it out- I'm really enjoying the creative writing aspect of this contest! -Math Wizard

OK, thanks for verifying. I was still holding out hope since technically the rules said you had to make a post declaring that you reached it and I didn't see one Maybe next year

@Mister Phes I believe I'm the first to 25 for the critics! (I'm going off of your count saying I needed 7 more posts, and assuming @Horation didn't beat me to it while I was away. ) Had some internet problems or I would've posted earlier...

I thought of this project today when working on a build of my own. I used hinge pieces 4275b and 4276b in opposite directions to reverse stud direction in only one plate of thickness. Perhaps if you have any this would work to reverse stud direction and tile the interior walls. I had a photo but I can't seem to figure out how to attach it

You could perhaps also but a gray cheese slope nearby, and maybe use both a brown tile and brown grill (or cheesegrater slope) so it would look like a small shipwreck from a previous time to show the dangers of these waters if you didn't want to directly show damage to the ship

If you want to add even more nostalgia perhaps you could also add a reference or two to the adventurers theme as well. Then you'd have a castle/pirate/adventurer mashup!

Ahoy again! I'll soon be leaving these waters for a long voyage and thought I'd circle back around to check on the progress/updates of some earlier builds. This is looking real good after all the altercations, but one things still bothering me- that gap behind front left cannon. Would it be possible to use a 1x2 bracket with a tile on it to fill that space? Fair Winds as the contest continues- I see you're almost the first to 25- just 5 comments to go!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. The story is excellently written and very humorous. It has me laughin’ like I just drank a whole barrel o’ grog! This build does seem a bit small, as others have said. Perhaps you could fill the back corner and build up the facade of a building or even just a tree to shade the officer to make it appear larger, even while staying small. Also I believe that the fence behind the seagull may have somehow disappeared during editing- It’d be great to have it back! Me favorite part o’ this entry is the story, but when it comes to the build I like the simplicity of the small island. The large curves work perfectly for the smoothh sand sloping up to the rougher sand. I also like the feather and cone inkwell- perfect for a busy officer! Fair Winds Matey!

@thewatchman The new photos look a lot more evenly lighted, but they still seem a tad dark. Luckily you could proabably just adjust some settings on the photos to brighten the whole thing at once and it shouldn't look too awkward. There are also still several instances of edges of the build being cut off by the camera edge. Perhaps zoom out a little so the whole build is in the frame to fix this.

@Oky Wow! You did an incredible job meeting all the suggestions and I think your build is far better because of it, especially the sea foam and the bird. Good Luck and Fair Winds!

By my count I've only posted 8 or 9 replies since creative critic opened. Also I'm going to be away for a few weeks, so probably won't have any more posts after Monday until mid-July. Also, one other question not related to the critic, but I'm already typing here so I guess I'll ask- Are we allowed to submit builds here that we are also submitting to other contests elsewhere? I built something for another contest that I think could fit this one too with some tweaking of minifigures

Will the first to 25 for critics also be cancelled if we don't get 10 critics in time or just the overall award?

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly’s still hungry and wants another sandwich (They’re still fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and connectin’ it to yer other build! The classic background is also a fun touch once again. There only be a few wee things I can think of to make this better. THe first is similar to what has already been said- the scene seems a little too busy, making it hard to focus on something. THe second thing would be it’d be great if Steve could be included somwhow, since the contest is all about him. Whether integrated into the base or created as a wee stack o’ plates, or even added as a graphic to a clear 1x1 brick as was done in another entry, this would make the build a wee bit mmore fitting. Me favorite part o’ this build is the tray that it sits in. The reddish brown and gold nicely constrasts with the light blue and is a good way to frame the edges of the build. I also like all the ways you showed action in the build, from thte firing cannons to the cannonballs landing in the sea or hitting the ship, down to the tattered sail where the cannonball hit. Fair Winds Matey!

Ahoy Matey! They call me Captain Crit in these parts and I heard that polly wants a sandwich (They’re fed up with crackers apparently) - a criticism sandwich that is! (For you landlubbers, that’s 3 seas [Cs]- Compliment, Constructive Criticism, and another Compliment). Ye did a great job buildin’ this and writin’ a story to go along with it. The transition from merchant to pirate and the references to existing sets in between make for a great combo. This build looks quite good so it was hard to come up with a critique. The only thing I can think of off the top o’ me head is to eliminate some of the studs on the beach, since the water would’ve smoothed it out. I’m not sure what the white plates represent, but perhaps you could remove those, as they seem a bit out of place. Last I checked, there weren't any tropical islands it snows on Me favorite part o’ this build is either the sunset sky backdrop or the faithfully replicated cutter. I love the gradient of blues streked with colors, and the white seagulls stand out well against it. The ship makes great use of pieces (especially the window and flashlight) to perfectly represent the ship! Fair Winds Matey!