Bregir

The Xebec is one of my favourite vessel-types, and this is one of the finest examples I have ever seen in Lego! The size is nearing real minifig scale, I would say - don't think I have seen such a large xebec before - and I too would wait for the MRCA 2.0 to decide on final licensing. Can it all be built in the brick? (Apart from the sails) I think, technically that rear deck is a quarterdeck, not a poopdeck, but I am not sure. Etymology aside, it looks brilliant, and the use of those shields is very effective. To think that Nexo-knights actually gave us something useful? The overall slope of the hull, with the sloping quarterdeck is great. I wonder at your choice of ladders leading up to it, though - they seem rather impractical. The railings are looking great, and very ornamental, as does the gunports and bow. Both swivels and mainguns are well built too, although it can be hard to make out the details. The two-part lateen yards are great, as is the shape of the sails, but I am wondering if not the masts are too thin for such a large vessel? Overall, great job, and I wonder what will come out of studying these plans! Really cool that you "build" into the cultures of some of the lesser known empires of the BoBS world.

Dear Sirs, As I am certain you have all heard, Señor da Pontelli has conducted some very interesting experiments in the field of physics, reportedly achieving flight through the use of hot air! Upon request, he has forwarded a paperon his findings, which I found most fascinating. I thus request that you review his work in regards to possible membership of the Society. Best regards Don Isaac Montoya Fellow Royal Society of Natural Philosophy

If he is leading the transport fleet, it makes perfect sense to appoint him commodore. And yes, I suppose so, as I am certain Corrington is a meritocracy. In the British navy back then, admiral-rank was mainly a question of seniority, but that seems an unwieldy system for a scientific nation like corrington. ;)

Lovely floor plan and great idea. I like both the outside, with that great bay window and fountain, and the inside with its great details. I only wonder whether the market for dresses is large enough in charlatans bay! :O

Another amusing build! :) And poor Kenny... The looking glass/lookout shots are great! And I am happy things were put to right by the Eslandians - credit where credit is due! :)

Your microships are brilliant, as always, and I entirely agree with L'Olius' perspective on the case! ;) The Eslandians are surely just looking for a scapegoat, and care little for justice! The judges stand and the backdrop is great too. Well done, and thank you for the cooperation. (Goes to Jacob too, btw)

I doubt Señor Classified is very happy with his newly recruited agents... :P :D Very amusing, Jacob, and great build to go with it, as always. The exterior is a tad too textured for my tastes, but I can appreciate the skill and technique put into it. The details and composition is just great. My favourite picture is the one with the guards busting in, just as the "smarter Eslandian" is falling down from the stack of evidence - very clever posing with that detached leg! :D

Haha, brilliantly amusing story. Perhaps we should petition to have the Eurobricks profanity filter updated to exchange the "s" word with "megablocks"? ;) Lovely interior scene too, with a great many details. I particularly like the fireplace. :)

Life to Lenny and the old man, death to the guy in the middle... (I feel like Cesar in Coliseum now :P ) And with the crew of the Sparta now added, your storyline takes even more epic proportions! Great work! :) I am wondering though - in the British navy during Napoleonic times, "commodore" was a rank given to captains while they were temporarily in command of a whole squadron. (Sort of a temporary Admiral) When the squadron was disbanded, the captain lost his title. But perhaps the title have a different meaning in the Corlander merchant fleet? :)

That is a very well-armed house, Captain James! :) Is he living directly under a harbour battery? :O I agree that better light (or longer shutter time) would help, but it does still convey that classic Lego feel - could have been a real Lego set! :) What challenge are you referring to? Both 1 & 2 are past deadline. In any case, nice little moc - Captain James certainly have a nice overview of the port from house! :)

Great builds, everyone! (Especially that Bregir fella - quite a prodigy! ;) ) Isolated, my favourite build was Kai's, although it was a hard call. But given the basis given for the case. I think the Mardierian side had the law on their (our) side. I am wondering what consequences this will have for Terraversan independence, how Mardier will react, and what Eslandola will do... Will Terraversa keep preying on eslandian and other nations' shipping, and risk more incidents, or limit themselves to mardierian vessels? And what of the civil war plagued Mardier? Perhaps more build offs and diplomatic manouvers to to determine these decisions? Will Eslandola/Oleon/Corrington be willing to support Terraversan independence, and at what price? Oh, the thrill! :D (Personally, I am hoping for a serious of build offs and diplomatic negotiations... :P )

I have no clue. Looks like a very unhandy sail for anything but sailing directly before the wind. Maybe artists interpretation of something he doesn't know much about? Or maybe a hole in my knowledge? Edit: Phred: The Crab claw rig is normally carried on a mast - here the two spars seem to work as each a mast, with the sail between them..? But it might be an interpretation of that type.. Hm, good point.

Guy and his uncle are a great couple for these stories! :D And what a fantastic build, Kai, my favourite of the build-off, among some really nice entries. The facade is really nice, as is the interior. Looks very much like a,courthouse to me. And the pineapple,on the roof is fantasticly well built, although I question why those weird Mardierians have put it there. An icon for their god of justice? :P You've got a few things wrong, though... :P ;) When Mardierians shout "pineapple" they are not saying "hear hear", but rather "shut up, you son of an internal lubber and a pest-ridden camel" ! :P :D And surely, they cannot punish L'Olius for acting within his perfectly legal letter from that dude "Marque", tasking him to do just so? If anything, Eslandola should be demanding an explanation from the Vice-Roy of Terraversa. Or perhaps require punishment of him! :O

To all contractors and entrepreneurs of New Terra, Are you looking for opportunity? To make your fortune in the new world? Well, look no more, for the governor of King's Harbour presents an offer you can hardly refuse. Lumbermill for King's Harbour: 25 db

The freedom of speech requires two things, Kai: The obligation not to offend unduly The obligation not to take undue offense In short, be nice and constructive when you comment, but say what you think; and assume that those commenting are not doing so to bring you down, but to be constructive. And if someone wants to be on the top of the DB leaderboard (it really isn't that fantastic up here... ) they really should play by the rules, and accept that they can't license their "rowboat with a gun" as a 80 gun, 2nd rate line of battle ship. (Extreme example, but should make my case clear) I put immersion and consistency in the ratings over people gaming the system. (Which is what I think manipulating the ratings is.) Of course, there should be a certain leeway and creative license, but as Captain Dee said, if the general consensus is, that one's vessel belongs to a smaller or larger class, or another classification (F/WR/T/A), maybe one should listen, rather than take it as a case of collective bullying?

To all contractors and entrepreneurs of New Terra, Are you looking for opportunity? To make your fortune in the new world? Well, look no more, for the governor of King's Harbour presents an offer you can hardly refuse. Lumbermill for King's Harbour King's Harbour is on the verge of rapid expansion, and therefore sorely in need of lumber for construction, mainly in the form of rafters, beams, and planks. This contract is for the design of a medium lumbermill for processing raw lumber, and the focus should be on the facility for processing the lumber, not the actual logging. Contractors are to present their designs to the Military Governor, Captain Jno. Cooke (in this thread), who will pick the preferred design. The preferred design will be purchased at 25 dbs. Corlanders may instead elect to construct and run the lumbermill themselves, and receive 40 dbs towards the construction. (Licensing) Any questions are to be directed at the Governor's office. (Here) Signed Captain Jno. Cooke Provisional Military Governor King's Harbour, Cocovia OOC: This is a contract for an unlicensed medium factory, which should include facilities for processing lumber. Creativity is encouraged, but I prefer a realistic spin. Keep in mind that King's Harbour is still a young settlement. All designs can be submitted as freebuilds (and the builder can claim the freebuild dubloons), but if the MOC is purchased, the right of use (licensing) will pass to King's Harbour. (Well, me.) As stated, Corlanders may choose to license the property themselves, and, instead of the 25 db upfront, receive 40 db towards the licensing costs (of 50 db). I will not make a decision earlier than the 15th of May, to give interested contractors time to build, but will keep the offer open until a suitable moc is found.

I hear you, Kai, but I believe we must disagree, which is very well exposed in the part below: This is the entire issue I am trying to get to. It SHOULDN'T be a DB concern. In that case, the MRCA/EGS has become too important. *IF* it is a db concern, then all the more important with strict and disinterested rules/rulings on classes - otherwise I promise you, we will see discontent, allegations of gaming the systems, and of unfairness. What it should be, is a quest to build beautiful/interesting/accurate/creative/funny/etc. mocs. Mocs that can then be put into the MRCA within reason. If you put a rating over the actual moc, you are putting dbs over immersion. Those ships are going to meet, and if one is significantly under-licensed, and the other significantly overlicensed, you will see absurd outcomes of battles, which would make no sense if you put the actual vessels against eachother. On the other hand, this clears it up for me: If people are so set on a specific class for game-advantages, I can see how it is annoying to have it shot down. I do not like this kind of thinking, for reasons stated multiple times now, but at least it is logical. I really think we should all be more interested in feedback, than in a +1 gun rating... Of course, all feedback must be delivered constructively, but everyone should also make an effort to receive it as such. (This is not a rant against any individual builder/faction/whatever, but against a train of thought which sets the EGS/MRCA above the stories and builds, something I think will be the ruin of BoBS, and which, if I understand Kabel right, is actually already the source for some discontent.

@Garmadon: In Corrington we have a saying: "Measure twice, cut once..."

And now they are spreading slander about the great hero of Terraversa? As if he would ever be marred by bad dreams, a man of his courage? Will the devious ingenuity of a greedy Eslandian never cease to amase? Nice build, UM! That pineapple demon is quite a frightful sight, and that room has some interesting wallwork, and bed is truly fitting for a great hero!

Great looking pig farm, Puvel. As always, your overall layout and landscaping is excellent, as is your presentation. What really stands out to me, though, is your superb attention to detail. The different bits and pieces scattered all around the build makes it look so very realistic - like the wheel and tools each side of the door, the sack and barrel on the roof, and the area around the chickens. The governor offers his best regards for this excellent addition to King's Harbour - Now we just need someone to smoke or salt the pork to be ready for use as naval provisions!

@Captain Dee: I agree with your statement in its entirety. @CB4: That will be too rigid and stifle creativity, I think. Plus, too hard to manage. That is why I suggest archetypes as a benchmark. The current index (while a great tool) presents too diversified classes to be an easy help in finding the right rating. @Kai: I want to make one thing clear: This case was brought to the court, so we took it up and gave a conclusion on our remarks. We did NOT seize it on our own initiative, and would not have done so. This court's mandate is clear: License change Make rulings on changes in licenses to ensure fairness and avoid gaming the system for in-game advantages. Prizes Manage the prize system. (Which has not yet been used, sadly ) Advisory role Apart from those, we offer to advice on vessel-ratings for anyone who would like some input. This is not binding, and only meant as a help for those who would like it. I really do not understand why people get so upset about comments on the suggested license. Have the MRCA taken such precedence, that the advantages in game are more important than immersion? I think that open, constructive debate (and always presented together with other feedback. No policing, thanks.) is the best way to reach common ground on the rating system. Which again is the best way to avoid conflict. Of course, this requires that people are constructive, and keep an open mind (Both ways). I am not talking micromanaging or policing, but a general constructive debate to avoid imbalances and feelings of ill-will, because someone perceive that someone else has allegedly over-licensed his/her vessels. Hopefully we can avoid too much "class-creep" and rule bending. I think this is a much better solution that people starting to "snitch" on each other in underhand messages to leadership. It is much better to get it out in the open, as long as it is constructive. Closed processes lead to conjecture, speculation, and a feeling of unfairness. This is of course my personal opinions, and if people are generally offended by my comments on ratings, or anything else, I apologise and will refrain from doing so in the future. I strongly feel that would be the wrong course of action, though. @Phred: I entirely agree about rigidity stifling creativity. If someone creates a great mini-scale line of battle ship, I see no issue with granting the license. My idea of an archetype is to give builders a reference point for each class in terms of size. One can then easily compare eg. a 3A and a 4A and see which their moc fits best, or what they should aim for, if they want a 4A. @Maxim: I entirely agree that it is the feel of the MOC that should matter. The spirit of the law, rather than the letter, which is why I personally resist rigid rules. As to sizes and scales, I think the important part is not the size of the moc, but the size of the ship it represents. Your Margot clearly represents a 55 gun line of battle ship, even if she is (expertly) built on prefabs. I too prefer higher quality mocs of smaller size over larger, lower quality mocs. But that is not to me relevant for classification. (As long as sufficient effort has been put into it). The rating system should not become a prize to win for high quality mocs. It is not a *better* moc, because it is rated 5, rather than 4, and if some are interpreting it so, we need to change that.

An entry for Mardier: Prospects

The reporter from the Kings Port Advertiser was fuzzing about, calling out to the sketch artist to "catch my best features…" and "…make sure to make L'Olius looking right heroic for the frontpage" and to the scribe "…and don't you misquote me, or I will have at your hide!" They were setting up outside the high court of Terraversa waiting for the highly profiled case of L'Olius versus Eslandola, a case, which, apart from including the most beloved naval hero of Terraversa, was highly likely to have serious diplomatic consequences. And with Terraversa struggling for independence in the Mardierian civil war, the outcome could be critical to the future of the colony. A large crowd was assembling, and there was a general din as the tension was rising with the anticipation. A few Eslandians had shown up too, but most of them withdrew swiftly as the moral pressure of collective public opinion against them, or were removed by brute physical force, should they venture to express their allegiance. The hum of the crowd was considerable and normal conversation was strained at best, impossible at the worst. Nonetheless, the moment the doors opened and a guarded L'Olius stepped out, a hush fell over the crowd. L'Olius raised his hand in greeting, a triumphant smile spreading upon his face, and the hush temporarily gave way to a series of loud cheers. As the cheers died down, L'Olius gave a short speech in his booming quarterdeck voice, much to the joy of the crowd. "L'Olius has just left the courts, and appears in great spirits" the reporter dictated. "Out here, he is getting the hero's reception he deserves, regardless of the mistreatment those greedy, selfish Eslandians has brought upon him." The scribe scribbled on, and the sketch artist was busy immortalising the moment that might change the fate of Terraversa for ever. "The Eslandians have long held our trade in an iron grip, and their unlawful monopolies have threatened our economy, our very survival, and most importantly, our freedom!" The reporter paused for a moment, weighing his words and letting the scribe catch up. "L'Olius has taking it upon himself to put things right, to bring justice and reason to our world. With a perfectly legal Letter of Marque in hand, he has fought for our liberty, and the survival of our merchants. And now the Eslandians have brought him to court! Perfectly harassing him, our great hero! And on the pretence of some trifle about legalities - a trifle surely put to right by our esteemed courts!" The scribe enjoyed this… He knew it would be on the front page of the Kings Port Advertiser tomorrow, and that it would be sold out. The picture forming on his colleague's canvas would be the perfect eye-catcher, as would any headline containing L'Olius' name these days. As the reporter continued his narrative, he resumed his writing. What a sensation this would be…

I am loving these houses on stilts, and when I get back to my bricks, I think I will make a few builds for Stormhaven. Its specific style makes it very inspiring, I think, and you are really executing it well! Those mangroves below the stilts are great too. It is a shame I can see why some would find this build rather modern looking, but I think that is due to its elegant simplicity. I can't see why this wouldn't be considered period appropriate, considering the techniques involved in its construction. The story is very amusing too, and those Olean spies surely had it coming! I just hope the Oleanders will understand that they brought his upon themselves!