MetroiD

Couldn't agree more! Nice piece selection though - that one and the beach house are great sources for yellow bricks ;]

Weren't we? Oh... sorry for that... By the way... THANKS Capn Z :]

Thanks Milan ;] 'Bout time :P The Long Way Down is just as fascinating, Africa is a true challenge to any adventurer. As to the Long Way Round concept - a friend of mine is doing just that right now, he started his trip in June and was expecting to be back in Bulgaria by the end of January 2010. Last news I/we heard from him, he was at Vladivostok - he'd made the trip from the Bulgarian seaside to there within 111 days, and was preparing his documents for the ferry to Japan. Update: the guy's added photos from Japan! :thumbup: The website of his adventure is www.fireinside.bg. Unfortunately, for now it's just in Bulgarian, but I suppose he will translate it to English sooner rather than later, so you might wanna keep on eye ;) Admiral Béjaune, everyone keeps telling me that the new R1 is an unbelievavly awesome bike... There's gotta be a reason for that ;) And even though the Duke 1098 might beat Yamaha in the "exclusivity" category, I'm not 100% sure that your money would be well spent there. Unless of course you're a true Ducati admirer, in which case nothing I say would make a difference. Otherwise, I'd advise you to stay away from the 1098 - too much money for too much of a nutcracker ;) Whatever choice you make, good luck and do post pics when you've bought your new bike!

The roof decoration is a nice idea, but I'm not sure I like that thing. Sorry, but I must admit it doesn't really look like a phoenix to me. You could perhaps try something simpler/ smaller? As to the furnishings on the second floor - the small table is a simple yet nice solution, it works just fine for me. However, due to the angles at which those pics were taken, I can't really make out what that red thing behind the eavesdropping soldier is. Looks like a sofa, but I'm not really sure... I noticed the new exterior shot - I strongly suggest moving those inverted slope bricks one brick up, so that they come just below the roof, like trusses. The way they're placed right now simply doesn't make sense. And if this is going to be your final version, I strongly suggest retaking some of those pics. As I'd mentioned, the angle makes it impossible to actually see what the red thing on the second floor is, so you could include a pic without the soldier there, if you really want to show the details you've included. Do make sure though that your first pic depicts your MOC in its entirety, from the top of the roof deco element to the bottom of the base; and take it at the angle at which your previous improvements were shown - with the soldier on the second floor looking at the camera. To me, that really was the best angle for this MOC. Oh, and you should also consider making sure those candles are aligned - you could bend them all slightly or have them all stand horizontally, but the way just one of them is bent inward right now just does not look nice... P.S.: Yay, knighthood finally gained!!! Poll posting, here I come!!!

Scrapheap challenge... hmmm... that sounds like a good idea. Perhaps I could make my first bike a ratbike? Btw, what do you guys think of those? Have you seen actual ratbikes in person? I wouldn't have believed that if anyone told me so, but those thing actually smell terribly!!! Well, not all of them -- but I guess that run-down look really has to be achieved somehow Anyway, back on topic - Big Cam, have you heard about the guy who travelled the world on his Yamaha R1? He's from Holland and apparently 3 years around the world on the back of his Yam weren't enough, since he's doing an Alaska trip right now! If he can do that, I bet you can turn your R6 into a seaworthy vessel...

Croak! Give me vines, I'm bored of shrubs already! Croak! Did I say that? No, 'twas that frog featured for no apparent reason in your awesome entry... But I admit, I love the green fella. What's its name? Can I pet it? Anyway - as Paul cantu mentioned, vines would make a very nice addition - but that would just be a minor detail, since the overall level you've achieved with this MOC is really very high! The idea itself is quite heart-warming - even to ol' seadogs such as fellow EB members... I particularly like the fact that you've gone for a countryside look and created an actual solid house as opposed to a shack by the beach which most soldiers / pirates are supposed to call home. The position of the female "wife" minifig at the door is simply perfect. I would only suggest adding something there to give it an element of surprise - the broom mentioned earlier would be a nice touch, especially if it were just dropped in excitement (Cheesy. I know. But it should work ;) ) As to the soldier - I think you made the right choice by dropping his hat on the grass beside him. But how about adding a rucksack to that? I know that he has a bag printed on his torso, but I feel that an actual backpack wouldn't go amiss there. If you go for the large backpack, that could give you a nice alternative as a way of adding a sabre without necessarily putting it in the soldier's hand - since I presume that's not a thing you'd want in this scene. Whatever you do, please don't touch the house or the fence. Those are both absolutely perfect. Oh, and the frog too :)

Yet once again, I agree with martinsuper (this is beginning to sound old, I know!) Yours is a very creative MOC, and it's most definitely not just a "filler" entry! I really like the idea and I enjoyed seeing the captain as a manager providing quality control over his staff's work :) What I'm missing in this MOC is the element of water... Yes, I know it represents a drydock, but even drydocks were built at places with water nearby. Guess it must have been a heavy haul for those workers! That said, the factory look you've given to your boatyard makes a lot of sense and looks nice - I love the pre-industrial-era lighting and your little easter egg :) Using that however WOULD most definitely ruin just about any boat there was back in those days... But I guess it makes sense. They're pirates, after all - even if they work as civilians now! Even the wall doesn't really say "wood", but rather "corrugated sheets painted in brown" - at least to me. Which is awesome :) I'd suggest adding something there though (the wall I mean), because even though it rounds off the look of the MOC in a nice manner, it might still look a bit too empty to some voters. Perhaps designing your own factory windows and/or a roof for this facility could be a nice final touch. In any case, congratulations on entering the contest and providing us with such an enjoyable entry!

The 5 o'clock shadow shows just how hard this poor fella has been working all day long... only to find THIS in his own bedroom at the end of the day. I did however spot a possible weapon straight away... That mineral should be heavy... and sharp!

And it SOUNDS fantastic! Especially with a nice Akrapovic slip-on I really should check whether that guy I was telling you abou has sold his old ZXR 400 by now... I hope I'll soon be able to follow you in becoming a proud bike owner! Once again, congrats, Milan! :)

I can't really say since I only own the Green Grocer out of those 3. The Cafe Corner will be on its way this week, so I'll pop by when it arrives and say if it beats the GG for me - although I wouldn't put my money on that The Fire Brigade will have to wait so more...

This is fabulous. I was most definitely expecting your additions to make this MOC look like this, but I'm still extremely impressed. The fireplace is marvellous and adds a very cozy feeling to the build - what I enjoy most of all though is the ceiling and the chandelier. This has got to be the best chandelier I've seen - careful not to burn down the house with those wooden trusses though :] The facade is also brilliant and the ingenious roof technique which you've kept from the last version just puts the icing on the top. I'd only suggest replacing the trans-yellow tiles within the fireplace with some brown plates as burning wood and orange and red tiles/ cheese slopes as glowing embers, if you don't want actual fire burning... And I can see your point there -there's no need for a fire blazing in there, so just adding some embers would round off the wonderful "home-like" feeling of this MOC. This is officially one of my favourites in this category.

I'm in - as far as I can remember, you're over in Scandinavia, Milan's from Serbia... that should be doable... But I guess I'd better get me a bike first

Don't get me started, it's been a long rainy day here...

Wow... I go away for a few weeks and you guys come up with the best thread ever! Finally, a place to discuss bikes!!! I noticed that Milan has set his sights on my chosen bike as well... I've also been planning to get a ZXR 400 for quite some time now - since I didn't want to get a 600cc straight away and instead would like to learn on a smaller bike. My intention is to get a 400 and then ride it a year or so, doing a few trackdays in the meantime so that I can gain enough confidence... That, and good skills, helps a lot out in the streets - along with concentration and awareness. And people rarely manage to truly master a bike when their first motorcycle is a 600+cc (by that I don't mean to insult anyone!!!). Unfortunately, out here the situation is pretty much the same as everywhere else in the world - only a bit worse. Noone looks out for bikers, so you're really on your own. Compared to that, Germany where I used to live a few years ago was a paradise - but that was pretty much normal, since there's a huge percentage of people on the road over there who ride bikes and drivers are very much used to them. In any case - a few months ago, I found my dreambike which was on sale here in Bulgaria... But I decided I shouldn't splash out all the money I have on that and it turned out that I'd made the right choice. In the meantime, a full set of modular houses (bar the Fire Brigade) and a plethora of train sets, plus some hockey equipment, has pretty much kept me off the thought of buying a bike. So after all these years of dreaming (that's been one of my biggest dreams ever since I was a little boy... and I DO mean little!), I still don't own a bike - the ironic thing is that I've got a perfectly fine pair of leather gloves and a leather jacket (both are Vanucci - which is not AlpineStars, but it's nevertheless a good choice in my opinion). Had a friend with whom we used to ride every other weekend in Germany and I did save his Blackbird from tipping over quite a few times... I guess I've got most of the gear and some pillion experience... It's high time I went for the real thing! Wish me luck for next season ;] My true dream however has always been owning a Triumph. I'm in love with pretty much every bike they've ever produced - even though I'm not a "classic bike" lover, the Thruxton and Boneville are simply mind-blowing. What I would very much like to ride one day is a Triumph Sprint S-kind of bike, since I really enjoy sport-tourers. However, I've tried the Sprint and I must admit its latest version is not too convincing... I feel it's a bit too heavy for my liking and it's one of the very few Triumphs whose looks I'm not particularly mad about. Now, the Daytona 675 and the Speed/ Street Triple... those are a different story. Btw, are there anyone S Triple owners here? I also have quite a few biker friends here, and most of them have decided to start a business with motorcycles or motorcycle equipment. Which is inspirational and a thing I might look into in a few years as well. For now however, I think I'll stick with my cards before starting up my own venture. Hopefully, they'll get me a bike soon enough :) Talking about cards - couldn't agree more with Big Cam by the way about the riding philosophy. My thoughts precisely. Godspeed to all of you, and ride safe ;] P.S.: Milan, congratulations mate!!! To be perfectly honest, I never knew there was a ZZR 500! A friend of mine was selling his ZZR 600 a few years ago, but I was still too young to legally ride a bike of that size back then - even though I really liked its looks and its smooth power curve (oh well, if you can say that about a Kawasaki's power curve anyway :D). That's pretty much the bike which convinced me that sport-tourers can be perfectly comfortable even if they're not 1000cc+. For now though, I'd really like to get something lighter ;] Have fun with that baby on the road Milan!

Welcome to Eurobricks, B.C.W... and rest assured, I know just how you feel... Guess not everyone's meant to be a rocket scientist anyway...

One word: YAY!!! P.S.: KimT, congrats mate. I had pretty much written off Renault, but if there's anyone with the inner drive to help them out of their self-dug pithole, it's Kubica. Next season should be a REALLY exciting one - despite all the turmoil, F1 has become so much more than it was a few years back.

Aaa-ha! They could most definitely use a crazy scientist now... But, as we all know, he's off time-travelling with Timmy and the Monkey. Which is actually a good thing, because otherwise we'd be in for yet another episode of Heroes Good luck in the contest mate!

Wow... where do you people find the inspiration to enter one contest after the other and still come up with such original and brilliant ideas?! Well done, louloute - I know you're a Pirate fan first and foremost, but I guess with that lovely French train you instantly became a Train Master in my eyes... And with this, you've become a Naughty Train Master Pirate MOCcer (yes, that could make a rather good title, if I do say so myself!). Apart from the red curtains, the other thing that instantly caught my eye here was the amount of disjointed minifigs used in the creation of this MOC's details... Ingenious... yet quite spooky and downright evil! I kept looking for a minifig head hidden somewhere in the stone walls on the second floor. Then I realised that the dead minifigs adorn the sides of the first floor... Well, happy Helloween to you too!!! :pir-skull: You should definitely heed martinsuper's advice regarding the stone-over-wood thing and consider a change in colouring. Since I feel that the grey stone walls work wonderfully for the second floor, I'd suggest replacing those 1x2 and 1x1 brown round bricks used for the first floor's walls with dark red round bricks - that would add to this MOC's naughty feel (and don't tell me you didn't mean for it to come out that way!), while at the same time helping the structure look less like it were built on wood with stones on top. Besides, the floor would stand out even more that way - and if you'd also just mix up those brown tiles a bit more, as martinsuper suggested, that would look absolutely perfect. Now, I can't help but wonder what you mean by that "discreet and calm atmosphere" you've subtly mentioned there... But since the doors behind the "crimson curtains" are closed, I guess we'll never know... and I think it's better that way

I can totally relate to that... problem is, Bricklink is my N1 destination even for some of my smallest projects... Which is the reason why I still haven't posted a couple of vehicles I've been playing around with for the last month or so!!! Oh well, enough moaning (for now). Honeybee, this is a spectacular entry, and I don't just say that! I'm a sucker for realsim inside buildings and staircases come first in any building - so to see that in a Pirate MOC was an absolute joy to me. Of course, the use of staircases is by far not the best thing about this entry... I too enjoy the water and the cobblestone arrangement, both of which give this MOC's exterior such a unique look. However, I agree with martinsuper and badboytje88 - the facade, especially the last floor could have used just a tad bit more details - and the same goes for the beach (not its last floor, but still...) With the wonderful details around them, these two elements look kind of "unfinished" - and it's really a crying shame that Derfel had to use the bricks straight away. I would have totally loved to see a small dock added to the beach, which would have opened up this MOC so much! It would also have helped eliminate that unnatural look which martinsuper has mentioned - I myself like the positioning of the palm trees, it shows that the ladies did want the palms to look mirrored, but not generic - and the dock would help make this MOC look less centered... Oh well, I guess Derfel was just afraid you'd steal his idea with the Redcoat Rum Runners As to the interior - only a woman could ever have thought of SO many details - true blessings for the gentler sex, but more like torture for those rough sea-dogs... And only a man could appreciate the sheer amount of EMBARASSMENT those pirates would have to live with their whole lives after setting foot in that parlour! The combination of those two opposites = priceless.

Oh well, I personally don't think that anyone should be a salty dog - all the entries so far have been quite unique and have brought something new to the contest... Same as this ultra-impossible golf course by Tereglith here. If I were a golfing fan, I'd probably be thrilled. However, since I use my stick to hit a puck and not a plastic jumpy ball, I feel simply terrified by the complexity of this But that doesn't mean I didn't notice that cheating pirate over there!!! I hope he never manages to finish the course Now then, you ask what you could add so that the 8x8 section doesn't look tacky OR empty... Well, the first thing that came to my head when I saw it was -- tiles. I don't know if you've seen this non-piratey-yet-quite-eye-catching golf MOC, but looking at it I really feel that golf and LEGO tiles should go hand in hand... Otherwise how would that poor ball move between the studs anyway ;] So I'd really suggest adding tiles and seeing how it looks... I bet you wouldn't need to place anything else there! The background part of the MOC however is pure eye candy! The rarely-seen palm tree trunk technique, the cloth-made shrubs and the custom golf "watchtower"... those are all unique and very entertaining. One thing I can't help but notice is the castaway's perenially desperate look... couldn't he have at least tried to smile while enjoying a fun pastime which no castaway ever would have expected to partake in?

fonz, I loved your Knight Train to Chamelot and the unique, fun idea it brought to the Train Tech Contest... So when I saw thread, I was holding my breath for a sight of your pirates sailing a nuclear trireme... Seeing them "simply" stranded there has definitely calmed me down a bit - which is not to say this entry isn't JUST as ingenious as yout Train Tech Category 1 entry... By the way, judging by your MOCcing prowess, if you pass those skills down to your son, he might be as well be the next Jamie Berard! Now then - on to the creation itself... Last time I said that you'd helped the contest "jump the shark", but this time around it looks like your men are those who need some jumping to start off with. It doesn't look like that tide is going to rise up high enough unless the Moon comes within a few clicks of Mother Earth... Now, the way you've recreated that entire idea... simply mind-blowing. I personally had never seen dark and "regular" bricks being utilised in such a manner so as to form a naturally-looking "wet" and "dry" area of the rock - but it is a brilliant idea which has been used very sensibly here. Same as the Knight Train, this MOC is so self-explanatory, funny and original, it hardly needs a background story. However, knowing that most EB members do enjoy a good read, I feel you've done the right thing by posting a mini-synopsis of what's been going on there! That should definitely guarantee you a few extra votes. Your ship itself does look cartoonish - but I'm almost sure that's what you were going for anyway. Its looks are not particularly intimidating or pirate-y, especially considering the lack of cannons. Guess you could easily pass it as a pirates' exploring vessel though - that ship looks handy for looong sea cruises. Oh, and I'm quite curious - how did that marlin get caught there - freak wave!? I would love to see a few more pics of the interior - what with that fat hull, she's got to hold quite a bit of goodies in there... To sum it all up - I'd give this one 11/10. The Large Division is really starting to look more and more thrilling by the day!

Very nice concept, ingenious ideas about minifig utensil usage... all those things really make this MOC stand out. However, I'm starting to get the feeling that we've had the two-floored cross-section scene construction utilised a bit too often. I know that it's the Small Division and there are not many other ways one could arrange for a meaningful scene, but here I just don't find the two-floored surroundings as being the best possible option. It might just be me, but I feel that the concept of pirates playing games has so much potential, you could have easily turned this one into a medium "Pira-lympics"-themed entry. That said, I hope you won't be mad at me or think that I'm trying to bash your MOC... As the other EB members have already pointed out, it is a very well thought-out MOC and definitely a wonderful Small Division entry.

And I sincerely hope it doesn't! The interior is simply perfect the way it is and I always say that cluttering up things doesn't necessarily make them look better. I hope by that you mean that my rants have been of some use in one way or another, in which case I'd be really happy! I was so eager to join this contest, but unfortunately I won't be able to actually build anything, or at least not what I had wanted to - so admiring the wonderful entries was pretty much the only thing I was left with. On a sidenote - you sir have a very good chance of winning that Shipwreck Hideout yourself!

Railing for the win! I thought I had to mention that, since it does look REALLY cool - even though it takes away some of the dangers of getting drunk in such pubs It is a great idea, make you sure you stick with it ;)

You've removed that side wall to allow viewers to see the lower level... good idea. What I think would really be a great idea though is to follow up on that "red button" notion and the wall-e robotic junk found in the box. I feel that you're not using the creative potential of those ideas to the maximum - why toss them in if they won't play any part whatsoever!? Other than that, the view is indeed better, but it seems you were still quite hungry while taking the pics