Captain Genaro

Perfect selection for the faces. It may be a minor detail, but it makes the scene all that much more fun. The tower may not be attractive, but you do have some nice greebling, and it's neat to see that you didn't set is squarely on the base.

Another fine build from you, KB. Really nice work with that doorway and candles along the hallway. I like the idea of having a cutaway section of the building to show the inner workings, but I think it could look better if it was a little smoother (tiled) or curved. And I'm glad to see you've started adding stories to your build. They are fun to read.

That's quite a few MOCs and quite a bit in upkeep. And don't forget that you will need some sort of leader for all fleets above 5 ships with 25 being the maximum number of ships a national hero can command.

Interesting start. I'm interested to see what role Oleon will be playing in your story. The build is quite nice, too. Good choice on colors and the SNOT facade is well done. Great detail.

It certainly is. Send me a PM and we can discuss the terms. The Crown of Oleon has permitted the RNTC to suspend dividend payments until 618 to ensure the company has enough funds to purchase properties and vessels that will guarantee a steady flow of income in the future.

Oh, nicely done. Great to see such a variety of techniques for the microships and the microfort in the first build.

Just a small build to get extra ship limits. Paperwork by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr In order to modernize Oleon's shipping records, the Royal Office of the Navy developed brand new systems, requiring brand new paperwork. That's why, mere hours before the fleet is preparing to sail, some poor lieutenant is stuck in his room trying desperately to finish a pile of paperwork with instrucitions that even a lawyer would struggle with. "If the vessel is, for purposes of Section 243 D(2), a qualified non-coastal trader, then a qualifying dependent under Section 152 (A)1 shall not be limited by the aforementioned... quid pro quo, blah, blah, blah," the young officer muttered. Oh, if only he had listened to his father and become a lawyer. Then he wouldn't have these problems. Paperwork by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr At least it was still easier than figuring our Oleon's archaic tax code.

Contents: Members: @Captain Genaro @Dukesc @Bodi @KotZ Ships: Esprit Tyche, The Eastern Trader, Esprit Fortune, Le Protecteur, and Centurion Gold: REDACTED Troops: None of your business Builds Prelude: Getting Started (AKA This Post) Chapter 1: TBD A-MCRA Beginning by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr "My lord, may I present Mayor Henri Hollande" announced the servant with a bow. In one of the gardens behind the massive Royal Mint in Breshaun. "My lord" said Henri as he knelt on one knee and kissed l'Anneau de Vele, the Ring of Vele, which rested upon the right middle finger of Pierre Lavalette Genaro, Duc de Vele et Intendant General des Finances d'Oleon (among other things). "See to it that we are not disturbed" Pierre ordered the servant. Returning to his guest, he went on "we have a problem, Henri, and I expect you to fix it." A-MCRA Beginning by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr Almost immediately Henri began to sweat. Surely the Directeur wasn't referring to the books. After all, for all his faults, Henri was an honest man and kept decent records. Perhaps the growth then? Lavalette was a little behind schedule when it came to development. No, that wasn't it. The Directeur wouldn't be wasting his time on this. Ah! Henri thought. I know what he's talking about. "My lord, perhaps I drink more than the average man, but to call it a problem is grossly unfair..." "Your blatant alcoholism is not the issue" interrupted the Directeur. "No, this issue is far more important than sobriety. You should be made aware that Terraversa has recently succeeded in gaining independence from Mardier." "Zeus' beard!" swore Henri. "When did this happen!" "I believe it was almost six months ago," Pierre replied. "I did write you several letters on the subject. Hopefully your secretary is sober enough to remember the details. "Now, as for the matter at hand. The main issue here is that we don't know anything about Terraversa. Given their location, they could easily intercept our shipping traveling between the old and new worlds. And it wouldn't even have to be their ships. If hostiles have access to any of the ports on that island, they could use it to stage attacks against us." "A serious issue to be sure" mused Henri. "But I must say that it seems more like speculation than fact." "And I intend to keep it that way,” continued Pierre, slightly surprised by Henri’s intelligent response. “We must take steps to ensure that Terraversa does not present a threat to our shipping.” Henri slowly nodded his head. “And where does Lavalette fit into this, my lord.” “It does not. You are here because I need someone to lead the expedition.” “But my lord! I am not qualified to lead such a mission! You need someone who is cunning and skilled diplomatically. Surely I don’t fit this category!” Henri cried. “For once I agree with you, Henri. Unfortunately, I simply cannot spare anyone else. No, don’t reply, the decision has been made” said Lord Vele before Henri could interject. “My secretary will provide you with papers containing further details and any possible seal you may need, from the King's to Calida's.” “Calida?” questioned Henri. The rivalry between the leader of the Order and the young Duke wasn't exactly a secret, and Henri couldn't imagine those two agreeing on how to kill a Corrie. “He may not care for me, but he is a shrewd politician.” “But what did he want in return?” inquired Henri. A-MCRA Beginning by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr Pierre paused and stared at Henri before continuing. “Nothing that concerns you. Now, we must quit wasting time. The fleet is loaded with men and supplies, and I will not have it miss the tide due to your delays.” “But what of Lavalette? How will it survive without me?” asked Henri in a last desperate attempt to get out of the mission. “I am certain the distilleries will survive your brief absence. Good day, Henri.” Oh dear, thought Henri as he bowed and exited. All this was simply too much excitement for one morning. Surely he would need a drink. A-MCRA Beginning by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

Oh, that's a nice looking ship. It's great the way you can make such a massive vessel while including all the necessary details (I don't want to think about how long the rigging must have taken in LDD). I feel that the side galleries are lacking, but I suppose given how nice the rest of the ship is we can let you off with a mere dozen lashes or so. Really nice job, and I do hope you try another one using your newer, smoother hull technique.

Yes

If you win the weather gauge and the enemy is too powerful, you can escape instead of going to battle. If you win the weather gauge and engage the enemy, you can choose the battle method (crew, hull, guns), and if the weather gauge rolls have a wide enough margin, you get a slight combat bonus. The winner and only the winner can benefit from the weather gauge.

That is correct. That will work.

An amazing build all around. Everything looks like it fits right in and I'm hard pressed to even come up with minor criticisms of the build. Just an absolutely fantastic job all around. One detail that I really like is the huge two-man saw. It's a very clever design.

I really enjoyed looking at this build. The facade presents a nice, clean structure like one might expect for a well off craftsman and the collection of timepieces are fantastic. The variety is amazing, and I hope you don't mind if I use some of your designs. If I had a complaint, it's that there's no sign on the front of the building. As it currently stands, the exterior looks like it could be used for a variety of purposes, but a simple sign might help define it as a commercial building.

Lego does publish their financials. I haven't looked at them too much and I don't know if they report unit sales anywhere, but overall it does look like total revenue and profit has increased for the past 5 years.

Map Name: Studica Grid: E4 As always, comments and criticism are welcome. With the hills surrounding the Basin firmly under COAC control and a steady flow of troops landing at the recently captured beachhead, the order came down for the 55th to carry out their part of the mission. It was supposed to be an easy mission, move into REDACTED and secure one of the main roads leading inland from the beach. After all, the RoN hardly put up any fight at the beach, and they were supposed to be completely disorganized. A walk in the park, as one general described it, and for that reason you won't need more than a tank and some infantry. Heck, he bragged, the infantry could probably handle it alone. Just march in, take the road and make sure the rail line is secure before the RoN can move in reinforcements. Of course, these staff officers didn't exactly jump at the chance to volunteer to lead the assault; better to leave the glory to a younger officer. And that's how the recently promoted 2nd Lieutenant Pierre Noche found himself trying to coordinate his troops as a handful of RoN survivors put up a desperate yet futile defense. P1110549 by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr "We could really use some guns now George!" Pierre yelled at the Plantasian spotter attached to his unit. In theory, the Plantasians were supposed to identify targets and let the big naval guns know their coordinates. Then the navy could unleash hell and clear the path for the ground troops. Of course, this theory didn't take the general staff into consideration. "No go, chief," George replied. "CGS doesn't want to risk civvies." Pierre swore before continuing. "You tell that SOB that if he doesn't get us some cover, he's looking at a dead unit. And if we miraculously survive, I'll personally kill him." George just gave Pierre thumbs up before conveying Pierre's message using words that were less likely to result in a court martial. P1110540 by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr A medic attended to a soldier who was shot just below the heart. At this point, all that could be done was to try and comfort and pray for the dying man. A Walk in the Park by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr The generals may have been worried about civilian casualties, but the tank commander was far more concerned about RoN snipers and anti-tank rockets taking cover in the buildings overlooking the road. A Walk in the Park by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr A Walk in the Park by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr A Walk in the Park by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr The RoN put up a valiant defense, but one that was ultimately in vain as the small unit quickly began securing buildings and overwhelmed the defenders before reinforcements could arrive. A Walk in the Park by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

Wow, I am really impressed. A lovely picture and a fun addition to Oleon. The background was fun to read, too. Please keep these drawings coming as I'd love to see more of them.

Hats off to you, good sir. This build is amazing. Superb job on creating a temple that is being overgrown by a thick jungle. The trans-black for the water looks amazing and the brick built backdrop is just icing on the cake.

Very well done. You did a really nice job capturing the overall look and feel of an Oleandish government building. The ponds are a great touch and you did a great job adding some irregularities to the pavement. I'll echo what others have already said and say that some details on the roof would improve the build, and you may wish to add some minifigs going about their business.

Nicely done all around. Her lines look good and you did a nice job making her ornate and colorful. Very fitting for an Oleander vessel. Hats off with all the details you included. All the features I expect to see on a sailing ship are present. My main complaint is with the head rails. They're very difficult to get right in Lego, but I don't think the current design does your ship justice. The best solution I have found is using flex tubing, but some brick built solutions look decent, too. Just some food for thought. The delegation is a fun addition, too. I hope they don't have too much trouble with the dude in the shako.

Ah ha! So this is how you make ships so fast. You did a nice job capturing the hive of activity. Seeing the ribbing of the new vessel is nice, too. One concern is that the sand goes from dark tan to tan. While this looks good for most beaches, it seems out of place here given that you have a wooden wall to hold the water at bay. But I don't let that distract from the rest of your nice build.

As others have said (but it still bears repeating), lovely job with the scale. The use of the sextant really makes it look like a precision instrument. The rest of the build is nice, too, and I love the subject matter.

The information on TCs and players is typically in the first several posts of a faction's topic (e.g. Oleon's list of subjects with the TC information a few posts down). As a general rule, if there's ever a faction-specific question (leadership, members, background, etc.) the first several posts in the faction's topic are a good place to start. You rarely need to go digging though the entire topic to find important information.

The latter two can be found in the various factions' topics. Many players have a link to their photostream in their signature or you can access it by clicking directly on their photos.

Oh wow, I can't believe I missed this. It's amazing how well you captured the curves of a submarine with Lego bricks. It's absolutely amazing, especially the way it tappers down for the tail/stern area. The WIP pictures are fun as well and it's great to get a sneak peak into how you got everything connected (not sure if that was your intention, but it's a great bonus). Only complaint would be to add some more activity to the shipyard, but maybe it's the graveyard shift.