The Guild's Weekly

[Ecclesiastes]

Blufiji has made some great stuff before, but this fortress is one of his best for sure. Different tower designs, angled roofs, fantastic surroundings. It's just so complete!

Gunman is back in action again and this is just phase 1!

Do you like new tree techniques, than you have to check this one out made by mechamike!

[soccerkid6]

Kayne was kind enough to answer some questions about his Guilds of Historica career:

1) What made you decide to join Guilds of Historica?

When Historica first hit the scene, I was an extremely inexperienced builder, and mostly just lurked about on MOCpages and Classic-Castle viewing some of the incredible builds that had been posted over the years. Over the course of about a week, I started seeing a ton of watchtowers posted on MOCpages and they all related to 4 separate kingdoms. I had no idea what was going on, and hadn't heard of Eurobricks or the Guilds. I started googling Mitgardia and Nocturnus, etc. to see if they were part of some new fantasy book series or something that I had missed. That of course led me to Eurobricks and then I was blown away. I started looking through the Guilds pages and began to see some of the coolest builds that I had seen as an AFOL! Of course the show-stealer at that point was Durnovaria by Derfel Cadarn.

2) Was the guild decision making process difficult? What were the main reasons you joined Kaliphlin?

When I decided that I would join the Guilds and swallow my pride by posting my blocky grey wall builds, I immediately thought of Avalonia. I think that it fits into the fantasy stereotypes so well that it is an alluring place to build and have your builds relate to great movies, books, games, etc. Lucky for me, everyone else also wanted to join Avalonia and the ranks had swelled to the point that the Guild was not open for new members. At that point, I was down to Kaliphlin and Nocturnus as the two destinations for me. What really swayed me over to Kaliphlin was the community within that Guild. I read through the Guild thread and was just blown away at the support for each other that was evident there, as well as the fun that seemed to be had! Kaliphlin has earned a reputation over the years of GoH as being the talkers, merchants, storytellers, etc. It was evident in those early days and that is why I joined Kaliphlin. I must say that I have never thought about switching since either!

3) You have been a member in GoH since early in Book 1, and maintained a pretty steady activity level. Were there some specific aspects of the Guilds that kept you interested and building?

Kind of like I mentioned above, the people in the Guilds are what keep me active. There continues to be an amazing array of builds and techniques that originate here. From the very beginning, I think the most prolific builder that came through was DC. Every AFOL/TFOL site that was around seemed to be buzzing about his builds, his techniques, and his willingness to try new styles and colors without fear of fitting in. Since then, we have seen people like ZCerberus, Ecclesiastes, SoccerKid, lowercase gabe, Cara, Legonardo, DeGothia, Gideon, MassEditor and so many others come out and again do new things with their builds and stories. For me, I just continue to draw inspiration and motivation from everyone here in the community.

4) One of the main goals for GoH is to improve building skills. What aspects of your MOCing do you think have been most affected by your time here?

The statement at the beginning of this question is absolutely true! I mentioned earlier that when I first started building here, I was also within my first few months of life out of the Dark Ages. I would look at builds from the prolific builders and try to emulate a little bit to see how those techniques worked. Even the color combinations that were used helped to get some feel for the bricks again. I remember that when I completed my first challenge, it was for the embassy in another guild and I was really proud of it. It was to date the cleanest build that I had made. What really stands out though, was the help that I received. I reached out to SI-MOCs after the build was submitted and asked for feedback on it. He was incredibly helpful and open in what the strengths and opportunities were, as well as how to improve upon them. It wasn't something like, "Well, I build with blah blah technique, so you should try this...". Instead it was more about composition, presentation, and how to use the style I had to showcase and improve. Over the time I have been here, I have talked with others as well, such as Gideon, ZC, DC, DeGothia, gabe, etc. and all of them helped me in the same way. It is a genuine desire to help and improve each person, without giving up what makes them unique as a builder. That being said, it is really hard to say how I improved the most, other than the idea that i have learned how to focus more on details. That is really broad, because when a Lego is your medium, and each brick can be so small, they can all seem like details. I guess one thing that stood out to me was a comment that DC made. I can't quote it, because I don't remember it word for word, but the idea behind it was that he sees things in real life and translates those to his builds to add life. I think the example he used was a sinking farm cart in a run down farm he passed often, and then made that into one of his builds. It is details like this that add realism to a build. Humans are funny creatures, and we sometimes leave something somewhere for years just because. Those items in a build make it real. A broken cart that the occupant meant to rebuild, but has never gotten around to it. A broken fence picket that will eventually be replace, but has now become a fixture of the structure, etc,

5) Which events/challenges/etc., that you've been involved in, did you enjoy the most?

I honestly can't remember a challenge that I did not enjoy. But for me, the first one that really stands out was something that a group of us in Kaliphlin did to try to highlight the diverse landscape and peoples present in Kaliphlin. It was called Inside Kaliphlin, and it was an idea that KaiNRG and erynlasgalen really put together and helped to coordinate for everyone. They did such an amazing job helping to coordinate all that with quite a few builders. We then did the Blitzard style post over the course of almost 2 weeks. After that, there was the Avalonian Civil War challenge and our team coordinated all of our builds into a big story. Again KaiNRG was really coordinating that one, and she really shines in that role! Most recently the To the Ax with the Tax collab, really was fun. So, long story short I think that the events that allow us to collaborate really make for some fun and creative thinking.

6) You have no shortage of impressive builds for GoH, but which is your personal favorite?

This is a really hard question for me. I really do not put myself in the category of prolific builders in Castle themes. I always look at builds and think, wow that is amazing! I really need to improve this or that of my skills to compete with this build. So, when I post a build I am always critical of it and think it really could have been better. That being said, I really enjoyed the Defending the Coast which was in the Avalonian Civil War challenge. It was not my most detailed build at all, but I was able to put in a lot of things to add to the action.

7) Any advice for prospective new members looking to join?

For any new or prospective members looking to join, I would say be open. None of us are great builders when we start. We are all just building what is fun for us. If you are open to working with people, taking advice and using it how you see fit, you can really grow some great building techniques. For me, being able to grow my skills has helped to express myself in my builds more to what I see in my mind and it makes it more fun for me. Plus, the opportunity to work with a group to make something bigger than just one build is really a fun experience. Final piece of advice is: Kaliphlin is the best Guild to join. Just kidding! Each of the Guilds have great people in them, and great opportunities to express yourself. Everyone will fit into a different Guild better than the others, just try it out and have fun. Building a MOC shouldn't be a chore or discouraging, it should be a really fun learning experience!

Thanks for your time, Kayne!

[MiloNelsiano]

Thanks SK and Kayne, that was a fun read. Will we get to read more of these in the future? It really reminded me of Brick Magazines article about GoH in their last issue--i would recommend anyone to take a look if they haven't already, it was really neat to see. However, there seemed to be some mistakes in that article. The two that bothered me the most were when it said Kaliphlin's colors are orange and blue, and that yellow colored minifigures are required. Anyone else read the article?

[soccerkid6]

Thanks SK and Kayne, that was a fun read. Will we get to read more of these in the future? It really reminded me of Brick Magazines article about GoH in their last issue--i would recommend anyone to take a look if they haven't already, it was really neat to see. However, there seemed to be some mistakes in that article. The two that bothered me the most were when it said Kaliphlin's colors are orange and blue, and that yellow colored minifigures are required. Anyone else read the article?

I'm glad you enjoyed the interview! There should be more to come in the future

And yes, I read theBrick Magazine article, and those two mistakes were rather surprising. Especially the only yellow minifigs allowed statement

[Mike S]

Thanks SK and Kayne, that was a fun read. Will we get to read more of these in the future? It really reminded me of Brick Magazines article about GoH in their last issue--i would recommend anyone to take a look if they haven't already, it was really neat to see. However, there seemed to be some mistakes in that article. The two that bothered me the most were when it said Kaliphlin's colors are orange and blue, and that yellow colored minifigures are required. Anyone else read the article?

I'm not really a big fan of those magazines. I got an impression it was a marketing ploy to get more subscribers since they really didn't take the time needed to explore GoH for a proper article. If you want a good reading supplement, I recommend HispaBricks.

[TitusV]

Great interview Kayne and SK! I' enjoy more of these!

[Ecclesiastes]

I was the one in contact with Bricks. And those sloppy mistakes surprised me too. And could have been easily avoided if they would have send me the article before publishing it.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but besides that I think it was some attention the Guilds really deserved. Because you all made it such an awesome project which deserved the recognition!

And indeed nice job on the interview, both SK and Kayne! I bet SK will be contacting more of you soon

[Rogue Angel]

Despite the mistakes, it was a beautiful layout that showcased the Guilds very well.

[MiloNelsiano]

Well I certainly don't want to start any debates on the quality of publications. Hispabricks, Bricks, or anything else, I think they're interesting, but too expensive to subscribe to them year round (for me anyway). Really, the only reason I bought this issue of Bricks was because of the GoH article. If Hispabricks does a GoH article I would definitely buy it as well. I agree, it was really awesome because it really spread some information on GoH in a great way. Despite some false Information and some glaring typos and editorial mistakes, it still did what it was supposed to, and will hopefully bring in some new members.

[Mike S]

Well I certainly don't want to start any debates on the quality of publications. Hispabricks, Bricks, or anything else, I think they're interesting, but too expensive to subscribe to them year round (for me anyway). Really, the only reason I bought this issue of Bricks was because of the GoH article. If Hispabricks does a GoH article I would definitely buy it as well.

Hispabrick is free if you download the digital copy.

[Gunman]

Really nice review SK :)

Any way to see the GoH article from Bricks magazine?

[MiloNelsiano]

Hispabrick is free if you download the digital copy.

I did not know that. Thanks for that!

Really nice review SK :)

Any way to see the GoH article from Bricks magazine?

Buy the magazine! I had hoped to get a preview of it before purchasing as well, but wasn't able to find anything, though there is a page from it here in the Guilds Weekly, its the last post of the previous page.

Edited June 27, 2016 by MiloNelsiano

[Ecclesiastes]

We have something new in store this time! Are you curious what inspires members to build for the Guilds and more? Than here's your chance to learn more from a member who's been around the Guilds from the start. Thanks Kayne for your time to answer some questions! We hope to see more members being interviewed in the near future!

While Gabe was sitting and hiding in the shadows, he was working on something new. And this one shows again, take your time for a build! No need for a rush to get something done in the Guilds!

Bregir has made a wonderful city square filled with great details. There's different styles of architecture, a brick build palmtree, different fountains and more to feast your eyes upon!

[Staslegomaster]

Is the brown sails ship from Lord of the Rings?

[Kayne]

The sails are from Lord of the Rings, but the ship was an original creation.

[BrickFit26]

Really impressed by everything. From the navy blue waters to the ships.

[blackdeathgr]

Interviewing GoH builders is an excellent idea and so were the questions asked. Keep up the good work!

[BrickCurve]

Interviewing GoH builders is an excellent idea and so were the questions asked. Keep up the good work!

I agree. Its also a great way to give GoH a bit of extra publicity! Thank you SK6 and Kayne.

[Ecclesiastes]

Using a lot of colors can be quite difficult. But Gabe seems to manage this perfectly, this Villa is probably one where a lot of Guildies would like to spent some time! Enjoying the sun, drinking wine...

Presentation makes a moc often stand out, like this one made by Brickcurve. How he managed to make the sky is very clever, not to forget the amazing tree and micro ship!

Soccerkid6 and LittleJohn, are working on a fantastic collab filled with fun details. Make sure to check out the other links in the topic below as well!

[BrickCurve]

Thanks for the kind words and front page, Ecc!

[soccerkid6]

Next up in the GoH interview series, de Gothia!

1) Was there a specific builder particularly influential in getting you to join the guilds, and Avalonia specifically?

When the discussion started many years ago about a new type of roleplay in Eurobricks I was really interested and wanted to participate. At the first moment when The Westerns grasslands, as Avalonia was called in the discussion, was presented I knew I wanted to join that guild. So there was no member who made me choose Avalonia.

But of course, DC was and still is one of my true inspirations when it comes to Lego and Castle. I was happy that he joined Avalonia and became leader of our mighty Guild.

2) You're definitely a veteran member of the Guilds and have developed quite a recognizable county/city in Avalonia with Benoic and Sionnach.

Is being able to develop a culture/land one of the main aspects to keep you active here?

Yes, very much so! I often think of new ways to develop my Benoic. Houses, structures, places and people who will make my county even more detailed. But I really love to build in the other guilds as well and have many members that are my "family" or allies and tradepartners. To interact and build other members' sigfigs and put them into my own builds is really great! And of course, to see my sigfig in other members' great and wonderful MOCs is really a blast!

3) How do you think your building style has changed and developed over your GoH career?

I have to be honest in this. When we first started GoH we gave each other both praise and critique to develop and became a better builder. I really remember ZC to be honest when he commented on my MOCs and I saw my own MOCs in different ways that I wouldn´t have other wise. And Gideon who gave me many tips, critique and ideas for my photos.

This is something that has disapeared more and more over the time in GoH. It´s not very common that we critique each other in the same way and I feel that it would be great if that came back as you really improve as a builder. Of course we still give critique but not in the same way and extent. Of course, this doesn´t mean that we are rude and mean when we comment on other members' MOCs, but give constructive critique and also praise the parts in the MOC that are good.

But to get back to the original question:

I hope I have developed in my building skills (Others have to make that decision), not as fast perhaps as other members (read SK and LD! ;)) but still developed. My building style is perhaps the same, I love to build houses and streets, often tudor styled houses! But again, I have taken the critique that I got from others and made changes from that.

4) Do you have a particular favorite out of your own group of wonderful MOCs?

Well, I think that has to be de Gothia Castle. My first castle that I´m really happy how it turned out and the landscape around it.

Sionnach Castle by de Gothia, on Flickr

or the blacksmith, really love the sand green-reddish brown combo and this one turned out really well, I think.

The Blacksmith in Sionnach by de Gothia, on Flickr

5) Any advice for prospective new members looking to join?

I certainly understand those who feel that GoH is so huge and complicated, it is in one way! Because we have like hundreds of members who all have created their own story and county/land/city/region for many years. But on the other side, that will come and you will understand once you join. So just pick a guild (Avalonia! ;)) that you feel suits you, build a sigfig and join us! All the other questions and background will come to you during your stay! Most of us will happily answer all the questions that will come!

Thanks for giving us your thoughts, de Gothia!

[TitusV]

Thanks de Gothia for this interesting interview and SK for organising this!

[BrickCurve]

Thanks for the insights De Gothia!

[soccerkid6]

MKJoshA gives us some insight into his GoH career in this interview.

1) How did you go about choosing which guild to join?

This was a really hard choice! I had watched the different challenges through book 1 but had never gotten into the differences between guilds. When Book 2 started and I decided to sign up, I started to look at the four different guilds to decide which one was right for me. I almost joined Nocturnus because I didn't think I had enough tan pieces for Kaliphlin, tree pieces for Avalonia, or white pieces for Mitgardia. But eventually I decided that I seemed to fit best with the rest of the Mitgardian builders so I decided to give it a try even though I didn't have enough white pieces at the time to fill a small PAB cup. I've never regretted that choice! I love the sense of community that Mitgardia has. It comes out a lot in the way we communicate in the forums and how we give feedback to different builders.

2) You joined Mitgardia a bit after the start of the Guilds, was fitting into the flow of things challenging? Or were you able to jump right in easily?

It was very easy to jump right in! I cut my teeth in Eurobricks roll-playing games with Shadow of Nar Eurbrikka in the Star Wars forum, so I already knew the drill for posting entries and commenting on other entries. As I started to post builds for GoH I felt welcomed right away. I also started to get constructive feedback right away, but it was all tactfully said and I could tell people just wanted me to get better. Honestly, it was so easy to integrate that I didn't fully realize how much back history there was for many of the builders until much later.

3) You were the first (and only so far!) Mitgardian to complete the Age of Mitgardia challenge. Did you have any sort of method as to how you approached it?

The Age of Mitgardia challenge is what kept me building for Mitgardia more than anything else and has probably taught me the most about building our northern style dwellings. I originally started intending to only finish the Gatehouse portion of the challenge. Then the Hersir challenge started so I built all three levels for the three military categories. After that I had almost half the categories finished so I decided to keep going! All my builds are driven by my on-going story. So as I thought of the next portion of the story I wanted to tell, I tried to see if any of the AoM categories I had left to build would work to tell that story. Little by little I was able to peck away at the list till finally I finished! I didn't expect to be the first to finish, and I hope I'm not the last!

4) What set of your AoM builds are your favorite?

I'm really fond of my Gatehouse series.

It was the first set I finished, and I built them all before my collection really started to expand. I'm very proud of what I was able to accomplish with such a small selection of bricks.

For individual AoM builds, my favorites are my Store Phase 3, House Phase 3, and Inn Phase 3.

5) Do you have any Mitgardian builds planned for the near future?

I actually only have one Mitgardia build planned right now before I start venturing into some Nocturnus builds. I want to get some practice in before the next civil war!

6) Any advice for those looking to join the guilds and wanting to fit their personal stories into the established world?

If you're on the fence about joining, wait no more! If you don't know which guild to join, read through the guild discussion threads and get to know the people there. They will certainly answer any questions you might have and it will help you learn the different styles of builders that make up each guild. And definitely take some time to read a couple pages of recent entries too. It will help you understand stories that are already going on and may help you come up with ways to integrate your own story into what already exists in GoH. The nice thing about the guilds is that there is plenty of room for everyone to tell their own story without stepping on anyone's toes! Plus, it's always fun to have other player cameos or story tie-ins.

Thanks for doing this interview, MKJoshA!

[The Maestro]

Thanks for alk the insights MKJoshA and de gothia, great questions sk :)