Mexican Fort

[WesternOutlaw]

but how does the little fella get to the top of the tower? :-D

Does the back tower possibly have a lader to get to the top floor?

Sticklers for detail. It does not have a ladder now, but I've got a few in my collection- so I can always add.

[oo7]

In my book detail=effort=impressive=good. I say add ze ladder!

[Shadows]

I was really surprised to only find just a few Spanish Mission and Alamo MOCs out there.

Absolutely beautiful, it almost makes my dream of a Zorro theme seem possible!

One thing that I did want was the high black hats from the Pirate theme (I don't know what they're called). I don't own any sets with these, but they would have also worked for the soldiers.

You mean the Imperial Guard Shako, a difficult hat to get these days. It appeared in 19 sets, the last two being Skull Island (1 in the set) and the Imperial Outpost (2 in the set) in 1995. The largest distribution of them (4) came from one of my favourite sets, Eldorado Fortress (1989).

http://peeron.com/inv/parts/2545

They're never cheap.

Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing it!

imperialshadows

[gusmoore17]

Hi there!!

I really liked what the Brickster did with this MOC, but unfortunatelly I have to say that this is not a really mexican fortress. You'll see, by the dates you're referring to, which is 1824 more less, Mexico had only 4 years since it became independent from Spain, and the territory was quite big, and as many of you have mentioned ( :'-) thank you for being such followers of my country's history), the goverment was strictly centralist. California (which was as big as the US actual state and the mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur) was (and by the way, still is) very different from what really mexican fortresses are like. You may even note this with the image that "promotions" Brickster's beautiful job, you see, the facade is more "mexican" than the one featured in his MOC.

What I want to say is that there's a very wrong and dismissed concept of what mexican architecture really is, it's more like a spanish style, style that of course influenced not only Mexico but the rest of US and Latinamerica. That's why the Californian exists, because there's a really big difference between what was produced at Central and South Mexico from what was produced in the North. Mexico is not a vast and wide dessert, so please, don't get confused and asume that only because it has cactus everywhere and a nice dessert-like plate is mexican, Mexico is far distinct from that concept. In Mexico by the same time were built magnificent fortresses and churches which styles go from Barroquian style to Neoclassic one (I hope I write them righ :-) ), but the kind of fortress that is featured is not even close to what Mexico produced by those days.

I don't regret this is an excellent MOC with a very like someguy mentioned "Zorro feeling", but the Zorro is not even a mexican legend, the army clothes featured at the Alamo movie are quite different from the Imperial ones that the soldiers used, in fact, please, the Alamo movie is the worst attempt against our national history, please don't think Mexico was that terrible. I know that my country's history is a shame, but I have to stand and defend the really good things that mexicans produce, and one of those things is our Architecture.

I really liked this MOC *wub* , but it's more a west-US-style than a mexican one.

Since I am mexican, once the summer vacations begin at the university, I'll work on a really mexican MOC, but I'll need very colorful pieces, and, well, you'll see how the 1800's mexican architecture really is. :-D

[Sir Dillon]

Some very nice improvements, Brickster. :-) The left tower looks great now, good job with that. *y*

The new wall in front looks good, but I find it a little odd how it only covers the front. That might make sense, depending on the terrain around them, or maybe look better than if it rapped all the way around... I'm not really sure. :-/

You've done a good job with the box editing, but I find both the symbols rather large and distracting. I think it would look better if you were to make them a bit smaller, and maybe use plainer images.

[Wout]

very nice, It has indeed as Gusmoore says 'a Zorro-feeling'

*y*

[WesternOutlaw]

I don't regret this is an excellent MOC with a very like someguy mentioned "Zorro feeling", but the Zorro is not even a mexican legend, the army clothes featured at the Alamo movie are quite different from the Imperial ones that the soldiers used, in fact, please, the Alamo movie is the worst attempt against our national history, please don't think Mexico was that terrible. I know that my country's history is a shame, but I have to stand and defend the really good things that mexicans produce, and one of those things is our Architecture.

Gusmoore: War is very ugly and it brings out the worst in both sides. I know very little about Mexican history, but all countries have accomplishments and things to be proud of. It's very easy to focus on the bad, but we can learn a lot from other people and cultures - art, literature, music, food (to name just a few).

I really liked this MOC *wub* , but it's more a west-US-style than a mexican one.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, That is the look I was going for to fit in with the WW theme. The inspiration behind this MOC was a combination of the Alamo fort, a few Spanish missions that I was admiring, and old buildings from a few of the Westerns that I've seen over the years. It is more intended to be Southwestern in look and design.

[Athos]

Maybe you could have this Mariachi Band playing at your fort?

Your rebuild is more attractive and robust, but how does the little fella get to the top of the tower? :-D

Same way they get to the upper deck of the pirate ships, or for that matter the top of any Lego structures, they jump...

Steve

[Fordo]

This is a nice fort, good job on it.

[WesternOutlaw]

Maybe you could have this Mariachi Band playing at your fort?

Steve

Yes. I saw this on Brick Brothers web site for Cindo de Mayo (May 5). I may duplicate the idea for the figs. They all look very Mexican.

This is a nice fort, good job on it.

Thanks.

[WesternOutlaw]

I've been working on my graphic skills over the last week and thought I would redo the background of Fort Jacinto (since I liked the quality of this MOC).

The result is this image that looks more like an original WW set. I'm still perfecting the background, but I think it came out pretty good.

[Brick Miner]

hey really impressive editing job B !!! taking clear images (suitable for editing) of an MOC this size is really difficult, and i think you did a great job. i wish my camera was this good.

the only big suggestion concerning the digital editing is the angle/crop at which the photo is presented. we seem too far away from the set. one thing LEGO box art was good at doing was making you feel like you were right down in the action of the minifigs.

i do see a couple small nit-picks, like the shadowing of the saguaro.

- Brick Miner

[Fordo]

Great job with that box art, If it were an actually set consider it bought.

[Bonaparte]

For someone who is not a graphical expert (like myself), this looks just perfect.

Really, this is a clean and professional job.

Like Lego would do it!

[Brick Miner]

oh, and i've got a goal for your digital growth, B ;-) get away from only using gradients, and apply some textures... just work in these couple of suggestions, and you be ready for the "new team member packet" on LEGO's graphic design team :-D

...then maybe you can get me a job ;-)

- Brick Miner

[WesternOutlaw]

Thanks for the feedback.

BM- judging by the images that you've shared, I think your camera was pretty good.

I've tried to bring the set closer to the front making it a little larger, and also adding some texture to the desert. Here's the outcome:

[Asuka]

Yep, the second one

[zouave]

Finally someone makes this kind of moc.I always wanted to make one but I'm limited on resources.I'm really glad you focused on the history of Mexico.All I hear of Mexico is border jumpers mixed in with racial slur.

Thank you for a great moc.

Edited June 16, 2007 by zouave

[Brick Miner]

you got the right idea with that second one... maybe just a tad too much PS noise, especially toward the horizon... and i do have one suggestion to fix that... make a new layer on top of the noise layer, and use this new layer for the dark-brown gradient. that way it gives the impression that, as the land gets farther from you, the details of the dirt get smaller, and less clear... just makes the horizon look more "natural" to the eye.

and of course you'd have to "cut out" that new gradient layer around the fort image. and keep your bottom layer a solid ligher-brown color.

i suppose this is worth mentioning... all of my suggestions are only give-or-take... you should do what you think looks good to you. im just trying to share some of the knowledge that has worked for me X-D

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also, i realize i haven't given you any feedback on the actually MOC... well, it's because im not real familiar with this type of architecture, and honestly it doesn't do much for me. however, i can justify sharing strictly artistic based comments...

for example, i love the three height levels of each of the towers(?), and love their spatial relation to one another... this structure relation really reminds me of eldorado fortress 6276 or imperial trading post 6277.

also, the color scheme is prefect... but as an official set, i think it would need a little more playability. i like that fort legoredo opens up... it seems like this set would benefit from something like that. though, of course, i don't have the set in front of me, and it's hard to judge something like that from a 2D images.

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also, you know what i would love from your MOCs, B... a piece count. i'd love to know how my piece counts compare to yours... as far as getting the most out of each brick. of course, it wouldn't be a competitive thing. i know for me, it's fun to gauge your piece counts with official sets... so, i imagine i would get the same pleasure from comparing pieces counts with other's MOC (who are building in a similar building style, of course... SYSTEM LEGO ;-) ).

- BM

[WesternOutlaw]

I would never want to sit and count all the pieces in the set. That kinda takes the fun out of building a MOC (at least larger ones like this) - in my opinion at least. I suppose it would be interesting to know for comparison with official sets, but I just don't want to count.

No offence taken for the constructive feedback. I appreciate the suggestions. To tell you the truth though, I prefer the smoother look of the background (like the 1st image). In addition, I'm not sure I like the official WW box art better then some of the actual photos that I've used in my MOCs. Perhaps for me, I like to be more original using real photos.

As I think about it more, if Lego were to re-introduce a new WW theme, do you think they would use their old box art? I don't think so. They would give us something completely different. What might it look like? This I think, is an interesting thought.

The new Castle Theme box art is quite nice with a cliff, moss-covered mountain, sea, and lighning sky in the background. What would a new Wild West theme offer? Have you evered wondered?

[Brick Miner]

I would never want to sit and count all the pieces in the set.

ok, thats fine... i would just know it is fun for me. no biggie X-D

As I think about it more, if Lego were to re-introduce a new WW theme, do you think they would use their old box art? I don't think so. They would give us something completely different. What might it look like? This I think, is an interesting thought.

no your right, i don't think they would either... actually when they re-released 6769, 6766, and 5755 as legends, they used real photos...

i prefer the cartoony look of the 1996-1997 line, personally... and my MOCs are an extension of that theme. so that is why i use that "image" when presenting my MOCs.

i actually think, if LEGO re-released a WW line, it would looking nothing like the old line... they probably wouldn't even use the staple minifigs like the sheriff, red-shirted cowboy, or three bandits from the original line. it would be completely new. but as i said, my MOCs are too fit the old line, with the exception of GHOST TOWN. and actually that is why i created all new figs and boxart for the GT sub... because it wasn't design to be part of the same WW theme. i wanted all new iconography as if the line could have come out any time, not just 1996-1997 ;-)

- Brick Miner

[WesternOutlaw]

In looking at the re-released set box art, I like photos to be bright (sunrises, sunsets, etc.). This concept worked well with the pirate theme (like Phes's imagery). The old WW boxart is at least bright with the yellows and oranges. These vivid colors catch your eye unlike the re-released set. From a marketing stand-point, I would think this is an important aspect for merchandising.

In regard to the old WW boxart, I'm not saying that I don't like it, I just think I like seeing real images better than cartoon-like scenes (esp. if I'm using them as MOC backgrounds). It also adds an element of originality. The old WW boxart is still very nice and I would rate it much higher than other themes.

In terms of darker Ghost Town imagery, I think black and white and much darker images really add to the "spooky" feel.

[Corvus]

I *wub* this MOC. I have one nitpick, though. The front looks a bit bland. Have you thought of adding a bell to the underside of the arch?

Edited June 25, 2007 by Mr. Mandalorian

[iamded]

He said on the first page he was originally going to add a bell. If you look closely you can see a wooden beam that was going to hold the bell. But he didn't want to as it would detract from the military look of it, as bells were for churches and missions. I just read that post and skipped to this page. :-P

[Corvus]

Whoops, missed that. But I'm pretty sure that forts had bells, though. They weren't just for chruches or missions.