Ok, so in case you're unaware, I'm very busy at the moment.  I'm currently working on my Binding of Isaac Let's Play series (Episode 1 will be uploaded this Wednesday), as well as the new blogging contest here on PMC.  Add to that the preliminary work for this year's episode of Year in Review, and you can see the problem.  But no worries, I'm still going to be uploading WiR on a weekly basis, albeit a little late now and then.  ;)

---

Majesty.  That’s a word, right?  But what does it mean?  For those of you too lazy to do a quick google search, please look at the following image.



This is what majesty means.  The best structure of the week is a build titled TEMATOS, created by achiminecraft.  This is, without a doubt, one of the most majestic things I’ve ever seen built in Minecraft.



Majesty is defined as ‘impressive stateliness, dignity, or beauty’.  I ask you, has there ever been a greater, ‘Middle-Earth-Level’ palace of majesty?  Perhaps, but I haven’t seen it.  And, as my Lord of the Rings reference implies, TEMATOS is basically what Rivendell would look like after a 10 trillion dollar renovation.



TEMATOS, not to be confused with ‘tomatoes’ which are red orbs filled with a vile gooey plasma that tastes like sewage, stands for ‘The Epic, Majestic, and Totally Opulent Suburb’.  Not really, I just made that up.  Still, this is what I’d imagine a suburb would look like if it were built with an infinite budget.  If you have a hard time imagining what an infinite budget looks like, just picture half of the United States’ military spending budget.



What we have here is a pristine city built at the bottom of a vast canyon.  The structure is made up of an array of swirling walls, bridges, arches, and high reaching (sometimes floating) towers.  Add to all of that some amazing terraforming and cleverly placed organic work, and you have TEMATOS.



Part of what makes this so impressive is the degree of curvature that is incorporated into the infrastructure.  The city is split down the middle by a curved, tiered wall that resembles a great big ’S’.  This is further subdivided into massive courtyards, and a stacking of buildings upon buildings upon buildings.



All of the architecture is built with a delicate and heavily detailed building style, which gives the whole a very expensive feel.  Furthermore, TEMATOS is not held back by geometry, symmetry, or simplicity.  It couldn’t be a more chaotic array of architecture, yet somehow amongst the madness, there is clearly method in it.



And of course, TEMATOS is filled with juicy little treats here and there, including a steampunk aircraft, a dark forest area, and a beautify cliffside/beach area.  Every element is flawlessly executed, and it’s a shining example of epic building in Minecraft.

---

The best terraforming of the week is a miniature terrain titled Maestria, created by Dezd and Plutouthere.



Maestria is the result of water erosion, which has occurred at the base of a giant tree.  The effect of said erosion has left the tree suspended above a cliff, with its roots embedded in the surrounding landmasses.  Any questions?



But while erosion is usually a slow, boring process that requires the construction of 2 billion dollar suspension bridges to circumvent the inconvenient gaps, this couldn’t be a more beautiful result.



I can tell you right now that the tree itself must be very old, as it would have had to survive the entire erosion process which, judging from the layers of strata, probably took thousands of years.  Or if you’re a buzzkill and you want the real truth, this was built in a week with Minecraft.  There, are you happy now?  The magic is gone.



Regardless, the terraforming here is impeccable.  The layers of strata combined with the globular, overhanging grass is undeniably beautiful, and the tree (which I assume was Plutouthere’s doing) is excellent as well.



The great thing about this map is the fact that it was kept small, so that the tree could shine through as the centerpiece.  That was a wise decision, and it shows that small-scale terraforming can be just as jaw-dropping as large-scale continents, as long as there’s some clever, thematic beauty behind it.

---

And the best organic work of the week was a giant-scale house titled Humble Homestead, built by BzUrQ.



This is my personal favorite type of organic work.  A large collection of globular and geometric shapes that are strewn together to create a familiar form.  In this case, that form is a humble house.



It’s amazing how much texture BzUrQ developed here using simple materials and patterns.  The stonework, wooden planks, tiling, and patches of grass all look incredibly realistic, and act as suitable backdrops for the flowers, and interior decor that are expertly crafted as well.



But it’s the little things that really define this build.  The axe wedged in the tree stump, the open shutters, and the attention to detail present in all the woodwork show a mind boggling level of effort, as well as a clear sense of spacial positioning.



I’m not going to go at length and describe every component of this build, as you can see it all quite clearly in the images provided.  Overall, this is one of the most impressive mega-scale structures I’ve ever seen executed in Minecraft.

---

Thanks very much for stopping by!  I'll see you guys next week, but in the meantime don't forget to check out my new let's play series, starting tomorrow.  Bye guys.