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Week in Review: Season 2 - Week of January 10, 2016

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GrayRemnant's Avatar GrayRemnant
Level 64 : High Grandmaster Senpai
3,259
Remember when I said Week in Review will never be uploaded on Wednesday again?  I was lying.  Turns out this new format is extremely time consuming even with a streamlined format.  Oh, and here's some minor alterations to the rules.

What's New on Week in Review
-The big four categories now have a qualifier limit of 12.
-The lower tier categories now have a qualifier limit of 6.
-There is still a level 10 requirement for all Week in Review awards, in order to prevent plagiarized material from appearing on the show.

Don't forget to check out the Week in Review - Video Archive, if you want to watch the video version.  Otherwise, you can just read the blog below.  Please enjoy.



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Warning!  If you’re an aspiring builder and still haven’t found your niche here on PMC, then proceed carefully.  Viewing this map may cause side effects including blurred vision, skin lesions, loss of self esteem, hopelessness, chronic envy syndrome, implosions of the kidney, and increased susceptibility to the Koalapox virus.  Just to be clear, please consult your doctor before looking at Ratoyo’s Moving Toystore, created by rajkkor.

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This is an undeniable example of the absolute highest quality one can achieve when it comes to Minecraft.  And when it comes to Week in Review, this build embodies virtually every single aesthetic category in glorious fashion.  It excels in architecture, terraforming, and organic work, but doesn’t rely too heavily on any of them.  Instead, Ratoyo’s Moving Toystore is a mega-category all its own; one that defies categorization and offers something that any builder can admire and be inspired by.

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But this build is more than just stunning to look at.  Sure, it’s easy to get caught up in the raw mechanics, the gears, the treads, the rails, the toys and the trinkets.  And I’m sure you’re well aware of the robotic stagecoach driver, one hand gripping a lever and his hat shooting plumes of black smoke.  These are all fantastic in their own right, but the theme is the unequivocal star of this map.

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Because Ratoyo’s Moving Toystore is more than just a toy store; it’s also a macrocosmic toy in and of itself.  So, in a sense, it’s like toys within a toy; Toyception!  And when you surround such a build with a winding trail, mountains, lush evergreens, and a fantastic arched bridge, it couldn’t be a more complete Minecraft experience.

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Additional Credit
Lindblumen - Organic Work



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I think it’s fair to say that Minecraft was heavily inspired by Lego.  Interestingly, since its conception, people have been trying to recreate classic and novel Lego sets in Minecraft.  It’s a sort of retrograde reinvention of a concept that helped spawn the very software used therein (if that jumble of a sentence makes sense).  Which is why I love talking about builds like Lego City, created by Bestofthelife.

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There are many different schools of thought when it comes to Lego sets in Minecraft.  Some people improvise and create lose interpretations, while others reconstruct the set, brick by brick, with precise measurements.  But of all the different reimagined Lego sets I’ve seen over the years, this one feels the most complete.

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Lego City incorporates a handful of different lego sets, and places them side by side to create a wonderful Lego cityscape.  It’s an extremely large-scale and ambitious vision, but one that Bestofthelife executed perfectly.

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Individually, none of these structures would be anything extra-special.  But together, they create an atmosphere and an environment that pulls the nostalgic strings of Lego aficionados everywhere.

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But this isn’t simply a callback to anyone’s childhood, this city does something that Lego can’t do.  This city allows the viewer to experience it from a first-person viewpoint.  It’s one thing to build a model city in your living room, but another thing entirely to walk the streets yourself.

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And that’s what makes this render so special.

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Additional Credit
Rastammole - Renders
Moustafa74 - Renders
MrBatou - Renders
Lemmy - Renders



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When it comes to terraforming, it sure does feel like I’ve seen every permutation that could ever be made with World Painter.  That’s how I feel every week, until I see something like Winding Rapids, created by GuildsMC.

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Indeed, this is no ordinary terrain.  Winding Rapids is extremely realistic, and brilliantly composed.  It’s rare to see land and sea mixed together with such whimsy and creativity.

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This is a concept that’s easy to imagine in your head, but difficult to execute in Minecraft.  And it really comes down to a series of ratios.  In order to really pull this off, you have to balance the proportion of sea to beach, beach to grassland, and grassland to mountain.  This is an example of the proportions being executed properly.

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But it’s not just the ratios, it’s also the position of each landmass.  This map, in basic terms, is just a bay with a cluster of swirling fragments.  This is not something that can be done randomly, and when it’s done in a calculated manner, you end up with this.

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Additional Credit
Lentebriesje - Trees
alecvdh - Trees



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My personal favorite type of organic work is the kind that explores super-sized spaces, like rooms or the inside of a car.  However, I’ve never seen anything quite like the interior of a train, which is the subject of 4-8-4 Steam Locomotive & Train - Perplex Express, created by WalschaertsBuilds.

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Looking at the exterior, it really doesn’t get a whole lot better than this in Minecraft.  In fact, it’s easy to look at the title image and mistakenly think that you’re looking at concept art.  That’s how realistic it is.

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Every piece is perfectly shaped, and the fine details (including the trail of smoke emanating from the chute) are all very precise.  WalschaertsBuilds even had the resourcefulness to use gray materials to create the illusion of shine on the engine car.

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But the truly spectacular part of this build is the interior work.  Each car is fittingly decorated and full of inspired details.  The highlight is definitely the kitchen, which utilizes a vast range of organic techniques.

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Additional Credit
Nathan_Oneday - Lead Builder
Jaspanda - Builder
PDawgWoolf - Builder
TheIrateSloth - Builder



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The main reason I added the three structure categories to Week in Review this year is because it allows me to talk about smaller builds that excel in form and smaller details.  That’s convenient, because the best land structure of the week is Military Vehicles, created by squirrel-friend.

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This is by no means a mega-build that relies on size or repeated segments.  This is detail, tightly compressed into the form of three of the most stunning, small-scale vehicles I’ve ever seen made in Minecraft.

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Every block matters, and each piece serves an identifiable purpose.  Many times, a build of this scale will become bogged down by the excessive use of stairs and slabs, and end up looking like a mess.  But here, the materials work, and nothing feels forced or over-accentuated.

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And this isn’t something that requires mods, or even that many different materials to make.  In fact, this is rather minimalist compared to some of the other similar projects in this genre.

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But, at the end of the day, this is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to building small-scale cars in Minecraft.



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Airplanes have always been a popular subject on PMC.  By now, I imagine every single make and model of every type of aircraft ever produced has been replicated at least 3 times in Minecraft.  Adding to that long list is an expertly crafted plane titled Boeing 777-300ER - Etihad Airways, created by SkyDesigner.

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I know I know, we’ve all seen our fair share of Boeings here on PMC.  But trust me when I say that this one is special.  Proportionally, this plane is perfect.  The wings aren’t overly long, the tail isn’t oversized, and the fuselage, engines, and windows are flawless.  It’s the definition of precision.

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Add to that some beautiful liveries, and some really fantastic landing gear, and you have this.  But one of the things that I always look for in an aircraft is some interior work.  It’s not easy to execute interior decor when it comes to aircrafts, mainly because space is usually an issue.

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But SkyDesigner did an absolutely outstanding job, not only creating an appealing interior, but also dividing it up into first, business, and economy sections.  You don’t normally see devotion like this, but when it’s executed properly there’s nothing else quite like it.



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Much like a squirrel likes to gather nuts, squirrel-friend apparently likes to gather gold medals.  That’s clearly evident due to the fact that the best water structure of the week is Ship of the line, created by the ever-greedy medal enthusiast: squirrel-friend.

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Apparently, squirrel-friend is well-versed in all kinds of vehicles.  Hell, he even built an airplane that qualified for the air structure category this week.  But this is, in my opinion, his best work of the week.

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Ship of the line is a beautiful sailing vessel, with an expertly detailed hull, elegantly decorated with shades of gold, white, and brown.  It’s a very luxurious design, rife with nooks and crannies.

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But like all sailboats, it all comes down to the shape and placement of the sails, and let me tell you, it doesn’t get much better than this.  Every sail is perfectly sized, angled, stretched, and woven together in an impressive array of hanging ropes and mesh.

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And concerning the deck, squirrel-friend spared no expense in making it look as realistic as possible.  Hell, there’s even some neat life boats tied to the sides.  It’s the small details that really bring a build like this together.



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I’m sure that everybody here is familiar with the concept of a hub.  They can be called many things, including spawns and lobbies, but the basic concept is one of the most popular forms of architecture in Minecraft right now.  And everybody has a clear vision of what one of these things is supposed to look like.  Here to challenge that vision is Mt. Ominous, created by Solari.

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Mt. Ominous is not the quintessential representation of the all-too-familiar circular lobby.  In fact, this looks nothing like a lobby at all.  Instead, this hub comes in the form of a towering estate, flanked with flying dragons, fireworks, carnival rides, rainbows, and a particularly creepy-looking cave, carved out of the mouth of a cracked skull.

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And this is exactly what a server spawn should look like.  Mt. Ominous is a perfect hub, not because it conforms to our idea of what one should look like, but rather because it redefines our understanding of a hub and pushes multiple boundaries all at once.

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This isn’t a safe concept, nor is it easy to build.  But this is the price one must pay to obtain a truly remarkable server hub.  You can’t be limited by preconceived boundaries or restrictions.  You have to bite the bullet, work hard, and use your imagination if you want something as revolutionary as this.

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Additional Credit
Bramboss - Builder/Renders
Conoozie - Builder
Crafterboy - Builder
Free_Willy - Builder



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So, last week some people were unimpressed with the plot I chose for WiR.  Well, to those of you out there who were expecting something mind-blowing to make up for last week, I’m afraid you’re in for another rough week.  The best plot of the week is Small american trailer park, created by Thomas van nuland.

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Yes yes, I know, this isn’t that substantial.  But believe me, this was a horrifyingly lackluster week for plots.  Nevertheless, despite being small, this plot is still pretty good.  It reminds me of Breaking Bad, or perhaps even something out of Grand Theft Auto.

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But regardless of what it reminds me of, and regardless of how small it is, this plot is very well executed.  Each trailer is filled with some minimalist decor and some very creative material selections.

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The terrain and the placement of the foliage is spot-on, and very fitting for a trailer park.  And while I wouldn’t recommend living here, I have to say that as far as trailer parks go, this is a first-rate, redneck neighborhood.



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Over the years, there’ve been many redstone devices that serve a myriad of neat purposes in survival mode.  But there’s been one person who’s been at the forefront for quite sometime.  And that person is K1inc, who created Mega Potion Station this week.

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Brewing is probably one of the more complex and material-intensive tasks one can perform in survival mode.  So, it’s all the more helpful to have something like this, which allows someone to tackle the task with utmost ease.

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The cost of this streamlined process?  Redstone.  Lots of redstone.  So much redstone, you’ll never want to look at it again.  I’m always fascinated by people who work with this medium, because I can confirm with absolute certainty that it’s no easy task.

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But K1inc always finds a way, and here he’s created a machine that sorts, stores, and creates potions of any type and of any kind.  As annoying as brewing is, it pales in comparison to what he must have gone through to build this.



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The main purpose of adventure maps is to use Minecraft to weave a story, and many times a truly exceptional one can change the look and feel of Minecraft altogether.  And one of the most transformational adventure maps I’ve seen in a while is Space Adventuremap, created by Norzeteus.

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This map is a very special experience, indeed.  And the cool texture pack Norzeteus used is just the tip of the iceberg.  Through a rigorous 7-month ordeal, he’s crafted a map filled with insane technological devices, hordes of enemies, and explosions aplenty.

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And through all of this, Norzeteus has made something that doesn’t even feel like Minecraft.  In fact, it’s very easy to forget what the hell you’re playing after an hour.  That’s the kind of effect good adventure maps are supposed to have on people.

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This is something that flat-out embraces the crazy texture pack, and brings it to its full potential through the use of tons of command blocks, and some real savvy.  It’s definitely like no other map I’ve ever seen.



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One of the caveats of good interior work is the ability to create unique and interesting shapes and forms with materials that are meant to be something else entirely.  Using brewing stands as lamp-posts or carpeting as ceiling fan blades, for example, are great ways to do just that.  One of the best shows of such transformation is New American Home, created by Paknot_7.

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This build is chockfull of all kinds of material combinations.  Paknot has an incredible understanding of how and when to use stairs and slabs, and that’s evident in pretty much every room.

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Wether it’s dining tables made of doors, living rooms with elaborate sofa sets, or luxurious television sets, everything in this house looks realistic and full of detail.

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But that’s what people have come to expect from good interior decor.  It’s not enough to build a table and a bed anymore.  You have to use the default materials to create elaborate pieces of furniture.  Moreover, you have to create pieces of furniture that people haven’t seen before (which is a task in and of itself).

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This is certainly one of the most creative pieces of decor you can find here on PMC.  It’s a testament to the fact that you don’t need command modifications to create a beautiful interior space.  On the contrary, Minecraft provides everything you need; you just have to be smart enough to figure out how to use it.



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And finally, rounding off the week as the sole coaster qualifier (just like last week) was Cascade, a water-coaster made by xMiiXeDx.

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This is a brilliant coaster, and a really fun one at that.  Cascade is an immense, twisting, turning track that weaves through tunnels, caverns, and valleys like nothing else.  It’s designed to feel like a water-coaster by flanking the track with streams of water.  It’s a very clever idea that turns this particular coaster into a more unique experience.

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But the thing that I really want to stress is the fact that this looks and feels like a real coaster.  It’s not a mundane track with 90-degree turns and lacking support structures.  Rather, it has smooth curves and inclines, and has all the support a real coaster would have.

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Ultimately, this is a beautiful mine-cart creation, and one that elevates the category to new heights.  We need more coasters like this on PMC.



Qualifiers
Maps:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/velika/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/candy-land-island/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/drobnoviacom-the-golden-chalice-of-kurast---an-epic-adventure-map/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/jurassic-world-v2-for-jurassicraft-20-minecraft-dinosaurs-jurassic-park-isla-nublar/

Mega-Builds:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/star-wars-millennium-falcon-3524514/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/the-city-of-westgaard-medieval-city/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/st-petersburg---church-of-the-savior-on-blood/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/chinese-ancient-architecture-3/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/meiji-era-courthouse-download-/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/alleron-downtown/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/bonsai-tree-house/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/instalation-n31/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/-loguetown-one-piece/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/wendighars-mansion-100-completed/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/lillian-tower-skyscraper-24/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/polaris-skyscraper-25/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/skyscraper-26/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/wulhurst-keep/

Terraforming:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/mesa-styles-palette/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/rubina-kruna-croatian-valley/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/steep-mountains/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/riverland---realistic-terrain/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/islands-of-minecraft/

Organic Work:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/the-scrappy-scarborough---junkyard-collection-ship/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/my-neighbor-totoro-3577733/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/ladys-what-to-love-and-where-to-go/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/celest-bear/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/cis-droid-army/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/tian-long-the-protector-of-heaven-by-mrbatou/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/state-of-mind---download/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/storm-trooper-mk-ii/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/bridged-office-building-1/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/spider-organic-ft-timelaps/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/woola-from-john-carter/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/mylanth-the-great---organic-dragon/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/temple-guardian-organic/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/sapientia-fox/

Land Structures:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/some-hamburg-buildings/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/modern-house-3578188/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/tiger-ii-101-scale/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/port-ray-builds-west-bluffs-elementary-school/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/at-aht-first-order-version-star-wars/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/house-style-a-frame/

Air Structures:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/31-scale-sbd-dauntless/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/m117experimental/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/cobra-mk-iii-ship-series-1/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/airbus-a380-800-3577088/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/resistance-t-70-x-wings-and-first-order-tie-fighters/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/a380-800-in-emirates-livery-remake/

Water Structures:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/31-scale-battleship-missouri/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/esso-atlantic/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/blue-marlin/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/uss-texas-bb-35-3573472/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/norwegian-jade-cruise-ship-full-interior-11-scale-3578049/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/uscgc-wmec-reliance-class/

Hubs:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/kipchak-palace-roninbt/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/willow-a-spawn/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/paradise-courtyard---server-hub-/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/massive-ice-themed-hub-for-frosted-network/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/clash-of-clans-action-scene---hub-/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/spawn-factions-vesting/

Plots:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/baroque-attention-whoring-name-dragon-pirate-with-download-3575037/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/wooden-home-3575927/

Gadgets:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/redstone-repeater-combo-lock/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/waypoints-amp-deathpoints-with-only-one-command-block/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/black-holes/

Mini-Games:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/witherstorm-boss-battle/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/anhur---minecraft-parkour-map/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/jetpack-dude---parkour-map/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/diversity-3---189/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/there-is-no-learning-curve-2-3-player-coop-puzzle-map/

Decor:
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/french-country-mansion-3129192/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/modern-house-7-3576145/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/on-vacation-3542055/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/modern-countryside-house-3574137/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/1848-james-lee-victorian/
http://www.planetminecraft.com/project/butcher-interior-designs/
Top Ten - All Time
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Top Ten - 2015
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Top Ten - 2016
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Thank you very much for stopping by!  I'll see you guys next week.


-Gray Remnant
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1
01/26/2016 8:55 am
Level 46 : Master Artist
7thbatalion
7thbatalion's Avatar
Happy new year! and what an Awesome review! Can't wait for another one!
1
01/26/2016 3:48 pm
Level 64 : High Grandmaster Senpai
GrayRemnant
GrayRemnant's Avatar
Thanks bud!  Glad you like it.  ^.^
1
01/25/2016 2:52 pm
Level 11 : Journeyman Engineer
The_Lumberjack
The_Lumberjack's Avatar
I like your reviews and i say: respect ! It is really time-consuming to make a reviews like this !
1
01/25/2016 5:41 pm
Level 64 : High Grandmaster Senpai
GrayRemnant
GrayRemnant's Avatar
Thanks a bunch!  I appreciate that.  ;)
1
01/22/2016 5:26 pm
Level 57 : Grandmaster Sailor
tillwill
tillwill's Avatar
One of these weeks... I will sneak up and snatch the water structure!
1
01/21/2016 7:57 pm
Level 30 : Artisan Mountaineer
PhirePhoenix
PhirePhoenix's Avatar
The coaster was built LONG ago, just posted recently
1
01/21/2016 11:36 pm
Level 64 : High Grandmaster Senpai
GrayRemnant
GrayRemnant's Avatar
Well, it's a good thing he posted it this week, because if he hadn't I wouldn't have had any coasters to talk about.  :P
1
01/22/2016 9:10 am
Level 30 : Artisan Mountaineer
PhirePhoenix
PhirePhoenix's Avatar
no good  ones at least
1
01/22/2016 5:27 pm
Level 64 : High Grandmaster Senpai
GrayRemnant
GrayRemnant's Avatar
Exactly.
1
01/22/2016 7:18 pm
Level 30 : Artisan Mountaineer
PhirePhoenix
PhirePhoenix's Avatar
Are you going to do month in review?
1
01/22/2016 9:03 pm
Level 64 : High Grandmaster Senpai
GrayRemnant
GrayRemnant's Avatar
Nope.  Not enough hours in the day, I'm afraid.  xD
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