New Contest - BRICK SCIENCE
Yes, it's time to announce the next Reasonably Clever contest!
The world is constantly being threatened by mad scientists and evil geniuses, bent on domination of planet Earth.
Our everyday livelihood is preserved only by the heroic actions of good and decent scientists and their gizmos (and occasional ineptitude).
Will you save mankind?
Doom it?
Or just sit back and make S'mores as the world burns?
posted by Christopher Doyle at
8/13/2008
39 Comments:
I love it!!!!! Just one thing: can we use an existing (but heavily modified) Agents set as an entry?
Dave,
That'd be a "No" on that one. This needs to be all original work.
Now that I finally have the Lego lab set up in the new house, I am ready for this contest!
I may actually enter this one, I have an idea for a Class 4 entry.
I'm a little confuzed. Will we see examples for all classes?
I'm gonna get a Science Guy and enter him, I've always wanted to read "The Milkman"!
I wonder if Dave the Rave meant we could make a MOC based on parts out of the Agents sets? Plenty of people have done similar things, maybe you should consider an entry category for the person who wants to take their favourite science-like set and transform it.
If I were to suggest rules, they would be something along these lines:
#1. Set to be transformed must be built from parts that came from a new-in-box (MISB) set; from a theme based on science or mechanical principles, not magic (IE no taking a Harry Potter set and transforming it into a science vignette.); and be of sufficient size to have one or minifigs created as per rule #3 below; have been released within the last 5 years.
#2. All parts from set must be used - except parts listed as extra from set inventory are optional.
#3. If set does not have minifigs, there must be sufficient parts in it to make one minifig-like character, or set must contain at least two dissimilar minifigs, more are optional but not necessarily better.
If Chris would like to do this, I might try for an entry. I may have a few sets I'd consider for transformation in this manner if he makes up an extra category, and if it gets enough entries.
Suggestions for modifications to this proposed category are welcome.
Geoffrey:
Sorry, but I'm not adding a new category. Besides, this is really Graviton's contest - he came up with the theme and bought all but the GEM prizes. If you want to sponsor (read: pay for) a future contest, drop me a line and we'll talk.
Well you have opened the contest, but we aren't allowed to enter before the 15th which is tomorrow. Wouldn't it make more sense to open it the day you could start entering?
i agree with baby.
and if something is in the figs hand does it count as the minifig?????
baby, sophie:
The idea of putting up the info a couple of days early was to give folks a jump on build times.
Why not spend a day or two polishing a build, rather than rushing in a crap entry that's likely to lose? It's not a race, it's a skills contest.
As to Sophie's question, what part of this rule are you having trouble reading?
For this contest, a standard minifig (torso, arms, hands, legs, head, 1 headgear) constitutes a mere 1 piece; all accessories beyond this constitute additional pieces.
The only think I can think of that'd be confusing is the new robotic arm from the agents set - in that case you get ONE piece to plug in the hole to act as a hand. (IE a 7 piece gun-as-hand would count towards the total as Minifig+6 parts)
If you put something in the figure's hand, that's an accessory and counts separately.
Would a monkey (standard-issue, like from the old pirate sets) count as 1 piece or 5 pieces? What about hook monkeys (monkeys with 4 hands replaced by hooks)? And how about skeletons (either old or new)? Six pieces or 1?
Superdave:
Good questions. The monkey I would count as one piece (hook hands or regular)
A skeleton (old or new) I would count as LEGO does - six pieces. (Head, 2 arms, 2 legs, torso unit.)
Does it have to be a new MOC? What if the MOC is old, but never yet photographed/posted online?
Anon:
If it hasn't been posted online, then the age of the MOC doesn't matter.
Another followup question: Can secondary figures (assistants/victims/apprentices/etc.) be included in the impulse sets? If so, do they count under the same 1-piece allowances the scientists do?
Superdave:
Secondary figures are allowed, but would be counted per LEGO-part standards. Head, hairpiece, torso (includes arms, hands), and legs would each have to be counted separately.
(IE a figure with hair, head, torso, legs would count as four parts)
When in doubt, just treat it like you'd see a parts listing at the back of the instructions for a LEGO set. If they break up the parts, so should you.
Is it OK if the scientist is more of an inventor?
Chris
The rules state that "Modified pieces [...] are ONLY allowed in Class 2 and 3 IF the subject is an evil/mad scientist." However, could we use modified pieces in class 4 if the (fictional) scientist is evil/mad? I ask because I'd quite like to do a 'Casey & Andy' ( http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=1 ), but Casey's hair doesn't really lend itself to bg brick-built. :P
Anon:
Sure, but you're sure to loose points in the "SCIENCE!" category.
Jinja:
I've adjusted the rules - it doesn't make sense to keep MB out of cat 4 if the scientist is evil/mad.
Excellent...
Muahahahahaaaa!
Is the use of real or fictional characters limited to class 4, or could a class 1, 2, or 3 entry also use a recognizable character providing that it follows all the other entry guidelines?
azaghal:
You can use real/fictional scientists in all four classes provided, as you noted, you follow the rules for that particular class.
If it was a scientist from your imagination, wouldn't that make it fictional? ...Meaning that EVERY entry MUST include either a real scientist or a fictional one!
Anon:
Sure, you could probably twist the rules and put anyone into that 4th class ("I have an unpublished short story featuring this guy!") but...I can tell you now that sort of rules-twisting isn't going to impress the judges and earn you a win. (And since I'm a judge I can promise you that.)
Skeletons are 1 minifig, correct.
That's not what I meant, Christopher Doyle. I was merely pointing out the fact that the last category's description implies that the other categories can include scientists that are neither fictitious (imaginary) nor real, which is an impossibility.
Newright:
Nope, they're six. (head, 2 arms, 2 legs, torso)
See the explanation at 8/15 12:49
Anon:
Oooooh-kay. I think you're spending a bit too much effort looking for holes and errors in the rules here. Unclench a bit; this is all in fun.
I may have stretched the definition of "overhang" a to it's limits in my vignette, the panel supporting the back 2 support beams for the walkway looks like part of the base, but is actually only connected via the beams. is that ok? it's too late now, but I could do to know if I need to alter it or anything.
I'd like to point out that entry #3 from Category 4 was posted in December, it has comments about it from December 2007. If I read the rules correctly that makes it ineligible since it's been previously posted.
Anon: Thanks for pointing that out. I've removed the entry from the grid and notified the entrant.
if i do a joint entry with someone else does that count as my one entry per category?
Anon:
Correct; A joint build would still count as the only time you could enter a given category.
DB/LT:
No reason you can't enter your own take on the character. There's nothing in the rules prohibiting duplication of scientists.
(I figured we'd end up with roughly a dozen Dr. Horrible appearances)
This post has been removed by the author.
Got a question about a class 1 entry, and hopefully it's not a stupid one :) I used one mini-fig, but the top half is separated from the legs. Would that count as one or two pieces? Thanks!
MooP:
Depends - if it's your only mini, it'd count as 1 part. If it's a second mini, it counts as two. (Head, Torso, counted as LEGO counts parts)
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