Brickfest castle room brainstorm

[Bruce N H]

Hi all,

Once again I will not be able to go to this, but would gladly contribute to c-c.com group project. Let's brainstorm some ideas for the castle room for this fest.*

Here's a few ideas, derived from previous fests and LUG meetings:
1. An even bigger CCC standard town
2. Host a catapult/trebuchet contest--who can lob a 2x4 brick furthest/highest/most accurately--invite all comers
3. Contest or display based around a particular theme--e.g. Tolkien, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
4. Host a big brikwars campaign (rival the pirate game that happens at fests)

Any other suggestions?

Bruce

*Of course I say this knowing that I will not be there to help organize this, so it's easy for me to come up with grand ideas that I don't have to actually implement.

[lar]

Idea 1 seems a given to me. I know I'll be bringing a few buildings.

Idea 2 would really rock. It also would give some potential cross theme activity as well.

Idea 4 might be dicey. People tend to want to come to BrickFest to do all the other stuff, not get involved in a long game (this cuts into the Pirate Game's popularity too)

Additional ideas:

5. A sigfig meeting, which was done in the past but has always been good fun.

6. Further elaboration of the wall standard. MichLUG have developed a higher wall which is still compatible with the low wall standard. Perhaps a clinic or talk on it could be given?

[Magnus]

Hello all,

I will be helping in organizing the castle room this at BF 04, and I hope to help make it the most memorable and successful so far. I've already been brainstorming with some other sturdy fellows well known in the AFOL Castlehead community about what we would like to do, and at this point we have some very cool ideas, but little is set in stone. Um, or brick for that matter.

I don't want to spill the beans on everything we have planned, because we may not be able to do everything we are thinking of now, and a bit of "seeing when you get there" will surely be a good thing. I can say however that a CCC display IS of course being planned, and I'm very excited about how this will pan out. I'm also aware that many people may be building Castle/fantasy/medieval etc related MOCs independent of the CCC system (including me incidently) and these will also be welcomed and encouraged.

What I'd like to know at this stage is a couple of things:

Who is coming this year, and if so, what sort of things are you hoping/planning on bringing?

Whether you are coming this year or not, who has been to BF in the past, and what did you like about the Castle room, and what would you have liked to see more or less of?

Can I get a rough head count (not binding of course), as to how many souls might be interested in taking part in some sort of medieval related wargaming - probably not Brickwars I might add. If there is significant interest, I'm thinking about organizing something which can be played at a pretty quick pace, and which does not demand that players set aside whole hours at a time to participate. No firm plans yet, but the more interest I get, the firmer my plans may become.

And more ideas for cool things to do are always welcome of course.

Thats all for now. I'm looking forward to meeting as many of you guys as can make it.

cheers

Magnus

[Blasterman]

Magnus,

In regards to what I will have finished for the show -

As of right now, I will at least have a gatehouse with
defensive walls. Which, btw, have been reworked overall.

I have started the keep, but completion will depend on
how soon I get certain BL orders and time. I will do my
upmost to get it built asap.

I'm looking at 6 baseplates wide, by 5-6 deep, for the
entire layout. It might grow by a baseplate or two, but
that depends on time. I'll keep you posted.

[lar]

What I'd like to know at this stage is a couple of things:

Who is coming this year, and if so, what sort of things are you hoping/planning on bringing?

Hi Magnus.

When the MOC card application is ready to go, which will be announced to the coordinators soon, that will be a great way to more precisely track who's committing to bring what.

But for now I can tell you that I personally will be bringing a 65 quart Sterilite full of CCC buildings(1), including at least the (now infamous) Inn.

Some may be used in the Pirate game at some point, not sure, gotta work with Frank on that, but probably all will be available for the CCC city. I'll try to remember to include some wagons and etc. too...

1 - that's about 6-8 buildings depending on size.

Larry Pieniazek
2004 BrickFest DC overall Display Coordinator

[Glencaer]

1 - that's about 6-8 buildings depending on size.

Go Lar!

Once you go castle, you dont go back!

Unfortunately I won't be bringing as much as I did for PDX, however I hope to bring larger buildings.

-Eaglestone Tavern
-Lil' Armory redux
-Lord Marshal's Home

and hopefully a Globe Theater style theater house.

and maybe a few other mocs if I can.

FOr the others out there, what is really important is who's bringing 3CS wall sections.

-Lenny

[JasonSpears]

I am planning to come, although things are still a little up in the air. If I am able to come, I will be bringing 22+ CCC buildings. I also have 6 3CS wall sections to bring. They are on 1/2 blue & 1/2 green baseplates, so that could either be one end of the layout, or...?

Pics of the wall sections can be seen here.

[Magnus]

I'll be concentrating on a seperate display for the castel room, but I do hope to be able to contribute to the CCC layout also. I have a keep I quite like on a 32 by 32 baseplate which can easily be converted to conform to CCC standards, and unless I need to break it up for brick to finish another project it will be available for the town. I also have a medium sized inn-type building on plates (not baseplates), which I should be able to bring.

[Glencaer]

Pics of the wall sections can be seen here.

Does it include the gate?

Also, are those true 3CS (six high) or a modified version?

(Not that it is a big issue - all we need to do is visually break from one size to the other - like a tower between, etc - we did this at PDX because Keith Goldman can't tell the difference between a six and eight)

Also, do you have any corner pieces or are they all straight?

(Same sort of questions for anyone else)

Also, it is freekin awesome that you're coming!

-Lenny

[JasonSpears]

Does it include the gate?

Also, are those true 3CS (six high) or a modified version?

(Not that it is a big issue - all we need to do is visually break from one size to the other - like a tower between, etc - we did this at PDX because Keith Goldman can't tell the difference between a six and eight)

Also, do you have any corner pieces or are they all straight?

Also, it is freekin awesome that you're coming!

It includes the gate that has the dock coming off it. Not the double wide one on the land side of town. That one belongs to Peter G.

These are a modified standard, the one that I posted about a few weeks ago. However, there is a hallway 1/2 of the way up this wall that matches the regular standard, so it doesn't look too weird. That or I could probably build some towers as you mentioned.

I don't have any corner pieces. All straight. If needed, I could probably build up some corners, heck I could even do them to the real standard, if that made sense.

Thanks, I'm pretty excited, just gotta figure out the financing, my wife and I are closing on our first house on June 1st, so money is a little tight, but her cousin lives nearby so we would be staying with her.

[Glencaer]

These are a modified standard, the one that I posted about a few weeks ago. However, there is a hallway 1/2 of the way up this wall that matches the regular standard, so it doesn't look too weird. That or I could probably build some towers as you mentioned.

I didn't know that the hallway matched up. That is totally cool! I'll have to take a 2nd look at your proposed modification. I think a higher wall version of the 3CS is in order.. definately something to talk about there.

The key with Towers is that it allows a more interesting shape to the town as a whole. I've got two myself, and will probably build a few plain corners (no tower).

Since we will have a larger number of contributors than before, I thought it would be cool to have neighborhoods - like all of Jason's stuff in one section, all of mine in another, all of Larry's in another, etc. That way when visitors come and ask who did what, it is easy to say 'this neighborhood was done by Jason' etc

This will also make it easier to divide up the town details. I know Jason has a certain type of road (tan plates) I use a cobble-stone effect (grey 2x2 round with 1x1 rounds intersperced) -- as well as random peasants and trees and stuff.

This is something I am concerned about perhaps needlessly, but I dont want any issues about "hey whered my figs go? you're taking them!" "no they are mine!"

Also, I'm going to do the same sort of thing I did at PDX, where any CCers can ship their mocs/figs to me and I will bring and display them. This will be easier since I am driving, not flying.

-Lenster

[Magnus]

I would certainly second the idea of establishing another slightly larger CCC wall standard. The 8 brick high walls were just never really big enough for me.

Perhaps one day in the future we could have a town with two sets of walls?

Let me throw this question out there, is there interest in arranging to have an actual discussion session time set aside where people can talk about the future of CCC and that sort of thing?

One other activity I'd like to do, is to have a dedicated "show-and tell" session so everyone can get together at the same time and take turns is showing off their MOCs. I've often seen great lookig MOCs, but not known who made them, and not been able to ask questions, lift off roofs and the like. With the CCC town display, it will be patricularly useful, as many of the buildings may be difficult to get to when incorporated into the layout.

[lar]

Let me throw this question out there, is there interest in arranging to have an actual discussion session time set aside where people can talk about the future of CCC and that sort of thing?

One other activity I'd like to do, is to have a dedicated "show-and tell" session so everyone can get together at the same time and take turns is showing off their MOCs. I've often seen great lookig MOCs, but not known who made them, and not been able to ask questions, lift off roofs and the like. With the CCC town display, it will be patricularly useful, as many of the buildings may be difficult to get to when incorporated into the layout.

I think these are both good ideas. I suggest that you schedule the sessions now so they get on the master calendar.

[Robin Hood]

Question, is this only for people who are going?

[Magnus]

Well obviously it is the people who are going to attend BrickFest 2004 who will probbaly be most interested in following this thread. However I welcome comments and ideas from anybody. If you aren't coming to BrickFest, but perhaps went to a BrickFest (or other similar) event in the past, and have some thoughts about what sort of things work and don't work in a castle room, feel free to contribute.

The My Own Castle Competition which I started a thread a about on the Castle MOCs forums is indeed for BrickFest 2004 attendees only.