The LEGO Castle Contest

[lolas]

I'm just wondering about my project's size. My tower has 21x21 studs and is located on 32x48 baseplate. Doesn't it too big?

[fuzzy]

Hey, great idea!
One question, for the castle, i have a door style gate with a drawbridge. is that okay instead of a poticullis?
also, can the courtyard be really small? (like 8x16)
Just wondering.

[Aragornn45]

based on the new rules I have yet another question, namely can our drawbridge be like the one from the royal knight's castle; where it's not level, but sloped down?

[davee123]

I guess the question here is really: how much should this look like a MOC, and how much should it look like a set that Lego would release? Tough question to answer definitively!

If I were building for this contest (I guess I might be, I dunno) I'd be tempted to build a 60x60 footprint castle (decent sized, technically within the rules, a few outcroppings of a stud or two to be within 64x64 all told), with incredibly detailed walls with moss, weathered stone, chunks removed here and there, thick walls, realistic tones, no exposed studs, built into a landscape that's 128x128 and 20 bricks tall, ripe with vegetation on one side, and craggy on another, with subterranean dungeons cut into the rock, etc. Something like 20,000+ pieces or so.

But while technically legal, that seems (to me anyway) kind of out of the spirit of the contest.

On the other hand, I could build what might pass off as a really nice castle set. 2,000 piece ballpark (like the upcoming town set), nice (but relatively small) collection of figures (no more than 16 or so), and a bit of landscaping (but not a lot). But generally a nice design for a Legoland-themed castle. Maybe even no landscape at all, just to focus on the castle model, like Black Falcon's Fortress.

Now, that one's certainly within the spirit of the rules, and there's no question that it would be acceptable.

So, the question to the admins is, which of these should people be shooting for? Something that's a small scale "grade A" MOC, or a fictitious "grade A" Lego set design? If you can imagine for a moment the ultimate perfection of each of those styles of building, which would have a better shot at winning the contest?

DaveE

[Blueandwhite]

If I were building for this contest (I guess I might be, I dunno) I'd be tempted to build a 60x60 footprint castle (decent sized, technically within the rules, a few outcroppings of a stud or two to be within 64x64 all told), with incredibly detailed walls with moss, weathered stone, chunks removed here and there, thick walls, realistic tones, no exposed studs, built into a landscape that's 128x128 and 20 bricks tall, ripe with vegetation on one side, and craggy on another, with subterranean dungeons cut into the rock, etc. Something like 20,000+ pieces or so.

But while technically legal, that seems (to me anyway) kind of out of the spirit of the contest.

DaveE

Actually, I think the rules have become pretty well defined at this point. Any further nit-picking is probably just that. Its probably safe to say that if you enter an unusually large MOC, your not going to win, no matter how well-constructed it is. I'm hoping for some final clarification, but if you look through the rules I think its possible to figure out just how big an entry can be without disqualifying one's self.

Going from what Architect said, I'm guessing an appropriate castle might be something no bigger than Jacob C.s El Katar.





Similarly, with towers, I suspect that a tower like DARKSpawn's Hill Top tower is the sort of size the judges might be looking for...



whereas a tower like Brody's excellent Col Du Mont is probably too large for ther category.




Now I may not be correct on these assumptions, but it seems to me that the rules are pretty clear-cut at this point. Pushing those rules probably won't work. In otherwords, building a tower that is six-feet tall probably won't win many votes, even if the footprint isn't that large.

At this point, I think this is going to come down to good old common sense.

[jonesy]

Castle Siege Castle Siege Castle Siege.

Also, thanks for all the clarifications Ben. Looks like it'll be fierce competition!

[babyjawa]

This contest just seems stupid to me now. I just don't find any point in entering anything into it. We are building the sets, as it seems. Except, you could consider them how we would've built the sets...


I wouldn't win anyways, but I'd at least like to be interested in the contest.

[architect]

I'm just wondering about my project's size. My tower has 21x21 studs and is located on 32x48 baseplate. Doesn't it too big?

That is fine.

One question, for the castle, i have a door style gate with a drawbridge. is that okay instead of a poticullis?
also, can the courtyard be really small? (like 8x16)

Yes, you can have doors instead. That couryard is tiny. You should expand it a bit unless your castle is very small.

based on the new rules I have yet another question, namely can our drawbridge be like the one from the royal knight's castle; where it's not level, but sloped down?

You can have a ramp instead of a drawbridge. But you need either a portcullis or doors at the top.

Now I may not be correct on these assumptions, but it seems to me that the rules are pretty clear-cut at this point. Pushing those rules probably won't work. In otherwords, building a tower that is six-feet tall probably won't win many votes, even if the footprint isn't that large.

At this point, I think this is going to come down to good old common sense.

What he said.

Something in between a set and a large moc is probably the best way to go.

Ben
CC Contest Admin

[Aragornn45]

based on the new rules I have yet another question, namely can our drawbridge be like the one from the royal knight's castle; where it's not level, but sloped down?

You can have a ramp instead of a drawbridge. But you need either a portcullis or doors at the top.

Thank you for the prompt reply and good luck to everyone

[SavaTheAggie]

This contest just seems stupid to me now. I just don't find any point in entering anything into it. We are building the sets, as it seems. Except, you could consider them how we would've built the sets...


I wouldn't win anyways, but I'd at least like to be interested in the contest.

Boo freakin hoo. If you want the sets, enter the contest, otherwise don't complain about it. We just had a contest where there were few rules. Is this contest too challenging for a few of you? Can't work around limitations? Cry me a river.

--Tony

[babyjawa]

I can complain all I want. What are you going to do ban me? (Only kidding, I like being a member here.)

I never knew admins had such tempers.

[DARKspawn]

I just want to say I think this contest rocks.

[Tenuei]

I know this was asked in the thread for the last contest, but I wanted to ask again here, in case the rules have changed... Are small insets permitted in the pictures?
There's a fair amount of dead space in my photos (even at 800x600), and one or two close-ups of mechanical features at a corner of the picture would help a great deal to show off the set.

[architect]

I know this was asked in the thread for the last contest, but I wanted to ask again here, in case the rules have changed... Are small insets permitted in the pictures?
There's a fair amount of dead space in my photos (even at 800x600), and one or two close-ups of mechanical features at a corner of the picture would help a great deal to show off the set.

I will have to get back to you on this question.

Ben
CC Contest Admin

[stuifzand]

why does there have to fighting in every entry?
Where have the days gone that LEGO was a friendly and happy toy?