BrickCon 2012 Collaborative Project: Age of Empires II

[AK_Brickster]

If you are running Vista or 7, there's a new application called Snipping Tool which if it's a windowed application you can use to capture parts of your screen. We use it at work all the time.

Woah, neato! Thanks for that tip!

[JoshWedin]

Yes. Just for the record, 'snip' is awesome. I use it at work all the time.

Josh

[The Blue Knight]

This a great idea. I played this game for many, many hours when my kiddos were itty bitty. Brings back a lot of memories.

I most often played the Britons in Blue ("choppah"), I love it. Two or three full battalions of upgraded longbowmen protecting trebs, man I was unstoppable. Maybe I can pull of some Britons, though my fav unit was the Tuetonic knight. I may have to bang a few out.

So would the mines and limber mills be 16x16? Seems a better size. I didn't read every post I came late to the party, but I'm in!

Great idea Fras!

[AK_Brickster]

So would the mines and limber mills be 16x16? Seems a better size. I didn't read every post I came late to the party, but I'm in!

Yes, I think that's the size we're looking at. We'll have to see what it looks like in brick, but it seems about right.
If you plan on participating, I'd recommend going back thru the last couple pages of comments, at least, and taking a look at the direction we've started to go with this. It's developed quite a bit from the first suggestion of the idea.
Welcome aboard!

[Fraslund]

In addition to the snip tool (which I agree rules!) We used to use Fraps for screen\video capture when playing WoW back in the day.

http://www.fraps.com/

I have been working on segments of a diarama idea I have had for a medieval village, but i want to start on a town center pretty soon =) I just need to find lots of nekkid torsos!

[Sir_Darc]

So I tried my hand at making a Barracks, in the 24x24 stud footprint suggested. I think it came out fairly well. Here's a comparison to CastleLord's screenshot:

---> LEGOify ---->

Yeah, some of the features and colors are off or missing (I forgot all the plants!), mostly because I used what I had available and ran out of time. I think the scale mostly works, probably looks better in a whole display.

And if you're wondering why I didn't show the back, it's 'cause I didn't finish it. It'll probably end up blank anyway, since it's only seen from one side. Anyway, has anyone else tried something yet?

[Albatross_Viking]

While not being able to actually build something for this display, I may still build some ideas to post here.
AoE2 was the first video game i ever played, I still love it, and I hope this project ends up as awesome as it has potential to be!
A website that could be of use is this one: http://aok.heavengames.com/
It's got screenshots, forums, downloadable scenarios w.m., all for AoE2.

[The Blue Knight]

Wow, thats quite a build, I am most impressed. Lots of great details. That makes me think...

This goes to show us that there are details we can't bring over form the game, yet others we can include that the game lacks. I think of it as adapting a novel into a movie; the story is altered in the new medium. What does everyobe think of that? The building, and certainly the units will be a bit different.

Richard

[Athos]

How odd. I just started playing this game again after several years and was thinking about starting an AoE project and trying to Lego-ify the units...

I would recommend the feudal or castle age, particularly for the mid-east factions. Imperial buildings look too advanced.

Steve

[Albatross_Viking]

I would recommend the feudal or castle age, particularly for the mid-east factions. Imperial buildings look too advanced.

I agree with this statement, in fact for all factions. The feudal and castle age buildings are, as said, not as advanced, and I think they look best.
I don't know if you've already agreed on a faction, but if not, I believe the Western-european civilisations to be easiest adaptable into "normal" LEGO colections when it comes to building materials and styles.
When it comes to units, the design that would be most true to the game would of course be decalling all shields and flags (and uniforms?) with the patterns from the game. But still, I don't think using the LEGO designs (like Crown Knights for a blue player) would be too much of a problem.

[Athos]

I think a Western Europe or Eastern Europe vs. Mideast would be the best combination.

Teutons v. Saracens?

Steve

[AK_Brickster]

I think a Western Europe or Eastern Europe vs. Mideast would be the best combination.

Teutons v. Saracens?

Steve

That's who we initially were thinking, but Josh wanted to do some Persian war elephants, so it's going to be Teutons vs. Persians with only the Teutons actually having a town (due to space limitations). I recommend those who are just joining this thread make sure to read back a page or two so that you can contribute to the discussion that's already started

[Athos]

I recommend those who are just joining this thread make sure to read back a page or two so that you can contribute to the discussion that's already started

Well, thhtttppptttttt

Too bad you're not going to do a mideast town. I've been having a lot of fun MOCing some mideast style castle buildings. I may even try to do some AoE style ones.

Steve

[Throndor]

Cannot believe this is the first I've heard of this. What about the minimap idea? (Trying to word it in a way that either brings it up as a new idea or supports a previous statement considering I have not read all 6 pages) I think it'd be pretty cool to have a layout of all the creations on one map in the fashion of AOE2, and it'd be a good way to link all of the creations. Also, I'll take a stab at something medium-small (monastery, perhaps?) and see what I can get.

[Albatross_Viking]

Too bad you're not going to do a mideast town. I've been having a lot of fun MOCing some mideast style castle buildings. I may even try to do some AoE style ones.

Steve

Well, if the layout is going to be Persians attacking Teutons, there can still be some Persian buildings, as a very common practice in AoE2 is to build forward-camps to speed up your reinforcements. That could be your part of the display, if you'll be there, of course.
Furthermore, I think that making lines of "just trained" troops coming out from buildings like barracks will make everything look even more AoE-esque.