CCCX: list of answered questions

[lord_of_orks]

I've found it to be a bit of a pain to have to sift threw the entire CCCX thread to find the admins answers to questions, so here's a complete list of everything that's been answered so far(sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but all the other CCC stuff is here so it seamed like the most appropriate place).

please note:all references to "this thread" are for the official CCCX thread

I don´t remember again how it was but where can we ask questions conserning CCCX, in this topic?

1. Yes. You can ask questions regarding the contest in this thread.

Alright since you can ask questions here:
I posted a WIP pic of a MOC on my Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/66620538@N ... hotostream
As you can see that was just a few days before the CCC, does that still disqualify me from entering it?
Just wanted to make sure cause I would hate to not enter it if it's ok "

2. I'm sorry, but we've always held that MOCs shared publicly (either online or at an AFOL event) before the contest opened, even MOCs in progress, were disqualified. We have previously allowed people to use small elements from earlier WIP creations if they were mostly changed and if the older thing was only a small part of the completed MOC, but in the case you show you've got a pretty substantial portion already built. Again, sorry. I always grimace when I see beautiful MOCs posted in the last week of October because by that point we already know the categories, and there have been times when I've thought "if only you'd held off posting that for a week you would have had a shot at winning."

Just wondering: Does the "Tudor castle" category require a complete castle? Or could a segment of a castle be entered?

3. It should have an enclosing wall, but since this has a size limit of 2 32x32 or 1 48x48 plate it is necessarily going to be a smaller structure than the full 'Castle' category. For inspiration you might look at historical fortified manors.

Yes!!! I'm totally pumped for this!! Silly Question: Does a section of a medieval village, say 2-3 buildings on a 48x48 base meet the requirements for the medieval life category, or is it limited to only a single building?

4. Yes, you could have more than one building, as long as you are within the 2 32x32 or 1 48x48 plate limit. The focus here is on civilian settings (in contrast to, say, the 'Castle' type categories), so a little piece of a village would be very appropriate.

I have a question for the "Classic Set Reimagined" Category, can we make the scale of the Moc bigger/smaller than the actual set and can we add more/less figures than the set already has?

5. Yes, but if you stray too far from the spirit of the original set you probably won't score as highly. If you make some massive set with a ton of figs and say that it's a redesigned version of a polybag set, there will be some raised eyebrows.

Maybe this is painfully obvious, but just to clarify, altBricks leaves are not allowed (I'm thinking particularly for the forest and winter scenes), even though they are prizes, correct?

6. The admins decided to only allow altBricks leaves in the Forest Life and Winter Scene categories.

Here is my first question: What is the cutoff year for the castle set reinvisioned? Thanks in advance!

7. While many fans support the 1978-1992 era of classic sets, we will allow you to redesign any castle set released prior to Knight's Kingdom II (2004).

Now, here is my question: how do we sign up? Where do we post our creations?

8. As noted in the announcement post at the start of this thread:

We are working with our programmer to update the entry pages. Please be patient as it may take a few weeks for these pages to be operable.

updated-The contest entry page is now up. Thanks to our coder. BTW, I already saw a CCC entry get posted on Flickr this morning, so the gauntlet has been laid down to you all to get going.

Drive the admins crazy with silly contest questions here.

How silly can our questions be before we're fed to the dragons, or sent to the slurry section of the gong farm?

9. The admins are discussing your silliness and will get back to you.
updated- The admins have met and determined that footsteps and Rick-Ricks are to be fed to the dragons.

Oh, one question came to mind, I'm assuming it's all right to make an irregular or round base for our entries, like what blego7 made last year, as long as they are smaller then the 2 baseplate size limit? Correct?

10. Yes. The irregular plate or brick built base must fit within a 32x64 rectangular stud or 48x48 rectangular stud outline. You can not stagger the two 32x32 baseplates to create an extremely long outline.

For the Trade and Tolls category, would a build featuring a merchant paying a tariff/ taxes on his imported goods fit the category?

11. That sounds fine. BTW, as an aside, we don't want to micro-manage your building. Go ahead and build what you think fits in. Our judging may reflect lower scores if a MOC doesn't fit the spirit of the category, but we also want people to think creatively and not just all make the exact same thing. The suggestions are just that - ideas to get the ball rolling.

So to clarify, we can't use custom weapons, armor etc. in any category except the two custom minifigure categories?

12. From the 'categories and prizes' page:

You may use custom weapons only in the Realistic Castle Figure, Fantasy Castle Figure, and Miscellaneous categories.

For the "Castle" entry does it have to be a realistic castle, or can it have fantasy based elements?
-Ricks

13. I'm going to tentatively say realistic, but the admins will discuss which categories should be realistic vs fantasy.

14 - We also wanted to clarify that you can also use non-Lego string and can make custom sails out of paper or cloth. Those are allowances we've generally made in past contests and should continue.
So, for the record, we generally want you to stick to official LEGO elements except:

The two custom figs categories have no restrictions, of course.
Custom elements allowed in the architectural details category.
altBricks leaves allowed in the forest life and winter scene categories.
String and paper/cloth sails generally allowed.
Custom animals generally allowed.
Customization of fig torsos, flags and shields generally allowed.
No restrictions on the misc category.
Mega Blox get you fed to the dragons.

Even with those various allowances, remember that this is not a customization contest (except for the two explicit custom figs categories), but a building contest. Our judging will reflect great building, not customization (or the acquisition of massive amounts of figs, or of rare elements).

1. So most of the categories have a size limit of one 48x48 baseplate or two 32x32 baseplates. If in one of the aforementioned categories I build my winning masterpiece on either one 48x48 baseplate or two 32x32 baseplates and then just to add that little something special, put a nice slopey brick base border to hide that nasty edge of the baseplate, am I going to get fed to the dragons and my masterpiece broken up and given to young children to chew on, because it's too big?

15. Yes.

2. Still on baseplates. Can the two custom minifig categories be on bases to create a little contextual scenery for the character? If so, any limitations?

16 - You can, but remember the focus is on the customization, not the build. We've had people in the past put their character on a horse, or with some furniture, or whatever, but those don't affect our judging. If you were to put your fig in a context, I would suggest not much more than a standard vig footprint. Again, I'm not trying to turn this into a vig category. The judging is all about the customizing, not any building around it.

3. Mark of Falworth has said he's entering every category twice and has already posted a magnificent castle. On an entirely unrelated note, can people get disqualified for showing off?

17 - Trash talk is strongly encouraged.

4. My in-laws are staying over and they are sleeping in my Lego room. As such I can't start building until tomorrow night when they leave. Can I legally evict them now? If not, is the notice period any less than the 30 hours I currently have to wait?

18 - Kicking out your in-laws is also strongly encouraged. Personally, I sent my kids into the back yard and told them to forage for food until January. Oh, wait, I'm a judge. I won't be building anything. Guess I'd better go get the kids.

are small overhangs allowed?

19 - Yes, insignificant overhangs like fig accessories or tree branches are allowed. Keep it within reason though.

* Next year can we have the contest earlier or later than usual so we can screw over the guys that start building in advance?

20. No, we're pretty set on our schedule. The categories do change every year, so that should help on that issue, though there are obvious similarities from year to year.

* In the Forest Life category are we allowed man made structures e.g lookout towers and cabins?

21. Sure. It should be clear that this is a forest category, though. A village scene with a tree does not a forest make. If a MOC really does not fit the spirit of a category, it will be reflected in the judges' evaluations.

So, some questions. Can the builds be lotr oriented?

and

More questions: Is something in this style considered to be in the Castle time period, in other words would it be ok if I entered something similar?

22 - You may use whatever source of inspiration you wish. You are not limited to northern European castles.

Also, would any microscale builds count as miscellaneous?

23 - Yes. All of the other categories should be in minifig scale (though some may use other scales for perspective).

As for the daring escape category, would each stage of "imprisonment" get three photos, or one each?

24 - One photo each, for a total of three photos.

And I entered a 16x16 tower (plus a two stud border) that is part of a wall around a city in the Miscellaneous category. Would it have been better to put it in the Architectural Detail category?

25 - The admins will not make those sorts of decisions for you. The architectural detail category should not exceed a 16x16 footprint.

One question, can it be based on fantasy medievalscene in the Forest Life category?

26 - Sure.

I already uploaded (after the start of the CCC) 12 pictures of my build, which I would also like to submit for the misc. category. Is it ok if I just do a separate album on flickr with the 3 allowed pictures for the CCC? Or do I have to delete the other ones?

27 - On the 'submit your entry' page you should link to an album (brickshelf gallery, mocpage, etc) with only the three images you want judged. Also, these should be within the 800x600 or 600x800 limits. In separate albums you can post however many pictures you want, at whatever size you want. Feel free to link to these in a CC thread and get feedback from others, post them on other web forums, whatever. The judges will only consider the three images in the album you link on the entry page in their evaluation.

Can I use the medieval architectural detail (see below) I submitted to that category to make another MOC for another category? Or can I submit only one of the entries, since they feature the same part?

28. An entry can not be submitted to more than one category. You may incorporate the same building technique into individual entries.

I have a question For the forest life category does it have to be a tree forest or could it be something like the bamboo forests in China?

29. Yes. You can build a medieval scene in a bamboo forest.

Has an exemption for the "previously displayed" rule ever been considered for BrickCon attendees? It's a shame that anyone who puts so much time and effort into their BrickCon displays (Castle swept all 3 "Best in Show" awards this year) has them disqualified for being revealed less than a month prior to the CCC starting. I know several people who are still buried up to their eyeballs in BrickCon sorting/dissassembly (myself included), so we are at a major disadvantage when it comes to pre-building large entries compared to the rest of the CC community. Just look how many large castles were submitted on day 1. It would be almost impossible for a BrickCon participant to do that due to how closely the two events are scheduled to each other

30. The Colossal Castle Contest has been held for ten consecutive years around the same time of the year and will continue to in the future. Fan events occur throughout the year around the world. Making an exception for one convention is not fair to other builders. Two months is plenty of time to build a few new castle mocs.

I submitted an entry with too large images, which I resized on Flickr, but I'm still on the naughty list...
I uploaded now smaller pics to Flickr, but I don't know how to edit an entry. Is that even possible or do I have to submit it a second time and you (admins) delete the first one?

31 - Use the 'naughty list' thread to inform the admins when you've fixed any issues with your entries.

Could somebody please post a pic of a Lego Tudor castle that fits the requirements? I'm not sure how it should look just going by the category requirements.

32 - A good guide would be to look at official sets like the BFF and the Guarded Inn (if the wall actually continued around and actually enclosed it).Or to take more recent sets, the Battle of Helm's Deep with its wooden hoarding, or the Kingdom's Joust incorporates wooden structures.Or to take a real example, something like Stokesay could be a good inspiration, with the wood frame portion of the main keep:and its half timber gatehouse:

So Bruce, for the "classic set reimagined",are you looking for something that could be an actual "set" (ie, a reasonable number of parts built along the lines of something you could buy from Lego), or more for something that is a bigger, more complicated MOC, based on the basic concept of a classic set?
(This question stems from your comment over on Lolino's "Guarded Inn" thread

33 As I noted way back in answer 5, the MOC should evoke the same spirit as the original set. The main idea is that if we look at the MOC, it should be recognizably related to the original (I think Lolino's is a good example of this). That means it's not limited to the same piece or fig count, but also shouldn't be completely unrelated. For instance, take Jojo's amazing Tower in the Lonely Wood. This would not be a 'reimagining' of set 7955, even though they both feature an evil wizard and bottles of potions, because the MOC is at a vastly different scope than the set (leaving aside, of course, that Jojo's was built first, and that Wizard is not a 'classic' set).

Hey guys, I've got a quick question about the medieval life category. Would a church count as a civilian building? Civilians would attend church everyday, right?

34 - AK Brickster is right. By 'civilian' we just mean 'non-military'. So something like a siege weapons or a knight in training etc would be out.

Q: What is the official way to reach the CCC page on the main site... When the next news items push the CCC announcement from the landing page, there is no way to navigate to the contest page... I click Events > CCC and get a list of all the old CCCs and other Events, but not the new one...

I also see no way to reach this page (http://www.classic-castle.com/events/contests.html) with the main site navigation, but it is linked as the parent page of the current CCC (in the navigation area on the CCCX page).

The event navigation and the page navigation in general is very confusing, and it is hard to find anything (let alone a link to the forum, except the small button to the right)

I know this a whole other issue, but at least the current contest should be reachable with the CONTEST link from the main page.

35 You have some good points. I've updated the 'events' page. You can actually get to the contest from the front page by clicking the CCC logo on the right-hand side (our mascot Henry atop a banner reading CCC), but I do see how that might be obscure to our newer members. Of course the contest is stickied as the first post in the Castle MOCs forum, but I'll go ahead and sticky posts at the top of the admin and customs forums, as I could imagine new members going there first.

I'm not sure about your other critiques of the front page. OTOH, I've been looking at that same front page design for a decade now, so I know exactly where everything is. It is certainly true that some of those buttons on the left are pretty obsolete, and even at a minimum upping the size of the four community buttons at the top of the right hand column might be in order. It is good to take a look at these things with fresh eyes. That said, the CCC will pretty much consume our time for the next couple of months, but remind me to take a look at that post-contest.

I have a question. I am seeing all kinds of entries with backgrounds that are Photoshop-ed in. Is this allowed? I may be wrong (and probably am), but I thought I was remembering some kind of rule about that in the past. Anyway, I am just checking...because well...clarification is clarification.

36 Editing in a relatively neutral background is okay. Remember, though, that we are judging the MOC, and MOCs are best seen when placed against a white or similar background. BTW, just as a reminder to everyone, you are not allowed to use Photoshop to change the actual MOC itself in any way.

I have a question. I saw it is allowed to use a bit of landscaping to show the minifigure you wanted to enter. Now I made a creation of a building that was actually meant to showcase the fig, but it turned out kind of nice so I want to enter it in a different category by itself. Is it still allowed to use this MOC to showcase my minifig? As long as I post the building before I do the minifig, right?

37 - See answer 28 above. Please don't re-use constructions for more than one entry.

About what era is this taking place in? More precisely, have printing preses been invented yet? Since "libraries" was listed under Center of Learning ideas, presumably the answer would be yes, but just in case...

38 - There is a lot of debate among historians on where to make the cutoff for the end of the medieval period, and this also varies a lot based on geography. We've chosen a pretty expansive time period. For various CC activities we have always considered the time period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Great Fire of London, ~476-1666. Gutenberg invented his printing press in 1440. For the record, though, 'libraries' have existed since ancient times.

(Also, could you tell me if the judges would frown on this kind of torso?)

39 - We're not going to micromanage your minifig choice. Of course, if you've got a spaceman in your MOC, you probably won't score so well. Glancing through your flickr stream, you certainly have other torso choices to work with that would be less anachronistic.

Edit: And is Medium 640 under the size limit?

40 The contest rules state the size limit is:

each no larger than 800 x 600 pixels in a portrait or landscape orientation.

I just submitted an entry into the medieval life category that was a blacksmith shop but then I noticed someone else also submitted a blacksmith shop... Does that mean I have to make a different entry?

41 - We're not going to micromanage your building choices. It's a fair bet that there will be more than one blacksmith shop in the contest. BTW, check the naughty list, your images are too large.

So I take it this incorporation of my architecture detail doesn't fit the rules, since it's a 99% copy of my first entry:

42 No, yours is fine. What we don't want is for someone to enter a MOC in another category, and then just submit a close-up of one small piece in the architectural details category. We also didn't want people to re-use an entry as a backdrop for another entry. Yours is a separate build, even if it is the exact same design, and therefore it is okay.

36 Editing in a relatively neutral background is okay. Remember, though, that we are judging the MOC, and MOCs are best seen when placed against a white or similar background. BTW, just as a reminder to everyone, you are not allowed to use Photoshop to change the actual MOC itself in any way.

Bruce

Is this also true for digital entries? because I was planning to add shield, flag, torso decals with PS because LDD doesn't allow me to add the decals on the pieces.

43. You may add shield, flag, & torso decals to digital entries because we allow "Custom stickers may be used for minifigure torsos, shields, and flags."

For the Winter Scene category, I was going to do a scene from an album cover, I assume this is okay? I didn't know if that would be against the rules/out of taste for not being my idea. It's rather Castle-themed, but I figured I'd check anyways.

44. The admins will discuss this and get back to you.

The second category I wanted to use my build in was in the custom minifig category as a backdrop to portray my minifig.

45. I would recommend not using builds from other categories as backgrounds of your custom figure entries. These are a distraction and not in the true spirit of the category. The top custom entries are always easily apparent due to the creator's skills. Check out previous CCC winners for examples. Backgrounds in the winning entries were not necessary.

Do I have to have a flicker or brickshelf? as long as my pictures are the right size on MOCpages, it OK, Right?

46. Yes. You are allowed to use other image sites such as MOCpages. Keep in mind that you must follow the image size rules and maximum number of images on your MOCpages link.

If someone enters six categories, and enters two entries in some of those categories, would the six top-scoring entries be counted regardless of what categories they were entered in or would only entries in different categories be added to the Master Builder total score?

47. Entering the minimum of six categories is the qualifier for Master Builder eligibility. Once that is accomplished the top six entry scores will be counted regardless of category.

Are two different members allowed to collaborate on one entry and share the Prize (I.E. My brother and I)?

48. Yes. We have allowed this in the past.

Am I able to edit my entries?

49. No. Once an entry is submitted you may not change the creation.

Does Centre of Learning necessarily have to have a man-made structure or building in it? The example suggestions given all mention academic or religious institutes- could we perhaps have minifigs learning or studying through other means?

50. The category does not necessarily require a building or structure. However if the admins think your entry is straying too far from the category, it may be moved to miscellaneous (ie: military training, etc).

Are we allowed landscaping in the Tudor Castle entry? That may be obvious but it's not mentioned in the description. I was wondering if I could have it on a mountain or against a hill etc instead of being self-standing of just wood and stone?

51. Yes. Landscaping is allowed. Please keep in mind that a castle with timbers is likely located in an area with trees.

And it may have been answered already in which case I apologize but is Medieval Life strictly a pacifist category eg no weapon shops/blacksmiths? I may have interpreted this wrongly. Obviously I understand it's about civilian life but are they allowed to partake in the manufacture of items for conflict?

52. You can build a weapon shop or blacksmith shop for this category. However a fight scene at a blacksmith shop would not meet category requirements.

For the Winter Scene Catagory, Does there actually have to be snow? I want to know if I could perhaps do a scene of a village preparing for the first cold wave of winter, I.E chopping Firewood, Patching up roofs, harvesting the crops, etc.

53. Preparing for winter sounds more like a fall category and would not meet category requirements. A winter scene could be built without snow (ie: ice covered trees and buildings).

Would a mercenary training school be stretching it too much for the medieval life catergory? I have a great structure, but it would get owned in the misc catergory due to is small size. Totally understand if that doesnt work.

54. This entry would be most appropriate in the misc. category.

Are LDD entires allowed? Just asking, because it struck me as though this one (entered in the Medieval Life catagory as "Let's see what you know") was LDDed.

55. The entry you linked to may have been created with an ldraw program. Digital entries (ldd or ldraw) are allowed. Keep in mind that you can only elements in colors that really exist.

I will update this at least once a day as more questions are answered.

[AK_Brickster]

Thanks for doing this. It's quite helpful. I'd request that the admins add this to the announcements area where the CCCX thread is and keep it updated as questions/answers come up.

Thanks!