I have not been impressed with the BBC contests lately. They're essentially freebuilds in disguise.

Let us review, shall we?

BBC Contest 55: It's an Admin Contest! - While you could build many things to represent an admin, it's definitely not a freebuild. It's not like you could build a chair and call it Black Six.

BBC Contest 54: Beat the System - This is the closest to being a freebuild of the recent contests, you just couldn't use system pieces in it.

BBC Contest 53: Build a Bionicle 'Bot for Lego - Definitely not a freebuild in any sense of the word. In fact this was probably the most restrictive contest we've had.

BBC Contest 52: Call To Arms - restricting people to guns is definitely not a freebuild

and of course our current contest is to make an moc that celebrates red-blue pins. While it is freebuildish, there are definitely restrictions imposed that make it more than a "freebuild in disguise"

Of course if you don't like the themes you're more than welcome to not participate.

I heard that the new theme was using the odd colored pins, prominently. Why no one has made a blue tree of blue pins, I don't know, and it makes Spink sad to see lack of pin-tree.

If no one makes pin-tree, then I will make pin-tree.

It will be a sycamore. A blue, sycamore.

TRANSFORUMS

FREEBUILDS IN DISGUISE

CONTEST STAFFS WAGE THEIR BATTLE TO DESTROY THE EVIL FORCES OF UNREMEMBERING

edit: B)

TRANSFORUMS

 

FREEBUILDS IN DISGUISE

 

CONTEST STAFFS WAGE THEIR BATTLE TO DESTROY THE EVIL FORCES OF UNREMEMBERING

 

edit: B)

I APPROVE

Also Bunda are you making drunken dancers then

The first one's rather clever. Sets the bar reasonably high, IMO.

I have not been impressed with the BBC contests lately. They're essentially freebuilds in disguise.

Let us review, shall we?

 

BBC Contest 55: It's an Admin Contest! - While you could build many things to represent an admin, it's definitely not a freebuild. It's not like you could build a chair and call it Black Six.

 

BBC Contest 54: Beat the System - This is the closest to being a freebuild of the recent contests, you just couldn't use system pieces in it.

 

and of course our current contest is to make an moc that celebrates red-blue pins. While it is freebuildish, there are definitely restrictions imposed that make it more than a "freebuild in disguise"

The winning entry had a chair as an admin steed.

Taking just these 3 most recent contests, they are pretty free-buildish. IMO that's a good thing though, because creativity in the subject of the MOC is half of what makes a good MOC good. It also makes things more interesting than a theme where everybody has to make a black grand piano.

Also Bunda are you making drunken dancers then

no

unless i get some unforeseen revelation

~Bunda

Even mine? ;_;

Well, if you don't like it, maybe you should make a blog contest.

And the winner would get to be your best friend. Forever.

Or maybe they just get to choose your next background.

A good contest idea would be to create a famous scene from a movie or something.

~U_K~

Well, it seems to be one of the vaguest I've seen. I'm certainly entering, but my MoC so far doesn't have the pins as a prominent feature. I hope that it will be qualified to enter.

The contests have been vague, lately, I agree. But, hey, Bunda, you could always create Blog Contests to your liking.

Well, it seems to be one of the vaguest I've seen. I'm certainly entering, but my MoC so far doesn't have the pins as a prominent feature. I hope that it will be qualified to enter.

 

The contests have been vague, lately, I agree. But, hey, Bunda, you could always create Blog Contests to your liking.

In what way have the contests been vague lately? They have all been pretty clear in what the purpose/goal is.

Yes, but the means of reaching that purpose allow a wide variety of approaches, hence the label freebuild

56: freebuild, add pins

55: build something that is probably alive, put an admin's name on it

54: freebuild with part restrictions

53: build large humanoid, stick canisters on back

52: buld something with a trigger and barrel that should somewhat resemble a gun

Yes, but the means of reaching that purpose allow a wide variety of approaches, hence the label freebuild

 

56: freebuild, add pins

55: build something that is probably alive, put an admin's name on it

54: freebuild with part restrictions

53: build large humanoid, stick canisters on back

52: buld something with a trigger and barrel that should somewhat resemble a gun

1: Freebuild (literally)

2: Freebuild+counterpart of some kind. The "main" model can be anything whatsoever.

3: At least as much of a freebuild as #53, and probably moreso.

4: build non-humanois

5: build something inanimate that looks like it moves

6: First thing we can't call a freebuild

Really, to say that there's some recent trend towards freebuilds is nonsense. BBC contests always allow a lot of freedom, and the voting decides which stuck to the theme best. Otherwise, BBC rules would be a lot more complicated and any person new to MOCing would be auto-disqualified for some silly rule infraction before they got to see what separates the good MOCs from the bad. It's also worth noting that the admin contest, in particular, had been done before, and the rules weren't considerably different in regard to "it must look like this".

In short, I can't find a single reason recent BBC contests are any different than those of the past. Perhaps you ought to clarify...

Yes, but the means of reaching that purpose allow a wide variety of approaches, hence the label freebuild

 

56: freebuild, add pins

55: build something that is probably alive, put an admin's name on it

54: freebuild with part restrictions

53: build large humanoid, stick canisters on back

52: buld something with a trigger and barrel that should somewhat resemble a gun

1: Freebuild (literally)

2: Freebuild+counterpart of some kind. The "main" model can be anything whatsoever.

3: At least as much of a freebuild as #53, and probably moreso.

4: build non-humanois

5: build something inanimate that looks like it moves

6: First thing we can't call a freebuild

 

Really, to say that there's some recent trend towards freebuilds is nonsense. BBC contests always allow a lot of freedom, and the voting decides which stuck to the theme best. Otherwise, BBC rules would be a lot more complicated and any person new to MOCing would be auto-disqualified for some silly rule infraction before they got to see what separates the good MOCs from the bad. It's also worth noting that the admin contest, in particular, had been done before, and the rules weren't considerably different in regard to "it must look like this".

 

In short, I can't find a single reason recent BBC contests are any different than those of the past. Perhaps you ought to clarify...

Voting is supposed to choose the best MOC, not the best fit. (at least in theory) 53 is an exception, as the designers were probably choosing based on the moc's convertability in to a set.

also, fun fact

there was no argument made in my post for either viewpoint

Yes, but the means of reaching that purpose allow a wide variety of approaches, hence the label freebuild

 

56: freebuild, add pins

55: build something that is probably alive, put an admin's name on it

54: freebuild with part restrictions

53: build large humanoid, stick canisters on back

52: buld something with a trigger and barrel that should somewhat resemble a gun

1: Freebuild (literally)

2: Freebuild+counterpart of some kind. The "main" model can be anything whatsoever.

3: At least as much of a freebuild as #53, and probably moreso.

4: build non-humanois

5: build something inanimate that looks like it moves

6: First thing we can't call a freebuild

 

Really, to say that there's some recent trend towards freebuilds is nonsense. BBC contests always allow a lot of freedom, and the voting decides which stuck to the theme best. Otherwise, BBC rules would be a lot more complicated and any person new to MOCing would be auto-disqualified for some silly rule infraction before they got to see what separates the good MOCs from the bad. It's also worth noting that the admin contest, in particular, had been done before, and the rules weren't considerably different in regard to "it must look like this".

 

In short, I can't find a single reason recent BBC contests are any different than those of the past. Perhaps you ought to clarify...

 

Voting is supposed to choose the best MOC, not the best fit. (at least in theory) 53 is an exception, as the designers were probably choosing based on the moc's convertability in to a set.

 

also, fun fact

 

there was no argument made in my post for either viewpoint

I dunno; in a lot of contests I think part of the point is best fit. Otherwise, as Bunda points out, someone could just grab a WIP of theirs, add a Huna, and call it Tufi. Or something similar, depending on the contest restraints.

In all honesty, only restricted-part freebuilds should be judged on quality alone. In other words, stuff like the red and green contest that limits part choice and not much else. Otherwise, voting should largely depend on adherence to the theme (although, obviously, quality remains a factor).

Otherwise, as Bunda points out, someone could just grab a WIP of theirs, add a Huna, and call it Tufi.

... I pointed that out? It sounds like something I would say, but I do not recall saying that.

Of course my memory is awful.

~Bunda

That method of thinking will inevitably lead to the encouragement of conformity over creativity, which, IMO, is the worst possible thing that can happen.

As in, a terrible non-humanoid is better than a toa-mod because the creator had to think in the creation of the former.

And as for the admin contest, your example has its merits, but if someone did a very good abstract representation of an admin, I would think it more worthy than a plain humanoid with the correct mask, even if the model itself is outstanding. And therein lies another point: most people building the admins probably created their standard humanoids, with the added idea that they should fit the role - so your example works in reverse. One lacks the motivation to create a new MOC, the other lacks the motivation to change their style or use creative ideas.

Otherwise, as Bunda points out, someone could just grab a WIP of theirs, add a Huna, and call it Tufi.

... I pointed that out? It sounds like something I would say, but I do not recall saying that.

 

Of course my memory is awful.

 

~Bunda

Sorry... must have been a comment in this entry. Shoulda opened the entry back up in a new window before I posted.

That method of thinking will inevitably lead to the encouragement of conformity over creativity, which, IMO, is the worst possible thing that can happen.

 

As in, a terrible non-humanoid is better than a toa-Moderator because the creator had to think in the creation of the former.

 

And as for the admin contest, your example has its merits, but if someone did a very good abstract representation of an admin, I would think it more worthy than a plain humanoid with the correct mask, even if the model itself is outstanding. And therein lies another point: most people building the admins probably created their standard humanoids, with the added idea that they should fit the role - so your example works in reverse. One lacks the motivation to create a new MOC, the other lacks the motivation to change their style or use creative ideas.

So why are there even contest themes? The contests could just all have the theme "Make something special and awesome" and it'd be easy to filter out who has talent and who doesn't. Of course you're encouraged to make something creative because MOCing is by nature creative. But the point of the themes is to give you something to weigh the entries against.

Also, I love toamods. A decent toamod takes a lot of talent to make (and requires thinking, contrary to your insulting claim), but overall looks more like a real BIONICLE figure than some complex, Cajun'd monstrosity. Complex nonhumanoids are beautiful, and deserve the votes if they fit the contest theme, but if the entry theme is to make a staff member who identifies as a Toa, or a Matoran-Toa-Turaga evolution line, or some other contest theme that calls for a humanoid, and someone enters this towering giant with a thirty-piece head or a grand red dragon with majestic golden armor, it simply shouldn't win.

Meanwhile, your mindset also encourages conformity by saying that good MOCs can't be Toamods or humanoids. MOCs are art no matter what the subject. To automatically dismiss any Toamods or humanoids as crud would be like saying portraits are crud because they're painted from life. "Doesn't require as much thinking?" Who cares? As long as the end result looks good and portrays what is supposed to be portrayed, it's better than something that fails in one or both of those criteria. Nobody judges BZP's art contests on how abstractly an entry fits the theme, because fitting the theme can be done just as creatively without seriously stretching your interpretation.

Lastly, your final statement makes no sense at all. I'm not encouraging people to make generic humanoids, I'm encouraging to have the contest theme in mind before they even pick up a LEGO piece. "Humanoid" doesn't at all mean generic, even if most MOCists stick to humanoids. It's just a basic idea from which infinite creative ideas can emerge. A humanoid can be built in any number of ways (even a Toamod, which itself offers limitless possibilities to a person with real creativity). Limiting yourself to humanoids is not a good idea, but limiting yourself to nonhumanoids is just as idiotic, moreso when the contest theme seems to call for humanoids.

As you can probably tell, your comment really tics me off. I apologize if I sound angry with this post. However, the MOCing community always seems to act as though anything short of MOCing brilliance is simple-minded plainness unworthy of the slightest attention. MOCists treat sets and MOCs alike as if to look good they must be made solely of new, unique concepts that have not been used by any builder in the past. And that's rubbish, plain and simple.

Hey Aanchir.

Calm, please.

*is totally not going to get into the current argument (was Merc even arguing? I can't tell)*

~Bunda

Oh, don't mind me, I'm just enjoying my exquisite glass of anger

award for bunnyness!

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/pie222222/BZP/blogseal2.gif

Oh, don't mind me, I'm just enjoying my exquisite glass of anger

successful troll is successful?