Guilds of Historica New Member Guide

[Tezclatipoca]

10 hours ago, Grover said:

So, what are the rules on posting topics in GoH?   I apparently just screwed up and didn't know.  Are the forums for only MOCs and all other discussions go in here?  I'm very confused.

Hello,

It is basically like you are saying. If you want to have some tips or begin a discussion, you should really start by here, in the New members topic.

New  topics are mainly used for posting new MOCs or development of some stories.

Your topic concerning building techniques would have been more appropriate asked here. In GOH we usually use this all thread to discuss techniques, or other stuff out of character (OOC). We also use our Guilds Topics too, even to trash talk sometimes. In Character (IC) stuff or stories are mainly linked to a new MOC, so it often finishes in a new Topic dedicated to this MOC. (BTW, is there a rule stating what I am saying, or is this just good old traditional way to do ?)

Now, don't worry you shouldn't have known that without having read some GOH topics and discussions before.

 

EDIT : It seems that Kai Ninjaed me ! That's clearly more a habit than a rule so... my concern about a rule is not to be considered so...

I hope it helped.

Edited January 17, 2017 by Faladrin

[VK-318]

On 1/12/2017 at 6:58 AM, Kai NRG said:

Anyhow I love writing (mostly fiction, especially historical fiction) and have practiced it a lot through high-school and college, though I've not been published in any significant way yet.  But I'd be glad to put together or help put together a guide.  I believe MassEditor is also a writer?  And gedren might be interested in pitching in on the grammar aspect?  Anyone else? - if this is considered something that would be a good project?

I'd love to help if I can - grammar/punctuation. I'd offer more, but I'm so new I'd be rather lost trying to actually write a history.

[Grover]

Thanks to KaiNRG and Soccerkid6 for their replies to my original building questions, and to Kai and Faladrin for helping to teach me the ways of the forums here.

I am curious how everyone else builds because I want to know if I"m missing out on some crucial techniques--like using LDD to draw everythinng out in detail or organizing all your pieces by color or shape before building... but it sounds like people probably do what i do--minimal planning and lots of messing around.  As for tearing down models, I think we are all limited to some extent by pieces and so we have to reuse them.

[soccerkid6]

John and I do keep our collection organized by color and part, which makes it easier to find things as you need them.

[Slegengr]

3 hours ago, Grover said:

I am curious how everyone else builds because I want to know if I"m missing out on some crucial techniques--like using LDD to draw everythinng out in detail or organizing all your pieces by color or shape before building... but it sounds like people probably do what i do--minimal planning and lots of messing around.  As for tearing down models, I think we are all limited to some extent by pieces and so we have to reuse them.

I mostly just start building from the ideas in my head and the base of parts connections in my mind (I visualize the connections in my head first for new techniques usually).  LDD is only useful to me if I want to verify that certain connections work before I order parts on BrickLink.  My pieces are organized by part type to make finding parts quicker, though I do not sort to specific part or color.  I find that creativity flows better when I have to do some sifting instead of immediately finding the specific part.  By seeing other parts, sometimes a better technique is found.  The sifting takes a long time, though, if all parts are together in one huge bin.

Most of my builds are planned to some extent.  I either have a reference image (digital, printed, or in my mind), then I might make a reference sketch on paper to begin planning.  I rarely make a complete sketch of the intended build, but rather use rough technique sketches and location layout sketches.  I keep the planning to a minimum, though, as the building is the most fun.  The enjoyment is, after all, the main reason I pursue this hobby!  Trial and error may take more time, but I find it more enjoyable.  I also sometimes discover new techniques to be used elsewhere as I try to come up with a technique for a certain build.

9 minutes ago, soccerkid6 said:

John and I do keep our collection organized by color and part, which makes it easier to find things as you need them.

This is the first advice I give to someone asking how I MOC.  I sort by part type primarily and color secondarily.  Certain pieces that I have in large quantities are separated singly, but most of my parts are combined with other parts of similar type.  I have had some people tell me that they only sort by color.  I can just imagine the headache of searching for a black 1x1 brick in the large bin of black parts of various shapes and sundry sizes!

[Ecclesiastes]

4 hours ago, Grover said:

Thanks to KaiNRG and Soccerkid6 for their replies to my original building questions, and to Kai and Faladrin for helping to teach me the ways of the forums here.

I am curious how everyone else builds because I want to know if I"m missing out on some crucial techniques--like using LDD to draw everythinng out in detail or organizing all your pieces by color or shape before building... but it sounds like people probably do what i do--minimal planning and lots of messing around.  As for tearing down models, I think we are all limited to some extent by pieces and so we have to reuse them.

 

I think you shouldn't worry so much how others build. Sure, your curiosity is fine. But just start building something and then use the feedback you get on your creation. That works better in my opinion, instead of asking so much before you even start to build!

32 minutes ago, Slegengr said:

This is the first advice I give to someone asking how I MOC.  I sort by part type primarily and color secondarily.  Certain pieces that I have in large quantities are separated singly, but most of my parts are combined with other parts of similar type.  I have had some people tell me that they only sort by color.  I can just imagine the headache of searching for a black 1x1 brick in the large bin of black parts of various shapes and sundry sizes!

 

Everyone sorts differently, because what works for someone else wouldn't work pleasantly for me. I also have everything sorted by color and parts. It works perfectly for me. And those 1x1 black bricks are always at the bottom anyway But when sorting on part and color you can image I don't use large bins. I use a lot of drawers. Sorting is a pain, but once it's done everything is easy to find.

[Slegengr]

1 minute ago, Ecclesiastes said:

Everyone sorts differently, because what works for someone else wouldn't work pleasantly for me. I also have everything sorted by color and parts. It works perfectly for me. And those 1x1 black bricks are always at the bottom anyway But when sorting on part and color you can image I don't use large bins. I use a lot of drawers. Sorting is a pain, but once it's done everything is easy to find.

I do agree.  I plan to sort more specifically when I have a more dedicated LEGO area with shelves and more small drawers.  It certainly makes finding parts much simpler.  I do not disagree with sorting by part and color, I just disagree with large bins only sorted by color.  I had a friend who did it this way originally and had so much trouble finding parts quickly (especially from storing large and small parts together).  I recommended sorting by part type primarily and color secondarily as space allowed, and it proved to be more efficient.  I certainly recommend keeping large and small parts separated.  There is a reason that LEGO sorts the parts somewhat by size in the bags.

@Grover I agree with Ecclesiastes that you will get better ideas and feedback if you just start to build with your own method and refine your method over time.

[Henjin_Quilones]

4 hours ago, Grover said:

I am curious how everyone else builds because I want to know if I"m missing out on some crucial techniques--like using LDD to draw everythinng out in detail or organizing all your pieces by color or shape before building... but it sounds like people probably do what i do--minimal planning and lots of messing around.  As for tearing down models, I think we are all limited to some extent by pieces and so we have to reuse them.

Like SK and LJ (edit: and everyone else that has replied), I do keep my parts organized by piece and color, rather than in a giant heap of miscellaneous chaos. It helps me build more quickly and efficiently. As for tearing them down, I do not usually do it as quickly as some others have said, but gradually, as I need pieces for other things, until finally I have a pile of many ruins that need to be sorted back into their respective bins. For some builds I sketch first, but more often than not I am just putting some pieces together until I reach a point that I like it, trying, to the best of my pieces and ability, to reach the Platonic ideal that resides in my imagination. I have never used LDD myself, not more than playing around once or twice to see what it was, and certainly have not used it for building. I cannot think on computer screens like I can with my hands on bricks. 

Edited January 18, 2017 by Henjin_Quilones

[Kai NRG]

With regards to the sorting system question - I do a mix of sorting by parts and sorting by colors based on what other parts I generally use a piece with and when my containers start to overflow... for instance, most of my 2x1 plates are in three containers divided by bright colors, earth tones, and grey/blacks, but I have a ton of lavender ones.  It doesn't make sense to swamp my reds and yellows and blues and greens, so the lavender go in a container by themselves.  On the other hand I don't have very many olive 2x1s, but I tend to use all different kinds of olive pieces together for landscaping - so the olive 2x1s go in with the rest of my olive collection.

Similarly most colors of cheese slopes are separated, but not whites or greys or blacks or browns or tans (or yellows, I think), because I have a lot of each of those and I generally use them in conjunction with other slopes of the same color.  But as you build you'll get a good idea on what pieces are pointless to sort out since you always use them together, and what pieces could really use a spot for themselves.  With my own very personalized system, well, I doubt many other people would be able to logically reason out where a given piece would be, but I can locate it in seconds, generally speaking!

I have two MOCing siblings who keep their own collections separate (though we have a tendency to borrow from each other when the building gets tough...), which makes for some interesting contrast... Garmadon keeps his bricks in apple-pie order with probably a hundred little baggies (I can't stand his little baggies... so much opening and closing!) and then those little baggies are in their little buckets and I really wonder how he can endure having to unearth so many baggies just about every time he wants a piece!  And then my other brother has the most unorganized organizing system you'd ever want to see... but at least he never closes his baggies.  

[gedren_y]

I have a number of containers of varying types. Mostly it is driven by what themes I build in, and what parts I am likely to need for my builds. Some of it is because I found a container that I can use. My system for thin regular plates and tiles is different than for wider plates and tiles. Colors that I don't use in abundance regularly generally don't get much sorting beyond slope, brick and plate/tile. A part's usage generally determines how and where I store it.

As for LDD, I use it as a building medium unto itself. I have created awesome builds that I would never be able to build practically. Discontinued parts, expensive parts, unavailable colored parts. I once created a swampy region using hair, headgear, modified heads, weapons and other kinds of parts in colors that they might never be made in. The Patrick Star head makes for an interesting swamp plant shape. I have many more examples. Also, there is no gravity in LDD, so complex builds don't fall apart when you swap a piece out, or only have a 1x1 round plate connecting two large sections of a build.

[Tezclatipoca]

For my part, I never use LDD or digital tools for building.

I have a preview of the build in my head and generally it is sufficient. For bigger buildings, I am organising the area with plates and tiles to keep in mind the position of every part of the MOC. My main MOCs have been done using the old school method of try and retries ! (sometimes it's Die and retry ! ) Often I've got the story before I have the MOC. Actually I am engaged in both BOBS and GOH, and my stories are ready but I am not able to build as faster my imagination develops stories ! The real fuel I have for MOCing is story. And with all the stuff Guild/Faction leaders are giving to us, It's a shame for me that I cannot find enough time to build all what I want !

I have organised my parts by type. Since my childhood I organised them by type, as far as I can remember it has always been like that, it's a sorting system I've got from my father. When my collection got bigger he made me a wooden case to sort out all those pieces that were invading the living room. Since those days, I kept the sorting system and, of course, the case. Now I have more and more drawers and boxes. I never used bags, too time consuming to open and close them and to sort them out after that. I'm just using good old tool boxes and screw drawers. Easy to find some good ones at every tool or gardening store...

When my collection got bigger those past months, and since my daughter left DUPLO and can build with LEGO, I began to sort very current pieces by colour too. It's secondary for me and can save time, and I think my daughter tend to sort more by colour than by type.

When the MOC is finished I tend to tear it apart quickly after posting the pictures. But it depends on what I will do with the MOC. For example, I kept my ships and a huge market place I built for Brickmania Exposition in Antwerpen. I just have dismantled a ship at my return in November because it has been smashed during return transport. When I like a MOC, or if I have planned to expose it, I can keep it for a moment. But It is rare. I dismantle very ofen my builds after having photography them.

 

So the first tip I could give to you @Grover, it is to find "Your" sorting system. The only one that will satisfy you. Every builder has its own little habits, find yours and sort in function of it. If not satisfied, change your sorting. My organisation became more and more accurate along the years. I am frequently re doing my sorting due to new arrival of pieces and to lack of space. (I have to buy new screw drawers, BTW, I have reached a limit for my littles pieces like 1*1 round and square studs ! )

Second tip that could help you is to build, build, and re build ! For a pictured MOC, there are many other MOCs dead all around my table that did not made it !

And finally, a 3rd tip that works for me is to develop a consistent and kinda adaptative story to continue. This will give you a thread to follow and could prevent you from beeing drown in some active places like GOH (Guild Of Historica), BOBS (Brethren Of the Brick Seas) or AG (Andromeda's Gate).

Hope that helped. And welcome ! Have a nice time of building !

[Grover]

Thanks to all for the replies!  I find everyone's perspectives very interesting.

Sometime in the early 80s, I began sorting my collection by piece type.  I have probably 5-6 organizing bins (aka, screw drawers) filled with the older pieces that used to come in the primary colors (before brown or green entered the color palette).  I wound up going through my dark ages in grad school and a little beyond; I really just got back into building a couple of years ago.  Sadly, I missed out on most of the Kingdoms and Vikings sets (although I am slowly collecting these now).  The reason I'm curious about everyone else's building is not because I am not making my own MOCs now or worried about not doing things 'right', but rather because a lot has changed over the years.  I think the advent of the internet has allowed people to share stories and pictures of MOCs very quickly, allowing for a fast transfer of ideas and techniques not possible 30 years ago.  I see a lot of really amazing builds on here and was curious if people were all doing something radically different than myself in terms of the builds, organization, or design.  It sounds like there is not a huge difference and that I am simply behind the learning curve when it comes to a lot of the new techniques that have been developed and shared over the past 10 years or so.

I am building, although the going has been slow since I have been trying to unpack and then reorganize everything after a move.  I have most of my pieces unpacked now, allowing my greater access to my stock.  Now I have 5 organizing bins filled with pieces--3 for grey, 1 for brown, and 1 for green--along with bulk pieces in gallon bags when I have a ton of one particular piece.  I don't find that having a ton of pieces of one color together is easy to find anything.  Ironically, I have the opposite problem as I used to--my budget now far outweighs the time I have to build.  I'm hoping to have enough time this weekend to finish sorting the last of my pieces and get back to building in my free time.

Thanks you to everyone here for putting together such great stories.  I have to be inspired to build something, and the stories here are great.  I'm in the middle of my Category A piece, which I hope will be humorous and fun.  Thanks to everyone here for your patience as I get back up to speed with the new techniques I have missed out on over the years.

[dathil]

2017-01-27_12-41-14

This is my current collection xD I have been building it from nothing in the last 1.5 year, and I finally bought a lot of boxes to store things away. But to date, I did not sort anything and it works fine because somehow I always know exactly what I have and where it is. I will be sorting by parts, and probably my bleys will go in 1 big box because I always use it together for castles ^^ I dont want too many boxes however!

I use LDD, and now Stud.io, quite a lot in fact. I drew oh so many huge and really detailed builds in LDD... Not the usual copypaste, but like really detailed xD I also use it a lot to create easy 'wanted-lists' on bricklink with the xml format. I just drop and copypaste all the pieces, upload it and I have a wanted list with all those bricks in it. Works great for me!

[Isundir]

19 hours ago, dathil said:

2017-01-27_12-41-14

This is my current collection xD I have been building it from nothing in the last 1.5 year, and I finally bought a lot of boxes to store things away. But to date, I did not sort anything and it works fine because somehow I always know exactly what I have and where it is. I will be sorting by parts, and probably my bleys will go in 1 big box because I always use it together for castles ^^ I dont want too many boxes however!

I use LDD, and now Stud.io, quite a lot in fact. I drew oh so many huge and really detailed builds in LDD... Not the usual copypaste, but like really detailed xD I also use it a lot to create easy 'wanted-lists' on bricklink with the xml format. I just drop and copypaste all the pieces, upload it and I have a wanted list with all those bricks in it. Works great for me!

Thee shall hereby henceforth be dubbed 'Dathil Chaosmaster', dayum that'd drive me insane.

I currently have a few boxes with different colours or types and smaller parts in plastic bags... I'd love to have like a wall of small transparent drawers but I haven't been able to find anything suitable and lack of space is a problem atm, maybe once I live on my own I can have a LEGO hobby room though.

[MassEditor]

On 1/12/2017 at 6:58 AM, Kai NRG said:

Anyhow I love writing (mostly fiction, especially historical fiction) and have practiced it a lot through high-school and college, though I've not been published in any significant way yet.  But I'd be glad to put together or help put together a guide.  I believe MassEditor is also a writer?  And gedren might be interested in pitching in on the grammar aspect?  Anyone else? - if this is considered something that would be a good project?

That's gonna be a tough one. I'd love to help out with a few pointers, though, TBH, my training is entirely in journalistic writing. This has been my first foray into fantasy writing and any quality to be found in it is a result not because of my training, but despite it. I think, more so than building, writing is a natural talent. But, like you said, the most important thing is, of course, to make sense. Don't jump around with ideas unless you can bring it all back together at some point. Put yourself in the character's role, what do you see happening and how would you respond to it?

Perhaps this is just nitpicking, but one habit new writers should avoid learning is using 'he said, she said' behind every segment of dialogue or just putting their name behind a hyphen. It's relatively lazy and repetitive writing that takes readers out of the situation, reminds them that they're reading a story instead of living it. Most readers can track who says what when the dialogue involves 2 people. More than that can be tricky, but with a few literary touches, you can avoid the boring 'he/she said' stuff. For instance, instead of:

"Commander, the enemy has broken through the main gate and his forces are taking the city!" the soldier said.

"Order the men to fall back for a final defense around the keep," replied General Caitlyn.

"But ma'am, we should commit everything towards the main gate. This is our only chance to eject the enemy from our city!" said a subordinate.

Try something like this:

The soldier entered the commander's quarters gasping. No doubt he carried a troubling message from the city's defenders.

"Commander, the enemy has broken through the main gate and his forces are taking the city!"

General Caitlyn shook her head. She knew the city could not be held indefinitely, but how had her defenses fallen so quickly? She had to reestablish a defensive line or risk losing the entire city.

"Order the men to fall back for a final defense around the keep."

As the soldier left one of General Caitlyn's officers stepped forward. It was Lieutenant Roxie, her face etched with concern.

"But ma'am, we should commit everything towards the main gate. This is our only chance to eject the enemy from our city!"

--------------------------------------------------------------

Like I said, it might appear to be a trivial matter but I think this style teaches you to write better and do a better job of creating a scene for your readers. I'll try and think of some other stuff and post it here or get it to Kai. A small fantasy writing guide could be a helpful tool.

Edited February 6, 2017 by MassEditor

[Kai NRG]

Finding interesting synonymous verbs, particularly for repetitive things like said, is definitely a BIG thing!  Come to think of it, if we do put together a guide we could include a brief list of synonyms for very common words.  I haven't done anything yet, actually, but I do think a writing guide could be helpful.

[gedren_y]

Tonal descriptions of the characters' voices help as well. For my Nestlands characters that didn't build their livelihoods with outside travel before they announced themselves to the surrounding populace I went further. I write dialog that I then translate into a heavy accent (think hillbilly). My sig fig is a prime example of that.

The build that I have been trying to get right for months, will finally conclude The Quest for the Egg, and may see me shift to another character for focus. Still Nestlands Clans Kaliphlin, but one who has a less pronounced accent.

[en_zoo]

On 06/02/2017 at 11:06 PM, MassEditor said:

More than that can be tricky, but with a few literary touches, you can avoid the boring 'he/she said' stuff. For instance, instead of:
[...]

Try something like this:

[...]

cool stuff! never thought of it and I do have a length problem with my dialogues. I reckon I'm gonna have more than 3 characters for a while now so, as you said, can be tricky, but good that you mentioned it, I'll keep in mind.

would be wonderful and definitely useful to see that writing guide, it does sound as a big deal though..

[Legofin2012]

Not a new member, but I do still have a question concerning the guilds, more specifically Cedrica and the Grand Griffon Inn, is there a set architecture for this area? I'm wanting to build an interior for the Grand Griffon Inn, but don't want it to mess with anything that has already been set up in any previous builds. The only build I co find concerning the Grand Griffon was a small build by Lord Vladivus, but just want to make sure 

[Calgucus]

Hi there

 

Bit new to this and just found it before I hit the kip.  I would like to join Avalonia if possible but most of the Army I have are Falcon Knights (60)  Is this possible, I like the classic style and currently building my keep in case we get over run!

 

Look forward to hearing from you

[Henjin_Quilones]

39 minutes ago, Calgucus said:

Bit new to this and just found it before I hit the kip.  I would like to join Avalonia if possible but most of the Army I have are Falcon Knights (60)  Is this possible, I like the classic style and currently building my keep in case we get over run!

Yes, that is possible. Welcome! Any faction's shield is found anywhere, generally, though certain shields are more proper to certain areas, like lions to Kaliphlin, the green dragon to Avalonia, and the red dragon to Nocturnus. I look forward to seeing your builds!

[Brandon Stark]

On 2/26/2017 at 4:21 AM, Legofin2012 said:

Not a new member, but I do still have a question concerning the guilds, more specifically Cedrica and the Grand Griffon Inn, is there a set architecture for this area? I'm wanting to build an interior for the Grand Griffon Inn, but don't want it to mess with anything that has already been set up in any previous builds. The only build I co find concerning the Grand Griffon was a small build by Lord Vladivus, but just want to make sure 

Considering how this is set in the medieval times, the architecture of Cedrica would mostly be half-timbered houses, either fully half-timbered, or the bottom story is made of stone and the top stories are made of half-timbered sections. I'm not a staff member, at least not on this forum, so I can't be sure, but that's what I'm guessing.

[TitusV]

On 16-3-2017 at 1:35 AM, Calgucus said:

Hi there

 

Bit new to this and just found it before I hit the kip.  I would like to join Avalonia if possible but most of the Army I have are Falcon Knights (60)  Is this possible, I like the classic style and currently building my keep in case we get over run!

 

Look forward to hearing from you

No mather which army you have, you should always join Avalonia: we just are the cool guys  

But no, just pick a style you like, that's the most important!

[Legofin2012]

On 15 March 2017 at 7:15 PM, Brandon Stark said:

Considering how this is set in the medieval times, the architecture of Cedrica would mostly be half-timbered houses, either fully half-timbered, or the bottom story is made of stone and the top stories are made of half-timbered sections. I'm not a staff member, at least not on this forum, so I can't be sure, but that's what I'm guessing.

Going to be honest, I may just have finished photographing the build the question concerned  Eventually I deci on only building an interior for the Grand Griffon, but the architecture pretty much matches what you described, so thanks for the confirmation nevertheless  Might post a sneak peek in the Challenge V thread tomorrow, as the build spoils nothing of the story 

On 15 March 2017 at 5:35 PM, Calgucus said:

Hi there

 

Bit new to this and just found it before I hit the kip.  I would like to join Avalonia if possible but most of the Army I have are Falcon Knights (60)  Is this possible, I like the classic style and currently building my keep in case we get over run!

 

Look forward to hearing from you

First of all, welcome to the Guilds! As the others have said, any faction is acceptable in any guild, I believe Falcon Knights have been used in Kaliphlin and Nocturnus before, so I'm sure a few in Avalonia would be just fine! Although I say a few, but that's an impressive army! 

You may not have chosen the coolest guild (being Mitgardia of course ), but best of luck in Avalonia! 

Edited March 18, 2017 by Legofin2012

[dathil]

I Can't find the questions topic anymore, so I'll ask it here:

I am going to Legoland in Billund at the end of the month, I wanted to know if they have enough PickaBrick-walls there. I have quite some budget, but there are not really any sets that I want to have :P (OR: Could you guys recommend a set that is currently being sold, that is inevitable for a castle builder?)