Generic Contest Discussion

[howitzer]

Apparently Jim has made up his mind regarding the next contest, but here's another idea for the future:

A contest where the goal is to find innovative new uses for existing parts. There are probably a lot of parts that could be used as the seed part, but here's a few examples that popped into my mind:

- 18940/18942 being used in some other way than as an outrigger or boom extension

- 24121 being used so that no more than 3 of them can connect to each other (as in no complete circles)

- Gears with more than 1 pin- or axleholes used as structural rather than functional elements

[Zerobricks]

What about limiting parts to only like 10-20 different ones and building something from them?

[Jundis]

1 hour ago, howitzer said:

A contest where the goal is to find innovative new uses for existing parts

Hmm this would surely result in sort of modern art than technic builds :D

[zux]

On 3/19/2020 at 1:59 PM, Jundis said:

Do fenders count as panels? :D

Bricklink has a dedicated category which can be used to identify what is considered a "panel". Fenders are on the list.

[Touc4nx]

I just had an idea:
A contest, without the usage of pins. 
As pins, I consider the Rebrickable category of "technic pins", composed of these :

[Jundis]

 

[Erik Leppen]

I'm really not a fan of such severe part limitations as not using pins, not using axles, not using gears or not using liftarms, or only using particular pre-selected parts. It may result in some original findings and useful oddities, but it won't result in good models, which, I believe, is what these contests are about. To make good models, you need material. Pins are so essential to Technic building that without them, you can't build stuff. We might as well do a system-build contest then.

Same goes for the "nice part usage" mentioned above. The goal of a contest is good models. Interesting or original part usage is a means to that end. It's not an end in itself. If you make it an end by itself, then the part usage lacks a higher goal (the good model in question), and, therefore, isn't nice part usage anymore, it's just weird part usage.

In my opinion, the goal of a contest should always be to build the best Technic model you can, in some kind of theme. To ensure quality of entries, this requires the full range of basic parts. I can understand eliminating some more specialized parts such as wheels (I'd support a contest with no electronics!) or requiring the use of certain parts (pneumatics contest!), but if eliminating a part type results in worse models, I'd vote strongly against it. (I'm therefore very hesitant about the no-panels idea. We don't have all those parts for nothing.)

So my vote goes to theme-based contests, with or without a size or part-count restriction. 42098-scale cars are good. 1:12 cars are good. Walking machines is really cool (but difficult!). Animals is cool (but difficult). Lots of great ideas there :)

[howitzer]

16 minutes ago, Erik Leppen said:

I'm really not a fan of such severe part limitations as not using pins, not using axles, not using gears or not using liftarms, or only using particular pre-selected parts. It may result in some original findings and useful oddities, but it won't result in good models, which, I believe, is what these contests are about. To make good models, you need material. Pins are so essential to Technic building that without them, you can't build stuff. We might as well do a system-build contest then.

Same goes for the "nice part usage" mentioned above. The goal of a contest is good models. Interesting or original part usage is a means to that end. It's not an end in itself. If you make it an end by itself, then the part usage lacks a higher goal (the good model in question), and, therefore, isn't nice part usage anymore, it's just weird part usage.

In my opinion, the goal of a contest should always be to build the best Technic model you can, in some kind of theme. To ensure quality of entries, this requires the full range of basic parts. I can understand eliminating some more specialized parts such as wheels (I'd support a contest with no electronics!) or requiring the use of certain parts (pneumatics contest!), but if eliminating a part type results in worse models, I'd vote strongly against it. (I'm therefore very hesitant about the no-panels idea. We don't have all those parts for nothing.)

So my vote goes to theme-based contests, with or without a size or part-count restriction. 42098-scale cars are good. 1:12 cars are good. Walking machines is really cool (but difficult!). Animals is cool (but difficult). Lots of great ideas there :)

You are of course entitled to your opinion, but the way I see it there's no rule that a contest always has to be about "good models" (whatever that means), there can be other goals too.

In my opinion on the other hand, contests are, beside a place of showcasing skills, a place to learn from the contestants. This is why I'm advocating contests that push the contestants to think outside the box and to invent something new. Limitations placed by the contest rules would be there just to force the issue, not to exclude good models.

That being said, I'm not a fan of severe parts limitations (like no pins or no liftarms) either, because of what Erik said. I would support a no panels contest however, considering that Technic as a theme existed more than two decades with no panels whatsoever. Panels make the models fully enclosed and while that's how things are today, I sort of miss the old days with open construction where you could see the gears and other functions doing their thing inside.

[Zerobricks]

How about build a model using only part types from set XXXXX?

[LegoTT]

Oh yes a c-model contest !

[Mantarri]

That was apparently done quite a few years ago, but I'd personally find it very interesting.

But I think M_Longer, or BrickByBrickTechnic would win by miles. 

[HorcikDesigns]

Just an idea, what about motorcycle contest? 

[Seasider]

I’m just hoping @Jim comes up with something soon. The U.K. is on proper “lock down” now.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Since social distancing is on tge rise, how about a conveyor contest?

[msk6003]

I think 'pinless' contest idea is good. I allready made 4WD RC car with EV3 and old 9V geared motor using only 22 pin. and most of them is 1/2 pin for connecting number plate or wiper plate.

[Seasider]

Don’t you just end up with a load of axles sticking out with bushes on the end?

[Jim]

I will try to start something shortly.

Currently, I'm thinking simple....build a small car with Corvette wheels. Possibly to fit the car transporter, so with a certain max width.

[agrof]

Can we please enclose the wheel 56145 too? The Corvette wheels are more rare, thus less people can join. I suggest to refer to 42098, as it includes both, and also defines the size well.

Can be Pull-back motors involved here? I think it would broaden the fun factor. 

[Seasider]

4 hours ago, Jim said:

I will try to start something shortly.

Currently, I'm thinking simple....build a small car with Corvette wheels. Possibly to fit the car transporter, so with a certain max width.

Hopefully just the rim diameter for the wheel spec

[schraubedrin]

19 hours ago, Erik Leppen said:

In my opinion, the goal of a contest should always be to build the best Technic model you can, in some kind of theme.

 

18 hours ago, howitzer said:

In my opinion on the other hand, contests are, beside a place of showcasing skills, a place to learn from the contestants.

It's really interesting what everybody thinks of the goal of the contest. I think that's shaping our contest ideas quite a lot.

For me those contests are a motivation to build and a way to jumpstart creativity. And i think restrictions are a great way to boost creativity, they start my "problem-solving-engine"

[Thirdwigg]

14 hours ago, Jim said:

I will try to start something shortly.

Currently, I'm thinking simple....build a small car with Corvette wheels. Possibly to fit the car transporter, so with a certain max width.

I very much appreciate contests with size constraints, so I would appreciate a car contest to fit with the 42098 transporter. The Corvette wheels are silly narrow though, could I suggest the Corvette wheels (43x14) or the slightly wider ones (43x22)? Maybe throw in the 56x26 too, so we could get a pickup or two in the contest.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Thirdwigg

[msk6003]

20 hours ago, Seasider said:

Don’t you just end up with a load of axles sticking out with bushes on the end?

No. I used lot of technic plate and 2x2 small turntable like very old technic model. and also don't have suspension system so much less pin than suspended version.

[agrof]

7 hours ago, Thirdwigg said:

I very much appreciate contests with size constraints, so I would appreciate a car contest to fit with the 42098 transporter. The Corvette wheels are silly narrow though, could I suggest the Corvette wheels (43x14) or the slightly wider ones (43x22)? Maybe throw in the 56x26 too, so we could get a pickup or two in the contest.

@Jim I would add all same diameter wheels, like https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=41513#T=C too. I just found a pair, and have a good dragster/hot-rod vibe about them. 

[Jim]

On 3/25/2020 at 3:04 AM, Thirdwigg said:

I very much appreciate contests with size constraints, so I would appreciate a car contest to fit with the 42098 transporter. The Corvette wheels are silly narrow though, could I suggest the Corvette wheels (43x14) or the slightly wider ones (43x22)? Maybe throw in the 56x26 too, so we could get a pickup or two in the contest.

Actually, I hadn't noticed they were so small. You are absolutely right.

Working on a setup as we speak. First....coffee!

[Jim]

Okay guys (and gals)....we're good to go