Generic Contest Discussion

[Jim]

When and what is the next contest?

I hope to have it online this weekend.

[Jeroen Ottens]

I hope to have it online this weekend.

Aaaahhhh, the tension will be released...

[Jim]

I can even give you a pretty decent hint/teaser. Some of you might know M.A.S.K., while some of you were probably still "living at dads" when this series aired

Around 9:45 the action starts and this should give you a pretty good idea what it's all about.

This is the only thing I will say at the moment. I won't answer any questions till the discussion topic is online.

[Jurss]

Some kind of transformers?

[JamesJT]

I already made an ugly car that turns in to a plane and a 70's supercar that turns in to a submarine.

KITT with super pursuit mode anyone?

[Lipko]

Or dat r2d2 with teh eyebalz

[aminnich]

This should be an interesting contest.....

[TheItalianBrick]

as far as I can use Unimog wheels I'm happy with everything!!! :grin: :grin:

[zux]

so, 2-in-1

[Seasider]

I remember M.A.S.K. was a cool series. Looking forward to the new competition. I hope it has a decent time limit as I'm travelling for work a lot at the moment !

Edited June 11, 2015 by Seasider

[Appie]

I remember M.A.S.K. was a cool series. Looking forward to the new competition. I hope it has a decent time limit as I'm travelling for work a lot at the moment !

I remember M.A.S.K. as a crap series

Wondering what the competition will be though. Probably can't enter due to working on other stuff (or rather: lack of working on the Lego stuff I should be working on, because I am busy with other things), but always fun to see alot of new models for a contest on this site

Edited June 11, 2015 by Appie

[miguev]

Oh I can't wait to see what this is all about... things with wheels that turn into things that need no wheels? Looking forward to it

[Rockbrick]

Not qutie transformers (or gobots) but dual function machines (car/plane, helicopter/plane, motorbike/gyrocopter, etc....)

A & B model in one....

I like it becasue you have to make the modelst to test them - LDD not going to help much

[Jim]

I remember M.A.S.K. as a crap series

I was seriously hooked on it. But looking at it now, I wonder why. I guess being a child is the most wonderful thing there is

Wondering what the competition will be though.

Miguev and Rockbrick are doing a great job explaining where it's all about

Oh I can't wait to see what this is all about... things with wheels that turn into things that need no wheels? Looking forward to it

Spot on! (where is the fist bump icon when you need it)

Not qutie transformers (or gobots) but dual function machines (car/plane, helicopter/plane, motorbike/gyrocopter, etc....)

A & B model in one....

I like it becasue you have to make the modelst to test them - LDD not going to help much

Spot on too! *fist bump*

[Nalyd997]

Well, I might have to give this a go!

[Seasider]

Yes looking back at old TV programmes you used to watch as a kid can be dangerous. I used to love Battle of the Planets!

[Omikron]

[Jim]

And I know someone else brought this up before, but I also don't like the way the contest rules work here with thread use mainly because it is easy to start a thread on day one and have it bumped up to 6 or 7 pages by the time the contest ends and your model gets more recognition because it is more memorable even though other models may be better designed and more deserving, but their threads were not created until closer to the deadline.. I don't think any contest threads should be created until an actual model is at least designed or well into the design..

In the last contest there were really well designed models that barely got any votes because their designer didn't "promote" them the same way that other people "promoted" theirs..

While I absolutely agree you have a point, for me it's a trade-off between 100% fair competition, and having 8 more weeks of fun, instead of a single day. When we don't allow WIP topics, the contest is fun for a day or two (from EB's and spectators perspective). And in the end of the day, contests are all about having fun. So I hear you, and I appreciate your comment, but it's not likely that this will change in future contests.

Maybe the earliest date to post a WIP topic could be postponed until four weeks after the start. This also avoids useless topics to be created right at the beginning.

[Erik Leppen]

In the last contest there were really well designed models that barely got any votes because their designer didn't "promote" them the same way that other people "promoted" theirs..

To add to this: people with better photography skills have a similar unfair advantage.

I'm afraid this can't be ruled out, but I think it's good to be aware that it exists, and that there is a luck factor (of unknown size) in winning contests.

By the way, if contests are about having fun, then why are there badges for winning?

Edited June 17, 2015 by Erik Leppen

[Jovssen]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Edited February 6, 2017 by Jovssen

[D3K]

How exactly are photography skills not easily replicable? There are simple steps to follow to take good pictures, and if someone doesnt know them already, then google is their friend.

It's like with everything else; people who do a lot of photography, tend to be better at it than those who don't. Add to that the (expensive) equipment and post-processing skills needed to make the best photos possible, it's fairly obvious that it's not easily achievable by everyone.

But you are right, most people can probably do it after investing a lot of time and money into it.

[Lipko]

It's like with everything else; people who do a lot of photography, tend to be better at it than those who don't. Add to that the (expensive) equipment and post-processing skills needed to make the best photos possible, it's fairly obvious that it's not easily achievable by everyone.

But you are right, most people can probably do it after investing a lot of time and money into it.

The only time I do photography is when I take photos of my Lego models. And I can make okay photos. I do it with my girlfriend's 10 year old camera. Planning to buy a new one, probably would cost less than a Technic flagship model. I don't have a video camera, so I have to borrow it.

My post processing skills mean clicking auto color correction and auto contrast and then resize. There are some free tools for that.

There are really just a few things you need to make okay photos.

-Big enough single color background (sheet of A0 paper for example)

-some camera (really, even a cell phone can be good enough)

-good lighting. If you don't have one (like I don't), then take your time and shoot photos under the open air. Okay, some contests are in the winter and you may be unlucky and it's too dark outside, but really, even the ambient light on a cloudy winter day can be better than a single lamp. Orbuy one additional desk lamp. Sure, the image will be yellowish.

-fix positioning of the camera (no need for a camera stand, any rigid flat surface can work)

-let there be some distance between the camera and the model. The biggest issue for me with sloppy photos is not the lighting and the background, but the bad distorted image due to the perspective. It can be used pretty well as an effect, but usually it's safer to take the photos from 2 meters and use the zoom feature of the camera

-take tons of photos, review them, then take the photos from angles you forgot. Really, always plan to make another photo session because it's 100% that you will forgot to take important pictures

-use a image editor program (GIMP for example) and apply auto color and auto contrast. Or manual contrast too, if you have many black parts in the model.

And read this:

http://sariel.pl/201...ssing-tutorial/

so yes, making bad photos is just an excuse in my opinion. Just like making a sloppy explanation text with tons of grammar mistakes.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Lipko

[Blakbird]

While I absolutely agree you have a point, for me it's a trade-off between 100% fair competition, and having 8 more weeks of fun, instead of a single day. When we don't allow WIP topics, the contest is fun for a day or two (from EB's and spectators perspective). And in the end of the day, contests are all about having fun. So I hear you, and I appreciate your comment, but it's not likely that this will change in future contests.

Maybe the earliest date to post a WIP topic could be postponed until four weeks after the start. This also avoids useless topics to be created right at the beginning.

I don't have any objection to WIP topics as long as they have actual content. What sometimes happens instead is that someone uses a WIP topic to "stake their claim" to an idea. For example, someone posts a WIP topic on Day 1 that says "I am going to build a pneumatic loader" but doesn't actually start building until 4 weeks later. The effect is that other people see that the pneumatic loader idea is already taken and therefore are discouraged from building something similar. To some extent, this is unavoidable and there is nothing wrong with having multiple interpretations of the same subject. I think a reasonable compromise would be to only allow WIP topics that actually have Work In Progress. If you haven't built anything yet, then there is no need for a WIP topic. Nothing is being shared with the community. When you have something to share, then make a WIP topic if you like.

Plenty of other users like to wait to post their topic until the last minute so no one can see what they are doing and steal their ideas. To each his own.

There is no doubt that many of the voters are only casual Technic fans, and for those voters photo quality may be even more important than the model itself. I don't think there is any way around this. However, anyone with even a cheap cell phone camera anyone can make a reasonable photo with free photo editing software and an hour of effort. It is pretty obvious when someone has put in no effort at all on their photos, and those people are unlikely to win even with an excellent MOC. For example, there is no excuse for blurry photos. Every camera can focus. I'm not sure if it is explicitly listed in the rules, but I don't think there is any prohibition on having a friend help with photos. If someone is really having a hard time with the editing, I'm sure there are users who would be willing to help.

[Jim]

Drum roll.......a new contest will be up-and-running in a few days!!!

Are...you...ready....to rumble?! And do some hoisting

(did I say that out loud?!)

[Jurss]

I tought, that someon will be asking - When will be next, and Jim gave some polite answer.

I've never been so wrong :D