AG - Rules and FAQ

[shmails]

Colored leaves are cool

Just to double check this ruling, is it okay to use the AltBricks colored leaves instead of the official LEGO ones?

[Kodan Black]

So Bob, was there ever a ruling on the use of altbricks tree pieces (colored leaves)?

Colored leaves are cool

Looks to be ok.

[mediumsnowman]

This is probably stretching it... Is a jetpack counted as a land vehicle?

[Dannylonglegs]

This is probably stretching it... Is a jetpack counted as a land vehicle?

I'd say definitely not, but I would like to know if land vehicles includes other things that grant the Driver's bonus, or just things that are confined to hard earth. Like, would a boat count?

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[Mike S]

I'd say definitely not, but I would like to know if land vehicles includes other things that grant the Driver's bonus, or just things that are confined to hard earth. Like, would a boat count?

~Insectoid Aristocrat

Yes a boat counts. I got the driver bonus for the boat I built.

[NuckElBerg]

To expand on Mike's answer, what was decided earlier in the game (in this thread) is that if it moves in three dimensions (plane, submarine, etc.), it would need a pilot. If it moves in two dimensions (car, boat, etc), it would need a driver. :)

[Dannylonglegs]

Actually, I'm asking in reference to the Tech bonus. My interpretation of "Ground Tactics" is that it grants the DP bonus to all builds that would fall under the purview of a driver, including boats, but I want to make sure that I'm reading that appropriately, so that we can avoid any confusion later on.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

[NuckElBerg]

Hmm, that's actually a very interesting question. Based on the exact wording, it would sound like it only grants it for... well, land vehicles. However, I completely agree with you that looking at it in the context of the game (and considering the fact that the tech tree was invented before the rules were dicussed), it would definitely seem like it refers to all vehicles covered by the Driver job (just like Spaceship mastery seems to refer to all things Pilot (even though the title becomes quite misleading based on this)). All in all, I'm looking forward to a ruling regarding this.

[shmails]

Looks to be ok.

Okay, what about the AltBrick grass pieces? Sorry to keep asking, just want to stay within the rules

[Bob De Quatre]

This is probably stretching it... Is a jetpack counted as a land vehicle?

Those poor rules... people are always trying to bend and stretch them... you'll end up breaking them if you continue...

Hmm, that's actually a very interesting question. Based on the exact wording, it would sound like it only grants it for... well, land vehicles. However, I completely agree with you that looking at it in the context of the game (and considering the fact that the tech tree was invented before the rules were dicussed), it would definitely seem like it refers to all vehicles covered by the Driver job (just like Spaceship mastery seems to refer to all things Pilot (even though the title becomes quite misleading based on this)). All in all, I'm looking forward to a ruling regarding this.

That's the correct answer. Remember those tags I ask you every weeks to put in your builds? that's them that triggers bonuses from job and techs. So if you tag your build with "land vehicle", be it a car, a motorcycle, a mech or a boat, and if your build is actually focused on that vehicle, then you'll be eligible for driver's and ground tactics' bonuses.

Okay, what about the AltBrick grass pieces? Sorry to keep asking, just want to stay within the rules

They are allowed.

[Kai NRG]

...That's the correct answer. Remember those tags I ask you every weeks to put in your builds? that's them that triggers bonuses from job and techs. So if you tag your build with "land vehicle", be it a car, a motorcycle, a mech or a boat, and if your build is actually focused on that vehicle, then you'll be eligible for driver's and ground tactics' bonuses... [emphasis mine]

That's an interesting clause. What exactly does it mean? If I have a 32x48 diorama, does the land vehicle have to be a main focus? If I were to do an FP build, and put some blurry land vehicles in the background, would those not count? What if I also provided sharp pictures in with the other views?

[rodiziorobs]

That's the correct answer. Remember those tags I ask you every weeks to put in your builds? that's them that triggers bonuses from job and techs. So if you tag your build with "land vehicle", be it a car, a motorcycle, a mech or a boat, and if your build is actually focused on that vehicle, then you'll be eligible for driver's and ground tactics' bonuses.

I am assuming the same rule of thumb applies to all tags.

What if, in a single week we show several stages of a story (as I and several others have done) and the tag is in question for only one of those stages? Or if we have two tags in focus, one that enables a tech or personal equipment bonus (spying suit), and another that enables a job bonus (science): if both significantly featured in the story/build, would both bonuses be eligible? I know this kind of thing had been honored in the past, but will it in the future, or does that count as bending a rule ?

Edited July 1, 2015 by rodiziorobs

[Kodan Black]

I believe the tags apply to the post and not a build or picture. Otherwise you'd have to tag each picture with the appropriate items. If you show a boat in one scene and then an interior shot in another I would think that qualifies for both "land vehicle" (first pic) and "building" (second pic). But it would be good to confirm that.

[WickNole]

There's a huge possible problem with these tags system + bonuses.

I can imagine a build with a small and simple boat, small and simple spaceship and, say, an awesome ground structure - and all this is presented as a story... with possibly separate picture for every part. If one would judge the parts separately - they would not qualify for more than "2" for vehicles, and the structure is "5+" - and the whole MOC is also graded "5", but + all the bonuses for vehicles. All this may inspire a player to put a simple 4-wheeled-and-a-plate vehicle on one of the pics, and this would qualify fr a bonus.

The main question here is: how the "main focus of the MOC" is assessed in case of story-type MOT with multiple pictures of different stuff?

upd: I rephrased the text a bit.

Edited July 1, 2015 by WickNole

[Kodan Black]

The problem is that at a certain point you are judging people's skills and parts collection as part of the bonus. I think beyond the more obvious "trying to just get the bonus" type builds you have to give the benefit of the doubt. I worry that our judging system will lean too heavily towards a parts count frame of reference which makes it harder for people with smaller supplies to keep up. Using more parts doesn't make the build better.

Also microbuilds get into weird territory. You could do a land vehicle with 5 pieces or a building with like 3. Does that count?

Edited July 1, 2015 by Kodan Black

[Dannylonglegs]

Microbuilds would count, but I think Bob was just trying to say, "don't just throw a bike into the background of a shot and expect to get the land vehicle bonus." Someone should ride that bike, or the bike should be important to the story in some way. It should be focal and not part of the scenery, but needn't be the focus of the build. Particularly I. The case of builds with a lot going on. For instance, the Kawashita Science Outpost tech would count for the land vehicle bonus. They have a monorail and a car thing, and they're both focal, but not the focus. It's obvious that thought went into it, and it wasn't just 4 wheels On 2 axle's on a 2 by 4.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

Edited July 1, 2015 by Dannylonglegs

[NuckElBerg]

Microbuilds would count, but I think Bob was just trying to say, "don't just throw a bike into the background of a shot and expect to get the land vehicle bonus." Someone should ride that bike, or the bike should be important to the story in some way. It should be focal and not part of the scenery, but needn't be the focus of the build. Particularly I. The case of builds with a lot going on. For instance, the Kawashita Science Outpost tech would count for the land vehicle bonus. They have a monorail and a car thing, and they're both focal, but not the focus.

~Insectoid Aristocrat

Excellently put.

[Commander Turtle]

On a different topic, if the staff plan on updating/balancing the tech tree, it might be about time to do it so that everything is on the table

[Zepher]

It's only 3 extra credits anyway.

[NuckElBerg]

It's only 3 extra credits anyway.

Well, in this instance the discussion is actually regarding the tech tree, so it's about 1 domination point per build, which could actually affect quite a lot.

[Zepher]

Well as long as everyone holds themselves to the honor and glory so esteemed by Kawashita, we shouldn't have an issue. If only the other Corps. had equally noble values.

[Bob De Quatre]

Well as long as everyone holds themselves to the honor and glory so esteemed by Kawashita, we shouldn't have an issue. If only the other Corps. had equally noble values.

If only that could be true...

[Dannylonglegs]

If only that could be true...

Octan follows the letter of the law, no more, no less. We file all appropriate paperwork, dot our "i"s and cross our "t"s, and pass all proposals through the board of ethical business practices. The fact that most of the board of strategic planning is also on the Board of ethical business practices was not deemed a conflict of interest when it came up during an internal review.

~Dr. Long

Edited July 1, 2015 by Dannylonglegs

[Kai NRG]

I am assuming the same rule of thumb applies to all tags...

Just to clarify, this does not refer to tags alongside the post, as in, when you're ready to make a post you type the title, and then there's a section for "tags", but rather it refers to the words that are supposed to be put in the actual body of the post right after the Location section. (eg., Tags: aa, bb, cc - all that, including the tags label)

[NuckElBerg]

Octan follows the letter of the law, no more, no less. We file all appropriate paperwork, dot our "i"s and cross our "t"s, and pass all proposals through the board of ethical business practices. The fact that most of the board of strategic planning is also on the Board of ethical business planning was not deemed a conflict of interest when it came up during an internal review.

~Dr. Long

Laughed out loud when I read that.