Lego Contests

Gonna make this topic to allow for discussion of Official Lego contests. Enjoy.

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The winner of the mask contest was actually a couple that were more system enthusiastic, some people argue it shouldn’t have been allowed because it wasn’t built by a single person. It went under many people’s radar due to this while the first contest’s winner MOC was featured everywhere because it was from a member of BZPower that’s part of the “inner circle”, even if it in my opinion was using questionable methods and should had been disqualified.
Using parts that anyone else can’t obtain is just unfair. I respect it as a MOC but it’s not something you should be able to enter in to a contest with as it gives you an advantage over others.

And I hope Lego has taken this into account while considering the next one.
It’s not unheard of that BZP might have gotten some prototype parts during their visit or new molds even.

What are your guesses for the theme of the contest?
More bad guys, heroes or some creatures this time?

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IMO, that’s a slippery slope of logic. There are parts released in sets that some people just don’t have the money for and don’t have. Disallowing parts from that set isn’t fair to those who have it. Same goes for parts that some have in advance.

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Which contest, the skull spider mask one? If so, everyone knows that moc was controversial, mainly because all it had going was being a raging behemoth while many other semi finalists had some creativity added on, with both color and designs.

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We are talking about using parts that weren’t even technically released and prototype parts that only this person had access for.
This is not just about having an advantage over some people, this is about having the advantage over everyone else.

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But then where do you draw the line? What is acceptable and what isn’t? And what pieces are these specifically?

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It’s not set in stone, anything could happen with the next two episodes.
But unfortunately your theory is more likely to happen.

My theory is that only Onua and Kopaka lose their masks.

Remember that box art isn’t designed by the same people, it could be that they only sent the story bible to them and it was only the box art designers idea to include the toa within them, then seeing as Tahu weren’t mentioned they just used accidentally the old model they had.

But I still want to believe there is a story reason for all that is with the box art.

As I stated on the 2017 topic, it is likely the next toa won’t get as many new molds as this year and in order to keep the sets looking fresh they might have to re-use the masks. Using 2015 Tahu more as foreshadowing than being relevant with the current story.

Possibly, the way Onua and Tahu hold their hands on their heads indiates they are suffering froma majro headache, but on the other hand Kopaka just looks down s defeated.

Master Onua’s Pauldrons/Hammer halves, at the time the pieces were only obtainable by people who were either Lego Ambassadors or were the people who were invited to the special event at New York.

Master Pohatu’s boomerang halves recolored in silver, only obtainable by the Lego Ambassadors such as DeeVee New Parts | So several months ago a rep from TLG contacted m… | Flickr

Seem pretty special to me
If you don’t even know what these specific parts were and how they were obtained Doesn’t that kinda undermine your argument? Of course you can’t draw a line on the subject if you don’t even know what you are talking about. Or why you are asking me to specify the pieces if you know them yourself?

In my opinion, I wouldn’t allow anything more special than promos excluding the tr. blue Gali mask as it’s meant only to the “elite”
With the old parts there was a point in time when they were at least obtainable by the general consumer and even today they are easier certainly to get than any of the prototype parts.

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Which ended up being released to the public. I had Lewa’s masks and Axle piece around that same time before release as well and I wasn’t at the event. So I guess because I was able to get them I can’t enter a MOC with them now?

Incorrect. They are often given away by BZPower during contests, giveaways, or in person at Lego conventions.

No, it doesn’t. It means there is a wide variety of pieces and some are harder to get than others, but still acquirable.

I’m asking because you’re saying people shouldn’t be allowed to enter a MOC when they have parts before others. I don’t think that should be the case. Just because I have more connections, more time or more money, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be allowed to use them. People make more money to get more sets and more parts. Do you want to set a piece limit? Not everything is going to be fair. These contests are open to anyone, and some people have an advantage over others for whatever reason, even if that means they have more money or are able to get parts sooner. Sometimes it’s just luck.

No, that was a special gift to those that went on the tour, which was also open to anyone.

Didn’t go on the tour, but loe and behold, I own one thanks to a very generous fan of ours. See my point?

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I’d say that using part molds not distributed in official sets/polybags and using altered pieces shouldn’t be allowed.

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I do.
You want to keep things as unfair as they are without even considering to draw a line.
Nothing can ever be fair for everyone, but this current system you want things to go by is downright broken and you acknowledge it even yourself.

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Life is unfair. A man with a job will have more of an advantage than a child without one when it comes to these competitions. If you exclude prototypes and early parts, you have to start setting other rules. Part count, particular pieces, etc. Where do you draw the line? Only use pieces from certain sets? And how do you know if they haven’t just used extra pieces? Your idea of a contest is chalk full of rules and arbitrary stipulations, when in the end, it will never be fair. Ever.

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Yes. I feel anything is fair, as long is it has been released from Lego.

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@Eljay We need restrictions. A contest has to have rules that even out the playing field enough for the people who partake in it. If that means exclusive parts, mods, and unreleased/prototype parts are banned then I’m game. A contest measures skill, and the only way to truly measure skill is to ban items not commercially obtainable in each region. It’s about giving everyone the closest thing there is to equal opportunity.

I don’t believe in not doing anything at all just because the result isn’t absolutely perfect. It’s still better than no restrictions at all.

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Drawing a line means It’s a line that stays “in a relatively fair position for everyone”. Not a slippery slope that eventually makes it so you can only use six basic colors and 150 parts at max as you are making my point out to be, like I wouldn’t know where to stop.

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The flaw in reasoning I’m seeing here is that the belief is that folks don’t have an opportunity. They have every opportunity_ available to them. Whether or not they grab it or not is their advantage or disadvantage. They have the ability to get whatever they need, but they will always be superseded by someone with more pieces or more time. Parts, in this case, seem like they’d minimally affect anything. Most of these pieces we’re talking about are masks. And if people have those “unreleased pieces”, then there obviously has to be a way to get them (like I was able to) as opposed to just not allowing them.

Skill is only one part of it. The other is having parts, time, and knowledge. And those are open to everyone.

Where you stop is the few theme guidelines and your ability as a creator. If you have the pieces to execute your image, use them. If you have them, chances are someone else can get them too.

(And obviously, I know there are exceptions such as one of a kind masks, but those are almost always metal plated masks).

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I think that the one stipulation should be, as it already is, that you can only use official Lego Pieces. Nothing painted, or cut, or anything. I would add, though, that since the 2015 pieces hadn’t been released yet, those parts should not count as official Lego parts, in the same vein that using a custom-moulded Trans-light blue MoCr in 2015 should count even though such a piece was going to be released next year. Prototype pieces that aren’t on sets should also not be allowed

That said, I’d also like to point out that Makuta Akutahn was a very good MOC by a very good Moccist, and if she (it was a she who made that right) hadn’t had those boomerangs and Pauldrons, she could’ve pulled off that thing without them. I’m sure no one can argue that that Moc won solely because it used 2015 parts. It won by being a good MOC.

~W12~

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Next contest the winner gets a Golden Mask of Control…LEGO be wasting a lot of money on these gold masks instead of actual marketing budget and TV show budget for Bionicle, just saying. Why make happy a small amount of people when you can make happy a large number of people.

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That seems incredibly double-standard. “Lego didn’t release it yet, so it isn’t Lego.” I agree with the first part, but that second part seems incredibly contrived.

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So stealing a set on display at Toy Fair and using parts from that for a contest is okay?
I think we are done here.

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What kind of a logical leap is that? Just how was that implied?

“Well, I’m gonna buy this set here with mone-”
“THERE’S A MAJOR VOLCANIC ERUPTION AND YOU CAUSED IT WITH PLASTIC!”

“Hey buddy, you’ve got a piece I want, and now I’m gonna kill you for it because somehow that has anything to do with piece usage.”

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