Nothing good ever happens when I join this, but maybe this year I’ll learn my lesson
Onwards Future Danny!
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Some people just don’t like that evolution, what someone in a PM called “flickr style” MOCs. Repetition of a specific system piece strung together. It ends up looking inorganic, because how perfectly everything fits.
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Correct. Also:
- I don’t really like how blocky system looks in constraction. You tend to lose more natural curvatures with system.
- I find system to be a “too easy” solution. I intentionally stick to only technic + bar/clip compatible parts, as I enjoy the challenge of pushing purist techniques further.
Granted, I haven’t really moced properly for about 2 years, so there’s some relearning to do.
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Ahem…
What kinds of MOCs do people want to see instead? Generic Toa revamps? I am sorry to say it, but those Flikr style MOCs are probably going to be the only MOCs that are going to get appreciated by people who don’t care about Bionicle or Constraction.
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if this is constraction, then nearly every mech, dragon, or giant ant lego has made is bionicle.
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It was just an example to demonstrate what a proper System-Constraction hybrid MOC looks like. You can make MOCs using Constraction pieces that aren’t characters of creatures, you just need a little bit of creativity.
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The implication here is that BIONICLE builders have to change their style to cater to non-BIONICLE fans, which I disagree with on multiple levels.
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To build on Hawkflight’s comment, who are these people that we’re trying to cater towards? If it’s a constraction contest run by constraction fans, then people are already making their creations towards that audience.
If the audience is just the rest of the Lego communities…Why should anyone care of their approval? On one hand, you can argue the implementation of System into constraction builds proves how they’re compatible. On the other, you can argue that you’re stooping to System and proving this area is incomplete by itself and needs to be saved by System. There are, of course, many other directions you can take it, but why would anyone bother trying to get the appreciation and approval from a group that never will.
And if these people are outside of Lego, if it’s just the average joe looking at things…I’m sorry, but no matter what it is most people would just give it a quick look, maybe say “That’s neat,” and move on. To general people, there is no difference between this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
And this:
Or this:
To anyone on the outside, they’re all the same. If you asked which ones people liked more, sure, they’d probably take the last one. Not because it’s System, not because it’s necessarily better than all the others, but due to it being something familiar. It’s something they can more easily recognize. Giant robots, walkers, mechas, and plenty of things just look foreign and perhaps not as attractive.
We’re constraction, we’re niche. Model building has always been niche, from trains to doll houses to mecha suits. A buildable, purposefully customizable, action figure building system is very niche. So why abandon what makes contraction unique, why abandon its qualities? Just because it uses pieces that originated from a constraction line doesn’t makes it a constraction build after all. There are, or should be, other expectations that result from something being labeled as constraction.
I’m not saying constraction should be kept to only characters or creatures. Yes, more can be done with it and those are fun creations. I’m not saying the Flikr statues are wrong or that no-one should build that way. But if the “future” of the hobby is to abandon everything that makes constraction itself and to just make fancy brittle statues, then why bother making a distinction at all?
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uh
anything by WholesomeGadunka
To be fair, no one’s making Constraction MOCs to attract attention from non Lego fans. You want that, make some real artwork or something, instead of clinging to the bonkles.
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Well, from my perspective, Bio-Cup is an opportunity for people get out of their comfort zone and experiment with new ways of using Constraction parts. Everyone has built a simple Toa revamp at some point (even the MOCists who currently only focus on “brittle Flikr statues”) , and for the most part, constraction MOCing always stays the same. But during Bio-Cup, interesting new themes are given besides the “robots” and “mecha” we are so used to building, and this often leads to some of the most creative builds ever seen.
I am in no way suggesting people should abandon building the classic robots, Toa, Mechs, and that kinds of stuff, but there is nothing wrong with trying out something new at least once a year.
If it weren’t for Bio-Cup, we would have never gotten to see MOCs like this:
MOCs like this are obviously not what people would traditionally define as a “Constraction” MOC yet it is still made up of 90% Constraction pieces.
I, for one, really enjoy seeing stuff like this.
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The Bio-Cup themes are generic prompts as far as I’m concerned. What people interpret with them has little to do with Bio-Cup or the themes themselves. Outside of past winners and what the judges typically build as attempts to coerce builders into certain directions rather than let the ideas come naturally.
You could tell someone that the entirety of Bonicle’s 2007 sets were based on a prompt for underwater or even scuba and most be none the wiser. You can easily get more varied and interesting prompts from Lego Ideas’ Activities*. Just because the prompt is given doesn’t mean a builder will take it in unusual places. Some of us do, some don’t, but creativity in concept and design rarely wins.
And as someone who has been around for a long time in the constraction world, yes, some of the MOCs have stagnated. That’s what happens when new parts have stopped existing, certain standards have been enforced, and plenty being interested in making simple characters for their worlds. But there still is plenty that can be done in it and I still see plenty of minute advancements to the form. But if we condemn an entire scene for a period of stagnation, then why Ninjago, City, or Star Wars can still exist is beyond comprehension. I guess minor improvements are worthless.
As for the bust, yes, I wouldn’t call it a constraction MOC, it’s a bust that uses constraction parts. Just as there are busts built from System, Technic, Duplo, and so forth. So if one must argue anything, it’s that Bio-Cup needs a rebranding. It’s not about Bionicle, it’s not about constraction, it’s just about using constraction pieces. Which is fine, but it’s not a message that’s clearly delivered to many.
Though as a tangent, I’ve actually never built a Toa revamp. I find the sets to be fine as is and don’t alter them. So building set revamps isn’t typically my thing, nor is humanoids. I prefer trying to make some wackier builds, but characters in stories oft demand they be humanoids for marketing. So I have plenty of the more mundane builds to meet such requirements, but I’ll build bed monsters every chance I get. I do like seeing others do weird or unique stuff, but I wouldn’t define it as constraction. Just because you can make a building out of Gundam parts doesn’t suddenly make it a Gundam. It’s just a building built using unusual methods.
*For those who aren’t aware, Lego Ideas has three different sections on its site. There’s the typical Product Ideas, Contests, and then Activities. They’re little building prompts, usually about a week or two long, and are there just for the sake of fun. No winners, no prizes, just to get the creative juices flowing, it’s great.
The problem is, simply calling it “Bio-Cup” just roles off the tongue a lot easier that say, “Constraction-Cup”. There is no other way you could rebrand it that would still sound good in my opinion.
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maybe ‘con-cup’?
maybe ‘bio-cup’?
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nah that’s boring
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@GoodGuy2006 @T4k4nuv4: there is no invite, its open to everyone! Even if you do not advance its an awesome opportunity to improve your building skills and meet people! There are plenty of prizes floating around too.
@Atobe_Brick The theme for the preliminary round will be revealed tomorrow.
@Winger @Kraata @TheCobaltCorsair as @ajtazt said, the contest is usually a great source of inspiration and an opportunity to discover / meet new people. A lot of people enter for the fun of it too, not necessarily the prizes.
Those 2011-2014 contests were all flaming hot messes and you know it lol. Past judges and plenty of competitors (including myself) have complained on many occasions about the restrictiveness and how bad the themes were. The contest’s peak was 2011, and each following year saw lower turnout and interest.
I understand that some of the themes we have may be too non-standard for what some Bionicle builders usually do, but that’s kinda the point. The themes are intended to push people’s creativity and build stuff they usually wouldn’t. It’s not for everyone, and thats ok. Not everyone has to enter!
Yeaaaaah this is wrong. All the themes for the contest intentionally have “Easy” outs for interpretation, and all those entries get docked points by the judges. We do this on purpose so people can always have a chance to build something, but it is up to them to push the boundaries. The more creative the better received the build is. The only times creativity doesn’t win is if the competitor just executed their concept much better.
So you could theoretically build a constraction moc that uses non-constraction pieces? Busts/Display Pieces like this have existed since the inception of Bionicle and were regularly found in BZPower during the golden era. Some have even won/placed higher contests against stuff you’d probably consider “Actual Bionicle MOCs”
I’ll be honest, maybe I’m biased, but a vast majority of people really just want to build cool MOCs using constraction pieces, and they’ll call them Bionicle MOCs. Idk why a few people want to tell them what they’re making is not a Bionicle MOC. Like, you said, who cares what anyone thinks? We are purposefully fluid with the interpretation so it allows everyone to participate and test the limits of their creativity.
Is it perfect? Probably not. But I am incredibly proud of the good its done and how it serves as a platform to showcase and foster building talent.
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I guess my thought on what is or is not a Bionicle MOC is if a theme coordinator at a convention would tell me to move my build from the Mech/sci-fi/whatever section to the Bionicle section.
For most AFOLs if a moc uses like 5-6 CCBS/Bionicle pieces it’s essentially a bionicle MOC, right or wrong.
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yeeeesssss!!!
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imo, it depends on the ratio between ccbs/bionicle and non-ccbs/bionicle pieces.
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Fair enough, if it’s a giant spaceship with a few bonko parts then yea they wouldn’t.
It’s also interesting to me to see people complaining that the themes aren’t “Bionicle” enough. A majority of the BZP BBCC’s back in the day never used “Bionicle” themes.
If you want a Bionicle-themed contest, TTV is running this swell canonization contest series. The Bio-Cup is more a Bionicle-system (which includes CCBS as it was an evolution from the original system and was what G2 used) contest.
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