Honestly, I don’t know it. I was just a teen back then, all I know is that sometimes life got in the way of judges and contestants, and sometimes mocpages crashed. At the time of Bio Cup 2011 happening, I had only been a mocer for under 4 years, which, suffice to say, meant that my skills and parts collection were average at best, and I wasn’t too comfortable trying new types of builds (for lack of experience as well as lack of parts), and this was true for a large portion of bio-mocers, since most of us were still teens at best. As such I found the contest, the themes and sub-themes an excellent nudge to try something different, as they were more additive to my skillset by introducing new concepts to familiar things, rather than asking me to toss everything I know out the window. It’s easier to expand what you know than to try adopting a new style.
This a bit personal, but screw it.
I’m not even sure I’m trying to say, it’s 4am and I’m sleepy… Perhaps I’m just frustrated that a contest I liked doesn’t feel familiar anymore. Maybe I’m just trying to come to terms with that. It was approachable once, that was one of its best features for amateurs like me at the time, and I wish that I could still approach it like I used to now that I’m getting free from the grips of university and a 2-year mocing hiatus, so that I could gently reintroduce myself to the joys of mocing. It doesn’t have that charm in the same sense anymore, because frankly it feels like it expects too much.
5am… I… I think I’m a good bio-mocer, but perhaps I’m most frustrated that I feel… out of place. And I feel even more out place when every constraction moc that ever majorly succeeds in and out of Bio Cup anywhere contradicts my own approach to constraction. And the difference is always system. And I hate the idea that that’s the only solution. I want to be recognized as a purist, but I have no idea where I can achieve that. Bio-Cup used to be that place with it’s 90% technic rule. Now it’s so forgiving towards system, that it’s hard to determine whether some entries are constraction with system or system with constraction.
Well… Maybe if the prelim theme favors, I can test where I stand and whether anything I’ve said holds.
I got slammed for the first moc I posted in a bio-cup so hard that I considered quitting Bionicle all together. Maybe it was just that I was young and wasn’t expecting criticism but it still kinda stung. I was kinda just expecting for the roster to just not include me in the next bracket, but I got a “Here’s everything wrong about your moc and photography” sort of thing too. I like to think that I’ve learned and have gotten better since then, but I still just feel odd about the whole thing.
Just as people have improved as builders, so too have people improved as communicators.
I think most people agree that feedback on what you could improve helps a lot… I think people also would agree that delivery of that message is important.
I can definitely understand how off putting that could be especially if you’re just starting out, which j think the judges have worked on a lot over the last few years. I think having the discord server for the contest helps a lot with that as it opens the communication and allows people to set expectations a bit better, as opposed to getting blasted randomly.
Definitely enter if you can imo! Always great to see how far you’ve come since the last time.
Eh, Bio-Cup has never rolled off the tongue for me. And while this is a personal thing, “Cup” always communicates to me a racing trophy or sport (NASCAR, Mario Kart). I suppose it can be argued in that sense, as the prizes are usually Bionicle or constraction related, that it fits for the name of the trophy. But it is a bit strange to call what is practically an art competition in the same method as a sporting event.
As for a potential rebranding, that also depends on what this competition wants to be and who it’s trying to nab. Obviously for no-one outside Lego communities since the name would make most people think of samples for a doctor’s visit or a biodegradable cup. Just within the Lego fandoms, I’m sure any constraction fellows would pick up on it being Bionicle related, but perhaps not the rest of the areas. Only, as seen in some cases, disappointing Bionicle fans as it’s not what they’re expecting.
Most contest names are obvious as what’s expected from name alone, it shouldn’t need additional explanations. So there is room for improvement, it just depends on the intent of the contest runners for what they want to communicate. And/Or what audience they’re trying to fish in, but that can conflict with clarity as attractive hooks don’t necessarily need to be clear.
I should have been more clear in that sentence. That was more a jab at Lego contests in general, not specifically Bio-Cup.
Yes, you can potentially build a constraction MOC not using typical constraction pieces. Although it’s easier to do in building systems outside of Lego, with all the Mixel and other small balljoint pieces they’ve introduced over the years there are plenty of options within Lego to do so. But even something like the old Star Wars Technic figures I could argue counts as constraction, given intention and build.
If they’re constructible action figures (or action figure adjacent like creatures or some vehicles, etc.), then as long as they can serve the functions of both being constructible and action figure it counts. We could try and parse out the difference between action figure and poseable statue, but I suppose at that point I’ve already lost plenty of Lego constraction fans. Since constraction to Lego is a lot more specific.
As a quick example, 2001 Rahi versus the Lego Forma set. Most would consider the Rahi as part of constraction while others wouldn’t include Forma despite both being largely Technic built creatures. The Forma set is a kinetic fish sculpture and meant more for display while the 2001 Rahi were designed for action, play features, more rough housing, and the like.
As for the BZP contests, I know, I was there. As for what I consider to be a Bionicle MOC, it is only MOCs made with the intention of being in a Bionicle story. They can drift far enough from other things that exist in the Bionicle universe that I wouldn’t consider them to be in the same universe. But just because they use Bionicle parts doesn’t make it a Bionicle MOC, it’s just a build that happens to use Bionicle parts for another purpose.
People can refer to them as Bionicle MOCs for shorthand if they feel like it, I won’t correct them on it. Otherwise you would see me commenting everywhere. And yes, people should be able to build what they like and they don’t necessarily have to care what others think.
However, that was not the context I was addressing. In context, it was the heavily implied indication that constraction builders have to leave an entire style or system to get respect by an unspecified audience. The “Flickr style” is one direction, but not the direction forward for the medium. I don’t think it can be claimed that there is one road forward for it.
But for a good portion of Lego constraction fans, there is a specific vision of what it is and is not. So for a contest around it, it either needs to meet those expectations or communicate more effectively what it’s for.
So, I watched the most recent BIS episode about the theme, and I was inspired to build something. Whether I enter it into the bio-cup or not is another story, as I would need to make a Flickr account and try and figure out how to work the site and whatnot, but hey, it might happen. Thanks to @ajtazt and @LordOblivion for helping to inspire mess well.
Oh man I feel your pain just started mine last night and restarted this morning and just finished now.I made the desolator it’s looks like a mobile turret.
Good luck on your moc hope you finish soon I believe the deadline is sometime tomorrow.
