Castle Layout at BrickWorld 2008

Discussion and planning of large-scale Castle Themed displays and events
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Crazylegoman
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Castle Layout at BrickWorld 2008

Post by Crazylegoman »

Hello everyone!

I am both happy and excited to once again be the Castle Coordinator for Brickworld.

If you plan on attending Brickworld and will be bringing Castle themed MOC’s for display in the collaborative layout, please remember to click the “Classic Castle City” box when you register on the Brickworld website. Of course, Castle themed MOC’s are not required to be put into the collaborative display. If you’d like your creation to have its own space, be sure to sign up for a MOC table(s) when you register.

This year we’d like to focus on landscaping. Castles and other imposing medieval architecture are the meat and potatoes of a good Castle layout, but too often it’s all connected with almost-bare rows of green baseplates. This summer we have the chance to show the AFOL community (and thousands of public viewers for that matter) that a good Castle layout can become a great Castle layout when it has some nice terrain to connect everything together.

Last year we had a nice section of crops for the agricultural part of the layout. We’d like to expand upon the idea of medieval rural life with some scenic countryside in which our minifigs and their critters can frolic and play. So break out the trees, Forestmen and shrubberies—it’s time to change the Castle layout from a collection of MOC’s to it’s own little world.

Encouraging things to remember when creating landscaping:
• Higher isn’t necessarily better. You can have “rolling plains”.
• An area doesn’t have to be covered with foliage to look nice. Bodies of water, muddy swamps and recently cleared forestland would all look great.
• No one is expected to do it all. If all you can commit to is a frog pond on a 16X16 baseplate, that’s cool.
• Constructing your building on top of elevated terrain often makes it look just that much better than if the same creation were made right on top of a baseplate.

Of course, any castles, medieval towns, CCC walls and the like are still more than welcome. We’ll still need all those grand structures to preside over the lovely landscape! I already know of some nice castles that will be coming to Brickworld this summer.

We will also be having a Castle-themed contest this year. Look for that announcement shortly.

----------------------------------------

Here's some info I have about Brickworld this year:

• Website: http://www.brickworld.us/ (Make sure that you have the "www" in the URL if you type it in. We've had some trouble with people skipping that portion of the URL and getting errors.)

• Date: Thursday, June 19 - Sunday, June 22

• Location: Westin Hotel in Wheeling, Illinois (same as last year)

• Registration cost: $50 ($10 less than last year)

• MOC table size: Each table is 30"X72"

• Hotel room costs: $115 per night (That's half of their going rate. Please be aware that you have to sign up through Brickworld by May 28 to get the special discounted rate.)

• There will be some sort of discount &/or special buys at one of the nearby LEGO stores. (The Brickworld team is still working on how that will all work.)


If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email, PM me or reply here.

David Gregory
Brickworld Castle Coordinator

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Bruce N H
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Post by Bruce N H »

Hey,

I'll sticky this. Have fun at BrickWorld.

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Post by Jansen »

Man, trust me, I'd love to come but Brickfair is more convenient for me since it's closer. I would have definitely brought some landscaped baseplates in. Have fun over there!
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Prince Imdol
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Post by Prince Imdol »

I will make sure to get some good landscaping on a 64 by 64.

Is there only one fortress, or can be bring our own little tower or fortress with our armies guarding it? And still have it in the big table? I think if we cn't get as much landscaping as we would like, we should go for armies to cover up that bare ground.

I would love to participate in castle more than I did last year.


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Crazylegoman
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Post by Crazylegoman »

We can have as many fortresses as people would like. I realize that in real life no one would build a castle within an arrow's shot of another castle, but in the world of LEGO that's just the way it goes sometimes. :wink: Armies to cover up any bare ground would be great!

David
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SavaTheAggie
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Post by SavaTheAggie »

I'll have my big trees with me, along with my winter trees, providing there's some sort of winter themed area.

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Post by Mid Knight »

I am working on a 32x32 landscape as well as 2 CCC wall sections that I will bring. I am also going to bring my Rogues' Fortress. It's not that great, and it's small, but other members of my LUG think I should bring it. You can see it here: http://mocpages.com/moc.php/50995

I am really excited to see that crystal castle in person!

BTW this will be my first BrickWorld, actually first LEGO convention, I am soooo excited!
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Crazylegoman
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Post by Crazylegoman »

SavaTheAggie wrote:I'll have my big trees with me, along with my winter trees, providing there's some sort of winter themed area.
I would imagine that winter trees would look quite nice around Matt's crystal castle.

David
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Prince Imdol
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Post by Prince Imdol »

Crazylegoman wrote:We can have as many fortresses as people would like. I realize that in real life no one would build a castle within an arrow's shot of another castle, but in the world of LEGO that's just the way it goes sometimes. :wink: Armies to cover up any bare ground would be great!

David

The more castles less than a foot away from the other, the better. :D


Really, with Anthony coming, and all these new people, it will be great.

I am going to bring a large large fortress, which I will need some landscaping help to. If anybody wants to offer help to connect with me, I can offer the measurements.

Here is a picture of it.
Here


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Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny"

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Post by Crazylegoman »

The guys in my LUG who are hauling tables wanted to know if I'd have use for any dropped/water tables. IndyLUG has a few "water" tables that are about 6 bricks lower than regular tables that we use for making beaches and the like. I was wondering if there are any BW attendees who could make use of such tables at the show? They would require a small cliff section where the tables meet. If anyone is interested, I can get exact specifications on the tables.

Thanks,
David
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SavaTheAggie
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Post by SavaTheAggie »

The people riding with me up to Brickworld have backed out. My going is now under question, as I'm unsure I can afford the gas to drive up there by myself. I'm staring at $450 in gas. I hope I didn't waste the $50 entrance fee.

If I do manage to go, I've decided not to bring Ulmaris Castle. It's just too big, too much.

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Post by DaleDVM »

That is a shame Ulmaris castle is a great MOC. I would love to see that in person. If I said please... would you bring it? Although it would make my MOCs look silly by comparison. I hope you will be able to share a ride and get up here one way or another.

Wow! $450.00 are you driving a Hummer up here Tony? :wink: That's like getting under 18 mpg on the highway. Ouch...

I am lucky enough to be local here in Chicago so I will definately be there with bells on. I am finishing up a large MOC right now and I will try to get a second done as well. It is good to see many people on here coming to the convention.

I am hoping to get to know some people this year and hopefully if all goes well I can house some out of towners for next years event and cut down costs for them. Or do you miss out on all the fun if you don't stay at the hotel? Of course I can only do this if brickworld is in the chicago area again next year.

I have never built by CCC standards nor even been to a convention before; so maybe I will try to do some landscape work. Do the borders of your landscape have to be at baseplate level so it will interlock seamlessly with other features? Do most people set up figures on their large castle MOCS? Do you reserve space by the table or can you use only half or more than one if your MOC is wider than 30". Am I asking too many questions? Doh that's another question...

I don't know if I will bring my armies. I have about 1800 figs now and although I love them I don't expect people are impressed by sheer volume of figures.

I can't wait to see everyone there.
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Post by Prince Imdol »

I seriously can't wait to get to know even more people that last year. In September, I was thinking, "how come Brickworld is so far away.". And boom, now its here. Wow. Time flys!

I hope I can finish my large Space ship in time. And I really hope I can fit a large castle display into an airplane, and still keep it in on piece.

I will arrive at the hotel on the 17th, and my dad has a buisness meeting on the 18th in the morning, so it works out just fine.

I love the idea about the water tables. But sadly, I don't have enough plates to use one and make a shoreline.

Can't wait to get to know some more people!


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"Sow a thought, reap an action;
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny"

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Post by SavaTheAggie »

DaleDVM wrote:Wow! $450.00 are you driving a Hummer up here Tony? :wink: That's like getting under 18 mpg on the highway. Ouch...
20 mpg, actually. I have a fiberglass bed cover on my F150 that turns the bed into a giant weather-proof trunk. At $4 a gallon and at 20 mpg my gas bill would be nearly $500, not including any gas spent while up there (going to the LEGO store, etc.). For me a round trip is nearly 2,500 miles.

It's all quite depressing.

--Tony
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Post by Prince Imdol »

In this case, how much might air fair cost? It looks like it might be cheaper. I guess about the same amount. $500?


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Thomas C.
"Sow a thought, reap an action;
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny"

"Don't let school interfere with your education."-Huckleberry Finn
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