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Subject: 
Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general, lugnet.space, lugnet.storage
Followup-To: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Mon, 18 Nov 2002 23:48:40 GMT
Highlighted: 
!! (details)
Viewed: 
4364 times
  

I've always loved the idea of building something from a limited supply of
parts.  Over a year ago I bought a decent sized Plano tackle box.  I filled
this with parts for weekend car trips where I knew I would get bored or have
free time:

http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=7169
57

Yesterday my girlfriend was showing me some tiny cases that she keeps some
of her jewelry in.  This made me think that it would be cool to use
something like this for LEGO.  That night I bought a little double sided
Plano tackle box (3414) at walmart.

This is the end result:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory00.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory01.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory02.jpg

This thing is tiny.  It's a bit bigger than my digital camera.  I filled it
with as many small bot-making parts that I could think of.  I like to think
of it as an emergency building kit.  Something you could put in your
backpack or throw in the glovebox for a road trip.

I'm gonna mess with the contents of the box for a while to try and get the
optimal mix of parts in it.
Here are 3 more pics of the first 3 bots I made:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot10.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot11.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot12.jpg

I chose to make 3 small bots (I figure I can make many more with the parts
left over) but you could also use the case to make larger bots with more
parts.  Also with just a little modification I bet you could set this up to
make microfig ships.  Or how bout a slightly larger case for micro-moonbase
construction?

Tell me what you think. :-)

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

   
         
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 01:36:34 GMT
Viewed: 
986 times
  

I think this is an excellent turn for Lego as a hobby for a couple reasons.

1. Limited pieces, unlimited combinations.  As you've mentioned, this is
really a cornerstone of the Brick.  As kids, we all had limitations as to
the supply of elements, but I would argue that some of our best builds were
working in those confines.  It pushes your imagination and ingenuity to its
fullest potentional.

2.  Travel value.  For a kid living between two households and constantly in
transit, this was the difference between a good toy and a bad one.  If it
was portable, it was at the top of my list.  For years, my favorite set was
the Mineral Detector rover.  Wheels, dishes, some clear elements, fig and
gun with some bricks.  Perfect.

I see this as a modern take on those themes....and it's great stuff.
Considering the Star Wars mini line coming out 2003, these portable
playscapes would translate nicely to that theme as well.

As always, dig your 'bots.  Tried my hand at my own in my last post....more
details to come.

This could be a fun 'Fest event.  Everyone comes with their own Plano filled
with choice parts such as these.  Once gathered, everyone passes their kit
to the person beside them, then a build session.

Voila....Pass The Plano.


Cheers,
-G




In lugnet.general, Jon Palmer writes:
I've always loved the idea of building something from a limited supply of
parts.  Over a year ago I bought a decent sized Plano tackle box.  I filled
this with parts for weekend car trips where I knew I would get bored or have
free time:

http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=7169
57

Yesterday my girlfriend was showing me some tiny cases that she keeps some
of her jewelry in.  This made me think that it would be cool to use
something like this for LEGO.  That night I bought a little double sided
Plano tackle box (3414) at walmart.

This is the end result:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory00.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory01.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory02.jpg

This thing is tiny.  It's a bit bigger than my digital camera.  I filled it
with as many small bot-making parts that I could think of.  I like to think
of it as an emergency building kit.  Something you could put in your
backpack or throw in the glovebox for a road trip.

I'm gonna mess with the contents of the box for a while to try and get the
optimal mix of parts in it.
Here are 3 more pics of the first 3 bots I made:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot10.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot11.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot12.jpg

I chose to make 3 small bots (I figure I can make many more with the parts
left over) but you could also use the case to make larger bots with more
parts.  Also with just a little modification I bet you could set this up to
make microfig ships.  Or how bout a slightly larger case for micro-moonbase
construction?

Tell me what you think. :-)

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

    
          
      
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 14:45:48 GMT
Viewed: 
994 times
  

Hmmmm... I smell a new event for Brickfest.

MiniMOC building session.  Build a droid, build a miniship, build a probe
(HEY, watch were you put that!), build a critter, etc.  Very Cool.
Participants bring a small box o' bits and be willing to share.

Hey Jon... um if your girlfriend lets you take Lego on trips and vacations
and such.... DUDE!  Marry this woman.  ;-)

Chris <><

     
           
      
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:23:51 GMT
Viewed: 
998 times
  

"Chris Giddens" <cgidd1@aol.com> wrote in message
news:H5tvoC.Htn@lugnet.com...
Hmmmm... I smell a new event for Brickfest.

MiniMOC building session.  Build a droid, build a miniship, build a probe
(HEY, watch were you put that!), build a critter, etc.  Very Cool.
Participants bring a small box o' bits and be willing to share.

Another supporter!  Sweet.

Hey Jon... um if your girlfriend lets you take Lego on trips and vacations
and such.... DUDE!  Marry this woman.  ;-)

Give me time man, I've only had 6 years with her so far, need to make sure
she's the one. ;-)

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

    
          
      
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:21:49 GMT
Viewed: 
978 times
  

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gil Shaw" <NIXtoradochSPAM@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: lugnet.space
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2002 7:36 PM
Subject: Re: Portable Bot Factory


I think this is an excellent turn for Lego as a hobby for a couple • reasons.

1. Limited pieces, unlimited combinations.  As you've mentioned, this is
really a cornerstone of the Brick.  As kids, we all had limitations as to
the supply of elements, but I would argue that some of our best builds • were
working in those confines.  It pushes your imagination and ingenuity to • its
fullest potentional.

Totally.  When working with a small assortment of parts you absolutely
*must* use pieces in new and weird ways.  I had the liberty of selecting the
parts that went into this, but I immidiatly felt the restrictions of what I
had chosen.  Best way to learn new building techniques IMO.  Like a crash
course of sorts.

2.  Travel value.  For a kid living between two households and constantly • in
transit, this was the difference between a good toy and a bad one.  If it
was portable, it was at the top of my list.  For years, my favorite set • was
the Mineral Detector rover.  Wheels, dishes, some clear elements, fig and
gun with some bricks.  Perfect.

Great story.  Really takes me back.

I see this as a modern take on those themes....and it's great stuff.
Considering the Star Wars mini line coming out 2003, these portable
playscapes would translate nicely to that theme as well.

As always, dig your 'bots.  Tried my hand at my own in my last • post....more
details to come.

Thanks!  I saw the little radar dude.  Looking good.

This could be a fun 'Fest event.  Everyone comes with their own Plano • filled
with choice parts such as these.  Once gathered, everyone passes their kit
to the person beside them, then a build session.

That is an AWESOME idea!  Seriously.  Super easy to do too.  Only
requirement is that everyone's kit is the same model, maybe a slightly
larger plano case.  It would be great to see what other people made with
your parts.

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

     
           
      
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Thu, 21 Nov 2002 21:29:42 GMT
Viewed: 
1397 times
  

In lugnet.space, Jon Palmer writes:

This could be a fun 'Fest event.  Everyone comes with their own Plano filled
with choice parts such as these.  Once gathered, everyone passes their kit
to the person beside them, then a build session.

That is an AWESOME idea!  Seriously.  Super easy to do too.  Only
requirement is that everyone's kit is the same model, maybe a slightly
larger plano case.  It would be great to see what other people made with
your parts.

Hmmmm ... how hard would it be to come up with a game system based around these
portable cases?  Each case would be limited to a given number of *pieces*, but
each person could use whatever pieces they so desired.  Then a person builds a
robot of some sort, or a vehicle, or whatever, and uses it to combat the other
persons.  On each turn, you could use your remaining pieces to build another
robot (or ship ...) in response to the other persons' forces ...

One of the greatest elements of some games is the preparation and the
personalization.  Brikwars is great ni that respect - I love spending hours
perfecting my troops.  Way back in college, that was one of the most intriguing
elements of Magic: the Gathering.  Same resources (essentially) available to
all, but SO VERY DIFFERENT in the strategies, themes, and executions.  Now, can
something similar be designed for a portable bot factory?  A set of rules for
play, whereby two people go head-to-head, and can play new 'bots, or upgrade
existing ones.  Different people would obviously have different strategies - I
might go for more buzzsaws and drills, while my opponent uses oilcans and a
flamethrower.

There would have to be some standardization of parts, though, and what their
capabilities were.  Drills, saws, little guns, cameras, hover engines, treads,
and so and and so forth would all need to fit in the same contextual layout.
But what each user puts in their case could be completely individualized, and
furthermore how they are used in play would add another element of variation.
Massive robots, strong but few in numbers?  Little robots, swarming in great
groups?

I'd love to see someone (or the group as a whole) develop something along these
lines.  How fun would it be to play this at a 'fest, or a LUG meeting?

I'm rambling.

In any case, great work Jon.  These look amazing, and I keep bonking my hand on
the monitor as I try to reach in and grab them.  As someone who cannot help
but fidget and keep busy while on the phone, they look especially appealing to
me; I'd much rather absent-mindedly build while talking on the phone, instead
of pacing from one end of the house to the other.  One by each phone ...
mmmmmm.

-s

     
           
      
Subject: 
The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Fri, 22 Nov 2002 10:42:46 GMT
Viewed: 
1542 times
  

Hmmmm ... how hard would it be to come up with a game system based around these
portable cases?  Each case would be limited to a given number of *pieces*, but
each person could use whatever pieces they so desired.  Then a person builds a
robot of some sort, or a vehicle, or whatever, and uses it to combat the other
persons.  On each turn, you could use your remaining pieces to build another
robot (or ship ...) in response to the other persons' forces ...
One of the greatest elements of some games is the preparation and the
personalization.  Brikwars is great ni that respect - I love spending hours
perfecting my troops.  Way back in college, that was one of the most intriguing
elements of Magic: the Gathering.  Same resources (essentially) available to
all, but SO VERY DIFFERENT in the strategies, themes, and executions.  Now, can
something similar be designed for a portable bot factory?  A set of rules for
play, whereby two people go head-to-head, and can play new 'bots, or upgrade
existing ones.  Different people would obviously have different strategies - I
might go for more buzzsaws and drills, while my opponent uses oilcans and a
flamethrower.

There would have to be some standardization of parts, though, and what their
capabilities were.  Drills, saws, little guns, cameras, hover engines, treads,
and so and and so forth would all need to fit in the same contextual layout.
But what each user puts in their case could be completely individualized, and
furthermore how they are used in play would add another element of variation.
Massive robots, strong but few in numbers?  Little robots, swarming in great
groups?

I'd love to see someone (or the group as a whole) develop something along these
lines.  How fun would it be to play this at a 'fest, or a LUG meeting?


A great idea.

A quick hello first - I am a long time lurker, first time poster. My name is
James and I am a legoholic! I live in Reading in the UK. I have yet to post
any pictures, but hope to. Soon. I promise....

I emerged from my "Dark Age" after discovering Brikwars, but I think a true
Lego game should be primarily about building rather than just using Lego as
playing pieces.

I think Lego is a great medium for gaming - it is all about infinite
possibilities from simple components. Its like Go - only a few rules, but
inifinite depth.

With lego you have both colour and shape to work with. Probably TOO many
shapes to define function for each of them, even if you only consider the
small parts, so I would think you would need to limit the game to specific
parts, or group them by type.

A "traditional" wargame would probably require terrain for the battles to be
interesting, which would negate the portability of the game. I think
therefore an abstract battle (much like Magic) would be a better idea.

Possible powers:
Wheels/legs/other motive devices: Manuevering/agility - change the range of
combat, avoid attacks
Weapons: blow stuff up ;) Chainsaws, hammers and so on would only work at
close range, guns at medium, Big Guns and missiles at long
Shields/armour: prevent or redirect damage
Repair systems
Wings/jump packs: allow flight to avoid combat/drop bombs or whatever

Colours could be used to determine the type of attack - e.g a white gun
would be an ice weapon, and would be blocked by a fire shield (red). Some
simple, easy to remember hierarchies should be used - fire melts ice, ice
freezes water, water puts out fire, that sort of thing. Like
scissors-paper-stone.

The game would be best if it were simple enough not to require a rulebook
once you had learned the rules. The kit could probably contain a die, but
some other method of random determination might be preferable.**

Just typing out ideas as they come to me at the moment. What do you think?

James

P.S. I am also working on a Lego game based on Steve Jackson's Car Wars,
working title "Burning Plastic". Watch this space...

** You can simulate an "n" sided die roll with a 1xn plate or brick. One
player secretly places a 1x1 piece on the brick somewhere, then the other
person chooses a number between 1 and n. The brick is then revealed and the
person counts along the studs from the marked place, "wrapping round" if he
reaches the end. However many studs along it lands it the die roll. Hope
this makes sense:

       =   <Marker piece
====== <1x6 block     Player A places the marker piece on position 4

Player B chooses 3

3     =12
====== The brick is revealed and 3 places are counted from the marker

The result is 1.

     
           
       
Subject: 
Re: The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Fri, 22 Nov 2002 11:00:47 GMT
Viewed: 
1563 times
  

Hmmm, of course you could go for the idea of everyone builds one unit at the
start, stats it up and then you place your case (with it's remaining pieces)
on the board. You own this case. Each turn you can take 1D6 pieces from each
case you own and start building new units with them. You can also capture
other players cases.

I like the idea of different colours representing different types of attacks
too, although getting hold of certain weapons in certain colours would be
tricky :)

    Steve

      
            
       
Subject: 
Re: The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Fri, 22 Nov 2002 11:19:03 GMT
Viewed: 
1599 times
  

In lugnet.space, Steve Burge writes:
Hmmm, of course you could go for the idea of everyone builds one unit at the
start, stats it up and then you place your case (with it's remaining pieces)
on the board. You own this case. Each turn you can take 1D6 pieces from each
case you own and start building new units with them. You can also capture
other players cases.

Yes - I like this idea - equivalent to your deck in a CCG. Capturing pieces
might be a problem as it would be tough to remember exactly who owned what.

Your case could represent your base, or the remaining parts could be built
into a base. Instead of attacking other bots, you could directly attack the
base (perhaps you would first need to outmaneouvre the defending bots). If
you hit the base they lose pieces from it, and they are out of the game if
they run out. This would create an interesting game dynamic - if you spend
too many resources on bots, your base will be weak.

I like the idea of different colours representing different types of attacks
too, although getting hold of certain weapons in certain colours would be
tricky :)

True. This highlights one of the problems a lot of people have with CCGs -
the better cards are harder to get hold of, and give an unfair advantage to
those who spend more money. If the parts were grouped this would be less of
a problem if e.g. any sticky out part could represent a gun. I can see
problems with certain parts though, like chainsaw blades - I've only ever
seen them in grey and trans orange.

It would be good if the game could extend easily to multiple players. Games
to me are about socialising as much as anything else.

James

      
            
       
Subject: 
Re: The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Fri, 22 Nov 2002 17:50:46 GMT
Viewed: 
1654 times
  

Yes - I like this idea - equivalent to your deck in a CCG. Capturing pieces
might be a problem as it would be tough to remember exactly who owned what.

    Yeah, unless you introduced a ruling that a unit can only be built from
pieces from a specific base - you could have a staging area by the base
where your unit sits while it is being constructed. That way all you have to
do is mark which unit was built with whose pieces. I keep forgetting about
the piece mix-up problems in lego-based games as I'm the only one in my
gaming community who owns a large amount of lego, so I'm usually the
supplier of all bits for games (Hence my large pirate collection...)

    Which means you could also introduce the ruling that only one unit can
be produced at a time from a base but you can scrap a unit currently under
construction and just put the pieces back in the base (or maybe just 1/2 of
them... hehehe...)

Your case could represent your base, or the remaining parts could be built
into a base. Instead of attacking other bots, you could directly attack the
base (perhaps you would first need to outmaneouvre the defending bots). If
you hit the base they lose pieces from it, and they are out of the game if
they run out. This would create an interesting game dynamic - if you spend
too many resources on bots, your base will be weak.

    Ooh, I also like this one too. It's a nice way of giving a base 'hit
points' too. Maybe you could just put the pieces removed to one side and
then once it has no pieces left you have captured the base and get those
pieces back in order to build with.

True. This highlights one of the problems a lot of people have with CCGs -
the better cards are harder to get hold of, and give an unfair advantage to
those who spend more money. If the parts were grouped this would be less of
a problem if e.g. any sticky out part could represent a gun. I can see
problems with certain parts though, like chainsaw blades - I've only ever
seen them in grey and trans orange.

    Yeah that would be a problem.

It would be good if the game could extend easily to multiple players. Games
to me are about socialising as much as anything else.

    Definitely. One of the thing that really annoys me about most CCGs is
that you can only have two players. If we go with base capturing, then lots
of players will be best although you will probably have to add Neutral Bases
to make it up to a number divisible by two (So that when it gets down to two
players, one player won't have too large an advantage over the other).
Having a minimum number of bases (like 4) would be good, or else two player
games will just become capture-the-other-guy's-base games.

    Steve

      
            
       
Subject: 
Re: The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Sat, 23 Nov 2002 00:41:35 GMT
Viewed: 
1701 times
  

In lugnet.space, Steve Burge writes:
One of the thing that really annoys me about most CCGs is
that you can only have two players

     Steve, that's not true.  Most rules are indeed set up in the
"two-player" frame of mind, as was M:TG, but this is where creativity comes
in.  We used to play Magic with tables full of people, sometimes in a
pattern (you could only attack those to either side), sometimes free-f'rall.
Some of our best times were like that.  We also had 1 on 1 tourneys
together, with the "all-of-us" game being the tourney itself.
     You're only limited, as with playing with Lego bricks, to your
imagination.  A game using Lego pieces could be just as creative, and should
be just as infinitely different for each of us, as is a really good CCG,
which I think makes a great model for a game of this sort.

Peace and Long Life,
Tony Alexander

      
            
       
Subject: 
The game name game
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Sat, 23 Nov 2002 15:14:40 GMT
Viewed: 
2046 times
  

Every game needs a good working title, so considering the thread which
started this off, how about the Portable Patented Plastic Building Brick Bot
game? P3B3 for short?

James

     
           
      
Subject: 
Re: The Portable Lego Game (was Re: Portable Bot Factory)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space, lugnet.gaming
Date: 
Sat, 23 Nov 2002 05:30:03 GMT
Viewed: 
1482 times
  

In lugnet.space, James Casey writes:
A "traditional" wargame would probably require terrain for the battles to be
interesting, which would negate the portability of the game. I think
therefore an abstract battle (much like Magic) would be a better idea.


If you like the idea of a "traditional wargame", you may
wish to try out my new lego RPG. However, it's only
castle related to a sense, however, could still work
for space if one were to augment it further.

http://www.lugnet.com/~1112/DraKen

Possible powers:
Wheels/legs/other motive devices: Manuevering/agility - change the range of
combat, avoid attacks
Weapons: blow stuff up ;) Chainsaws, hammers and so on would only work at
close range, guns at medium, Big Guns and missiles at long
Shields/armour: prevent or redirect damage
Repair systems
Wings/jump packs: allow flight to avoid combat/drop bombs or whatever

Colours could be used to determine the type of attack - e.g a white gun
would be an ice weapon, and would be blocked by a fire shield (red). Some
simple, easy to remember hierarchies should be used - fire melts ice, ice
freezes water, water puts out fire, that sort of thing. Like
scissors-paper-stone.

Yeah, added the environmental concepts as well...the rpg
layout page mostly spells out phenonema of that respective
type.

The game would be best if it were simple enough not to require a rulebook
once you had learned the rules. The kit could probably contain a die, but
some other method of random determination might be preferable.**


Unfortunately, this might not be possibly, unless you were
cognizant to memorize the rules easily (they aren't that
long, mostly explanation.) Other than that, you would need
occasional reference to character values (I use character
cards as a template to keep track of health, etc.)

<<_Matt Hein_>>
Fellow lego enthusiast

    
          
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Wed, 20 Nov 2002 19:21:28 GMT
Viewed: 
877 times
  

I love the portable bot factory. That's a really cool idea.

Not to mention for kids, but also for the workplace environment
(I work at Caltech, so something like LEGOs would fly very well :),
so you can use it for contests (like Brickfest was mentioned earlier),
and for those pesky team-building activities that management loves
to put on. :)

-Anne

This one time, Gil Shaw wrote:
I think this is an excellent turn for Lego as a hobby for a couple reasons.

1. Limited pieces, unlimited combinations.  As you've mentioned, this is
really a cornerstone of the Brick.  As kids, we all had limitations as to
the supply of elements, but I would argue that some of our best builds were
working in those confines.  It pushes your imagination and ingenuity to its
fullest potentional.

2.  Travel value.  For a kid living between two households and constantly in
transit, this was the difference between a good toy and a bad one.  If it
was portable, it was at the top of my list.  For years, my favorite set was
the Mineral Detector rover.  Wheels, dishes, some clear elements, fig and
gun with some bricks.  Perfect.

I see this as a modern take on those themes....and it's great stuff.
Considering the Star Wars mini line coming out 2003, these portable
playscapes would translate nicely to that theme as well.

As always, dig your 'bots.  Tried my hand at my own in my last post....more
details to come.

This could be a fun 'Fest event.  Everyone comes with their own Plano filled
with choice parts such as these.  Once gathered, everyone passes their kit
to the person beside them, then a build session.

Voila....Pass The Plano.


Cheers,
-G




In lugnet.general, Jon Palmer writes:
I've always loved the idea of building something from a limited supply of
parts.  Over a year ago I bought a decent sized Plano tackle box.  I filled
this with parts for weekend car trips where I knew I would get bored or have
free time:

http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=7169
57

Yesterday my girlfriend was showing me some tiny cases that she keeps some
of her jewelry in.  This made me think that it would be cool to use
something like this for LEGO.  That night I bought a little double sided
Plano tackle box (3414) at walmart.

This is the end result:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory00.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory01.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory02.jpg

This thing is tiny.  It's a bit bigger than my digital camera.  I filled it
with as many small bot-making parts that I could think of.  I like to think
of it as an emergency building kit.  Something you could put in your
backpack or throw in the glovebox for a road trip.

I'm gonna mess with the contents of the box for a while to try and get the
optimal mix of parts in it.
Here are 3 more pics of the first 3 bots I made:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot10.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot11.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot12.jpg

I chose to make 3 small bots (I figure I can make many more with the parts
left over) but you could also use the case to make larger bots with more
parts.  Also with just a little modification I bet you could set this up to
make microfig ships.  Or how bout a slightly larger case for micro-moonbase
construction?

Tell me what you think. :-)

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

--
Conformity: Proudly           (\`--/') _ _______ .-r-.
serving painfully boring       >.~.\ `` ` `,`,`. ,'_'~`.
people since time began.      (v_," ; `,-\ ; : ; \/,-~) \
stripes at tigerlair dot com   `--'_..),-/ ' ' '_.>-' )`.`.__.')
stripes at brickbox dot com   ((,((,__..'~~~~~~((,__..'  `-..-'fL

   
         
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 06:18:53 GMT
Viewed: 
965 times
  

In lugnet.general, Jon Palmer writes:
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory00.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory01.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory02.jpg

This thing is tiny.  It's a bit bigger than my digital camera.  I filled it
with as many small bot-making parts that I could think of.  I like to think
of it as an emergency building kit.  Something you could put in your
backpack or throw in the glovebox for a road trip.
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot10.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot11.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot12.jpg

I chose to make 3 small bots (I figure I can make many more with the parts
left over) but you could also use the case to make larger bots with more
parts.  Also with just a little modification I bet you could set this up to
make microfig ships.  Or how bout a slightly larger case for micro-moonbase
construction?

Tell me what you think. :-)

-Jon

  Interesting..most very interesting.  The idea of a portable Lego part
source specifically for making stuff like that is very appealing.  I think a
slightly larger box might work better, though, as it could carry more parts
in more colors..

    
          
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 17:26:47 GMT
Viewed: 
996 times
  

"Jonathan Mizner" <ltwjanson@aol.com> wrote in message
news:H5t87H.FLu@lugnet.com...

  Interesting..most very interesting.  The idea of a portable Lego part
source specifically for making stuff like that is very appealing.  I think • a
slightly larger box might work better, though, as it could carry more • parts
in more colors..

Thanks man.  But I don't really think that a larger box would necessarily be
*better*, just a different building experience.  I specifically bought the
smallest case I could for this (with the most compartments) to see just how
much I could cram into it.  An experiment with a micro-collection.

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

    
          
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Tue, 19 Nov 2002 23:19:17 GMT
Viewed: 
960 times
  

In lugnet.space, Jon Palmer writes:
Thanks man.  But I don't really think that a larger box would necessarily be
*better*, just a different building experience.  I specifically bought the
smallest case I could for this (with the most compartments) to see just how
much I could cram into it.  An experiment with a micro-collection.

-Jon

Hmmmmmmmm....

*me roots around on floor of computer room*


*me comes up with two of said Plano mini-storage-containers*

Intriguing..

   
         
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Thu, 21 Nov 2002 21:46:40 GMT
Viewed: 
903 times
  

First I have to say I'm a castle fan. -now I'm going to have to admit to
lurking in space- and I've been fooling around with these for a while... I
normaly stuff them with various plant pieces and once I've finished a
mountain or hill brickwise I give it a once over from my specialty pieces
box. Also they make great armour and weapon holders. But lately I've been
using them to buil guns for the figs (from realistic to space) this works
perty well to, with some tool sets binos and cameras... even a few megaphones...

   Just a comment,

         God Bless,

              Nathan

In lugnet.general, Jon Palmer writes:
I've always loved the idea of building something from a limited supply of
parts.  Over a year ago I bought a decent sized Plano tackle box.  I filled
this with parts for weekend car trips where I knew I would get bored or have
free time:

http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=7169
57

Yesterday my girlfriend was showing me some tiny cases that she keeps some
of her jewelry in.  This made me think that it would be cool to use
something like this for LEGO.  That night I bought a little double sided
Plano tackle box (3414) at walmart.

This is the end result:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory00.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory01.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/factory02.jpg

This thing is tiny.  It's a bit bigger than my digital camera.  I filled it
with as many small bot-making parts that I could think of.  I like to think
of it as an emergency building kit.  Something you could put in your
backpack or throw in the glovebox for a road trip.

I'm gonna mess with the contents of the box for a while to try and get the
optimal mix of parts in it.
Here are 3 more pics of the first 3 bots I made:

http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot10.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot11.jpg
http://www.zemi.net/imageblog/bot12.jpg

I chose to make 3 small bots (I figure I can make many more with the parts
left over) but you could also use the case to make larger bots with more
parts.  Also with just a little modification I bet you could set this up to
make microfig ships.  Or how bout a slightly larger case for micro-moonbase
construction?

Tell me what you think. :-)

-Jon
--
| The Shipyard - http://zemi.net/shipyard
| The Moonbase Project - http://www.classic-space.com/moonbase/start/
| My Lego Creations - http://zemi.net/lego
| Attack of the Bricks - http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p=jpalmer

   
         
     
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Thu, 21 Nov 2002 23:58:27 GMT
Viewed: 
905 times
  

A "Porta-Botty"!!! Love the idea, especially with different theming ideas
like 'bots, ships, and cities!  Ahmoangitmewondemm, mmmmhhhmmm!  Wait'll my
boss sees me playing on my lunch break - this is gonna be cool.

Peace and Long Life,
Tony Alexander

   
         
   
Subject: 
Re: Portable Bot Factory
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Sun, 24 Nov 2002 02:31:33 GMT
Viewed: 
1266 times
  

Jon,
thx for such a cool idea.
this is a potentially great solution
for me since all my lego is now in storage.
I could have a few li'l boxes of cool pieces
and just build bots like my hovercam.
(I do so love them, Sam I am)

-paul


In lugnet.general, Jon Palmer writes:
I've always loved the idea of building something from a limited supply of
parts.  Over a year ago I bought a decent sized Plano tackle box.  I filled
this with parts for weekend car trips where I knew I would get bored or have
free time:

http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=972005&cp=7169
57
<snip>

 

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