Mech Madness 2012 Pool Play: Villains

[zhouston]

A friend of mine (Morninglory) is having trouble voting. It apparently just shows a red line with a question mark instead of the check-box. And when they tried to post a comment about it, it didn't show up right away, and so they were worried it might not show up until after the first week of polling. So I commented this for them. For me, the red line only showed up AFTER I voted. Any ideas as to whats going on?


^What are your 'top 3 MOCs'? (If you don't mind my asking)

That happened to me when I first joined the site, I think the mods always review the first post a new user makes to make sure they are legit and not spam or something, after I made my first post I was able to vote in contests.

[Solo]

New account approvals are on hold until the polls are closed.

[Ultron32]

^Aawww...so they can't vote?

[zhouston]

well, I think it is generally frowned upon if someone has their friends and family create accounts just so they can vote for them

[ted @ndes]

well, I think it is generally frowned upon if someone has their friends and family create accounts just so they can vote for them

Too true, plus the problem of people with "Good Intentions" that create bogus accounts to praise their own builds and pad their votes...

[Solo]

It's nice having a specific example of why this policy is in place, although it would have been better if that never happened to begin with.

[Olymprix]

^What are your 'top 3 MOCs'? (If you don't mind my asking)

Hmmm... definitely my Blizzard mech and the Mr. Freeze mech, and then either the Crimson Dynamo mech or the Killer Croc mech. Already voted, but there are some good mechs here, and some hard decisions will be made.

[UOldPirate]

Since we're into the voting portion of this contest, would anyone be willing to share any build secrets? I was curious if anyone had a more durable solution to the joints other than ball joints or the ratcheting joints with the technic pins?

I tried building a skeleton with the Hero Factory pieces and doubling up on them gave me the support and articulation. However, it was bulky and there weren't enough points to attach a mech "skin" on to it. I also had limited success with using technic lift arms, but didn't really have the right selection of technic parts to get the job done. Did anyone come up with anything better than the ball joints?

[crazybirdman]

I definitely should have used click hinges instead of ball joints, but mine had 4 legs so it wasn't so bad.

[captain sambuca]

At the risk of sounding particularly geeky, the revelation for me was how strong the 2x2 plate with vertical technic pin was in combination with a regular 2 x 2 brick. Boy, there is some strength there I can tell you.

I read a thing about happiness by Stefan Sagmeister: He said as a designer, the best sort of project is one where you're completely comfortable and on fire with your stuff with it for 50% of the time, and completely out of your comfort zone and having to try new stuff out for the other 50%. That's pretty much how I felt about this contest. Great stuff.

Anyway: It was a great shame about that "Good Intentions": It was a lovely looking spaceship, so a pity that guy did what he did. It obviously cut deep.

Happy days: can't wait to see what happens next.

[UOldPirate]

@crazybirdman: I wish I could have come up with an idea for more than 2 legs, it would have definitely helped with weight distribution.

@captain sambuca: Don't worry about sounding "geeky". Considering the forum revolves around AFOLs and TFOLs discussing a kids toy, I don't know where normal ends and geeky begins. As far as the 2x2 plate with the technic pin, I assume you're talking about this:


If so, I'll have to try your suggestion.

[itchybreath]

My poor Blizzard mech is doomed, especially if it gets to the brackets...

I wouldn't count yourself out, I tend to vote for the underdogs models. Bigger is not always better.

I agree. Don't lose hope. Underdogs! For the win!!

[etcknight]

Over 700 votes!

[Master Beef]

Very, very interesting results... For those of you that didn't make it, don't be discouraged. you were competing against some insanely experienced builders! Keep on building!

[captain sambuca]

What a great contest FBTB... and congratulations to the two mechs that will make it to first and third place. A shame that it won't be first and second for Juggernaut and Mr Freeze though...as both of them are outstanding! Good work fellas.

Ridiculously gutted that my Penguin mech didn't make the cut: it was a ridiculously tough group though, so I am trying to console myself that even if I had scraped in, I would now be seeded against Atlas...and it's a good bet which way that one would fall! I enjoyed the challenge of building something different.

Great building everyone, and big respect to the builder of the Poison Ivy mech, who deserved at least someone's vote.

It's a good bet that in this contest, the supervillains will defeat the good guys for once.

The laughing of sixteen madmen echoes around the world as the secret crisis draws near.

Yo ho ho builders, yo ho ho.

[jackal76]

I find myself pleasantly surprised to have made the first round, but have no illusions about whether or not I will place. Congrats to all who made the cut!

[Mister Ed]

I'm very, very happy to have made the cut. Seeing my likely opponents in the next round, I'm thinking that this may be as far as it goes, but you never know. Good work everybody. This was a crazy pool, and for those who didn't make it, just realize that picking 5 favorites out of 30 was really tough. For all you know, your mech might well have been everybody's 6th choice.

[Gooker1]

Wonderful wonderful work everyone!! I can't wait to the sweet 16!! Should be an all out mech war!!

[MotionOTheOcean]

It's a good bet that in this contest, the supervillains will defeat the good guys for once.

The laughing of sixteen madmen echoes around the world as the secret crisis draws near.

Yo ho ho builders, yo ho ho.

Speaking for the Heroes here, don't count us out quite yet... There are some pretty good mechs in our side, and just to prove it, our votes were much tighter in spread. I did some statistics on it(sorry I'm a geophysics major), and although we don't have too huge of margins on the top 3 as you guys(possible outliers statistically speaking), we did have more votes per mech representing the top 16 so, statistically speaking heroes have already received more votes... Then again, statistics are what we base our weather on so take that with a grain of salt.

[captain sambuca]

Not counting you heroes out yet: they always have the better luck after all!, just a note that it would be impossible for villains to take both gold and silver.

Well done again to all the thirty two.