User:Ophirmil12/Playstix

Playstix is ​​a popular assembly game produced by the Popular Playthings group for over 20 years. The Playstix game consists of plastic parts with bumps and gaps that allow a stable connection of the parts to each other, but not a fixed connection. Most of the pieces are in the shape of an elongated stick, but there are also pieces with many other shapes. The ability to connect the parts of the game allows the construction of many objects, including cars, planes, merry-go-rounds and more. The built objects can be repeated and disassembled and the game pieces can be used to build other objects. The game is popular among both children and adults.

Pieces
The parts of the game can be divided into three categories:


 * Generic parts - sticks with protrusions and gaps that can fit into each other vertically. The length of a generic part ranges from one unit (yellow part) and increases in jumps of two units up to 13 units (orange part) in the original game version.


 * Machine parts - additional parts that come in the basic kits and are not 'classic' assembly parts, such as sponge wheels, propellers, wings, and other parts that are usually related to transportation.


 * Special parts - in new versions of the construction kits you can find parts that are not generic and are usually intended for the design or the beauty of the model being built, such as curved parts, head and leg parts, transparent parts, large "jumbo" kits, and parts in mixed colors.

Mechanics
According to the game's inventor, Edward Smith, during the development process his little son messed with the design software and accidentally changed the shape of the units of the parts from a spherical shape to a sunken shape. When Smith tested the new shape he discovered to his surprise that the parts fit together more smoothly and later developed the method of 'clicking' the parts.

In the simplest form, the game pieces can be placed on top of each other in a 90 degree rotation so that they fit with each other, but do not connect firmly, meaning that a slight movement of the hand may break the structure. Using the 'click method', several parts can be connected so they remain connected even when the structure is lifted and rotated, regardless of the force of gravity that needed to maintain the stability of the structure uselly.

The click method
Sometimes called the 'snap and lock' method.

In order to connect Playstix to create a click (the origin of the name is the sound created when connecting the last part of the click), there is a required minimum of 7 parts, the length of each of each is at least three units of length. The connection is made by attaching the parts so that in each of the axes there will be a number of Playstix in a division of 4, 2, 1. For example, let's put two parts 5 units long (purple) in the x-axis, between them we will insert a long part 11 units long (green) On the z-axis, we will place on the purple parts two pieces 7 units long (red) on either side of the green part on the y-axis, and finally we will add two purple pieces on the x-axis on both sides of the green part so that a 'click' sound is created that is typical of the clicking method.

The mechanical idea behind the click method is that each of the parts on one of the axes 'locks' the parts on the other two axes, so that a locking circle is created and no part can move from its place. Unlike Playstix, 'classic' Lego parts connect to each other with the help of high friction created by the pressure that the protrusions exert on the gaps in the connection between two parts; Whereas in the Playstix the locking is done by inserting the 'locking part' between three (or more) parts that close the lock. The insertion of the locking part is made possible thanks to the slight elastic flexibility of the parts.

It is possible to connect more than the minimum number of parts in each axis, and additional parts can be connected to those parts using this method, provided that the minimum number of parts in each axis is maintained, and the addition of parts in the x-axis is in multiples the same as the number of parts present in the same axis in the same row to which parts are added, and that the addition of parts These will be accompanied by the addition of a part in the y or z axis respectively.

Structures
Without the click method, the construction capabilities are limited, and usually stop at simple houses or furniture.

Similar to other assembly games, here too the number of options is unlimited. The models presented in the instruction booklet start from a simple motorcycle to cars, trucks, trains, planes and even animals.

You can find more instructions and examples of models on the Internet.

Supports and platforms
In order to assemble more complex models, especially those in which during construction certain parts of the model are in the air before being 'clicked', supports and support platforms are necessary. Simple supports are usually made using two elongated Playstix relative to the size of the model and support it from below. Such supports are often used in the construction of building plates and basic skeletons of complex models or with several parts that will be connected together.

Support platforms in their simple form will often consist of Playstix of similar or identical length that are placed in pairs in the shape of two and one such that they form a small tower that is not 'clicked'. The use of platforms is mostly in models where it is necessary to support several Playstix at the same time, and they are not placed on the surface. More complex platforms, which are intended to support several places, are often useful when building pallets vertically.