Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and ideas!
that would be truly impressive, if someone from our community comes up with a new mathematically supported construction method for playmo, like lego.
It would indeed,
Maltese Knight !!!
All I can think of are additional pieces that work like 'bridges' between one system and the other.
The "additional pieces that work like bridges" might be the beginning of a new system,
Maltese Knight.
Thus, we should restrict ourselves on adapter elements to combine both systems, and maybe some inspired new parts.
We need to sketch something like this to bridge between steck and SysX. That would be soo cool!
Maybe it would make sense to think about a new system, extending SysX to something we really love because it combines advantages from both systems?
And, finally, adressing the mathematical model: I think the secret of lego is that they have one basic brick, the classic 2x2 stone, and all other building parts are fractions or multiple of it. you dont need a mathematician to design something like that. SysX is pretty cool in its potential, but there are some universal parts missing. They design e.g. cool roof elements but then cornerstones are missing completely or just available for this one special set. The same for steck. It has been longer on market but e.g. the fourside-wall connector never has been released...
And, "some inspired new parts" might also be the beginning of a new system,
Socrates. You appear to be definitely thinking outside of the box!
I think that a key element to achieve this will be connectors , connectors , connectors . They can provide a type of bridging between these design construction concepts and also a 4 point connect for steck would be an awesome part to have to create better designs with steck ...
With reference to connectors i will give it some serious thought and if i can create anything meaningful in autocad i will inform you Richard ...
I think its great that PM is brainstorming this and its a great opportunity . Consider the toothed connection principle of steck and the standard Lego brick which can be easily upscaled by multiples of the base design .. how can we marry these together ?? I will most certainly meditate on this and play a lot with autocad to try make something useful .... My guess is building blocks for playmobil designs will have to be smaller than e.g the classic steck wall .... 
This is most certainly a great opportunity for us,
Giorginetto! And, maybe we can design a "better building block" !!!
first question that comes to my mind
WHAT are we going to connect
Main question remains
What are we going to connect ?
Great questions,
Macgayver !!! And, I think that some of the members here might just have some of the answers! ...
Isn't there the danger that too many questions are asked at the start and as a result no ideas are put forward and so Playmobil say, "Well, they said they wanted input, we gave them the chance but nothing was put forward." There are great gaps in knowing what they want, and this can be made clear when any proposals are put forward, but at the same time here is an opportunity to put forward what members of the community want. Maybe connectors of the two building systems are not the answer, and this can be explained to Playmobil (good reasons have already been given why this may be the case), and if this is so, then the answer must be something new, maybe drawing on both systems so as to gain the advantages of both and at the same time avoid the disadvantages of both systems, so far as possible.
There's my two pence worth, although I may add more later. But I think the thing to do now is come up with ideas.
Playmofire, you may very well be the voice of wisdom that we will need to make this happen.
Just brainstorming and maybe it's a stupid idea but why not making Sys-x parts with the exact looks of Steck parts? The most resemblant sys-x parts to steck are those from 2004's retired 3268 and 3269 castles, but the designers screwed the designs by integrating the battlements into the basic wall, by making very large parts in general. This option would enlarge building possibilities in the sys-x world. It could be done quite nice, once a building would be constructed it would be hard to see if it were made out of sys-x or steck parts.
Or, why not making steck parts with the exact looks of Sys-x parts? I'm thinking about the fairy tale castle parts, sys-x church parts that could be made with steck parts. This option would enlarge building possibilities in the steck world.
There are no "stupid" ideas,
KenC ... In fact, you may be adding some of the details that could make this a much better system than Lego.
This is an exciting development, Richard! I think the folks who have already commented make many good points and, in the variety of their responses, show that this is a very complex issue.
If I may, I would like to approach this from a different angle: I would ask for a robust, flexible, and user-friendly CAD (computer aided design) program combined with the potential to request discontinued or newly designed parts from Playmobil. Many folks here at Playmofriends and elsewhere have talked about this type of software many times in the past. If we could get this out into the world of Playmobil fans and collectors we would have thousands upon thousands of brains working on designing the parts that they desire. Plus it would be awesomely cool and fun! 
Thank you for remembering this,
Indianna! A CAD design system may very well be something that Playmobil could see that would have great value for the children as well as the collectors.
Gordon is right...we need solutions...while at the same time having the question at the back of our heads...we do not need to express the questions all the time...Just plan...(although planning without questions is not working very well and too much questions is ''setting a brake'' for creative thought)
The floors are a major issue...a child might not need a lot of room but an adult collector might... ]
I am sure that with correct measuring something like that can be designed as more ideas are comming into my head...(more questions coming to my head as well but I try to avoid them for the time being)...
Great thought,
Wolf Knight! As we are thinking about design, it is very important to think about the children. We must never forget that Playmobil is a toy for children. That really always seems to be of great importance to
Mr. Brandstätter.
Good idea!
But what's in it for the mathematical designer 
Who knows,
Arab Warrior? ...
It seems that almost everyone is saying just about the same thing.
"We need to think outside of the box."
Steck and SystemX are both good systems. But, as almost everyone has said, they are limited.
What appears to be needed is a new construction system that will:
1. Be better than Lego
2. Allow children to make simple or complex structures
3. Be a bridge between the existing Steck and SystemX
In summary ... Design a stand alone system that's better than Lego, will allow children to create simple or complex structures and also work with both Steck and SystemX.
If we remember what
Socrates said, "I think the secret of Lego is that they have one basic brick, the classic 2x2 stone, and all other building parts are fractions or multiple of it. You don't need a mathematician to design something like that." Then, it should not be difficult to create a new system for Playmobil!
Please keep thinking. We just may be able to do this !!!
Thanks again and all the best,
Richard
