To the Future

[tweedermeister]

1. Move spinners into their own bracket in the lower weight classes as it's making it hard for new people to get into the sport and stifling creativity. Your options for a beetle are a spinner or a brick.

I agree with this somewhat, I think it should be split a different way however, with a regular beetle class as it is now and a sportsman style class for trying out different designs and putting restrictions on spinning mass, or rpm to push for more creativity in designs.

[Tashic]

"find some industrial buildings set for demolition"

Could be very TopGear-carnage before the fight has even started. Gimmiky- maybe, but fun to watch

What about robots on a stupidly low budget, no fancy tools and getting parts from your own robots, you have a time limit, and the robots go through a series of challenges

[RogueTwoRobots]

Is it bad that sportsman beetleweights are being touted as a possibility already? I remember a few folk having the idea of building more interesting designs in beetleweights as, with it being a new class, it would take a while to find out what works best and that would allow creative designs to flourish a little, but seems we've reached the high-power spinner v armoured box scenario already. Says me who'll be competing with two BW spinners at the Scottish Kinematic event

[harry hills]

I don't think we have reached that stage at all yet, there's been virtually no legit serious competitions. And it's not like everyone is coming away in pieces every event. If you want interesting stuff, build it and build it strong enough for combat. It is possible to have cake and eat it.

[Niels - Team K.a.L.M.]

The beetles just need an arena that favours all/more weapon types. Like a pit, an oota area and perhaps a drop-off.

[craig_colliass]

Thanks for the input

To answer some points raised.

Champagne glad everyone got some at the feather champs hope it was chilled, next time come with some flutes.

Advice on building robots or getting spares. Good point but I think the FRA should be the ones providing an accessible platform for this a sort of robot building Wikipedia. Are there any volunteers?

The spinners are too spinney, and the flippers are too flippy and the boxes are too well boxy, has been discussed on other threads! The general consensus is the environment needs to change, but the ones that have the advantage with the status quo tend to oppose this, which proves the saying everything is fair in love and robot wars.

For instance.
John did suggest the idea of uneven floors; this was to stop the relentless march of the tin snail flippers. And was buried under adverse comments about this, so had to retract this idea before it was even tried.

Beetle weights are run by Stu with Kinimatic events. Try discussing this with him if it makes the event better for the punters I’m sure he would listen, and then it may filter down to the other weights. Be the trail blazers on this. (But on another thread, please)

[daveimi]

Yeah I never meant it to be a spinner/non-spinner debate. I meant in terms of public exposure (no pun intended) the beetle stuff does quite well so having an "easy category" may encourage the hoards of 8 yr olds at the events. Would also aid creativity I think. I don't want the world to be without spinners lol, just think as with model car clubs etc. we could do with the FRA coming up with some way of dividing events beginner/experienced or summat.

[suvv]

when it comes to the whole spinner non spinner argument would it be worth making a whole new class based on the rex garrod robot challenge rules that he dreamed up specifically for schools and novices to let them get a feel for things i believe spinners were banned totally and the robots had a max budget of £500 or something might be a good way to promote the sport to schools and youth groups if its shown that there creations aren't going to get decimated by a team with deep pockets and a several thousand pounds worth of high tech equipment.

as for the main shows maybe bring out a tag team tournament but make it that it has to be 2 separate teams and not just a team with 2 robots in it so you have a mixture of teams or maybe a random draw from a hat for teams

i think it would also be good to reward people for doing things on the cheep (the tesco value award or something)

[craig_colliass]

Has anyone got any ideas for a Robot Wars type TV program?

We have the Back street type format, bunker style.

How about Clan Wars, there are groups of robot teams with say 5 or 6 robots, come together to a big battle scene,
They could be grouped by geographic area, robot type or just friend groups.

The format could be anything from last man standing to flag capture or similar goal.
Terrain could be old industrial building with flat floors to anything outside.

[psychostorm]

I did like the idea of a Crystal Maze type game show, with different themed areas, robots having to complete trials to win their way into a final fight.

Oh and a final that is artificial snowstorm.

Some might argue that isn't in line with the sport. I'd like to counter argue we're doing the sport bit anyway and what we really need is the cash not fleeting TV appearances.