Roaming Robots, Winter Tour

The Number of fights becomes a problem so I would suggest that each robot should only get 2 competition fights each day (Depends on format). Any other fights simply dont count. At the very least all the robots need to have the same number of competition fights to make things fair. If the robot breaks down and cant be fixed in time so they dont have the required number of fights then they would simply lose out. Im assuming these are 1-on-1s, then the others could be melees. I think it should be 3 for a win, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss with 1 to 1 fights but if its 3 way fights then 3 for a win, 2 for second, 0 for a loss with a tie between 2 or 3 robots being 1 point each. Either way I would like to see 0 points for a loss.

2 things,

is it not correct that you are legally entitled to use up to 30 seconds of material as long as there is no financial gain? If this is different in this case, I appologise for being stupid!

Chosen my music, think it suits me and my machines quite well.

Rage against the machine - killing in the name of.

failing that anything Rage, Prodigy, or Charlotte Church.

About format :
I think that all competition fights should be pre-sheduled over the tour, to roughly 2 per day (4 per event). This eliminates Daniels underhanded tactics and allows people time to prepare for the opposition.

As to points - should Draws even be allowed ?
perhaps it should just be 1 point per win ?

though i suggest Win=5, Draw=3, Lose=1
A token point for getting in the ring.
2 Draws only just better than a single win.

Also agree with Mark, Competition should always be 1 on 1. Its only fair. Also Competition fights should only be judged by comp Judges - Or us boring box-bots will never win.

And some more :
Bi**H by Nipper : obvious
Everybody Hertz by Air : Couldnt make that up

Roger

Roger I like the suggestion for the format.

One question for any one to voice their opinions:

If the fights are prearranged what happens if your opponent isnt able to make it into the arena do they forfeit and you get 5 points or do you skip that fight and move on to the next opponent hoping to reschedule the original fight later.

It would be more entertaining for the crowd if we didnt have forefits but it seems a bit unfair that if your machine isnt in a fit state to fight that you get another chance later since halve the challenge is to keep your bot going for the whole tournament.

Richard
Team Mayhem

Without meaning to hog the discussion -

I think that a no-show or an inability to perform for a competition fight should be a forfeit, doesnt disadvantage the crowd as they neednt know.

This means that the competitive edge is kept for those wanting to be competitive, and for those less competitive, can opt out of fights they are un-prepared for or hesitant of taking on - and do a more friendly one instead.

It also increases pressure on people to attend all of the events.

Another topic - Jonno was talking about three fights per event only, because of the doubts about enough machines to fill 4 shows.
Our Survey says : Just you worry about filling the seats - and have more faith.

Just my thoughts.
Roger.

Win =5 Draw=3 Lose=1 sounds fairer to me. Should it be a requirement to be mobile at the end to claim this point? Or maybe a bonus point for surviving the bout? My thinking on suggesting a point for a loss was to prevent a scenario where someone with a lot of wins early on could sit on their laurels for the rest of the series safe in the knowledge that they had qualified for the final. Whilst it may just maintain a bit of interest throughout the tour, that final point for a loss is unlikely to have a major effect at the end of the day. The number of fights a losing machine can achieve in one day should be irrelevant, over the 6 events every point gained for losing a fight is in fact a loss of 2 or 4 points(depending on the scoring system adopted) that you could have gained if you had taken your sole chance to beat that opponent later on in the tour.

My thinking on forfeits for non working machines would tend to be that the lack of ability to put a working machine in the arena should be penalised. The best machine in the world is worthless if it wont run ;(

1 on 1 for the main comp is best IMHO, it allows more focus on the battle in hand and individual driving skills to come more to the fore, plus it is much easier to call cease if you stand to sustain unacceptable damage if you have a single opponent who is stood alongside you. Surely the need to load/unlaod just 2 machines should keep things happening for the audience more consistently as well?

Regards

Tim Jones

Hi guys, glad to see there is some healthy discussion going on.

I will post some of our comments, and thoughts we took away from the meal in the next two days.

things are mannick here at the mo.


Jonno

I feel I have to make a few comments here.

Firstly, a one on one mode is all well and good but I cant see it working in practice. Basically, lots of machines either get pitted, irretrievably stuck, or just break. This makes for a pretty short fight if there are only two machines in there. Plus, IMHO, the best format has always been three way melees.

Also you have to take the logistics into account. If all working robots expect about three fights to an event, even if there were only 10 robots, that is still 15 fights to sort! Possibly each day! How many machines are we talking here? 20 to 30 per event? Who wants to do the maths? Not to mention time for feathers.

Secondly, the points system really needs thought. The Wrexham event last year, for example. We won that event with our robot 51, purely by having more points than anyone else :). (It was 3 points for a win, 2 for second, 1 for third, providing each robot was involved in the fight to start with, 1 point was always awarded.) Simple. But, no. We were thought of as only having won as we had had more fights than anyone else. The actuality was yes, we did have more fights, we had five. And scored 12 points. Big Nipper was the only robot to have had four fights and scored 6. Crustacean came second in the oompetition, having scored 8 with only three fights. Even if only our first three fights counted (to equal Crustaceans) we would have been on an equal score. But as were were playing by the original rules, we ultimatly won fair and square.

My point? Everyone thought the scoring system was fair and good before the combat started. We almost felt ostracised by the fact we were reliable, and did not need to recharge the batteries :sad:. (Not the case now, I might add. Batteries only last one fight now, and the reliability has gone out of the window!)

There has to be some limiting on the number of countable fights one robot can have. More fights just wont be added to the ultimate score. And if you cant do that number of fights, for what ever reason, tough.

What about a format where each machine has to fight every other machine? This could still be done in a three way melee style. Just needs a basic square scoring sheet, with ticks to show what combination has happened with a separate list of scores.

As for whatever points system is chosen, just be prepared to accept it, at all stages of the tour.

Sorry to ramble, just had to get my tuppence worth in.

B
Taurus

Everyone appears to be focusing on the fact that this WILL be a competition. Im still not convinced it should be.

I would be interested to hear from those who will actually be taking part what they feel is more important. Competition or Show.

There are loads of other events where we can run competitions. But i feel the Winter Tour should be about putting on a great show for a paying audience, so that we can start to build up a greater public interest in what we are doing for the long term benefit of our hobby / sport. It needs to be a sort of showcase.

Great show does not mean Crap fights.

Im talking about just getting rid of the seriousness and complication that may arise around running a competition. Just concentrate on putting on a great show. That way it will probably be a lot more fun for all of us involved.

Heres the list of Heavyweight robots that were down earlier in this thread. put down your preference against your robot name and re-post the list.

(s) = Show
(C) = Competition

No sitting on the fence please.

Ill start it off with an (s) for EWE2

Ripper
Stealth
Bulldog Breed
Ewe 2 (S)
Torus
Judge Shred
Leveller
Behemoth
Thor
Mighty mouse
Veloceripper
Mute
Big Nipper
Scorpion
Merlin
Spearhead
Tanto
Serrano
Gman
Revolution
Air
M2
Kronic the Wedgehog
Tuscan
Mayhem
Storm 2
Dantomkia
Tomohawk
Corkscrew
St Agro
Ceros

No disrespect to the other weight classes, but lets sort the heavies out first

Ian

Tuscan - S

not the same for my feathers though