thoughts ???

[swanaldo]

Hi Craig......you just mosie on up here mate and i will make you a nice cup of tea and biscuits....oh and bring them there plans with you me old pal.

[frag]

been hit, got dents, been flipped out, broke lots of bits. Sometimes we do ok, don't expect to win but always hopeful and sometimes, just sometimes......

I'm sure I remember a time when people helped each other get right way up or unstuck to keep the fight running, better to watch and more fun to drive.

How about a 'kill claxon' that sounds at 30 or 60 seconds - the idea being that before then no ootas or pining and hitting but when the claxon goes so do the restrictions.

It could increase the ratio of fight time to loading time - which must be good for the audience, allow the big flippers to do spectacular ootas but at the same time give all the bots a chance to drive round and try out their weapons.

[terry]

Blimey Craig whats that then....oxycetaline torch !

[Garfie489]

I understand that i dont own a heavyweight but my thought is, hasnt it always been this way.

Think to the 1st uk championship. Mortis was the favoute, with an axe.

Next series, we got Napalm, Killertron and Mortis in the semi Final. Also worth mentioning Killerhurtz among others.

2nd Uk championship. Cassius (among others) and its flipper/scrimech.

Next series we have Chaos 2, Firestorm, Berserk 2, and Gravedigger. With similar weaponry.

3rd UK championship. Hypno-Disc with the Kinetic Flywheel, and Chaos with the Rearword hinged flipper.

Next series there are no semi finalists who have been inspired by Hypno-disc. But Thermador 2, Wheely Big Cheese, and Steg 2, seem to be inspired by Chaos 2.

However over the next few years we get so many robots based on Hypno- Disc. Fluffy, 259, 13 Black, Typhoon 2, and so on.

So the pont is, theres not really a problem with the show being dominated by one particular robot design. Its really always been that way and always has been. Its just we are currently going through an extended period of no one being able to think of a superior design to the last.

I think its just a case that aslong as every robot in the final isnt similar. Then its fine. At the start of the O2 i would not have put a bet on Envy reaching the final. My bet would have been on Terrorhurtz, then Envy beat Terrorhurtz in the first round in record time.

So kinda what clive said, sure your robot will lose to another every time, but it doesnt mean to robotieer and the robot will lose every time. Like Panic Attack

[psychostorm]

This might be seen as a very stupid idea but how about a prize to the machine that throws another out of the arena as close to the fight end time as possible per event? Doesn't even have to be a good prize.

I'll shut up now.

[razerdave]

I think the Malice boy has the best idea so far

[widow_twanky]

I think the Malice boy has the best idea so far

Have to disagree, don't like the idea. All seems to complicated

[Bodge Job]

I know I don't have any heavyweights yet, but I also think that's a good idea, and it might also give enough time for the slightly less well equiped robots to deploy there weapon or tactics efectly before being flipped or pitted, also if you haven't driven your robot for a while, it gives you time to get use to the driving

[robotwars]

Hi Guys,

This has been a very interesting discussion, one which myself and Alan have had a few chats about it too.

I€™ve actually come to the conclusion that there€™s no problem what€™s so ever, and that its just the nature of the beast, people develop weapon systems to suit the combat environment.
The RR arena has been adapted to less favour the HP flippers by the fact we now only have 1 flip out side, this has increased the fight lengths !!

In Dublin there were other robots there, axe, LP front hinged flipper, puck, they just got outclassed and the final top 4 ended up being the best of best.

I did sway towards a two tiered system, but have now decided it would be a big mistake led by comments here.

Why should the good robots be penalised for being good? Why should they knock each other out in the first round, and make it harder for them to win?, yet allow lower robots though by keeping them away... that isn€™t allowing the best robots to win the competitions.

It€™s like saying Red Bull aren€™t allowed to do qualifying as they are too dominant....when in fact the rest of the team need to go away and scratch their heads and improve if they want to beat them !

We need to encourage the lower robots to improve, its a sport we are in, its a competition, its not bumper cars, otherwise if we have this €œ Division 2 €œ league, it will allow the Div2 robots to remain Div2 robots ( Hydra not needing an upgrade is a classic example).
Not allowing people to use weapons is not good either !

We cant just make it easy for people to keep the same, they should be trying to get to the top, or... they are content just playing !

So what am I going to do....

There won€™t be a 2 tier system for 2012, but I will keep an eye on diversity etc..
If people don€™t want to fight in the comp, they don€™t have to
I will create more white boards at the RR show, in 2011 we did have a lot of competition fights as we were having a separate competition per show, I will be reducing this to one comp over the two shows which gives us a lot more whiteboard fights.
Encourage people to create their own fights, one fight per show can be a non destructive / HP flipper if requested but it has to be done in time before it gets filled up.

Thank you for your input, i will be interested in peoples thoughts still in the future.

John
Roaming Robots

[razerdave]

I just wish people wouldn't be so protective and let Thor, Tiberious and THz hit them and bite them as hard as they like. Thats is whats keeping the latter 2 away...