Pit Rules

[Team Invade]

I've tried to email you Kane but it refused to send. Might as well put it here instead:

Thanks for your input into the debate. I think it's a difficult issue as there are such split opinions.

Any online vote leading to a closed yes/no answer is subject to a very carefully worded question. As far as I can see, most people will vote based on whether their robot can get out of the pit or not, so the vote is probably a more accurate view of how many robots can/cannot get out of the pit.

It might be best to have an open discussion at the AGM at Whitwick. In our opinion, a compromise may be the best solution (possibly 15 seconds to escape from the pit?).

Michael & Adrian

[Max]

What about when is already a robot(s) in the pit and a robot gets stuck on top so they are kind of in the pit but not touching the floor? (More for fw than heavies)

[kane]

No worries guys, the poll will hopefully show if this is a divided topic or if there is a view one way or another.
I personally like the idea of a countdown, but 30 seconds is too long in a 3 minute fight, especially if it occurs towards the end of a fight.

Just to clarify, the poll is simply that and no final decision will be made purely on the outcome, we just need everyones input. I know from experience that judging if someone is in the pit can be tricky especially with innovative machines designed to overcome arena hazards. So enforcing a down and out rule may be impossible without a countdown anyway.

Keep up the votes!

[robotwars]

Had a nice looooooong chat with Kane tonight !!

I like the idea of a compromise, I'm favouring 10 seconds to get out and an audible warning when the count down has started so the compare knows and roboteers know what going on so it's clear to everyone.

Enough squabbling and bringing shows down :-) they are what they are, attend or don't attend it's your choice!

Roll on 2013, it's going to be good year for RR that's for sure !!

[psychostorm]

I like the idea of a compromise, I'm favouring 10 seconds to get out and an audible warning when the count down has started so the compare knows and roboteers know what going on so it's clear to everyone.

Countdown spotlight projected onto the pit.

If everybody is concerned about entertainment. why is the pit always so boring? Not even an ominous green glow. No slime gurgling noise either.

Here's a gauntlet for the Coopers - Wall of Death pit. FWs can escape by driving on side tube. You could always spin the pit to get the Featherweights up the required speed.

[teamstorm]

The problem from a show perspective, is that one robot trundling around the arena, whilst another thrashes around trying to get out is just boring. Even if the robot then manages to get out 25 seconds later, by then the audience are switched off and wondering what is going on ! Count to 25 and see how exciting it is, trust me, no matter how exciting you think it is at the controls, on the other side of the arena, that far in to your thrashing the audience is just wondering what is going on.

..... not least of which because the show and the rules that they all have in their heads, tell them that when a robot goes down the pit, it has lost.

The problem gets compounded if a robot is then pushed back into the put and thrashes around to get out a second time, another (up to) 30 seconds of boredom for the audience (I'm sorry, but they don't find that exciting)

A rule that allows 20% of a fight to be a robot thrasing around in the pit is just dull, the idea that the rule then allows for another 20% of the fight to be spent this way is bordering on daft.

But if we must have the idea that robots can get out of it, it should be 'straight out' (measured in a few seconds).

[james...venom]

Totally agree Ed, why are we entertaining the idea of letting robots get out and carry on? For competition it should stay as the original simple rules. If your in your out. Whiteboards are another matter , if you want to let people carry on because it adds something to your show thats no problem but not for real competition. The audience dont understand it (its different to what they have always seen), it avoids needless waiting and it doesn't favour any particular robot.

[craig_colliass]

How many times!!!!

the old rules were forged by default, the pit in the TV series was about 1meter deep so no machine could get out. and again the TV series is
DEAD and in the original format won't be coming back.

Now the pit is for practical reasons shallower, and the machines are better so now they can, the rules as they stand at the moment are you can get out of the pit and carry on if you release your robot in the 30 second limit. the time limit is to be debated.

The question I would like an answer to from the EO's and/or the FRA executive is, if they run an FRA championship will they stick to the FRA rules?

[teamstorm]

Craig I have to disagree with you - the old format is not dead, again we need to remember who our audience is.

Just because WE do not compete in the show does not mean out audience doesn't watch it time and time again on various channels. The audience do have an expectation of how the 'game' works and I'm sorry bit there is confusion when things don't follow the rules they believe they understand.

I think your reaction of shouting how DEAD the show is just highlights the issue and risk that we carry if we forget who the audience is, who we are entertaining, who pays for the shows and who we need to ensure have a great time. A confused audience is not a happy audience.

Nor do the audience care about the FRA 'rules' - and for the record they are called 'judging guidelines' not rules as its down to EO's how they run their shows.

[PJ-27]

Well this a tricky one!

The pivoting point seems to be what is 'in the pit'?

- Robots teetering on the edge is great entertainment. Not in?
- Robots touching the bottom but still mostly out of the arena? The RC pit is quite shallow in comparison to some of the bigger robots. Hard call.
- Some robots can happily drive out of the pit like Seraph.
- In the past Bitza has landed from a flip with so much force we've bounced out of the pit back onto the arena floor, but we touched the bottom?

To this end my suggestion (and vote) would be a shorter timer, 5-10s that starts the moment a robot is touching the pit floor.