What Motivates people ????

[robotwars]

I was driving along today, contemplating things as we all do and i asked myself the question.

What motivates people to build robots and come to events ???????

Combat? being number one? entertaining? social? etc....

For me, I strive for my robot to be number 1..... UK champion, and to be the best, for people to fear my robot when fighting it. Along the way I also enjoy the buzz of entertaining people. Oh and finally beating Iron Awe
Ive rebuilt it 3 times this year because each version has had flaws in the design but this latest version is by far the best yet !!.

Interested in what others feel !!!

[craig_colliass]

That's a good question Jonno.

For me the thing that started me off in this scene was to make a robot to compete with others, being first is not a major consideration (just as well with Saint!!!) instead to give myself a set of goals and to produce a machine that would operate within them.

I wanted a cheap robot that would not get stuck like the old Saint and be interesting to watch and hard to stop.

For me making something out of the ordinary a completely different type of robot to what has been tried before.
Pilgrim case in point.

Now It is mainly the people in the scene I appreciate the most, there is a really good bunch of very clever and creative people in this roboting community, these are Interesting, funny, helpful. kind and supportive it's worth driving round the country to meet up with them.

[joey_picus]

I do it for fun really, for the community, as something to do to keep me occupied...basically a passion really :P A large part of it is also wish fulfilment, I was a RW fan from the second episode ever broadcast and to be involved in robot combat myself all these years later is quite possibly the most awesome thing ever to happen to me, and I hope it doesn't ever stop happening to me.

I've also met some people through it - directly or otherwise - who are now among my best, closest friends, and really everyone I've met in the community has turned out to be thoroughly nice people (that may not make sense gramatically, but I have been awake for sixteen hours)

[cliveb]

For me its the social side that I enjoy most.A good weekend away from work with good company and like minded people,with a few beers hopefully thrown in.Of course I get a buzz out of fighting my robot but I dont go to an event expecting to win ( its a victory for me if I stay out of the pit) Alex would answer its because he wants to win.

It also gives Wendy the chance to try and complete her Eddie Stobbart spotters book.

[banana_man]

I would say that I now take part mainly for the social side of things, meeting people who I would otherwise never have even spoken to, but it was really the challenge that got me hooked in the first place. I love the fact that I have something to do, and that every problem with a robot means a new challenge to find a solution to. If I didn't do roboteering, I'd have a lot more money, but nowhere to channel my love of mechanical fiddling (I would probably revert to taking things apart to see how they work, and then not being able to put them back together).

[brandon_nichols]

I also do it as sort of a social event and also for competitiveness.

It's a real shame since I now have an antweight that I spent all year working on and when I finally put it down, the Spectrum reciever just fries itself. I really do want to learn how to fix my robots so that they are flawless and I CAN win championships or at least make the top 3. I'm just not very good at building robots.

[liambryant]

The thing that made want to compete was Robot Wars obviously. But I do it really just for fun, not to win but if I do one day it'll be a bonus.

And agreeing with what Craig has said, its also a good oppertunity to meet some new people and get help when you need it

[ady]

i like to see old tv robots and see them competing. I also enjoy the social side of it, enjoyed helping build the robots live arena, helping out and watching the event come together.

[xtreme]

I go to events and do robot stuff cos im a nerd, That and theres some decent people knockin around in the pits.

[calumco]

dunno really, its just something thats always interested me, its fun and a great atmosphere about it all

the feeling of one day having the ultimate robot that other people would think 'wow' or be impressed with aswell

and tom is a nerd