Arenarules

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Craig_Anto3
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Re: Arenarules

Post by Craig_Anto3 »

Acryllic will shatter it should not be used as protective screens
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earthwormjim
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Re: Arenarules

Post by earthwormjim »

PBx wrote: I would heartily support the ditch all the way round with a stated wall height for the non-push off areas.
I am just putting a practice arena together and will be adopting this approach.
If you build it,they will come. :D
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razerdave
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Re: Arenarules

Post by razerdave »

When I built my RL arena it was meant to have removable walls do robots could be pushed out, but I prefer my own arena with the 4 walls you can flip over (or through in a few cases) and the pit in the corner, takes a bit more skill.
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Re: Arenarules

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

Well, I, for one, would definitely object to an arena with low walls as the non-drop-off sides (like I object to Oliver's arena). This type of arena is highly bias towards flippers in such a way as to make it unfair. Basically, if you have a flipper, all four sides of the arena become a drop off zone if you only have low walls. Oliver even said to me once that he built his arena for this reason, that it was easier for his robots to win in it.
Jim, you say "pushers have the drop off zones, what's the point in building a flipper?" I think this is entirely the wrong way of looking at it. Its the same kind of thinking as when Andrew Hibbard said it should be in the rules that if a spinner throws itself out from its own inertia, it should be allowed to be put back in so the battle can continue. Its completely bias and unacceptable to have an area of an arena where ONLY flippers can get their opponent out on two sides. The drop off zone is not "just for pushers", its for all types of design. People build flippers for many reasons, to discombobulate the other robot's driver by turning them over, to lift their oppoents wheels off the ground so they can push them out, or, in the case of Anticide or Flippant, to throw them out from the arena centre. If you introduce low walls into the equation too, then the whole thing is in favour of any robot with a flipper. Anticide wouldn't even have to drive, it could just launch its opponent from the centre in any direction and it would go out.
The only way I wouldn't object to this idea is if you had two solid walls, one straight drop off, and one side with low walls, but this would be against the 50% drop off rule. I would personally always argue that any arena with 2 straight drop off zones, and two sides with low walls and a ditch gives an unfair advantage to flippers and therefore should not be used for official events.
Arenas and rules have to be kept so that one single type of robot is in no way at an advantage over other types. The last thing I want is for ants to go like heavyweights, where everyone feels they HAVE to build a flipper or else they are at an automatic disadvantage. That type of arena would do this, and I notice the only people who've said its a good idea are the people who own a flipper.
Listen guys, there are fundamental rules to antweight combat. The weight limit, the cube rule, and the fact we have drop off zones are all quinessential rules that form the spine of antweight combat. Someone said about removing the cube rule recently and a few people supported it, but its not going to happen. We are not looking to "add new dimensions to antweight combat". The dimensions are all set, then you build your robot within those parameters however you like. People who own a flipper would like to be able to throw people out over all sides of the arena. People with a spinner would like to fight in a fully enclosed arena. People who build pushers would probably welcome a drop off on all four sides. Maybe people would like to reduce the drop off zone. None of these things are going to happen. They are the RULES and they are in place so that no one type of robot has an advantage over any other type. We don't need "new dimensions to antweight combat". We need to keep the sport as it is, and make the robots more innovative. Trying to change the arena to suit your robot is just a form of cheating.
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Psychostorm
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Re: Arenarules

Post by Psychostorm »

razerdave wrote:When I built my RL arena it was meant to have removable walls do robots could be pushed out, but I prefer my own arena with the 4 walls you can flip over (or through in a few cases) and the pit in the corner, takes a bit more skill.
I beg to disagree Dave. It takes no skill at all to fall into that pit! :D Done it loads of times.
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earthwormjim
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Re: Arenarules

Post by earthwormjim »

Fair point Dave. I agree with everything you said.I still think it would be nice,in theory,to have a section of the arena that would enable flippers to flip out an opponant. And I honestly think it would add excitement,and entertainment to antweight battles.(not that they are not so already!)
And I think it is within the rules to do so,in fact the rules that are currently in place"recommend" the height of the walled area of an arena to be 50mm,not all the way to the top of the battlebox,as they all are at the moment.

3c) At least half of the edge of the arena must be unwalled, to allow robots to drop directly into the ditch that surrounds the arena (a recommended height for arena walls is 50mm).

Cheers Jim. :)
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Re: Arenarules

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

Yes, it would be within the rules Jim, which is why Oliver's arena has been used before for AWSs. All I'm saying is I would strongly object to it, and if there was an alternative, which there usually is, I'd say use that one instead.
Personally, I think dropping the drop off zone from 50% to 25% would make for much better competitions, but again, its not really about personal thinking, its about across the board fairness. That, and a 25% drop off would probably increase the length of some fights, and we have enough problem squeezing everything into a day at the moment as is, lol.
But, in the fairness of competition, I would always have to object to low walls/less drop offs, putting aside all my personal wishes.
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razerdave
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Re: Arenarules

Post by razerdave »

I would prefer arenas with only 25% drop off because they make spinner fights last longer and generally adds a tougher element to the matches (I am sure people that have attended snibston would agree).

So what kind of arena would suit everyone ? I would say 2 low walls, one solid wall and one drop off. More walls for spinners to bounce off rather than fly out of, 3 walls you can throw out off (not all 4, so it would take some driving at least to flip to the right walls), and somewhere for robots to be pushed out.

Not in the AWS rules, and kinda biased against the active weapons, but thats cool by me :)
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bitternboy
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Re: Arenarules

Post by bitternboy »

I think 2 solid walls, a low wall and a drop off would be preferable.
Also, Dave I agree, The arenas should't give an advantage to one particular weapon class but if someone comes up with an interesting and fun design that doesn't give an advantage to anyone then we should embrace it (not literally though).
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Shakey
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Re: Arenarules

Post by Shakey »

I like that idea Dave but something should be there to discourage corner sitting. Such as angle the corners so it isn't as effective as other wise you end up of 2 minutes of root A sitting in the corner while Robot B is attempting to get it out of it and not much else happening.
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