Dominance of pushers at AWS46

A discussion forum for proposed changes to the AWS rules (2014)

Moderators: BeligerAnt, petec, administrator

Forum rules
* Only one rule per thread. Any deviation will be moved by the moderators.
* Keep the discussions on-topic, relevant and polite. Anything else WILL be removed by the moderators.
* If you start a new thread (to discuss a different rule) quote the existing rule in the first post so everyone knows what you're talking about.
* The existing rules (version 4.2) can be found here: http://robotwars101.org/ants/rules.htm
Post Reply
Remote-Controlled Dave
Posts: 3716
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:30 pm
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
Contact:

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

But lifters/flippers/spinners ect can still use the pits. They can still fire robots into them. And a lifter/flipper usually uses the weapon to turn the robot over and control them to the pits.

The way I read what you're saying Max is that only pushers can use pits but you can easily launch a robot over into the corners to land in the pits of a disc or flipper too.

I would also argue that any arena that has a certain amount of drop off gives a certain advantage to a good pusher. Whilst we have drop off, there is always a relatively good reason to build a pushbot. But I don't really see how this configuration favours pushers beyond that. Everyone can use the corner pits.

The way the arena was configured at the last AWS is precisely what caused the pusher bias debate to start in the first place, so its a bit odd to state that it worked really well!

Peter, are you planning on modifying the current arena into this one, or is it a completely separate idea? Just as I know Rory wanted to use your arena if Scott couldn't get theirs to the AWS and it'd be awkward if he asked and you were mid modifications.
Die Gracefully Robotics
Winner - AWS 39
User avatar
peterwaller
Posts: 3213
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2002 12:00 am
Location: Aylesbury Bucks
Contact:

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by peterwaller »

Max I think as discussions have shown it is not easy to predict how arena design will work in practice and I have tried to keep it so it is adaptable.
The basic arena will have 4 25cm square pits built in but by having lay in sheets they can be adapted to the curved or triangular shape.
With the square shape drop offs it will be easy to add walls of any length and height to any of the eight dropoff edges as seems appropriate.
Dave this will be a completely new arena so the old one will still be available in the mean time.
Remote-Controlled Dave
Posts: 3716
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:30 pm
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
Contact:

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

Excellent :-)
Die Gracefully Robotics
Winner - AWS 39
Max
Posts: 105
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:14 pm

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by Max »

Yeah I see what you are saying Dave, I still think what I said is true but like I said before I'm very happy to see how the new design works and will be happy to be proved wrong. As long as the arena is adaptable so it can be changed if necessary then I'm all for experimenting!
Remote-Controlled Dave
Posts: 3716
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:30 pm
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
Contact:

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

I think the debate can probably be closed with the statement "the arena last time didn't quite work best, so lets experiment with new ones".
Fun times ahead.
Die Gracefully Robotics
Winner - AWS 39
Ellis
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:40 pm

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by Ellis »

Great to see a new arena in the works. Although I too think it still heavily favours pushers.

Not to be blunt, I don't mean to slam anyone, but there seems to be a global assumption that an arena should have 2 or more pits/dropoffs in ants. Why is this the case? Why does an arena need more than one pit, like in every other class? Isn't 4 pits that have 2 open sides a bit much?

It would seem that this shape arena actually aids pushers even more than others unless I'm missing something. Now not only can you push a robot over the lip of the pit perpendicular to the long-side wall, you can do the same from the short side wall. In all cases in either direction. Even more than ever if you have a robot in front of you, you can just drive forwards at random and chances are very high you'll put someone in one of the pits, either cleanly or with a bit of wall slide.

Robots are pushed out all the time, in all other classes, with just one pit. Why not have a single pit in ants?

---

On the wall-sliding note, I like Robogames' solution: http://theawesomer.com/photos/2010/05/0 ... ames_t.jpg - jagged walls. You can't push anything consistently along a wall like that. I should think such a thing would be relatively easy to implement and look pretty cool.

Just some thoughts and as last time I posted her eI don't claim to know much at all about antweights or ant combat, just looking in from the outside.
Remote-Controlled Dave
Posts: 3716
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2005 5:30 pm
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
Contact:

Re: Dominance of pushers at AWS46

Post by Remote-Controlled Dave »

I think the main thing people who look at ants from the outside miss is that we are looking to have SHORTER fights. A single pit is great, I'd love to fight in an arena like that, but this can create long fights that don't go anywhere. We HAVE to fit an entire AWS into a single day, and run double elimination, so time is a huge factor. Both the heavyweight and featherweight champs run over at least two days, and often feature melees as round one, so there is plenty of time to play with. These are things we've decided we don't want in ants, so every fight lasting 2mins with a hundred entries just isn't feasible.

Yes, a single pit would be great. But we'd have to lose out elsewhere to accommodate it. We take our AWSs as seriously as you guys take your main, once-a-year champs in the other categories, so keeping things fair, even, running smoothly AND finishing on time all come as important in the roster as will a fight be any good, if not more so.
Die Gracefully Robotics
Winner - AWS 39
Post Reply