91: Legally Compelled To Fight

Released Friday, 28th October 2022

Good episode? Give it some love!

91: Legally Compelled To Fight

Friday, 28th October 2022

Good episode? Give it some love!

Rate Episode

This episode is pointless
Rules and judging! Yay!
- Rule changes
  - You should read them and not just trust what we say: Design rules, Tournament rules, Judges’ Guide
  - Safety!
    - Power lights you can see [Design rules: 3b]
    - Cradles that cradle [Tournament rules: 3.4.2]
    - Fires are bad [Design rules: 16]
      - Minibot battery limitations [Design rules: 4b]
  - No more OotA disqualification threat
    - But a higher wall
  - Lifting/pinning/grappling timing changes [Tournament rules: 7.5.6/7/8]
    - Separation procedure [Tournament rules: 7.5.9]
  - Mobility & count-outs
    - If you’re moving, you’re moving [Tournament rules: 7.6.2]
      - Even if you’re only using your weapon to do so
      - Reducing the chances of people getting angry at officials
  - Unsticks [Tournament rules: 7.6.3/4]
    - We won’t see nearly as many unsticks
    - More fights will end early, but they’re more likely to end ‘fairly’
    - Time savings for production?
    - Minibots get removed after a second unstick
  - Engagement avoidance [Tournament rules: 7.6.7]
- Judging changes
  - Post-match functionality displays [Tournament rules: 7.6.11]
  - Aggression - circling is more aggressive than staying faced up [Judges guide: Aggression FAQ]
  - Control - Robots which get their weapon and the hazards into play better than their opponent should win a control tie [Judges’ guide: COntrol matrix]
  - Appeals [Tournament rules: 2.4.7]
    - 1 minute window to lodge your appeal, requiring a specific reason for appealing
    - A failed appeal removes your right to appeal
      - Should there be a mid-ground?
    - Sam explains why this doesn’t apply to refereeing decisions
Experimental UK judging system
- The system!
- Already used at BBB’s ‘Subterranean Showdown’ and in use for the upcoming BBB Beetleweight Champs
- Intended to give all robots fairly equal access to every category
- Damage is dead, long live weapon effectiveness!
  - Not all weapon types can be expected do damage, so judging them on damage is dumb. Everyone with a weapon should be able to use it effectively
    - Lifters lift, grabbers grab, flippers flip, spinners do damage just like before
    - Wedges are a blind spot for the system. They were also a blind spot in the existing system, but the name we’ve used makes the issue more visible
      - Active weapon rule?
- Aggression is still aggression
  - Free a stuck opponent? ALL OF THE POINTS!
- Control & Strategy
  - Control - control your robot well, get your weapon into play, use the hazards
  - Strategy - make smart choices
    - Think of strategy as a place for judges to add points, but not a place where we really take them away