MovieChat Forums > BattleBots (2015) Discussion > Should there be size limits, L x W?

Should there be size limits, L x W?

posted 8 years ago by Loodgookin
9 replies | jump to latest

We know there are weight limits, but should there be limits put on how wide or long the bots should be? The hammer bots all seem pretty long and I get why they are, stability (which still doesn't make them stable), then we have MT that has that huge plastic shell in the front and seems to be a pretty wide bot as well, which made Stinger have trouble flipping it. So for the sake of the flippers, should they limit the L x W. I'm just curious what others think.

[–] joen0411 8 years ago

I'd say no. I hate MT as much as most but if its design keeps it from getting flipped, that's a problem for its opponents. Their are other bots that flippers have hard a hard time flipping or couldn't flip at all. I'd argue that the weapons need to be more destructive. Bronco's flipper kicks you into the air and can do damage. Stinger slowly picks you up and then drops you, not counting what the flame can do. Biteforce replaced its flipper to meet the requirements of the new rule. Stinger and others will have to do the same. However if you watched the original Battlebots years ago and remember Setrakian's snake, your argument about size limit makes a lot of sense.

I do think they should bring back other weight classes. Others have mentioned it before, I've been weary of it but I think some bots would do better in a lower weight class. So now I'm all for it.

[–] mr_greylon 8 years ago

I'd have to agree with not limiting by dimensions. What was the name of the bot in the old Battlebots that won the middleweight once? It was a crazy flat and low to the ground, with a single lifting arm in the center. Hazard? Anyhow, the flat low body made it quite defensible.

Interesting thought. Perhaps MT should keep the Ladybug shell, but design the bot to have it as the backside. The shell showed to be of use when MT would get rammed into the glass. That soft plastic worked as some decent absorption.

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[–] Legendary_Badass 8 years ago

It was BioHazard.

I don't believe it's lifter arm would qualify as a weapon under the current rules, where a weapon must be able to inflect major damage. Turning a bot upside down with a wedge used to be a viable strategy in the competition, and it made for bad TV.

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[–] mr_greylon 8 years ago

BioHazard. That was it. Yeah BH would have to an actual weapon to qualify now, that lifter wouldn't be enough. But I think that would have been an easy fix. And yes, the wedge-only bots back then didn't offer the devastating thrill of bot parts getting torn apart.

Still, back to my original thought, limiting a bot's dimension only limits design possibilities. Besides, a bot with an unusually large dimension (in any direction) most likely generates new problems/ vulnerabilities.

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[–] Loodgookin 8 years ago

Both of you bring up some good points. I was just curious to see what people thought. Also, it seems like each type of bot has a weakness to another type as was shown with the low to the ground spinner vs the hammer, upright spinner vs horizontal spinner etc. So, if we build a bot that has a huge wheel base, I imagine it will open it up one type of bot.

[–] LAV25USMC 8 years ago

I concur with the no size limits. Bronco could flip MT out the ring into the screws or wherever with ease if they meet. MT's dimensions won't make a difference. Tombstone will shred that plastic in a heartbeat if they fight. Large wide bots definitely have their weaknesses.

[–] Legendary_Badass 8 years ago

I'm looking forward to MegaTento getting torn apart.

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[–] mr_greylon 8 years ago

I think many are. I'm just tired of that team always building cutesy stuff that isn't actually effective. I have no doubt they have the engineering skills to compete. But after 15 years or so, I'm ready to see them put out a no nonsense bot and see what they can actually do.

... But then again, maybe they don't have the skills. Maybe they just want to be involved, and make the cutesy stuff for the fun of it, because they know they don't have the chops to win. Hmmm, I think I just argued myself into a quandary. :)

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[–] action_on_deck 8 years ago

MegaTento and Chomp have both surprised me by how long they've stuck around. MT has a tiny weapon that's difficult to attack with, and the shell is kinda wtf. Chomp is so darn top heavy it's constantly getting flipped. I keep expecting it to rattle itself to death.