Battlebots 2019
Discussion
If you missed the previous link by AlexS, currently here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kBrD1rCorw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kBrD1rCorw
IMO last years minotaur was a much better bot. I think they've got 2 things majorly wrong:
1 They've gone too heavy. Takes too long to spin up.
2 They've removed the "tusks". They might have got in the way, but they stopped an acceleration forward allowing the bot to tip and the drum hit the floor. They repeatedly lost all drum momentum to hitting the floor because without the tusks, their wheelbase needs to be longer / less front overhang. IF they then did that, their front wheels would be more vulnerable so double edges sword.
You see the same problem with S.O.W to an extent. Sure, when it's full pelt it's lethal as, but it loses a lot - and every time because it takes too long to spin up. Some of the more modern takes on inertia (the silver / blue one, the vertical version of cobalt, that monobrow kid with the black and red bot from last year) etc etc do really well because there is so little time when they're not a threat. If they're not a threat the rival can attack - if they are a threat most rivals are driving defensively so spend the whole 3 mins on the back foot. Even Duck! doesn't win on the back foot, and it's a "hit me and hurt yourself" design. It wins by being aggressively defensive, not passively defensive.
1 They've gone too heavy. Takes too long to spin up.
2 They've removed the "tusks". They might have got in the way, but they stopped an acceleration forward allowing the bot to tip and the drum hit the floor. They repeatedly lost all drum momentum to hitting the floor because without the tusks, their wheelbase needs to be longer / less front overhang. IF they then did that, their front wheels would be more vulnerable so double edges sword.
You see the same problem with S.O.W to an extent. Sure, when it's full pelt it's lethal as, but it loses a lot - and every time because it takes too long to spin up. Some of the more modern takes on inertia (the silver / blue one, the vertical version of cobalt, that monobrow kid with the black and red bot from last year) etc etc do really well because there is so little time when they're not a threat. If they're not a threat the rival can attack - if they are a threat most rivals are driving defensively so spend the whole 3 mins on the back foot. Even Duck! doesn't win on the back foot, and it's a "hit me and hurt yourself" design. It wins by being aggressively defensive, not passively defensive.
I'm not sure that Minotaurs problems are that straightforward although, like you say, spin up seems to to be the problem. I would guess that they're fighting problems with start up torque on their speed controllers rather than it just being flat out too heavy. Doesn't look good for them unless they come up with a solution though!
Not sure what you mean about tusks? They still have the little feeder wedges, I think, and they were always interchangeable. The front has skids to stop the drum contacting the floor - it has to, as they only have two wheels. It did look like it hit the floor in the gigabyte fight a few times though - maybe it was damaged? There must have been a lot of energy in those hits to rip the teeth off Gigabyte.
Not sure what you mean about tusks? They still have the little feeder wedges, I think, and they were always interchangeable. The front has skids to stop the drum contacting the floor - it has to, as they only have two wheels. It did look like it hit the floor in the gigabyte fight a few times though - maybe it was damaged? There must have been a lot of energy in those hits to rip the teeth off Gigabyte.
I'm no engineer. There's a good chance I simply misunderstood the problem. but..
In case I explained badly..
Old Minotaur:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbAcwYix7I
Note - spin up quick, never hits floor. Tusk thingies stop that happening
Current minotaur:
https://youtu.be/7kBrD1rCorw?t=2220
Drum on floor. No tusk thingies. repeatedly loses what little weapon momentum it has to the battlebox.
In case I explained badly..
Old Minotaur:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbAcwYix7I
Note - spin up quick, never hits floor. Tusk thingies stop that happening
Current minotaur:
https://youtu.be/7kBrD1rCorw?t=2220
Drum on floor. No tusk thingies. repeatedly loses what little weapon momentum it has to the battlebox.
Found this compilation of all the best bits from 2018, some cracking stuff in here. Strangely I don't even mind the commentators because they do genuinely seem to enjoy it, although condensed into this form its a constant stream of "woooaaah"s 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KINDBnCv0Ns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KINDBnCv0Ns
.
FourWheelDrift said:
Lockjaw vs Duck I would have given that to Duck, no way was that even unanimous for Lockjaw, it's weapon has taken out by Duck and Duck had no damage and equal aggression, Lockjaw seems to be one of the series favoured robots
Duck is always going to get zero for damage, which I think is fair enough, they've chosen not to sacrifice any weight to a weapon but they can't complain when they start off behind on the judge's scorecard. Gassing Station | TV, Film, Video Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff