Post by Un Autre Monde on Jan 25, 2009 6:37:15 GMT -5
The ARENA, top down, is slightly longer than the RW series 3 arena but around the same width, set out in a very fat cross shape with the top and bottom ends being the patrol zones - basically the same as the CC series 1 arena. The hazards comprise:
-A pit near the top left corner - this remains open during the heats, but from the quarter finals of the main competition onward, and for the finals of the otherweights, there will be a cover over it leaving immobilisation or OOTA as the only means of victory.
-A flame pit near the lower right corner, of similar dimensions to the pit.
-Four angle grinders (of the series 3 'recessed behind holes in the flat arena wall' type rather than the bloody stupid series 5 onwards variety), two on the longer wall in the top right corner, and the other two on the longer wall in the lower left corner. The chances of these actually damaging any of your robots are somewhat less than infinestimally small, but sparks are fun.
-The house robots in the patrol zones, obviously.
It is possible to OOTA robots at either side of the arena, the walls there are 35cm high and quite OOTAable for most flippers and vertical spinning weapons given a fair bit of luck.
The floor is a laminate of two layers of 5mm stainless steel and 50mm HDPE, and is thus both magnetic and practically impenetrable. The walls, should you be interested, are a hybrid of stainless steel box section and railway sleepers.
Many thanks to Andy Jackson for this bloody brilliant CAD of the arena.
---
The GAUNTLET is basically an obstacle course with three routes. It is almost identical to the RW series 2 gauntlet in layout and obstacle type, but here are the route specifics, including those all important dimensions:
THE LEFT HAND SIDE ROUTE is the least obstructed, in theory; basically a straight run with two pits next to the route divider, a set of five lifting spikes (four 50mm, one 75mm) at the start of the route, and the 'Sentinel' which despite the name and incredibly cheap decorations is just a JCB digger with a couple of spikes either side of the end of the arm. This sweeps back and forth in an arc around most of the route, you could probably dodge it but bear in mind Sir Killalot patrols the area just beyond the Sentinel, and will come up to investigate if you bugger around too much at the start.
This route is 2m wide at the narrowest point (the base of the Sentinel)
THE MIDDLE ROUTE is directly in front of the starting block, and goes as follows: Wall of either concrete blocks or barrels, a seesaw ramp flanked by four of those cut off pyramids with a spike coming out (which prevent thin robots going round the side), brief unobstructed area patrolled by Dead Metal, two 75mm lifting spikes, finish.
The main dimensional restriction here is the ramp, which is 1.1m wide.
THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ROUTE is dominated by the ramrig structure, which is a lot easier to see than it is to explain, and comprises one section against the route's wall about half of the route's length and equipped with little ramp/spike things that slope up to 50mm, and lots and lots of 6" vertical angle grinders. Starting with the divider fence is another section, with the same kind of spikes but minus the saws, that moves in and out in two alternate sections, somewhat slowly, using some hydraulics. These don't have the power to crush but their main purpose is to strand/trap robots between the moving sections and saws and create pretty sparks.
After all that is a section containing another four of those cutoff pyramid spike hazards against the walls, the flame pit, which speaks for itself, and Matilda, who also speaks for herself.
The narrowest point depends on the ramrig position; fully closed it's 60cm wide, fully open 120cm wide. Watch the ground clearance though, if it's obscenely low you might still get stranded once the ramrig reopens.
The end zone contains Sgt. Bash and Shunt who will gravitate towards the action if any occurs.
Robots have approximately 1 minute to complete the 15m long course, and will be ranked first by time, and then by amount of route completed. Least distance covered or slowest to complete, and you're out. If I screw up in writing and a tie for last place occurs, a bridge shall be created, which I will cross when I come to it.
---
After seeing the length of my gauntlet description, the TRIALS will be kept simple:
SUMO: 7.5m diameter sumo plinth surrounded by tyres, you against either Shunt or Dead Metal, 30 seconds. The robot that lasts the least amount of time is eliminated.
TUG OF WAR: A pit in the centre of a long raised platform with walls either side. Your robot will be connected to either Dead Metal or Matilda and starts with 5 metres between them and the pit. 30 seconds of pulling, again the robot lasting the least amount of time is eliminated.
FOOTBALL: A roughly octagonal shaped enclosure with metal fences securely fastened to the floor surrounding it, the fences extend a bit at the base so it is possible for the ball to get hung up on them and a good ram needed to get it free. Dead Metal in the goal (which occupies one side of the rough octagon), Sargeant Bash in defence, the one robot left that hasn't scored is sent off...er...eliminated.
JOUST: A long raised platform with barriers either side, both your robot and MAtilda have to go up ramps before getting onto the platform. In the centre is a large circular unfenced section, the robot that covers the least ground is eliminated.
GRAND PRIX: A figure of 8 circuit 4m wide and of unknown length, with grid positions determined by gauntlet ranking and no hazards or house robots in the arena, unless you count the tyres that form the circuit barriers as hazards. When one robot completes five laps, the race is stopped, and the robot in last place at that particular point is eliminated. Yes, contact and ramming are allowed, and in fact encouraged.
LABYRINTH: A big maze made of immovable metal fencing, with three entrances at the start and passages 1.4m in width. There are house robots at various points in the maze, and there are three minutes to complete it. The robot covering the least distance is eliminated, as you'd expect.
-A pit near the top left corner - this remains open during the heats, but from the quarter finals of the main competition onward, and for the finals of the otherweights, there will be a cover over it leaving immobilisation or OOTA as the only means of victory.
-A flame pit near the lower right corner, of similar dimensions to the pit.
-Four angle grinders (of the series 3 'recessed behind holes in the flat arena wall' type rather than the bloody stupid series 5 onwards variety), two on the longer wall in the top right corner, and the other two on the longer wall in the lower left corner. The chances of these actually damaging any of your robots are somewhat less than infinestimally small, but sparks are fun.
-The house robots in the patrol zones, obviously.
It is possible to OOTA robots at either side of the arena, the walls there are 35cm high and quite OOTAable for most flippers and vertical spinning weapons given a fair bit of luck.
The floor is a laminate of two layers of 5mm stainless steel and 50mm HDPE, and is thus both magnetic and practically impenetrable. The walls, should you be interested, are a hybrid of stainless steel box section and railway sleepers.
Many thanks to Andy Jackson for this bloody brilliant CAD of the arena.
---
The GAUNTLET is basically an obstacle course with three routes. It is almost identical to the RW series 2 gauntlet in layout and obstacle type, but here are the route specifics, including those all important dimensions:
THE LEFT HAND SIDE ROUTE is the least obstructed, in theory; basically a straight run with two pits next to the route divider, a set of five lifting spikes (four 50mm, one 75mm) at the start of the route, and the 'Sentinel' which despite the name and incredibly cheap decorations is just a JCB digger with a couple of spikes either side of the end of the arm. This sweeps back and forth in an arc around most of the route, you could probably dodge it but bear in mind Sir Killalot patrols the area just beyond the Sentinel, and will come up to investigate if you bugger around too much at the start.
This route is 2m wide at the narrowest point (the base of the Sentinel)
THE MIDDLE ROUTE is directly in front of the starting block, and goes as follows: Wall of either concrete blocks or barrels, a seesaw ramp flanked by four of those cut off pyramids with a spike coming out (which prevent thin robots going round the side), brief unobstructed area patrolled by Dead Metal, two 75mm lifting spikes, finish.
The main dimensional restriction here is the ramp, which is 1.1m wide.
THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ROUTE is dominated by the ramrig structure, which is a lot easier to see than it is to explain, and comprises one section against the route's wall about half of the route's length and equipped with little ramp/spike things that slope up to 50mm, and lots and lots of 6" vertical angle grinders. Starting with the divider fence is another section, with the same kind of spikes but minus the saws, that moves in and out in two alternate sections, somewhat slowly, using some hydraulics. These don't have the power to crush but their main purpose is to strand/trap robots between the moving sections and saws and create pretty sparks.
After all that is a section containing another four of those cutoff pyramid spike hazards against the walls, the flame pit, which speaks for itself, and Matilda, who also speaks for herself.
The narrowest point depends on the ramrig position; fully closed it's 60cm wide, fully open 120cm wide. Watch the ground clearance though, if it's obscenely low you might still get stranded once the ramrig reopens.
The end zone contains Sgt. Bash and Shunt who will gravitate towards the action if any occurs.
Robots have approximately 1 minute to complete the 15m long course, and will be ranked first by time, and then by amount of route completed. Least distance covered or slowest to complete, and you're out. If I screw up in writing and a tie for last place occurs, a bridge shall be created, which I will cross when I come to it.
---
After seeing the length of my gauntlet description, the TRIALS will be kept simple:
SUMO: 7.5m diameter sumo plinth surrounded by tyres, you against either Shunt or Dead Metal, 30 seconds. The robot that lasts the least amount of time is eliminated.
TUG OF WAR: A pit in the centre of a long raised platform with walls either side. Your robot will be connected to either Dead Metal or Matilda and starts with 5 metres between them and the pit. 30 seconds of pulling, again the robot lasting the least amount of time is eliminated.
FOOTBALL: A roughly octagonal shaped enclosure with metal fences securely fastened to the floor surrounding it, the fences extend a bit at the base so it is possible for the ball to get hung up on them and a good ram needed to get it free. Dead Metal in the goal (which occupies one side of the rough octagon), Sargeant Bash in defence, the one robot left that hasn't scored is sent off...er...eliminated.
JOUST: A long raised platform with barriers either side, both your robot and MAtilda have to go up ramps before getting onto the platform. In the centre is a large circular unfenced section, the robot that covers the least ground is eliminated.
GRAND PRIX: A figure of 8 circuit 4m wide and of unknown length, with grid positions determined by gauntlet ranking and no hazards or house robots in the arena, unless you count the tyres that form the circuit barriers as hazards. When one robot completes five laps, the race is stopped, and the robot in last place at that particular point is eliminated. Yes, contact and ramming are allowed, and in fact encouraged.
LABYRINTH: A big maze made of immovable metal fencing, with three entrances at the start and passages 1.4m in width. There are house robots at various points in the maze, and there are three minutes to complete it. The robot covering the least distance is eliminated, as you'd expect.