Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Timeline Q

4 views
Skip to first unread message

Julian Richards

unread,
Nov 26, 2003, 7:25:58 AM11/26/03
to
On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 11:42:44 GMT,
corpusculen...@nowhere.com.invalid wrote:

>Wow, I'm so glad I thought to search for Robotwars and found this
>group :)
>Got a Q: I watch on TechTv and they've played all the way up to "6th
>Wars". Is a "war" a year, or are there multiple per year? When's 7
>going to start? Anybody know if we'll get it on TechTV when it does,
>or will we have to wait till way later? I have no idea when or how
>often the heats are held because it's all compressed here - they play
>one every day except weekends.

One filming a year (August) but in the UK, the showing has been
erratic. There have also been some specials including 2 RW Extreme
series. I was (briefly) in the latter. Seven is being shown in the UK
now. I was due to be on but failed safety tests on the door on the
day.


--

Julian Richards
julian-richards "at" ntlworld.com

"My son has asked for a pair of Nike trainers.
He's ten years old, he should make his own"

"I bought a CD of whale music. Imagine my
disappointment when I got home to discover
that it was actual a cover version by a tribute
band of dolphins"

Chika

unread,
Dec 14, 2003, 6:50:53 AM12/14/03
to
In article <h31otv0tu0u8g5frd...@4ax.com>,
<corpusculen...@nowhere.com.invalid> wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Nov 2003 12:25:58 +0000, Julian Richards <s...@sig.co.uk>
> spewed:

> >One filming a year (August) but in the UK, the showing has been
> >erratic. There have also been some specials including 2 RW Extreme
> >series. I was (briefly) in the latter. Seven is being shown in the UK
> >now. I was due to be on but failed safety tests on the door on the
> >day.

> Sorry to hear that, stupid saftey huh?! I mean, what a bunch of
> wusses, it's behind bulletproof glass and stuff.

Better to get stopped at the door and save yourself the embarrassment of
getting found out in battle, like one bot in the third wars. Besides that,
it isn't necessarily the fault of the RW folk. I'm heavily involved with
another form of contact sport that suffers the same sort of thing, and a
lot of it has to do with the health and safety laws in the UK.

> Ah well, maybe next year huh? What was the name of your bot? Hope 7
> gets shown here soon. Just LOVE that show! Wish they would expand RW
> and have more bouts, and/or do a US one. --

I've seen two efforts from the US; Battlebots and Robotica. Interesting
ideas both, though Robotica puts more emphasis on obstacle racing much as
the early RW series, while Battlebots is more of a head on battle, more
like the later RW. My biggest gripe about both of them is the presentation
which seems to err towards the same sort of thing as the WWF^HE, which I
find totally unbearable. There is too much exposition and not enough
actual battling. Having said that, I suppose it depends on exactly what
the US public wants, but I wonder if any of them was asked beforehand.

As for RW7, apart from trying to get used to the show having adverts in it
(it changed channel this year to one of the commercial ones, so it is now
a one hour show with three ad breaks) it has been pretty awesome, though
it is obvious how some of the earlier landmark machines have affected the
design of some of the current bots. Even the house bots are no longer
safe!!!

Julian Richards

unread,
Dec 14, 2003, 8:12:32 PM12/14/03
to
Failing the safety test was all my own fault. Basically, I wasn't
ready and as the thing hit so hard, it was able to shake itself to
bits (knocking wiring loose). It was a Stinger type with the motors
mounted on the body but that put the removable link on the body, which
was classed as a weapon as it moved. Add to this that to reach the
link meant going (reasonably) close to spiked wheels and you can see
why they complained. Still to have a robot officially classified as
carrying 46 kg of weapons (out of 50 kg) is rather neat!

Chika

unread,
Dec 15, 2003, 7:23:35 AM12/15/03
to
In article <da2qtvghnror4q7ms...@4ax.com>,

Julian Richards <s...@sig.co.uk> wrote:
> Still to have a robot officially classified as
> carrying 46 kg of weapons (out of 50 kg) is rather neat!

Like it! Ah well, better luck next year! :)

pulgao

unread,
Dec 17, 2003, 12:31:33 AM12/17/03
to
On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 11:50:53 +0000 (GMT), Chika <miy...@spam.no.way>
wrote:

>I've seen two efforts from the US; Battlebots and Robotica. Interesting
>ideas both, though Robotica puts more emphasis on obstacle racing much as
>the early RW series, while Battlebots is more of a head on battle, more
>like the later RW. My biggest gripe about both of them is the presentation
>which seems to err towards the same sort of thing as the WWF^HE, which I
>find totally unbearable. There is too much exposition and not enough
>actual battling.

Check Google for a past thread in this ng on the topic. Battlebots
actually carried more battles (as a percentage of total airtime) than
either RW or Robotica.

>Having said that, I suppose it depends on exactly what
>the US public wants, but I wonder if any of them was asked beforehand.

ROTFL! Few people in this country knew WTF "robotic combat" was prior
to the debut of Battlebots. There were a few robot sumo segments on
various science shows, but that was about it.

I'm still a huge fan of robotic combat, but when I talk to my fellow
Statesians about it, the usual reaction is that they found the shows
interesting once or twice, but not interesting enough to keep watching
on a regular basis. It had nothing to do with the presentation; they
just didn't see the point in watching something that they *think* they
can do themselves out in the backyard with a radio-controlled car and
a sledgehammer.

-- Steve Lopez

Chika

unread,
Dec 17, 2003, 1:01:10 PM12/17/03
to
In article <3fdfe813.23111649@localhost>,

pulgao <baays...@md.net> wrote:
> I'm still a huge fan of robotic combat, but when I talk to my fellow
> Statesians about it, the usual reaction is that they found the shows
> interesting once or twice, but not interesting enough to keep watching
> on a regular basis. It had nothing to do with the presentation; they
> just didn't see the point in watching something that they *think* they
> can do themselves out in the backyard with a radio-controlled car and
> a sledgehammer.

Their loss. I know some folk I know are pretty cold towards it, but I
guess the idea of mechanical contact sports is in my blood...

Though banger racing does have its differences... (though they did try
combining the two in "Combat Cars". Interesting idea, that!)

--
//\ // Chika <miyuki at crashnet.org.uk>
// \// The second ZFC coming <crashnet.org.uk/zedeffcee>

... See that slate, That's your keyboard that is.

see.my.s...@nowhere.com.invalid

unread,
Dec 24, 2005, 6:41:58 AM12/24/05
to
On Wed, 26 Nov 2003 12:25:58 +0000, Julian Richards <s...@sig.co.uk>
spewed:
>>Wow, I'm so glad I thought to search for Robotwars and found this
>>group :)
>>Got a Q: I watch on TechTv and they've played all the way up to "6th
>>Wars". Is a "war" a year, or are there multiple per year? When's 7
>>going to start? Anybody know if we'll get it on TechTV when it does,
>>or will we have to wait till way later? I have no idea when or how
>>often the heats are held because it's all compressed here - they play
>>one every day except weekends.
>
>One filming a year (August) but in the UK, the showing has been
>erratic. There have also been some specials including 2 RW Extreme
>series. I was (briefly) in the latter. Seven is being shown in the UK
>now. I was due to be on but failed safety tests on the door on the
>day.

Jeez, how did I miss this msg?! 2 yrs old too!
If you're still here, what's the current news?
They up to 9th Wars now?
What was your bot name?
--
_____________________________________________________
For email response, or CC, please mailto:see.my.sig.4.addr(at)bigfoot.com.
Yeah, it's really a real address :)

leo van miert

unread,
Dec 24, 2005, 9:38:57 AM12/24/05
to

> If you're still here, what's the current news?

Current news is that series 7 (7th wars if you will) was not sold to the
BBC but to Five TV. After they aired it, it came apparent that there
would not be a series 8. It was sold to Jetix and some other digital
channels i believe. A lot of the roboteers themselve went on in fighting
in live events, but no show the size of Robotwars was done since then.

Battlebots has had a new event in Rochester, and European roboteers go
on in several competitions, with Roaming Robots, GRA, and
Dutchrobotgames. They are all united in the Fighting Robots association
(FRA). Every year we attempt to set up a larger scale event, but due to
circomstances it has never worked out.

Next year (2006 if it takes you 2 years again to read this :) ) Roaming
Robots is scheduling to have a large event during a large airshow in the
UK. It is not 100% sure yet, but it is in cooperation with another large
event, therefore garantueed to have a large audience. There is no
mention of television coverage though.

> What was your bot name?

In series 7 i had Splinter, and RCC2, both never got past the qualifiers.

Regards,

Leo van Miert
http://www.robotwars.demon.nl

0 new messages