91: Legally Compelled To Fight

• 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