This episode is pointlessRules and judging! Yay!Rule changesYou should read them and not just trust what we say: Design rules, Tournament rules, Judges’ GuideSafety!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 threatBut a higher wallLifting/pinning/grappling timing changes [Tournament rules: 7.5.6/7/8]Separation procedure [Tournament rules: 7.5.9]Mobility & count-outsIf you’re moving, you’re moving [Tournament rules: 7.6.2]Even if you’re only using your weapon to do soReducing the chances of people getting angry at officialsUnsticks [Tournament rules: 7.6.3/4]We won’t see nearly as many unsticksMore fights will end early, but they’re more likely to end ‘fairly’Time savings for production?Minibots get removed after a second unstickEngagement avoidance [Tournament rules: 7.6.7]Judging changesPost-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 appealingA failed appeal removes your right to appealShould there be a mid-ground?Sam explains why this doesn’t apply to refereeing decisionsExperimental UK judging systemThe system!Already used at BBB’s ‘Subterranean Showdown’ and in use for the upcoming BBB Beetleweight ChampsIntended to give all robots fairly equal access to every categoryDamage 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 effectivelyLifters lift, grabbers grab, flippers flip, spinners do damage just like beforeWedges 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 visibleActive weapon rule?Aggression is still aggressionFree a stuck opponent? ALL OF THE POINTS!Control & StrategyControl - control your robot well, get your weapon into play, use the hazardsStrategy - make smart choicesThink of strategy as a place for judges to add points, but not a place where we really take them away
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