Battlebots - General Discussion

[proserpina65]

I hate when bots I love are pitted against each other.  Damn you, show, for making me choose between End Game and Hypershock!

[QuantumMechanic]

Is the Riptide crew actually a bunch of total assholes or do they just play one on TV?

[xfuse]

On 3/30/2023 at 10:18 AM, QuantumMechanic said:

Is the Riptide crew actually a bunch of total assholes or do they just play one on TV?

They seem to be. Karma may come back and bite them somewhere.

[grommit2]

More smashing and bashing!!  Yay.
And tell me how a bot can actually flip a 250 lb opponent 10 feet in the air.

[proserpina65]

23 hours ago, grommit2 said:

More smashing and bashing!!  Yay.
And tell me how a bot can actually flip a 250 lb opponent 10 feet in the air.

That always gets me.  I have a hard time remembering how heavy the bots are when they do that.  Although, UGH HYDRA.  And conversely, YAY HYPERSHOCK!!!!!

I'm finding this new thing where they have a builder in the booth for one of the fights each night interesting.  It does depend on who, obviously, but most of them have been good.  Plus, any excuse to look at/listen to Nick Mabey and Will Bales is fine with me.

[libgirl2]

42 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

That always gets me.  I have a hard time remembering how heavy the bots are when they do that.  Although, UGH HYDRA.  And conversely, YAY HYPERSHOCK!!!!!

I'm finding this new thing where they have a builder in the booth for one of the fights each night interesting.  It does depend on who, obviously, but most of them have been good.  Plus, any excuse to look at/listen to Nick Mabey and Will Bales is fine with me.

We see them get flipped around and forget how heavy and big they really are. 

[proserpina65]

Okay, so apparently Ripperoni is the real deal.  They've beaten both End Game and Copperhead; the first one was a bit of a fluke, but the second was a serious result.

And man, that End Game-Gigabyte was very reminiscent of the Hypershock-Gigabyte fight from the Golden Bolt tournament.

[proserpina65]

Well, I think I've actually done the impossible: I found someone I hate more than Jake Ewert.  I was sitting there thinking that I wanted another bot, any other bot - even Hydra - to wallop Riptide, because I'm finding Ethan Kurtz to be completely insufferable.

[grommit2]

I have a hard time telling one bot from another.  
But, that doesn't matter...just so long as there is lots of bashing, smashing, roasting, and a few 25 foot high tosses.  Yes! 😁

[libgirl2]

14 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Well, I think I've actually done the impossible: I found someone I hate more than Jake Ewert.  I was sitting there thinking that I wanted another bot, any other bot - even Hydra - to wallop Riptide, because I'm finding Ethan Kurtz to be completely insufferable.

It is one thing to play the villain, it is another thing to be arrogant and insufferable like that kid. I think his behavior is no act. 

[Quilt Fairy]

On 4/24/2023 at 5:36 PM, grommit2 said:

I have a hard time telling one bot from another.  
But, that doesn't matter...just so long as there is lots of bashing, smashing, roasting, and a few 25 foot high tosses.  Yes! 😁

Not too much of that this episode.  A lot of really kinetic first contacts and then "Oops, we're dead" and "Oops, we're almost dead, but not as dead as you are".   Of course, they needed a whole segment at the end to name the brackets, so maybe it worked into the show's plans anyway. 

[madmax]

Liked the rematch between WD and Minotaur.  I thought WD had the edge this time, but Minotaur deserved the win because they got screwed last year.  I love how they barely mentioned that WD was unstuck last year when every other bot that got stuck last year was counted out.

I think Minotaur might be the only one with a chance to take out Riptide, unless Yelly McObnoxious makes a big mistake.  

[JH Lipton]

On 4/24/2023 at 12:15 PM, proserpina65 said:

I'm finding Ethan Kurtz to be completely insufferable.

On 1/23/2023 at 3:08 PM, CoderLady said:

Ewerts are jarringly unpleasant compared to almost any other combatants. In fact, I can't think of others.

Daniel Freitas and his toxic masculinity are abhorrent to me.  I find him the most unpleasant person on BattleBots to the point that I want to punch him in the face.

[grommit2]

Oh boy!!  It's Thursday.  Battlebots is on the tube!
Yessir...lots of bashing 💥, smashing, 💥 crashing...and a few flames.
Much better than almost anything else on TV (except for a Celtics win...).

[CoderLady]

On 4/24/2023 at 12:15 PM, proserpina65 said:

Well, I think I've actually done the impossible: I found someone I hate more than Jake Ewert.  I was sitting there thinking that I wanted another bot, any other bot - even Hydra - to wallop Riptide, because I'm finding Ethan Kurtz to be completely insufferable.

I totally agree now. Ethan Kurtz is a shady little weasel. And I'd love to shake Adam Wrigley's hand.

[libgirl2]

4 hours ago, CoderLady said:

I totally agree now. Ethan Kurtz is a shady little weasel. And I'd love to shake Adam Wrigley's hand.

I have been watching the show for a few years and don't recall hints of cheating like I did see last night. Has this ever happened before? 

As for that handshake attempt. I felt like it was taking your hand after you wiped your butt and sticking it out. What a jerk that guy is. I know someone has to play the villain but I think this guy is not playing it. All I have heard is the team is hated behind the scenes and it is starting to show in front of the camera. 

After last night, I really hope to not see the Riptide team back next season and hopefully not much longer on here.

Edited May 5, 2023 by libgirl2

[proserpina65]

On 5/5/2023 at 6:27 AM, libgirl2 said:

I have been watching the show for a few years and don't recall hints of cheating like I did see last night. Has this ever happened before? 

As for that handshake attempt. I felt like it was taking your hand after you wiped your butt and sticking it out. What a jerk that guy is. I know someone has to play the villain but I think this guy is not playing it. All I have heard is the team is hated behind the scenes and it is starting to show in front of the camera. 

After last night, I really hope to not see the Riptide team back next season and hopefully not much longer on here.

There was Hydra's unorthodox method of dealing with Huge, basically pinning Huge against the side of the battle box with a big rack of antlers, which was controversial but not really cheating.  Some of the bot builders thought that was shady but others didn't.  And the last season in which Judge Jason competed he skirted the very edge of the rules with a net utilized against Ghost Raptor; again not technically cheating but shady.

The fact that other builders had been questioning the behavior of Ethan Kurtz and his team, rather than just Team Shatter, makes me wonder.  I mean, why did the robot weigh 2 lbs less, and did that give them any advantage?  (Speed or manueverability?)  Clearly they were doing something against the rules, even if the post-weigh-in adjustments didn't amount to any kind of advantage, so some penalty probably was merited.  I think we'll see another rule change next season as a result.

On a less negative note: I enjoyed most of the fights even if I didn't always like the winner.  Some great hits and a good bit of smashing, which is always appreciated.  I was worried about End Game for the first half of their fight.  Tantrum was holding its own for longer than I expected.

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, proserpina65 said:

There was Hydra's unorthodox method of dealing with Huge, basically pinning Huge against the side of the battle box with a big rack of antlers, which was controversial but not really cheating.  Some of the bot builders thought that was shady but others didn't.  And the last season in which Judge Jason competed he skirted the very edge of the rules with a net utilized against Ghost Raptor; again not technically cheating but shady.

The fact that other builders had been questioning the behavior of Ethan Kurtz and his team, rather than just Team Shatter, makes me wonder.  I mean, why did the robot weigh 2 lbs less, and did that give them any advantage?  (Speed or manueverability?)  Clearly they were doing something against the rules, even if the post-weigh-in adjustments didn't amount to any kind of advantage, so some penalty probably was merited.  I think we'll see another rule change next season as a result.

On a less negative note: I enjoyed most of the fights even if I didn't always like the winner.  Some great hits and a good bit of smashing, which is always appreciated.  I was worried about End Game for the first half of their fight.  Tantrum was holding its own for longer than I expected.

Good points. Something just seems off. There's shady and then there's SHADY. 

I also thought Tantrum did better than expected but I knew they would not repeat this year. 

[proserpina65]

1 minute ago, libgirl2 said:

I also thought Tantrum did better than expected but I knew they would not repeat this year. 

Clearly they struggled with the changes they made in the off-season.  Hopefully they'll get it figured out by next time because I do like that team and want them to do well.  Just not against End Game. 🥰

[libgirl2]

23 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Clearly they struggled with the changes they made in the off-season.  Hopefully they'll get it figured out by next time because I do like that team and want them to do well.  Just not against End Game. 🥰

I like them too 

[grommit2]

Geez...I really like it when one bot launches the opponent 20 feet into the air.
Or when a bot literally blows up the opponent.
More smashing and bashing!😵

[proserpina65]

Other than the disappointing Minotaur/Fusion bout, those were some entertaining fights.  A couple of upsets (Monsoon and Ribbot) and one not-exactly an upset but unexpected finish (Black Dragon pulling out that win at the last minute against Ripperoni) - all very fun to watch.  Good to see Sawblaze overcome its flipper problem, although Blip is a different thing from Hydra.

Looking forward to more, but damn, why does it have to be Hypershock against Riptide?

[CoderLady]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Looking forward to more, but damn, why does it have to be Hypershock against Riptide?

Yeah, it sucks. Either Stealth Assassin Will Bales shows up and pulls off a surprising upset or perpetually clumsy but endearing Lab puppy Will Bales shows up and gets unnecessarily torn to pieces.

[grommit2]

Egads...major dilemma!
Do I watch Battlebots or the Celtics/Heat basketball game?
Oh the decisions. 😀
 

[libgirl2]

Some interesting battles and surprises. 

Spoiler

End Game going out was a big one. And Malice looked real good. 

Good to see teams gracious in defeat. And of course the jerk was a jerk. 

[Quilt Fairy]

It was funny to see someone in the audience hold up a sign that said "Well, that was quick".   Pretty appropriate this episode, and this season in general. 

[enoughcats]

I haven't watched enough of the eps in order to understand what's behind the order of who is opposite whom. 

I have found it depressing that I know most of the teams and those I really have grown to admire over time don't seem to be adjusting to their less-than-brave new world. 

Fast forward is the only way I can make it through a two and a half hour watch.  Ok, I'm old, but I don't need the flashing light beginning and I'm looking fondly backwards on the drag racing start lights.  

Basic question: is the floor in such bad shape in front of one of the start boxes that bots are having to detour around it?  Most recent I think at least two hung up at the same bot-hole

[proserpina65]

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  I can't lose End Game, Hypershock and Whiplash all in the same night!!!!  😭  At least Sawblaze and Huge made it through.  Not that I would have minded MadCatter winning; I like them, too.

It was interesting to hear Nick & Jack and Will both talk about the mistakes they made in their fights.  Will basically made a huge driving error right of the bat and could never recover, but Nick & Jack started with a flawed strategy to begin with.  They should never have had End Game go weapon to weapon with a drum spinner.  Oh well, at least the Copperhead team seem like decent people and good competitors.

The less said about asshole man, the better, except to point out I never thought anyone could make Jake Ewert look almost tolerable in comparison but clearly I was wrong.

The post game discussion about how the sport has changed and speculation regarding possible future improvements was fascinating.  And I'm with Jack Barker - I'm not going to any of Will Bales' parties.  "Pissing in the punchbowl", lol.

[libgirl2]

5 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  I can't lose End Game, Hypershock and Whiplash all in the same night!!!!  😭  At least Sawblaze and Huge made it through.  Not that I would have minded MadCatter winning; I like them, too.

It was interesting to hear Nick & Jack and Will both talk about the mistakes they made in their fights.  Will basically made a huge driving error right of the bat and could never recover, but Nick & Jack started with a flawed strategy to begin with.  They should never have had End Game go weapon to weapon with a drum spinner.  Oh well, at least the Copperhead team seem like decent people and good competitors.

The less said about asshole man, the better, except to point out I never thought anyone could make Jake Ewert look almost tolerable in comparison but clearly I was wrong.

The post game discussion about how the sport has changed and speculation regarding possible future improvements was fascinating.  And I'm with Jack Barker - I'm not going to any of Will Bales' parties.  "Pissing in the punchbowl", lol.

It was a tough night, that is for sure. 

Jake Ewert is an angel compared to THAT person. I realize Jake  is playing the role. The other one IS the role. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by libgirl2

[grommit2]

Ahhh...just give me the bashing, crashing, flipping, flaming action.
I need those bots getting blasted into the smash-proof glass, parts flying all over the arena.  🤪

[libgirl2]

What a fun final episode. Lots of upsets! Happy all around even though my favorite didn't win. Congrats to everyone! 

[rmontro]

If you would have told me we'd be seeing a Sawblaze/Huge finale, I wouldn't have believed you.  All the top favorites got knocked out.  Huge seemed to lose some power in their weapon after Sawblaze cut one of their cables.  Otherwise it might have been a different story.

Great season.  I like to see champs who don't seem invincible, and we saw that this year.

[libgirl2]

7 hours ago, rmontro said:

If you would have told me we'd be seeing a Sawblaze/Huge finale, I wouldn't have believed you.  All the top favorites got knocked out.  Huge seemed to lose some power in their weapon after Sawblaze cut one of their cables.  Otherwise it might have been a different story.

Great season.  I like to see champs who don't seem invincible, and we saw that this year.

It was pretty amazing. Seeing Hydra, Riptide and Witch Doctor being taken out and pretty easily at that. I was happy with any of the remaining 4 to win, though I was hoping Huge would, so close. Congratulations to all of the teams, especially that final 4! 

[rmontro]

9 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I was happy with any of the remaining 4 to win, though I was hoping Huge would, so close. 

When it came down to it, I was also hoping Huge would win, just because it seemed so unlikely.  It was a formidable bot this year though.

[libgirl2]

8 minutes ago, rmontro said:

When it came down to it, I was also hoping Huge would win, just because it seemed so unlikely.  It was a formidable bot this year though.

Big improvement from last year. I was so happy for them. And I liked when they asked Jonathan Schultz if the were going to review the battle and he said no, that Sawblaze won. Class act on both sides. 

I was also very happy for Copperhead and its new team. What a great run they had, taking out Riptide! Someone mentioned that when that happened, the audience was cheering for about 3 minutes...... I'd love to see the video of it. I'm keeping an eye out. 

It really was, overall, a feel good night. Even the teams that lost in an "upset", were gracious. 

Edited May 26, 2023 by libgirl2

[CoderLady]

I was ok with either Sawblaze or Huge winning. I like both of them a whole lot: Huge for how it's stepped up its offensive abilities this season and Sawblaze for what a first-rate engineer Jamison Go has been for years. I have to admit I'm happy Sawblaze won, though. Watching it grab an opponent, line up a shot, pause, then WHAM! with the blade never gets old.

All in all, it was a great tournament! I can't wait for the next one!

[Taeolas]

Seems like Huge finally lived up to its potential as a meta breaker. Glad it did so well. Wish it would have won but Sawblaze got a lucky hit to partly disable the weapon and that's what tilted the fight. The judges certainly made the right decision. 

I also think that Sawblaze also may have MacGuyvered a proper answer to Huge with those eyelashes addition. Having something that can contact Huge's central axis and help push it around while not putting your own bot in significant danger is what is needed. I'm pretty sure most bots will have eyelashes in their armory next season, just waiting for a Huge match up (and/or a match up from a Huge derivative, since it's now a proven bot model that can succeed)

[Rickster]

I was happy to see the Sawblaze vs Huge final. I was beginning to think that evolution in robot fighting was leading to a collection of various types of drum spinners. Nice to see two finalists outside that mold. Hopefully we can see more imaginative designs in the future.

[JH Lipton]

I was just happy to watch Daniel Freitas cry.  A poor winner and a poor loser.  I was worried but am so glad that they lost.

Replacement driver of Riptide, we REALLY don't need Ethan Kurtz Jr.  Your "Let's go!" can get lost.

[Vermicious Knid]

I've always liked Huge, for how different it is from most of the other bots, and for the angry eyes. It amuses me no end to see those glowering eyes on a big, giant wheelie robot. Also when it lifts its 'arms' in victory. Congrats on making it to the final. Sawblaze was a worthy winner. I hope Ripperoni comes back next season. 

I did find out why the Battlebots are on display at the Silverton. The son of the owner of the casino, owns Battlebots. 

[proserpina65]

On 5/28/2023 at 10:05 PM, JH Lipton said:

Replacement driver of Riptide, we REALLY don't need Ethan Kurtz Jr.  Your "Let's go!" can get lost.

And they can't claim they lost because of the driving.  They lost because Copperhead broke Riptide's weapon.  Not just made it stop working but literally broke it in half.

This was a wild and wooly tournament and while I can't say I was happy to see a couple of my favorite bots lose, I was thrilled with the final between Sawblaze and Huge.  I'd have been thrilled with either bot winning, since Jamison Go has been around for years and really worked hard to improve his bot and Jonathan Schultz finally made his unusual design live up to its promise.

Edited May 30, 2023 by proserpina65

[grommit2]

Aw gee...the season's over.
Now what do I do for entertainment?
Hmm...I know...I'll take out my old sledge hammer and...hmm, no wait.
Can't do that.  I'll just have to wait for the reruns. 🤪

[madmax]

On 5/30/2023 at 9:37 AM, proserpina65 said:

And they can't claim they lost because of the driving.  They lost because Copperhead broke Riptide's weapon.  Not just made it stop working but literally broke it in half.

I can still hear that idiot claiming they lost because HE would have driven it better.  I'm just so damn glad they lost.

[proserpina65]

6 minutes ago, madmax said:

I can still hear that idiot claiming they lost because HE would have driven it better.  I'm just so damn glad they lost.

True.  I should've said most people wouldn't believe them if they claimed that was the reason.

16 hours ago, grommit2 said:

Aw gee...the season's over.
Now what do I do for entertainment?
Hmm...I know...I'll take out my old sledge hammer and...hmm, no wait.
Can't do that.  I'll just have to wait for the reruns. 🤪

They should be running the 2nd Golden Bolt tournament soon.

[DougJones]

Im late to the party, but I couldn’t stand that kid behind Riptide. Something is definitely off with him. 
 

I guess he’s one of the “villains” but the guy behind Hydra also comes across as villainous but he’s a far more interesting and likable character, if that makes sense haha

ive only been watching a few years, but glad to see Copperhead get far even if it meant EndGame lost. And I was just glad to see Riptide lose. 

[QuantumMechanic]

Finally was able to get around to watching the rest of the season.

Riptide should have been disqualified from the tournament after that epic weigh-in shadiness.  The rules (according to the televised show) are that you can't mess with your bot after weigh-in.  Well, if your bot now magically weighs 2lb less after weigh-in then you clearly touched something even if the "inspectors" were unable to find it.  Should have been an instant and obvious DQ without a second's thought.  (Though I suppose given the WWE nature of the show the producers weren't going to let that happen.)

Relatedly, my favorite image of the entire season was during the closing credits of the championship episode where see the entire pit area standing and cheering wildly when Copperhead enters the pits after having defeating those shady Riptide cheating assholes.

[QuantumMechanic]

Also this:

And according to r/Battlebots Riptide did appeal (and lost their appeal -- even going from losing by a split decision to losing unanimously) but that was edited out.

[proserpina65]

12 hours ago, QuantumMechanic said:

Also this:

And according to r/Battlebots Riptide did appeal (and lost their appeal -- even going from losing by a split decision to losing unanimously) but that was edited out.

Chris did mention it before Copperhead's fight against Huge.  My friend and I both laughed out loud.

[Vermicious Knid]

Battlebots Champions premiers October 5. 

[Quilt Fairy]

Does anyone know how this show will be structured?  Is it a variation on standard Battlebots?