Rule Changes

We have recently changed three rules and we wanted to cement them in before the season started.

First, we changed one word from the judging guidelines which will have a relatively large impact.

“Damage that is self-inflicted by a robot's own systems and not directly or indirectly caused by contact with the other robot or an active arena hazard will not still be counted against that robot for scoring purposes.”

Self-inflicted damage used to not count against you, but now it does. If your robot is prone to ripping off its own wheels or top plate, you should probably fix that.

Second, we’ve simplified the way weight bonuses are handled in cluster-bots. Previously we had a formula aimed at ultimate fairness, but it added a fair bit of complexity and was confusing to some people. Now, for all bots in a cluster-bot setup to get a non-traditinal movement weight bonus (e.g shuffler bonus), all bots in the cluster-bot must use the same drive type. For example, a cluster-bot comprised of a shuffler and a wheeled bot would not receive a weight bonus, but a cluster-bot comprised of two shufflers would be eligible for the bonus. If you already built a cluster-bot that uses different forms of locomotion specifically for this season before 02/12/23, please contact MidwestRobotCombatAssociation@gmail.com.

Third, hydraulics were previously limited to 250psi, but now the system is limited to the EO’s discretion. If you have an idea for a hydraulic robot you think you can fit into an antweight, we are excited to see it!