Robot Arena > Tutorials and Tips
Rookie's Guide To The Community For Rookies
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Rhapsody:
(For a guide from a more experienced member, check out the guide by TheRoboteer through the link at the bottom of this post.)
Lemme guess: You found the DSL mod in your zip file you got from myabandonware. You boot it up, have some fun, look it up and wham! Here you are at GameTechMods.
I will start by saying that robot building is as hard as you want it to be. You can stick on some wheels and a spike and call it Bob Ross. That's basically it. It won't be competitive, but it's a simple robot. If you actually plan on making something competitive, that's when the difficulty gets real. Remember the three 'C' rule of things not to make. Keep in mind that this is only an introductory guide.
Clippers, Crappers and Crashers.
If the parts are merging together, you will be denied participation in most tournaments, as it just isn't realistic. It would be anything from janky to being an unfair advantage. No clippers.
Crappers are just badly made robots. If you made efforts into good design, that's fair. If your robot looks like man bits that have been painted pink and have extenders sticking out all over the place, no. Don't.
Crashers are just pointless. If it crashes the game, it's useless. And sending them to others is just being a jerk.
Anyway, if you need a few pointers, I may as well provide some.
It's important to stay on the good side of the community, or your time here may not last. Be sure to remain respectful of the members, and if you have any problems with any of us, make sure your own behaviour is civilised and mature. Don't start dissing them, especially if it's a conflict you started. You will be treated the same as you treat others.
GTM has a wiki, and you can find detailed information there. I can't guarantee it is all up-to-date, but it is a good way to learn the basics.
Tournaments for dummies
Tournaments are a great way to show off what you have made, and a means of wowing the members if you manage to make it to victory. There's nothing at stake. No prize money, no gambling. It's just your robot against the others.
When entering a tournament, the host may need you to provide the AI for your robot. This is advanced stuff for a beginner. I suggest entering a tournament if the host is willing or normally uses their own AI work, or, if you can, reuse the AI from another robot if you have permission. I don't know if permission is always required, but it's still nice to ask first.
There are tutorials on the forum for AI development if you're interested in learning more. I can't make an AI, so I can only describe what I know. I have linked a tutorial at the bottom of this post.
Now, another thing to keep in mind is the restrictions. Tournaments may have different limitations for competitors, such as weight, weapons or design. There are hundreds of parts that can be unlocked using a cheat, but all of them are not normally allowed in tournaments, with very few exceptions. For that reason, it is best to use the parts already available when you load the software. While it is also possible to use mods to add more parts, you probably can't use them for a tournament robot.
Robot building
Firstly, don't just make a robot without some kind of idea. Is this robot meant to be light and nimble? Is it going to be an all powerful instrument of mass destruction?
We'll start with the body itself. You can use several points to create angles, at least to a certain extent. To the right, you will see two buttons, labelled 1 and 2. Number 2 takes you to a new menu, where you can click and drag the points you made to create vertical angles. Just know that this is a poorly made bit of software likely released before you were born, remember that the modded versions can only do so much. You can make vertical angles, but they are all set to a certain height by a slider. You can edit the robot file in a text editor, a technique known as BFE (Bot File Editing), but it can be finicky for newcomers. I suggest that you do learn a bit about it at some point, because it can be very useful for more advanced designs. Like AI, there are BFE tutorials available on the forum. I have linked one at the bottom of this post.
Next is armour. It can be tricky to decide on the right material for your robot. Antweights, a type of robot that weigh less than the average American, benefit from the use of thin, light materials, such as plastic and aluminium. Heavyweights need good all-round protection in tournaments, so you may want to go for medium to thick titanium or steel. Super heavyweights should probably be given heavy steel, as the weight class leaves a lot of room for heavy weapons.
Plan out the location you want your components before you start adding.
I suggest setting up your drive motors before any other components. Keyword being 'drive' motors. You could use any of them, but some motors are better suited for weapon use, and are less efficient for driving wheels. You may need to consider the height of your robot beforehand, as this will affect the amount of working space you have later on.
There are three different types of traction. One is the wheel, which is as basic as it is essential. You only need two powered wheels touching the ground to get moving, but you can add as many as can fit if you really want. Wheels come in different sizes, so it's all about choosing the right one for your needs. Next up are tracks. They are a bit different from wheels. They are much more durable, but require their own locked motors. These motors are available to select when you click on one of the tracks. Lastly, there's casters. Casters aren't often used these days, except for designs that specifically need ground clearance to work, such as those using disk or saw type weapons. They are unpowered, but don't have a negative effect on turning, meaning you can still turn on the spot.
When you have your drive sorted, you need to plan out a bit once again. Where will you put the batteries? Will the weapons fit? Is the robot high or low enough? If you have doubts about the height, don't keep building. While you can adjust the robot body at any time, doing so removes all placed components, so be sure that your decision is final before you go further.
You should consider the size of components. Components usually look ugly when jutting out.
If you want a spinning weapon, you'll need another motor. Not a drive motor this time. Use a piglet or a small transmission. (or a dual perm if you are an absolute maniac and somehow have the room)
Saws are a good, low effort weapon to start with, but lack the durability of heavier alternatives. Saws work best on small to medium sized robots. Drums are like wider saws, and have their own attachment points for beaters. They are a bit awkward to work with, but can be devastating when done right. Disks are basically beefy saws. There are base disks available to build from, or custom disks for those who are either looking for a prebuilt disk or one with a certain design. Disks can have teeth added to damage opponents. They are pretty much the same as drums, except they are normally placed flat. Bars are heavy and slower to get up to speed, but they pack the biggest punch. They require a lot of room, so don't expect to see them being used too often. You could also use an extender with a hammer on each end, but absolutely nobody will praise you for it. It is the cardinal sin of spinning weapons and may Havok have mercy on your soul if you do this.
There are also other weapon types. Hammers are the easiest to implement. There are several attachments available, or you can create the head from scratch if you want. Just don't make it too heavy or it will ruin the weight distribution of your robot, and could be too slow to retract, or may fail to retract at all if too heavy for the motor. For little robots or light hammers, you could get away with a burst motor, but bigger ones may need a slow motor that has better retraction power. For example, a big robot could use the Beta Motor, which is a huge swinging motor. For hammers, use the geared version, which has a 180 degree rotation limit. For those who want to yeet their troubles away, a good flipper is recommended. It is very hard to get it right the first time, so if you are struggling, don't hesitate to ask a member of the community for advice. A basic guide is to make a large, flat surface. It should swing either from the back or the front, keeping the shape of the wedge type robot it is used on. Yes, it can be done on a non wedged robot, but it just isn't practical. Use flippers on sloped robots. Make sure they are very low. You may want only the two wheels. Make sure the wedge is flush with the floor, as in the pointed part is in contact. Use a hinge with extenders to make a basic ramp. Adjust the hinge so that it cannot be pushed upwards, only into the ground. Use only a couple of wedges if possible, since the game engine is weird when it comes to using several. Make sure to ask members of the community for a better explanation of wedge design. Finally, there's the piston. Stab your opponents at the click of a button. Just don't forget the CO2 or that fancy weapon is nothing but vanity.
As for static defense and offence, blades on wheels are crude but can be effective. You can mount spikes onto extenders to poke out of the chassis, which can also aid in defence. You could also just put a load of them up front and give the robot enough power to push a planet so you can just ram the opponents. Trial and error is essential. Sometimes, even a stupid idea is the best one. Sometimes.
If you want, you can decorate your robot with vanity parts, or paint it. There are decal packs on the forum you can get, and since it only changes the skin of your robot, you don't need to worry about having problems entering a tournament when using them.
Finally, give the robot a name. Take a picture, take a few screenshots and if you're in the Discord, upload them to the showcase and say something like; "Yea lad, dis sh**z fookin bangin lemme tel ya maet, prolly gotinuff powir to brake de'rina. Lookat im, mingin ting."
Just remember that this is only a basic guide by a person who probably needs a guide of their own. But never fear, the community is here. We faff around sometimes, we may poke fun, but at the end of the day, we're here because we like robots. I hope you do too.
Because if you don't, why are you here?
Beginner's Guide by TheRoboteer: https://gametechmods.com/forums/approved-tutorials/irl-a-beginner's-guide/
AI Tutorial by Orc: https://gametechmods.com/forums/approved-tutorials/orc's-simple(ish)-guide-to-ai'ing-dsl-bots/
BFE Guide by Hoppin: https://gametechmods.com/forums/approved-tutorials/bfe-a-beginner's-guide/
helloface:
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