Author Topic: New website (Read 3171 times)

Clickbeetle · « **on:** June 20, 2012, 11:12:39 PM »

After many hours of labor, I've totally redesigned my website! Gone is the old (admittedly hard on the eyes, although I did like the graphics at the top and was sorry to see them go) black, red, and green theme. Instead I've given it a boring gray theme, but careful observers will note the background is the same color as the bot lab background, and the text is the same color as the RA2 in-game text.

While I was at it, I took the opportunity to give some of my tutorials a much-needed update. The RA2 Stats page has been updated to reflect my new understanding of how power consumption works, and also includes motor speed and torque stats. The Building Techniques page also got a major overhaul. I go much more in-depth into chassis space management, building to the weight limit, how to make a good wedge, using extenders, and building popups. Some other sections also got minor revisions for clarity. Hopefully this page will be even more useful to newbies now!

Note: I put the Containment Cube and the Epic Showdown arena on the Downloads page, but the links are currently not working because there's a thunderstorm here and my uploads of the .zip files keep getting interrupted.

http://beetlebros.gametechmods.com

Natef · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:23:35 PM »

Nice! But what's with the text changing color?

Mr. AS · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:24:49 PM »

my thoughts on this:
a. ironbot is under bbeans, does that make it an "unofficial" bbeans tourney ?
b. curious, whatever did happen to that dragrace arena you had on the arenas page some time back ?
c. i do like the theme and how you made the color and text ra2-like, especially considering that it's a mainly ra2-based site (bar the religion/irl robotics stuff). and the improved tutorials, it really was getting dated, glad you modernized it

edit: yay fb's music

Clickbeetle · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:30:09 PM »

Quote from: Natef on June 20, 2012, 11:23:35 PM

Nice! But what's with the text changing color?

Since I haven't built any real robots for years, I wanted to shift the focus away from Arthrobotics and more toward RA2. To that end, I changed the color scheme to something that better matches RA2 and will be familiar to RA2 players.

Quote from: Mr. AwesumSauce on June 20, 2012, 11:24:49 PM

my thoughts on this:
a. ironbot is under bbeans, does that make it an "unofficial" bbeans tourney ?
b. curious, whatever did happen to that dragrace arena you had on the arenas page some time back ?

a. It sort of is, since the prize for the winners was guaranteed entry into BBEANS7.
b. I think it stopped working for some reason. It was really old anyway and I have a better drag strip I planned to include in DSL3.

Virus Bomb · « **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:33:19 PM »

Like the redesign, but why did you take down the page that had all the pictures of the bots that you and FB made?

Urjak · « **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:39:54 PM »

Very nice...

Clickbeetle · « **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:53:10 PM »

Quote from: Virus Bomb on June 20, 2012, 11:33:19 PM

Like the redesign, but why did you take down the page that had all the pictures of the bots that you and FB made?

It was shamefully outdated and I didn't feel like updating it when you could just look in my showcase to see my bots.

Actually the page still exists (http://beetlebros.gametechmods.com/ra2bots.htm), it's just not linked to anymore.

As for the RA2 history contained on that page, in the near future I plan to upload my entire Robot Designs folder (minus bots with custom components and bots not built by me or FB) which will have more history than you can handle.

The Intro to Christianity pages are no longer linked to for the same reason, they are years old and I need to make a new one. That will also happen in the near-ish future.

Badnik96 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:01:56 AM »

Robot Designs = WANT

Jonzu95 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:13:38 AM »

Very nice website indeed, Click.

Virus Bomb · « **Reply #9 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:23:41 AM »

Quote from: Clickbeetle on June 20, 2012, 11:53:10 PM

As for the RA2 history contained on that page, in the near future I plan to upload my entire Robot Designs folder (minus bots with custom components and bots not built by me or FB) which will have more history than you can handle.

yeah

Jack Daniels · « **Reply #10 on:** June 21, 2012, 04:07:17 AM »

Looks good. Nice and simple. To the point.

Fracture · « **Reply #11 on:** June 21, 2012, 08:27:59 AM »

Awesome that you finally updated the Component Stats page with the actual motor inputs!

For me, Nifties only take 3 clicks up to fit in a chassis, although I do use 1600x1200x32 resolution in RA2.
The "Minimize chassis size" section maybe should contain some reference to the Pyscolone Popup, and vice-versa in the "Popups" section where aforementioned popup challenge is explained in-depth.
Z-Teks spin at the same max. speed as HP Z-Teks? That's hard to believe! :O
Maybe one day you or someone else could research/test air consumption and power of pistons and air tanks. Servos and the Steering Unit obviously need info as well.
After the Weapon Efficiency Table, you could say something about players using the Big Three because of normals despite their lower efficiency. Something like "Although you may think Pointy Tips and Pole Spikes are the best weapons because of their high efficiency, "The Big Three" in standard Stock building are...". It just seems counterintuitive to post a whole table about weapon efficiency and then suddenly saying that that doesn't matter and razors, irons, and maces are the most widely used, without reference to the table.

freeziez · « **Reply #12 on:** June 21, 2012, 09:41:43 AM »

I like the bit about Christianity.

RpJk · « **Reply #13 on:** June 23, 2012, 03:22:33 AM »

Are you also going to upload an Ironbot AI pack as well?

Gazea2 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 23, 2012, 08:24:06 AM »

Really like the new design; it's a lot easier on the eyes.

GroudonRobotWars · « **Reply #15 on:** June 23, 2012, 11:41:02 AM »

Looks very neat

Mr. AS · « **Reply #16 on:** June 23, 2012, 11:51:33 AM »

Quote from: RPJK on June 23, 2012, 03:22:33 AM

Are you also going to upload an Ironbot AI pack as well?

32 bots -> not enough even for 15 teams of 3 (the minimum)

Badnik96 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 23, 2012, 11:58:35 AM »

Didn't stop Reier from releasing the Noob Warz AI.

Clickbeetle · « **Reply #18 on:** June 23, 2012, 11:58:00 PM »

Quote from: RPJK on June 23, 2012, 03:22:33 AM

Are you also going to upload an Ironbot AI pack as well?

I have no plans to do that. Seems rather pointless when Ironbot was all about damage carrying over to future rounds. If you just wanted some tough HW's to fight there are plenty of good options in AI packs that also include LW's and MW's.

Also, what Mr. AS said.

And I still can't upload large .zip files.

Managed to get the Containment Cube (with updated .py for better AI spike navigation) up, but the Epic Showdown (which is a larger file) keeps getting interrupted. I think it has to do with the internet in my cabin and I will have to wait until I get home to upload that.

cephalopod · « **Reply #19 on:** June 24, 2012, 05:36:35 AM »

Good to hear the Intro to Christianity page will be making a return. Even though I don't believe myself, I always found that very interesting to read, and has put stuff into perspective in some cases.