Author Topic: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.  (Read 1060 times)

Offline ThermalLance89

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From a complete noob, let me introduce you to Junkyard Vampire III!

Class: Middleweight (398,8) Note: I really used all the possible weight for a medium didn't I? XD





Features Notes:
- I encased the wheels when I notice they came off way too easily against spinners and pokers. These are alluminum and can tank a few direct hits at least. Unless I get HAMMERED by some crazy bot that is. XD

- The small carbon fiber bar on the back ain't only there for style. It's to reduce the likelyhood of the bot to get stuck upright. Still can happen but that bar minimizes the risks.

- No, the disc dosen't touch anything. It runs over the RC unit and, while it comes to an hair close, it dosen't touch the electric motor.

Mistakes:
- The one mistake I did is that the top shaft of the disc sticks a little bit out of the bot. Like, a small bit. I do not think that would kick me out of every competition given it ain't exactly an impossibility but I couldn't fix it without having to do it all over again thanks to how building works unfortunately.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2022, 11:04:32 PM by ThermalLance89 »

Offline TheRoboteer

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2022, 03:41:08 AM »
Not a bad looking first bot at all.

In terms of potential improvements you could make, the reinforced version of the perm isn't really necessary here, as your chassis already supports the weapon (making this legal for the most common tournament ruleset, btw). Swapping to just a regular belted perm will save you a fair bit of weight you can spend elsewhere.

Also in post 2.1 versions of DSL, ant batts are the least efficient battery in terms of power to weight ratio. Rather than using a bunch of ant batts you may want to consider using a smaller quantity of larger batts (2 battlepacks is a pretty standard setup for a bit with 3 spin motors)

The axle of the weapon motor poking out a tiny bit isn't an issue at all by the way. It's clearly still adequately supported.

Solid start overall. Hope to see more from you!
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Offline ThermalLance89

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2022, 04:49:05 AM »
Well, the real reason for the reinforced is because I am kinda scared of hammers. XD  A few good hits in and my weapon would be out of comission. I could see if perhaps I could swap it for a more powerful engine so that saw rev up even faster. Since, as you said, it would still be legal.

I'm not too worried about my average armor since I can just play defensively keeping my saw between me and my opponent if needs be. But, I guess in a free for all it could be a good thing to spend some weight reinforcing my bot. Adding a few plates here and there to absorb some damage from spinners.

Thanks for the feedback. :)

Offline ThermalLance89

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2022, 05:16:14 AM »
UPDATE: I followed the advices as best as I could. So here is what I did.

- I swapped the reinforced motor for a 24V one for a bit more power.

- I changed the plating covering my wheels from aluminum to titanium. Had to sacrifice the front plating to remain at middleweight but I ain't too worried. Outside from odd angles they would need to go dangerously close to my weapon.

- Changed batteries to battlepacks as you suggested.

- Had a bit of weight left so I gave it red eyes because why not?




EDIT: I had JUST ENOUGH weight left to add Poly Carbonate plates as face plates to protect the wheels. I am back at 398.8. XD

Offline TheRoboteer

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2022, 05:25:34 AM »
UPDATE: I followed the advices as best as I could. So here is what I did.

- I swapped the reinforced motor for a 24V one for a bit more power.

- I changed the plating covering my wheels from aluminum to titanium. Had to sacrifice the front plating to remain at middleweight but I ain't too worried. Outside from odd angles they would need to go dangerously close to my weapon.

- Changed batteries to battlepacks as you suggested.

- Had a bit of weight left so I gave it red eyes because why not?

(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
Improvements look solid!

As a heads up/justification for the motor recommendation, components mounted directly to the chassis can't actually be broken off, so your weapon should be fine against hammers even with a non reinforced motor. At worst it'll start smoking and the spin speed will be reduced, but it shouldn't ever get fully out out of commission unless they manage to land hits on the blade itself.

Armour is mostly gonna be an issue if you fight a vertical spinner or something. They tend to be the natural enemy of horizontal spinners. You can try to keep your saw pointed towards them when you're driving, but when they've got a wedge it should be fairly trivial for them to scoop you up and hit your chassis. That'll be even more of an issue in AI fights which most tournaments are, as you can't rely on defensive driving.
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Offline ThermalLance89

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2022, 06:00:27 AM »
Yeah, can't really help it with this bot unfortunately without some major rework. Flippers and wedges are by far it's biggest weakness. But, I mean, for a first serious attempt it could be worse. XD

Armor is still 5mm Aluminum for 2400 rating. Not the best but for a medium bot... heh... Not so bad either. Kinda mediocre but enough for most AI bots. Generally my blade is what is going to break before my bot does.

I guess next one will have the driving wheels inside the chassis, ideally a sloped chassis, and I'll try bring it as low as possible while keeping the general shape intact.

But, you see, the reason I went with outside wheels is so the wheels are more spaced to give myself better control when turning. But, if I do that with the next it will only give wedges a spot to grab on.

Offline ThermalLance89

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2022, 01:32:31 PM »
Currently experimenting with various part to try and give a reinforced look. With the eventual goal of doing actual IRL build in the game.


Offline TheRoboteer

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2022, 02:41:26 PM »
Currently experimenting with various part to try and give a reinforced look. With the eventual goal of doing actual IRL build in the game.

(Image removed from quote.)

Good to see you already experimenting with extenderwork. Looks solid, though the lack of invertability or a srimech will make it rather easily bested by anything with a flipper/lifter. Not too big of an issue if this is mostly an experimental bot to learn from though.

You may want to swap the angle connectors you're using here for the angle extenders that are in the IRL/coloured extenders dropdowns, as they'll match the colour of the black extenders you're using and make for a cleaner look overall.

You may want to consider joining the RA2 Central discord by the way. I'm glad to see someone posting on the forum, but it's generally pretty quiet here these days as most activity has migrated to discord, so joining there would let you get further feedback from people beyond just myself.
Notable Tournament Performances:
The Beginner's Guide to IRL:
https://gametechmods.com/forums/tutorials-and-tips/irl-a-beginner's-guide

Offline 8bean

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2022, 03:29:55 PM »
This is a really good starting point, since you're using a weapon motor with a belt on it you don't need the chassis to cover the entire length as long as you have extenders that support the end of the belt. Sorta like the reinforcements you made in the most recent version. Keep up the great work my dude
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Offline ThermalLance89

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2022, 07:49:00 PM »
This is a really good starting point, since you're using a weapon motor with a belt on it you don't need the chassis to cover the entire length as long as you have extenders that support the end of the belt. Sorta like the reinforcements you made in the most recent version. Keep up the great work my dude

I know. :D

But, I'm just experimenting and since the bot already existed, might as well pile on it and see how far I can push it. ^_^

I'm planning to try the "pixel bot" challenge this weekend. I noticed there is a bot I can import that is just a cube. I immediatly understood the purpose. It's to make a fully 100% custom frame to mount parts on. It's the ultimate challenge and even if I fail I'll learn a great deal about all the possibilities of that mod. :)

Offline ThermalLance89

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Re: My first attempt (Well, 3rd... if we count re-designs.) at a "legal" bot.
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2022, 07:49:21 PM »
Currently experimenting with various part to try and give a reinforced look. With the eventual goal of doing actual IRL build in the game.

(Image removed from quote.)

Good to see you already experimenting with extenderwork. Looks solid, though the lack of invertability or a srimech will make it rather easily bested by anything with a flipper/lifter. Not too big of an issue if this is mostly an experimental bot to learn from though.

You may want to swap the angle connectors you're using here for the angle extenders that are in the IRL/coloured extenders dropdowns, as they'll match the colour of the black extenders you're using and make for a cleaner look overall.

You may want to consider joining the RA2 Central discord by the way. I'm glad to see someone posting on the forum, but it's generally pretty quiet here these days as most activity has migrated to discord, so joining there would let you get further feedback from people beyond just myself.

Will do! Thank you!