The man. The legend (lmbo). Radio F Software's Showcase (2003 - 2005)

[infiniteinertia]

Nice bots (retrospectively) but those wouldnt hold up today, I am sorry to say.

[RFS]

That's the point of stock now, I hate to break it to you. Wheres the fun if you don't rebuild something 10 times? It takes all the pride out of building your bots. The more complicated, the more fun and challenging to build. If you look in my showcase, one of my newest bots KROME took me 7 rebuilds, as well as 4 other ones just to get the chassis right. But I enjoyed almost every minute of it.

People making over the top robots is the reason why I eventually bowed out of the community in the first place. I don't like it.

"What's the fun?" you ask? The FUN is being able to have a comparable emulation of robot combat especially nowadays when it's pretty much a dead or dying sport depending on who you ask. At the time of RA2's release it was the same thing - a way for the financially unable to be able to enjoy the sport. Sure the AI was pretty stupid back then, but that's what 2 player was for. You got to build that spike hammer robot you'd been drawing on your Trapper Keeper since middle school and now you could FINALLY put the argument to rest on who's robot was better: yours, or your friend's saw blade wielding monster. RA2 was always a community-driven game and its sandbox building style encouraged friends to make use of the designs they'd likely never get to see built in real life.

I had the privilege to be a part of the community since pretty much the very first day, and I enjoyed every moment of sharing ideas and designs with people when the community was basically full of people like me. I also got to watch the community and game itself evolve, and for me it really took a turn South when Starcore's AI pack became the "mainstream" AI, when it out-ranked my own. People were more interested in seeing how many spinners you could cram onto a robot regardless of what it crossed through or what laws of physics it defied instead of making designs that could have real-life counterparts, which the game's original AI reflected. At one point in time it was seen that pirated copies of RA2 were being distributed fully patched with version 1.5 of my AI pack, but that soon was replaced as well. I didn't like it, so I slowly just vanished from the community and did my own thing.

My robots are a photograph of how the community used to be, when people's designs were judged on how well they would function in reality, not the fact that you spent an hour fine tuning the chassis to an exact point and then spent another three aligning every single component so it would fit together seamlessly. That's not what the game was about to me, and I refuse to abide by the standards of today's community - because to me it's stupid. I could care less whose robots could beat mine, because I'm assuming if you spent an entire day fine-tuning them to be impeccable perfect combat machines you'd win every time. Just because I didn't crack open a Red Bull and get to work on making Tha Thumperizer doesn't mean there is no pride involved with my designs, and I am insulted that you would even say such a thing.

Perhaps by today's RA2 society rules I am no longer a "legend" (this thread title was a stab at "legend" status in the first place, as is my profile information "Officially an RA2 has-been") but it doesn't mean that the work I put into this community is invalidated. That's like saying the Wright Brothers creations are stupid and boring because Boeing does it better. Boeing wouldn't be here today without the pioneering of the Wright Brothers, and dare I say RA2's community wouldn't be what it is today without the dedication and hard work of myself, goose, AW, dummee, SovereignII, ][cer, Chasethecheese, Cherry Flavored, Disturbed, Slider V, and everyone else who took it upon themselves to decode RA2 and lay the groundwork for future "generations" of players and modders to build upon.

edit: I hardly even recognize anybody in the "Veteran" usergroup as it is unless they are like Jeff (Frezal) and just have a new name.

edit2: I am not attacking you personally, but just expressing distaste with the "community rules" in general because thus far (as seen above in II's post) my robots are being judged by ridiculous standards that weren't even close to existing when the robots were originally posted on AceUplink.

[takatsukiyayoi]

You would enjoy DSL much more, considering that you enjoy bots designed more with realism in mind. That said, I hope you don't bow out of the community (again?). That said, my only complaint with realism in mind might have to be empty space.

[RFS]

You would enjoy DSL much more, considering that you enjoy bots designed more with realism in mind. That said, I hope you don't bow out of the community (again?). That said, my only complaint with realism in mind might have to be empty space.

I was a DSL 1.0 player, and I loved the new components, especially the motors with chains and belts on them because it added another "real" factor and opened up a whole new way to make realistic designs. However by the time DSL came out nobody was really into those kinds of bots anymore.

[MikeNCR]

I wouldn't call realistic bots dead in DSL. Most DSL tournaments only allow bots that are "realistic."

[RedSawn]

(Very long post)

As much as my old self would hurt me for thinking so, you're right. The game's become less about simulation and fun and now it's virtually become "who can fit the most iron spikes/razor tips/maces on a stacked or snapper boosted Z-tek HP."  Not fun for the rookies who have to watch their new realistic designs get mauled at in the Stock showcase. (Though some of them are pretty crap anyway)

While DSL is the realistic bot haven.. how did it become like that? It'd be easy to stack and everything just like on stock. The DSL AI is realistic, just like the stock AI. Why is it not cool to build realistic in stock, and unrealistic in DSL?

[Failed attempt at making a good agreement post?]

[System32]

I think the point he is making is he doesn't care about the "New age robot design" of RA2.

Honestly even I had a hard time agreeing with the new "Effectiveness over Aesthetics" ideology.

In a lighter note, quite a lot of new things have been discovered, such as 1 black can power 4 High powered Z teks as long as there isn't active.

In other words, you can still go realistic, and still be up to the different standards of these forums, or you can still lurk around with your old designs.

This kinda thing happens in all kinds of forums, BTW.

[Pwnator]

Some modern bots still follow the realistic rule because it's hard to make them unrealistic (i.e. most rammers, pokers and jugglers). These types just have higher standards nowadays.

[frezal]

Perhaps by today's RA2 society rules I am no longer a "legend" (this thread title was a stab at "legend" status in the first place, as is my profile information "Officially an RA2 has-been") but it doesn't mean that the work I put into this community is invalidated. That's like saying the Wright Brothers creations are stupid and boring because Boeing does it better. Boeing wouldn't be here today without the pioneering of the Wright Brothers, and dare I say RA2's community wouldn't be what it is today without the dedication and hard work of myself, goose, AW, dummee, SovereignII, ][cer, Chasethecheese, Cherry Flavored, Disturbed, Slider V, and everyone else who took it upon themselves to decode RA2 and lay the groundwork for future "generations" of players and modders to build upon.

edit: I hardly even recognize anybody in the "Veteran" usergroup as it is unless they are like Jeff (Frezal) and just have a new name.

Man, it's been far too many years since I've spoken to ][cer and Chasethecheese.

I pretty much agree with everything you've said about the realism vs stacking. Like you, I'm an old fashioned guy who still prefers to simulate robot designs that could actually exist. For this recent BBEANS tournament, I attempted to change my ways and start stacking, but I apparently didn't stack enough because I still got my ass kicked (though I guess I'm still alive in the loser bracket).

[philetbabe]

-"recent"  RAGE 2 pack from Gigafrost is both stock and "mostly realistic".
- Veterans are also welcomed to create tourney with stock realistic rules

- at last, it should be your  distinctive point to showcase bots (in your own/shared well-named thread)  that answer a pack of requirements you exposed first. Thereafter, any comments that goes against your own requirements should be un-welcomed.

new angle of view may brings new idea. Stay here and showcase.

[Naryar]

You can perfectly make realistic killers in Stock.

And easily in DSL.

[RedSawn]

You can perfectly make realistic killers in Stock.

Is that realistic without an insane amount of weapons or just realistic following the laws of physics?

[Naryar]

Following the laws of physics.

[System32]

@Naryar: Draco doesn't care about fighting, only aesthetics. Silly frenchie.

I will contact you to discuss one big project that me and Gigafrost are planning.

I thought those were things for mad's mods and stuff.

[RedSawn]

Following the laws of physics.

Well.. you saw my point in that last post. Not many real HWs and SHWs have as much or more spikes then what we fit on our virtual, stock MWs and LWs. Stuff like that.

[Urjak]

Isn't NWB pretty realistic comparativly speaking?

[System32]

Nope, Bursted motors.

[Urjak]

Comparativly speaking as far as Starcore bots go....

[System32]

Yeah, still unrealistic.

I'll have a realistic one in CataGORE AI though...

[Somebody]

But it could be done in real life.