BattleBots Season 2 [Archive]

Kevin Leonard

06-05-2016, 08:38

There's actually a "promo episode" that will be playing on May 10th from 10-11 pm with 4 rumbles that will star Clark Gregg as a guest celebrity judge.
(More info here (http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Teams-Revealed-for-BATTLEBOTS-THE-GEARS-AWAKEN-Preview-Special-510-20160504))

The rest of the episodes will be on Thursday nights at 8pm starting on June 23rd.

Billfred

06-05-2016, 20:40

I'm watching with a lot of interest. Frederick Moore* of the Danger 4 (https://www.facebook.com/danger4season2/?fref=ts) team was on 1293 while I was a mentor**, so you know I have to pull for that.

*His father also allowed the team to use his warehouse as a build space for many years, which allowed them to keep a great operation growing.

**My last season with them as a full-on mentor was 2006. Ten years ago, holy cow.

gblake

10-05-2016, 23:39

Bump

orangemoore

10-05-2016, 23:48

Bump

I wish this happened earlier.:(

gblake

11-05-2016, 00:07

I wish this happened earlier.:(

Sorry buddy. Maybe you can download the episode (and skip through the fluff) now or soon?

AdamHeard

11-05-2016, 00:32

Sorry buddy. Maybe you can download the episode (and skip through the fluff) now or soon?

Ideally watch it on hulu once it goes live there, those views get factored into the ratings for ABC. Help support the show getting a 3rd season.

orangemoore

11-05-2016, 01:05

Sorry buddy. Maybe you can download the episode (and skip through the fluff) now or soon?

No worries. I'll find it eventually.:)

Zebra_Fact_Man

11-05-2016, 06:40

What kind of monster bumps a thread 40 minutes after the episode ends???

seg9585

12-05-2016, 13:01

As a member of Team Blacksmith, you know who I was rooting for during the melee episode ;)

I have to say that participating in Battlebots this year was one of the most exciting projects I've been involved with. All the teams are amazingly friendly and helpful (kind of like FRC), and I learned a ton about machine design and fabrication techniques.
Filming happened to come between our final FRC regional and Champs, which made for a very busy month of March with robots!

Landonh12

12-05-2016, 23:38

I know I'll be pulling for Aptyx and the guys from 254. Since I don't know of anyone else that's competing. :ahh:

Logan Byers

13-05-2016, 08:38

Full "teaser" / preliminary matches episode can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjACCbazu4I

Cory

13-05-2016, 14:09

Full "teaser" / preliminary matches episode can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjACCbazu4I

Please, as Adam mentioned above, anyone who is able to stream the episode through ABC/Hulu, do so! I understand if people are outside the country and can't do so...but if you have the ability to watch an official source and watch on Youtube instead, the ratings for the show are suffering.

lynca

16-05-2016, 15:19

Which teams in Season 2 have FRC Alumni ?

Cory

16-05-2016, 16:35

Which teams in Season 2 have FRC Alumni ?

Bite Force
Lockjaw
Overhaul's team leader used to do FRC
I think someone on Bombshell may have as well
I believe chrome fly has students who do/did FRC
There are probably more that I'm not remembering.

gblake

02-06-2016, 23:18

To avoid being the bad guy again, this heads up is your 3 weeks warning.

The season will begin in earnest Thursday, June 23rd.

Blake

MikLast

02-06-2016, 23:20

To avoid being the bad guy again, this heads up is your 3 weeks warning.

The season will begin in earnest Thursday, June 23rd.

Blake

Thanks, had forgotten the date.

Bkeeneykid

03-06-2016, 00:30

If you'd like to watch the full 40 minute season trailer, you can watch it here (http://abc.go.com/shows/battlebots/episode-guide/season-02/1-the-gears-awaken), ad supported, on ABC's watch Go service.

gblake

23-06-2016, 20:01

Season Premiere on ABC right now, on the right side of the Mississippi.

Tottanka

24-06-2016, 13:58

That was an absolutely incredible episode. SO MUCH ACTION. Loved every minute of it.
Epic fights.

lynca

24-06-2016, 14:52

Hopefully more people tune in.

Ratings were dismal. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/06/24/tv-ratings-thursday-june-23-2016/

seg9585

24-06-2016, 17:15

That was an absolutely incredible episode. SO MUCH ACTION. Loved every minute of it.
Epic fights.

It was definitely an honor to fight Bronco (I was a member of Team Blacksmith) in the first round. They demonstrate the theory that with enough force, any robot can fly!

cgmv123

24-06-2016, 18:25

Ratings were dismal. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/06/24/tv-ratings-thursday-june-23-2016/

The ratings were fine for summer. It was never going to match last season, since it doesn't have Celebrity Family Feud as a lead-in anymore. It was also up from the (much more expensive) scripted programming ABC aired on Thursdays last summer.

gblake

30-06-2016, 20:12

Bump

This week's episode is on now (Eastern & Central).

Blake

Christopher149

30-06-2016, 21:04

In the intro video for Rotator, did the earlier robot(s) of his look like FRC robots? (telling from the large, red alliance light on the robot)

XaulZan11

30-06-2016, 22:27

gblake

30-06-2016, 23:27

Do they really need to announce "It's robot fightin' time!" and show the audience before every...single...match? I feel like there is a ton of wasted air time that could be replaced with at least another match.
I disagree. ;)

It's more like two tons of wasted air time.

Maybe you and I are only on the edges of their target audience?

Blake

Cory

01-07-2016, 01:50

Do they really need to announce "It's robot fightin' time!" and show the audience before every...single...match? I feel like there is a ton of wasted air time that could be replaced with at least another match.

It's like 30s per match tops. That doesn't come close to adding up to enough time to add another match.

It feels like wasted time because you're a hardcore viewer but they need that kind of stuff for the average viewer. It also builds up the fight a little bit.

The pacing and editing this year is SO much better than last year so far.

mman1506

01-07-2016, 01:55

Can't believe Ghost Raptor got the wild card over Disco Inferno. Ghost Raptor fared about as well as a plastic lawn chair in its fight.

Oh well... Awesome episode anyway.

Bkeeneykid

01-07-2016, 02:01

Now that the qualifiers are over, shall we have a little competition? Who has the best bracket on Chief Delphi. Brackets are here (http://battlebots.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BattleBots-Season2-Bracket-1.pdf). My bracket is here (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzV_qB6gm2xecFV3eFgtM2lkOWs). Let's see if anyone else has any contrary ideas...

Cory

01-07-2016, 03:28

Can't believe Ghost Raptor got the wild card over Disco Inferno. Ghost Raptor fared about as well as a plastic lawn chair in its fight.

Oh well... Awesome episode anyway.

My personal opinion while at the event was that any of last year's semifinalists would get a wildcard if they lost, as long as the damage was repairable. Was not surprised at all they got one.

IKE

01-07-2016, 09:21

In the intro video for Rotator, did the earlier robot(s) of his look like FRC robots? (telling from the large, red alliance light on the robot)

I thought so as well, but I did not recognize the robot. I remember 2002 still had the lights, but when did they go away? I was not active 2003 or 2004, and I know by 2005 we didn't have to package one of those.

Billfred

01-07-2016, 10:58

I thought so as well, but I did not recognize the robot. I remember 2002 still had the lights, but when did they go away? I was not active 2003 or 2004, and I know by 2005 we didn't have to package one of those.

The last season of the rotating light was 2003. I remember not understanding the raucous applause when Dave Lavery chucked it in the trash on-air during Kickoff 2004 (the first exposure I had to anything from FIRST besides the Will Smith video).

Christopher149

01-07-2016, 21:34

The pacing and editing this year is SO much better than last year so far.

I seem to remember (hazily) them sometimes going to commercials between announcing and the match, or even after the countdown light hit green. So glad that once we see robots in the cage there is no break until after the match ends.

XaulZan11

02-07-2016, 10:54

It's like 30s per match tops. That doesn't come close to adding up to enough time to add another match.

It feels like wasted time because you're a hardcore viewer but they need that kind of stuff for the average viewer. It also builds up the fight a little bit.

The pacing and editing this year is SO much better than last year so far.

I'm willing to concede that I'm not the viewer who would value that stuff, but it was 2 minutes and 27 seconds from the time they went to the field (and announced "Its Robot Fighting Time") to the time they powered on the robots for the first match of episode 2.

It won't stop by from watching, but I find it a little redundant that they spend a few minutes with the taped behind the scenes story of one of the teams, then spend another few minutes in the studio previewing the match and then spend another few minutes introducing the teams (again) and showing them walk into the arena.

I do agree the pacing is much better this year.

FiMFanatic

02-07-2016, 12:29

Am I the only one that finds this way too comparable to the last season? The same bots will generally win....so it is almost like watching re-runs.

gblake

02-07-2016, 13:18

Am I the only one that finds this way too comparable to the last season? The same bots will generally win....so it is almost like watching re-runs.Despite what fiction trains me to hope for, studying physics tells us that there are relatively few efficient/effective ways to destroy a BattleBots opponent. So... absent rules that force contestants to build something exotic, plus more rules that would give an exotic bot a good chance to win, the tried-and-true designs from the experienced builders are very likely to dominate.

For a comparison, ask yourself how often in USA football an exotic/trick play is attempted and succeeds. Not very often. Also ask yourself how often a rookie coach or a team that did poorly in their previous season wins a division? Not very often.

But ... people still enjoy watching football and rooting for their favorite team, even if that team is a perennial also-ran.

Maybe robot battles would be more interesting if the robots operated for only 10 seconds out of every minute? During the 50 seconds the robot would be "still" in each minute, the drivers could react to their opponents previous moves, could activate/deactivate subsystems, etc.

The matches would last longer.
Armchair quaterbacks and backseat drivers would have many more opportunities to shout at their TVs.
You could get a cold drink from the fridge without missing too much of the action.
Commentators like Madden (or Dave Lavery :D) could share their wisdom with us.
Sponsors would become more interested in covering the bots with NASCAR-style ads.
Etc.

Without some sort of radical change, BattleBots is going to be much more like a boxing match that ends quickly than a soccer match that ebbs and flows for 90 minutes; and even with radical changes, construction experience, and driving experience will always be very valuable.

Blake

XaulZan11

02-07-2016, 15:51

Also ask yourself how often a rookie coach or a team that did poorly in their previous season wins a division? Not very often.

From 2002 to 2013, a team went from last in their division on year to winning it the next year. :)

gblake

02-07-2016, 16:06

From 2002 to 2013, a team went from last in their division on year to winning it the next year. :)Touche! :mad: ;)

Maybe I should have said "Conference" (16 teams) instead of "Division" (4 teams)?

Let's see if I can salvage any dignity.... ;)

There are 8 Divisions. One or two out of eight each year is still a fairly low fraction.

And

I predict BattleBots 2016 will have a few upsets/surprises.

I think the analogy remains perfect. ;)

lynca

03-07-2016, 15:11

Cory

03-07-2016, 15:48

Thank you to whoever is updating the Season 7 Wikipedia page.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BattleBots_(Season_7)
Where are they getting the match timing?

Also, how does the seeding of the bracket work ?

Probably pulling time from the youtube videos of the full fights that get posted.

Producers/Battlebots executives chose the seeding, presumably based on how competitive you were last year, how impressive you were in your first fight, the odds of you continuing to be successful, and matchups that are compelling for TV..

Jessica Boucher

07-07-2016, 12:10

Anyone want in on a Chief-only BB Fantasy league (http://www.battlebots.com/fantasy/)? I just created one, PM me your email and I'll add you!

gblake

07-07-2016, 12:29

It's Thursday again - BattleBots tonight!

mman1506

12-07-2016, 11:52

Cory

12-07-2016, 12:38

Biteforce vs. Mohawk
https://youtu.be/xBgbju0eEa8

Looks like the shock mounts on biteforce's wedgelets broke. I wonder why they ran them over the hard mounts shown in the bot pictures against a non KE robot.

There are no hard mounts in that pic. The ones in the picture have white electrical tape wrapped around them to satisfy Travis' OCD.

lynca

12-07-2016, 17:11

best fight of the season so far. Blacksmith vs minotaur !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbAcwYix7I

This fight is easily topping all previous battlebots videos with over 1.7 Million views and counting.
Talk about changing culture fast !

cgmv123

12-07-2016, 18:50

g_sawchuk

12-07-2016, 20:05

ABC just announced a presidential town hall that will air Thursday at 8/7c. They haven't announced what will happen to BattleBots, but I'm guessing the episode scheduled for Thursday will air at 9/8c for this week.
It has now been announced (by semi-reliable sources) that BattleBots will be postponed one week, and will run again on Thursday, July 21st, at 8/7c.
BattleBots calendar also seems to be updated, so looks reasonably legitimate.

Source: Chomp (https://www.facebook.com/ChompTheBattleBot/?fref=nf)

Cory

12-07-2016, 23:17

It has now been announced (by semi-reliable sources) that BattleBots will be postponed one week, and will run again on Thursday, July 21st, at 8/7c.
BattleBots calendar also seems to be updated, so looks reasonably legitimate.

Source: Chomp (https://www.facebook.com/ChompTheBattleBot/?fref=nf)

This is correct. Episode 5 will air next week and rhe entire season will be extended one week.

gblake

21-07-2016, 20:01

Bump
It's Thursday night again.

Billfred

21-07-2016, 21:42

https://twitter.com/andymarkinc/status/756292150606692352

I believe this says it all. Likely west coast spoiler.

cgmv123

21-07-2016, 23:18

Sending positive thoughts those in the Pacific Time Zone currently waiting for the RNC to finish. (Don't worry, the episode will be shown in its entirety once the human Battlebot one step away from being our next president is done talking.)

lynca

22-07-2016, 09:37

Bidding War and more Robot TV $$$ being thrown around!

http://tbivision.com/news/2016/07/spike-channel-5-win-bidding-war-battlebots/624532/

cgmv123

28-07-2016, 20:25

And that is why drones will never be viable in FRC.

gblake

28-07-2016, 21:03

I did a literal LOL during the Hypershock vs Warrior Clan.

These matches are often nerd fests, but that one was just plain fun for fans of all stripes.

seg9585

05-08-2016, 19:09

I did a literal LOL during the Hypershock vs Warrior Clan.

These matches are often nerd fests, but that one was just plain fun for fans of all stripes.

My favorite part was the next day (of filming) after Hypershock's fight, a bunch of people showed up with their own anti-drone rakes in the stands. Fun fact: the Hypershock team actually came back from the hardware store with several different types of rakes (wooden, metal, etc) of different sizes and picked their favorite before their match started

cgmv123

25-08-2016, 19:47

Following an Olympic break, BattleBots is back tonight (just 10 minutes in ET/CT, slightly longer out West). Heads up: Next week is the two-hour finale, but due to next week also being Week 4 of the NFL preseason, there may be some preemptions/reschedulings in several markets (more on that next week).

lynca

30-08-2016, 13:00

The latest fights from last week.

1. Yeti vs Mega Tento (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V27tKwgHOWM)
2. Tombstone vs Brutus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIIwrH9cmC0)
3. Chomp vs Bite Force (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqZhfoADvOE)
4. Beta vs Nightmare (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aEKSIcmnj8)

Why did the vertical spinner break on Bite Force ?

Lil' Lavery

30-08-2016, 13:42

Why did the vertical spinner break on Bite Force ?

Chomp took out the chain with its hammer.

cgmv123

30-08-2016, 21:48

but due to next week also being Week 4 of the NFL preseason, there may be some preemptions/reschedulings in several markets (more on that next week).

Here are (via 506sports (http://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2016&wk=p4)) the ABC affiliates that are scheduled to air NFL preseason football on Thursday night. Most of them will air Battlebots after Nightline, but check your local listings and add plenty of padding if you're setting a DVR.

WJLA - Washington, DC
WMUR - Manchester, NH
KTRK - Houston, TX
KNXV - Phoenix, AZ
WEWS - Cleveland, OH
WTVD - Raleigh/Durham, NC
WKRN - Nashville, TN
WSYX - Columbus, OH
KTVX - Salt Lake City, UT
KVUE - Austin, TX
KTNV - Las Vegas, NV
WVEC - Norfolk, VA
WHTM - Harrisburg, PA
WKBW - Buffalo, NY
KTUL - Tulsa, OK
WKEF - Dayton, OH
KITV - Honolulu, HI
KETV - Omaha, NE
WHAM - Rochester, NY
WMTW - Portland, ME
WKOW - Madison, WI
KRGV - Harlingen, TX
WBND - South Bend, IN
WJHL - Tri Cities, TN
WEHT - Evansville, IN
KOLO - Reno, NV
KIVI - Boise, ID
WJBF - Augusta, GA
WYTV - Youngstown, OH
KERO - Bakersfield, CA
WTVM - Columbus GA
WQOW - Eau Claire, WI
WXOW - La Crosse, WI
WAOW - Wausau, WI
WDIO - Duluth, MN
KMID - Odessa, TX
KIMO - Anchorage, AK
WAWV - Terre Haute, IN
WLOX - Biloxi, MS
KTEN - Sherman, TX
KOTA - Rapid City, SD
KJCT - Grand Junction, CO
KSAW - Twin Falls, ID
KTWO - Casper, WY
KQTV - St. Joseph, MO
KATN - Fairbanks, AK
KJUD - Juneau, AK