Robo Rally S2 [Turn 4]

[diginova]

Last time, a new type of war came out of nowhere and rocked the very fabric of society. When the cruise missiles were gingerly lifted from their silos in Berkshire, we figured the world would be a safer place. But we were reckoning without Robot Wars.

-jeremy clarkson

Intro

It's time again for the ultimate battle between bored supercomputers operating neurotic factory robots! It's time for

General Rules

1. This game will be using the current Avalon Hill third edition rules (pdf), with two minor exceptions:
   a. When you power down, you keep your last program, so if registers lock while powered down, you aren't stuck with random programming.
   b. Powered down robots can't capture flags or move archive markers.
2. If you want an additional demo of game play, there is one here, courtesy of Avalon Hill.
   In addition, for the first turn and first turn only, I will respond with the location your robot will end up after executing your program assuming no interference, as a sanity check as we don't want any turn-one accidental deaths.
3. If you have any rules questions, ask
   before
   it would affect gameplay. The Mod's decision is final in all instances.
4. Programming deadlines are 48 hours, with time passing at half speed on weekends. Reminders will be sent out 24 hours before deadline. If a robot is not programmed in time, a random program will be executed.
5. If Option cards that involve choices at the end of phases are in play, players can send interrupt requests with a specific phase to stop the game at when they send their program. If at least one interrupt request is received, the turn will be played out until that phase ends. Players will then have 24 hours to decide if they will use that Option. Players can also send in conditional statements if they want to automate their use of Options. These can be as complicated as you like.
6. Supercomputers cannot talk, and thus players cannot either outside of the game thread. All discussion/alliances/etc. must happen in-thread, and nothing agreed upon is binding.

Roboteers

Roaming the Factory Floor:

1. ●
   StrangerCoug
RADIO CONTROL
: (I) You now have the option of firing a radio control beam instead of your robot's main laser. The radio control beam can only target a robot within 6 squares, and it replaces that robot's entire program with a copy of your robot's program. In cases of card priority, the target robot moves after your robot.
2. ●
   xRECKONERx
CRAB LEGS
: (A) You may place a Move 1 in the same register as a Rotate Left or Rotate Right card, and during that phase your robot will move 1 square to the left or right, respectively, without rotating.
3. ●
   swyellowtail
GYROSCOPIC STABILIZER
: (A) On any turn you choose to activate this option, your robot is not rotated by gears or conveyor belts.
4. ●
   Cybele
DOUBLE BARREL LASER
: Your robot's main laser has been modified to fire two shots. May be used with FIRE CONTROL and/or HIGH POWER LASER.
FOURTH GEAR
: (I) Your robot may now choose to move forward 4 squares when it is executing a Move 3. Priority is that of the Move 3.
5. ●
   Yiley
RAMMING GEAR
: When your robot pushes another robot, that robot receives a point of damage in addition to being pushed. Even if the target robot can't be moved, it still receives a point of damage.
6. ●
   KingdomAces
EXTRA MEMORY
: Your robot receives one extra program card per turn. This option does not prevent your robot from being destroyed when it has received 10 points of damage.
7. ●
   Cheery Dog
ABLATIVE COAT
: Your robot is now covered with a special coat that takes 3 points of damage from any direction or source. Discard after your robot takes a total of 3 points of damage.
8. ●
   JDGA
BRAKES
: (I) Your robot may now choose to move zero when it is executing a Move 1. Priority is that of the Move 1.

Scrapped:

None

Awaiting Activation:

1. Feirei

History

Series 1 Recap

Prologue

:

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate.

Turn 1

:

Bolt actions speak louder than words.

Turn 2

:

Any port in a storm.

●

xRECKONERx

Turn 3

:

Close quarters combat.

●

Cybele

[diginova]

8

[diginova]

I just got back from a cruise, so I'll make the board and deal out Options tomorrow.
KA is in as Brown.

[diginova]

---

Prologue

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate

---

We all heard the stories.
That the Rally was just an excuse for neurotic supercomputers to have some fun at our expense.
We should have listened.

We thought it couldn't be that bad — it was just a race in a factory.
We worked on factory floors all our lives — yeah, there are lasers and pits, but they aren't

that

dangerous.
They still have to have a productive purpose.
If we keep cooler heads, we'll all be able to get out alive.
We should have listened.

As we entered the arena for this Rally, we knew something was different.
They locked the door behind us, and there was a curtain hiding the arena.
What could they have had in store for us?
We should have listened.

As the curtain fell, it turns out that they removed all pretenses.
This isn't a factory, it's an execution ground for robots!
We should have listened.
But for now, there's nowhere to go but forward.

Roboteers, stand by.

Original Roll String: 8d100

8 100-Sided Dice: (87, 73, 41, 97, 82, 25, 77, 3) = 485

[diginova]

That is 8, one from each direction. I'll off-center them a bit to make it more obvious.
Also, Yiley has 4 lives

(Also, it wasn't Maelstrom with the flags on the conveyors at least)

[diginova]

At least it's not trying to play on Maelstrom in real life. Programming Maelstrom under a strict time limit is a nightmare, and don't get me started on the setup where the *flags* move as well.

[diginova]

Programs compile in

(expired on 2014-10-31 02:42:57)

---

●

StrangerCoug decides controlling others is the best offense with his new

RADIO CONTROL

antenna:

(I) You now have the option of firing a radio control beam instead of your robot's main laser. The radio control beam can only target a robot within 6 squares, and it replaces that robot's entire program with a copy of your robot's program. In cases of card priority, the target robot moves after your robot.

●

xRECKONERx attaches

CRAB LEGS

to strafe to victory:

(A) You may place a Move 1 in the same register as a Rotate Left or Rotate Right card, and during that phase your robot will move 1 square to the left or right, respectively, without rotating.

●

swyellowtail will move straight and true with his new

GYROSCOPIC STABILIZER

:

(A) On any turn you choose to activate this option, your robot is not rotated by gears or conveyor belts.

●

Cybele, keeping with their victorious strategies last time, exchanges their pewpew for a krakkow with a

DOUBLE BARREL LASER

:

Your robot's main laser has been modified to fire two shots. May be used with FIRE CONTROL and/or HIGH POWER LASER.

●

Yiley couldn't care less about steering as he has a

RAMMING GEAR

:

When your robot pushes another robot, that robot receives a point of damage in addition to being pushed. Even if the target robot can't be moved, it still receives a point of damage.

●

Feirei will never be at a loss for choices with his

EXTRA MEMORY

:

Your robot receives one extra program card per turn. This option does not prevent your robot from being destroyed when it has received 10 points of damage.

●

Cheery Dog doesn't have to worry about lasers with his new

ABLATIVE COAT

:

Your robot is now covered with a special coat that takes 3 points of damage from any direction or source. Discard after your robot takes a total of 3 points of damage.

And last but not least,

●

JDGA goes simple but effective with her new set of

BRAKES

:

(I) Your robot may now choose to move zero when it is executing a Move 1. Priority is that of the Move 1.

The robots exit their pits and head to their starting zones, hearing the ominous whir of conveyors speeding past right in front of them.
Will they win? Will their course be straight and true? Will they even survive?
All will be determined shortly, but for now they need to focus on the present as a voice booms over the loudspeakers:

ACTIVATE.

[diginova]

Looking for a replacement for Feirei, effective immediately.

[diginova]

RESULTS

---

The first programs are loaded and the robots race off the line.
Will they all go as planned? Only time will tell.

Note: 2MB gif below. If it doesn't start animating after 15 or so seconds, click it to open in a new window.

Bolt actions speak louder than words.

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

●

xRECKONERx shoots

●

StrangerCoug

Phase 4

●

xRECKONERx shoots

●

JDGA

●

KingdomAces shoots

●

JDGA

Phase 5

●

KingdomAces shoots

●

JDGA

●

JDGA shoots

●

Cybele

●

Cybele shoots

●

StrangerCoug with a

Double Barreled Laser

End of turn

●

Cybele

Repairs

1 Damage and

Gains 1 Option

[diginova]

Programs compile in

(expired on 2014-11-06 07:46:50)

---

●

Cybele will leave others in the dust with his new

FOURTH GEAR

:

(I) Your robot may now choose to move forward 4 squares when it is executing a Move 3. Priority is that of the Move 3.

Two robots are braving the Maelstrom, while the others are remaining safe outside.
Even keeping your distance isn't protection in the Rally when robots will snipe you from across the map.
What strategy will be successful? Only time will tell.

[diginova]

Whoops, my error there.
I think in the old (80s) rules it was the opposite or something.
Yiley's on

F8

, and Post 0 is updated.

[diginova]

RESULTS

---

After avoiding the Maelstrom for the most part last turn, most robots try their luck there.
One gets a couple extremely lucky breaks, while another gets the exact opposite.
Could we see this Rally end earlier than expected?

Note: 2MB gif below. If it doesn't start animating after 15 or so seconds, click it to open in a new window.

Any port in a storm.

Phase 1

●

KingdomAces (790) pushes

●

JDGA (300)

●

Cybele shoots

●

xRECKONERx with a

Double Barreled Laser

Phase 2

●

Cybele shoots

●

xRECKONERx with a

Double Barreled Laser

●

JDGA shoots

●

Yiley

Phase 3

●

Cheery Dog shoots

●

swyellowtail

●

JDGA gets shot by a board laser

●

JDGA gets shot by a board laser

●

JDGA locks

Register 5

Phase 4

●

Cheery Dog shoots

●

Yiley

●

StrangerCoug shoots

●

xRECKONERx
The maximum range on

Radio Control

is 6 squares.

●

xRECKONERx locks

Register 5

Phase 5

●

JDGA gets shot by a board laser

●

JDGA locks

Register 4

●

JDGA gets shot by a board laser

●

JDGA locks

Register 3

●

xRECKONERx

End of turn

●

xRECKONERx

Repairs

1 Damage

●

xRECKONERx unlocks

Register 5

●

StrangerCoug

Powers Down

[diginova]

Programs compile in

(expired on 2014-11-08 00:53:00)

---

One robot is in a perilous position but lucky to still be alive.
Another was successful at getting the first flag, but will they be able to make it any further?
As the conveyors continue to churn towards doom, the next turn begins.

[diginova]

RESULTS

---

Most robots converge in the lower right, fighting to get to the first flag!
Will

●

JDGA make it to safety—or at least a safe enough position to Power Down?

Note: 2MB gif below. If it doesn't start animating after 15 or so seconds, click it to open in a new window.

Close quarters combat.

Phase 1

●

Cybele shoots

●

StrangerCoug with a

Double Barreled Laser

Phase 2

●

xRECKONERx shoots

●

JDGA

●

JDGA locks

Register 2

●

JDGA shoots

●

Cheery Dog

●

Cheery Dog's

Ablative Coat

has 2 uses remaining

●

Cheery Dog shoots

●

KingdomAces

●

Cybele shoots

●

Yiley with a

Double Barreled Laser

●

Yiley shoots

●

Cybele

Phase 3

●

JDGA (700) pushes

●

Cheery Dog (160)

●

Yiley shoots

●

Cybele

Phase 4

●

Cheery Dog and

●

JDGA attempt to convey into each other

●

Cybele

Phase 5

●

KingdomAces shoots

●

Cybele

End of turn

●

Cybele

Repairs

1 Damage

●

StrangerCoug

Powers Up

●

JDGA

Powers Down

[diginova]

Programs compile in

(expired on 2014-11-16 00:42:35)

---

The robots are antsy to get going to catch up with those that have gotten the first flag.
Meanwhile, masterful work with using the Maelstrom to his advantage means

●

xRECKONERx may get flag 2 sooner than expected!
And will a re-energized

●

StrangerCoug's

Radio Control

screw with anyone's plans?
Just a few short days to find out! Turn 4 beckons!

[diginova]

A note from the MC:

As everyone's in close quarters, it may be useful to know the highest priority for each move type.
Here are the highest move cards of each type:

[diginova]

There are two people who have not yet sent in a move. I prodded them but the prods have not yet expired.

[diginova]

Looking for a replacement for Yiley, effective immediately.
He's been on site today but has been avoiding my PMs.

Also, this will be my final prod; if you miss deadline from now on you will have your moves randomized, and if there are too many of those I'll just abandon the game.
It's a lot of work to animate this, and I'm not going to bother doing it if players can't even be bothered to send in a move within four days.

[diginova]

I'll just wait to see if I can get a replacement.
The issue is unlike in most games, randomizing can massively affect the outcome of the game.

[diginova]

That's a good idea, actually... I can do enforced power down (without the healing benefit), and if there's another turn of no input it will be killed.
I won't be able to animate until tomorrow though, so he has a bit more time.

[diginova]

Didn't find anyone so I'll animate it tonight.

[diginova]

I'll reactivate this sometime next week after life calms down a bit.
I'm sorry about disappointing all of you but I want to make sure that when I get back to it there won't be any more delays.