Difference between revisions of "Robot Arena 2 : Design and Destroy"
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Robot Arena 2: Design and Destroy is a computer game made by Infogrames. It is the sequel to Robot Arena. It has many new features, such as the Havok physics engine, fully 3-D environments (This includes being able to flip over other robots), and total customization of your robot. This includes chassis design, weapon placement, mechanics, and even paint. The "cheatbot" code from the original returns, this time offering a Hovercraft Engine, a Magnet, a Flamethrower, and a Cannon (Though an upgrade patch is required for the cheat to take effect). Weapons are completely customizable, including things such as mounting weapons on various attachments, such as poles, disks, and tri-bars. Although the original was not received well by players, this game has a very small (but dedicated) fanbase and small communities for the game are still active today. | Robot Arena 2: Design and Destroy is a computer game made by Infogrames. It is the sequel to Robot Arena. It has many new features, such as the Havok physics engine, fully 3-D environments (This includes being able to flip over other robots), and total customization of your robot. This includes chassis design, weapon placement, mechanics, and even paint. The "cheatbot" code from the original returns, this time offering a Hovercraft Engine, a Magnet, a Flamethrower, and a Cannon (Though an upgrade patch is required for the cheat to take effect). Weapons are completely customizable, including things such as mounting weapons on various attachments, such as poles, disks, and tri-bars. Although the original was not received well by players, this game has a very small (but dedicated) fanbase and small communities for the game are still active today. | ||
[[image:Robot_Arena_2_Design_and_Destroy.jpg|right|thumb]] | [[image:Robot_Arena_2_Design_and_Destroy.jpg|right|thumb]] | ||
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| + | =The Community= | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==[[AceUplink]]== | ||
| + | The original AI of Robot Arena 2 was less than impressive (Although arguably better than the original's), save for the exception of one Heavyweight: The dreaded flipper EMERGENCY. This led many members of AceUplink, a popular site and heaven for many Robot Arena 2 fans, to create a special AI pack featuring some famous robots from [[BattleBots]] to increase the challenge. Over a period of months, some of the more industrious AceUplink members created custom components, weapons, motors, and chassis that, in the end, looked stunningly like their real-life counterparts. Some of the robot's featured included Nightmare, Warhead, Minion, Son of Whyachi, Killerhurtz, Ziggo, Mechavore, Diesector, Hazard, Toro, Mauler 5150, Atomic Wedgie, and M.O.E., among others. The pack of robots was extremely difficult, many could not even be harmed save for a tiny chassis housing the Robot Control Board, which was nearly completely encompassed by very durable parts. Nevertheless, the pack livened up the game considerably. AceUplink no longer exists now, and a copy of the pack would most likely have to be found through various fansites. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==[[RFSHQ]]== | ||
| + | A ex-AceUplink staff user, "Radio F Software", claimed he could out-do AceUplink by making his own website. The first version of "Radio F Software Headquarters (RFSHQ)" launched in February 2004 as a place to host the "RFS AI Pack" mod that expanded the limits of the game to allow 6 AI bots per team instead of the stock 3, and 30 AI teams instead of the stock 15. During this time, Radio F Software also ripped his tutorials and lessons from AceUplink and hosted them on RFSHQ instead. Using his notoriety in the forums, traffic was successfully diverted to RFSHQ. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Originally, RFSHQ was meant to make fun of AceUplink. Early articles on the website's "TXT Dumpster" and "Photophile" content sections reveal "frauds" done by the AceUplink staff. By May 2004 RFSHQ had shifted from a Robot Arena 2 website to an original comedy content website while still keeping the old files on the servers. RFSHQ added a staff comprised entirely of banned or angry AceUplink users and launched an attempt to demolish AceUplink by abusing holes in their administrative policies. AceUplink tanked in 2005, not because of RFSHQ's attacks, but because of hosting contract expiration. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Of all sites in the Robot Arena 2 community, RFSHQ can possibly been seen as the "most successful", outliving all other websites from the community with the exception of the official game forums. Because of its size, RFSHQ also began picking up and using pieces of sites on the verge of closing. Among these sites was Robot Arena Reborn, a website that contained a database of every modification for Robot Arena 2 made to date. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Still alive today, RFSHQ continues to host the modification database and robot exchange. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==GAMETECHMODS.COM== | ||
| + | |||
| + | gametechmods.com is a fairly new space that has emerged in the Robot Arena 2 community. gametechmods.com is the home of DSL-TC total comversion mod, and is the new home of the unofficial "robot exchange" where builders can upload and share their robot designs with other players. The official exchange hosted on the Robot Arena 2 website was taken down, which leaves gametechmods.com as a replacement. While the site does not contain the old robots that the previous exchange held, it has amassed a substantial amount of contributors and is still growing. | ||
| + | gametechmods.com is host to several game modders. | ||
| + | |||
| + | http://ra2dsl.gametechmods.com (The famous mod by DarkRat, Starcore and Lu-Tze) | ||
| + | |||
| + | http://beetlebros.gametechmods.com (Noted for their work in DSL v2.0 patch and the BBEANS tournaments) | ||
| + | |||
| + | http://darkrat.gametechmods.com (One of the first to release a components pack) | ||
| + | |||
| + | http://starcore.gametechmods.com (Starcore AI pack V1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 are some of the best AI made) | ||
| + | |||
| + | And other modders who use the official forum to link their work. | ||
Revision as of 09:24, 4 October 2007
Robot Arena 2: Design and Destroy is a computer game made by Infogrames. It is the sequel to Robot Arena. It has many new features, such as the Havok physics engine, fully 3-D environments (This includes being able to flip over other robots), and total customization of your robot. This includes chassis design, weapon placement, mechanics, and even paint. The "cheatbot" code from the original returns, this time offering a Hovercraft Engine, a Magnet, a Flamethrower, and a Cannon (Though an upgrade patch is required for the cheat to take effect). Weapons are completely customizable, including things such as mounting weapons on various attachments, such as poles, disks, and tri-bars. Although the original was not received well by players, this game has a very small (but dedicated) fanbase and small communities for the game are still active today.
The Community
AceUplink
The original AI of Robot Arena 2 was less than impressive (Although arguably better than the original's), save for the exception of one Heavyweight: The dreaded flipper EMERGENCY. This led many members of AceUplink, a popular site and heaven for many Robot Arena 2 fans, to create a special AI pack featuring some famous robots from BattleBots to increase the challenge. Over a period of months, some of the more industrious AceUplink members created custom components, weapons, motors, and chassis that, in the end, looked stunningly like their real-life counterparts. Some of the robot's featured included Nightmare, Warhead, Minion, Son of Whyachi, Killerhurtz, Ziggo, Mechavore, Diesector, Hazard, Toro, Mauler 5150, Atomic Wedgie, and M.O.E., among others. The pack of robots was extremely difficult, many could not even be harmed save for a tiny chassis housing the Robot Control Board, which was nearly completely encompassed by very durable parts. Nevertheless, the pack livened up the game considerably. AceUplink no longer exists now, and a copy of the pack would most likely have to be found through various fansites.
RFSHQ
A ex-AceUplink staff user, "Radio F Software", claimed he could out-do AceUplink by making his own website. The first version of "Radio F Software Headquarters (RFSHQ)" launched in February 2004 as a place to host the "RFS AI Pack" mod that expanded the limits of the game to allow 6 AI bots per team instead of the stock 3, and 30 AI teams instead of the stock 15. During this time, Radio F Software also ripped his tutorials and lessons from AceUplink and hosted them on RFSHQ instead. Using his notoriety in the forums, traffic was successfully diverted to RFSHQ.
Originally, RFSHQ was meant to make fun of AceUplink. Early articles on the website's "TXT Dumpster" and "Photophile" content sections reveal "frauds" done by the AceUplink staff. By May 2004 RFSHQ had shifted from a Robot Arena 2 website to an original comedy content website while still keeping the old files on the servers. RFSHQ added a staff comprised entirely of banned or angry AceUplink users and launched an attempt to demolish AceUplink by abusing holes in their administrative policies. AceUplink tanked in 2005, not because of RFSHQ's attacks, but because of hosting contract expiration.
Of all sites in the Robot Arena 2 community, RFSHQ can possibly been seen as the "most successful", outliving all other websites from the community with the exception of the official game forums. Because of its size, RFSHQ also began picking up and using pieces of sites on the verge of closing. Among these sites was Robot Arena Reborn, a website that contained a database of every modification for Robot Arena 2 made to date.
Still alive today, RFSHQ continues to host the modification database and robot exchange.
GAMETECHMODS.COM
gametechmods.com is a fairly new space that has emerged in the Robot Arena 2 community. gametechmods.com is the home of DSL-TC total comversion mod, and is the new home of the unofficial "robot exchange" where builders can upload and share their robot designs with other players. The official exchange hosted on the Robot Arena 2 website was taken down, which leaves gametechmods.com as a replacement. While the site does not contain the old robots that the previous exchange held, it has amassed a substantial amount of contributors and is still growing. gametechmods.com is host to several game modders.
http://ra2dsl.gametechmods.com (The famous mod by DarkRat, Starcore and Lu-Tze)
http://beetlebros.gametechmods.com (Noted for their work in DSL v2.0 patch and the BBEANS tournaments)
http://darkrat.gametechmods.com (One of the first to release a components pack)
http://starcore.gametechmods.com (Starcore AI pack V1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 are some of the best AI made)
And other modders who use the official forum to link their work.