RoboRally Demo

[WotC_Mark]

The demo is up....

http://www.wizards.com/avalonhill/robo_demo/robodemo.asp

Enjoy

MJ
:cool:

[CreepingDeath]

Thanks Mark!!!!

Woo hoo. Ima gonna go give it a whirl. :D

[puggimer]

Pretty cool demo. So when do the additional scenarios come out (as mentioned when you beat all 6 levels of the demo)?

[BoBoTheBear]

Pretty fun and informing.. :)

good for all the noobies out there to see what its all about..
kind of hard to compare to the "real thing" though... :)

[puggimer]

Pretty fun and informing.. :)

good for all the noobies out there to see what its all about..
kind of hard to compare to the "real thing" though... :)

Which is why I'm running a demo for my local game store next Saturday.

[CeeBee]

I don't have the new RR yet, but I think the rules on conveyor belts may not have changed ?! :confused:

If so, these Demo has a bug. :(

The bent yellow conveyor belt (Level 6, "Bad Company", password ist "STEELCUTTER") does NOT turn you at once, if you are moved from the ofter yellow conveyor belt to the turning one.

But in the next phase (if you are already standing on the turning belt), it first turns you and then moves you.

That is not correct (at least compared with the "old" rules).

You can test this, using the following program:
Move-2, Rotate-Right, Back-Up, U-Turn, U-Turn

Greetings
Christian

[lotb2002]

I second you, with the old rules in my head and with the other examples in the demo you should heave turned at the end of phase 3, NOT before movement in phase 4.

If you look closely to the execution of the program M1 M1 M2 M3 M2 in level 4, the same thing happens at the express belt, it turns you at the beginning of the second square the belt is moving.

you can't program level 4 so that you end on the curve.

Twonky

[lotb2002]

I found an even better demonstration in level 6 :
M2, Turn right, Back, M2, M1.

No turning by the belt at all, because you move 2 from the curve section yourself ...

Twonky

[iiiHuman]

I just tried out this Belt-Turning issue myself. You're right, it currently does not turn you when the belt moves you onto the turn itself. This is also contradictory to what it says on page 7 of the new rulebook. So, the demo wasn't designed properly.


iiiHuman

[iiiHuman]

There seems to be another additional error in the demo. Someone asked me about this and I checked it out. In the demo, under "Examples of Play" during the "Damage and Destruction" part, the demo talks about your bot going into a pit and dying. It points out that you lose an option card since your robot died. However, it also says "the good news is" that your robot comes back completely fully-repaired without any damage. According to the new rulebook, on Page 9 under "Setup for the Next Turn," it states that robots entering the race receive 2 Damage tokens. Now, I do not know if the demo only meant that Twonky was coming back fully-repaired for purposes of the demo, but it definitely looks like this is NOT the case. If this was the case, it is too confusing and makes it look like your robot is supposed to always come back fully repaired rather than receiving the standard two points of damage.

[CeeBee]

You are right...

there is an Option Card "Superior Archive" (as you can see in the list at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/article/ah20050722b, card number 25), which surly means, that you don't have to restart with 2 damage points *if you own this option* !

(I don't have the new RR yet; but this was the meaning of an "old" option card, so I think that would be the meaning of the new card, too.)

If so, this makes only sense, if you usually have to restart with some damage points. (The value was 2 damage points in the old game.)

=> I think too, that text in the Demo description is an error. :(

[iiiHuman]

Well, I think the "Option" in the Online Demo was for the "Double-Barreled Laser" and NOT for the "Superior Archive" Option. So, Twonky should have come back with two points of damage rather than being fully-repaired. As for the wording on Superior Archive, it currently reads:

SUPERIOR ARCHIVE:
"When reentering play after being destroyed, your robot doesn't receive the normal 2 Damage tokens."

Which, also happens to reinforce that a robot IS normally supposed to come back with two points of damage when reentering the game after being destroyed. Otherwise, this particular option would be of no use. Not to mention, it states in the rulebook you are supposed to have two points of damage then. So, it is definitely an error in the Online Demo.

Here's an interesting question, though. Since you are also supposed to immediately lose an Option card when your robot is destroyed, if "Superior Archive" happens to be your only Option card at that time and you have to get rid of it, do you still get to come back with no points of damage? In other words, for it to work properly, do you actually need at least one more option to be able to sacrifice that other option instead? I don't think so, but it does make you think. I have been asking questions like these to customer service. You can e-mail them by going to www.wizards.com/customerservice (http://www.wizards.com/customerservice).
Anyhow, I typed up a list of the current wording (some have changed a bit) of all of the 26 Option cards currently available in the new version of the basic set of Robo Rally. Here is the complete list:

=======================================
LIST OF ROBO RALLY OPTIONS (BASIC SET - JULY 2005 EDITION):
---------------------------------------
> ABLATIVE COAT:
Ablative Coat absorbs the next 3 Damage your robot receives. Put those Damage tokens
onto this card instead of onto your Program Sheet. Discard this card and the tokens
when you put the third one on.

> ABORT SWITCH:
Once each turn, you may replace one of the Program cards you reveal with the top card
from the deck. If you do, you must replace the Program cards for all your remaining
registers the same way that turn.

> BRAKES:
Whenever you execute a Move 1, you may move your robot 0 spaces instead of 1. Priority
is that of the Move 1.

> CIRCUIT BREAKER:
If you have 3 or more Damage tokens on your Program Sheet at the end of your turn, your
robot will begin the next turn powered down.

> CONDITIONAL PROGRAM:
After you program your registers each turn, you may put one of the Program cards left
in your hand face down onto this Option instead of discarding it. Later that turn, you
can substitute that card for the one you had programmed in any register, discarding the
original card. Announce the change before anyone reveals Program cards for that
register. If you put a card on this Option and don't use it, discard it at the end of
the turn.

> CRAB LEGS:
When programming your registers, you may put a Move 1 card in the same register as a
Rotate Left or Rotate Right card. If you do, during that register your robot will move
1 space to the left or right, respectively, without rotating. Priority is that of the
Move 1.

> DOUBLE-BARRELED LASER:
Whenever your robot fires its main laser, it fires two shots instead of one. You may
use this Option with Fire Control and/or High-Power Laser.

> DUAL PROCESSOR:
When programming your registers, you may put both a Move card (Move 1, Move 2, Move 3,
or Back Up) and a Rotate card (Rotate Left, Rotate Right, or U-Turn) in the same
register. If you do, during that phase your robot will move 1 space less than the Move
card says to move and then execute the Rotate card. If the Rotate card is a U-Turn,
move 2 spaces less than the Move card says if possible.

> EXTRA MEMORY:
You receive one extra Program card each turn. (You still discard all unused Program
cards when you're done programming your registers.)

> FIRE CONTROL (WITH JULY 25, 2005 ERRATA):
Whenever your robot damages another robot with its main laser, you may choose one of the target robot's registers and put the Damage token directly on it (locking that register) or choose one of that player's Options and destroy it. (The player can't discard an Option to avoid this effect.)

> FLYWHEEL:
After all players are done programming their registers each turn, you may put one of
your remaining Program cards face down onto this card. You can add that Program card
to those dealt to you on any subsequent turn. You can have only one card on Flywheel
at a time.

> FOURTH GEAR:
Whenever you execute a Move 3, you may move your robot 4 spaces instead of 3. Priority
is that of the Move 3.

> GYROSCOPIC STABILIZER:
Before players reveal the cards in their first registers each turn, state whether this
Option is active. When it is, your robot isn't rotated by gears or rotating conveyor
belts for that entire turn.

> HIGH-POWER LASER:
Your robot's main laser can shoot through one wall or robot to get to a target robot.
If you shoot through a robot, that robot also receives full damage. You may use this
Option with Fire Control and/or Double-Barreled Laser.

> MECHANICAL ARM:
Your robot can touch a flag or repair site from 1 space away (diagonally or
orthogonally), as long as there isn't a wall between it and the flag or repair site.

> MINI HOWITZER:
Whenever you could fire your main laser at a robot, you may fire the Mini Howitzer
instead. This pushes the target robot 1 space away from your robot, and the target
robot receives 1 Damage token. (Robots can't be pushed through walls.) You may use
this Option five times. Put a Damage token on this card each time you use it and
discard this card and the tokens when you put the fifth one on.

> POWER-DOWN SHEILD:
As long as your robot is powered down, each register phase you can prevent up to 1
Damage to it from each of the four directions.

> PRESSOR BEAM:
Whenever you could fire your main laser at a robot, you may instead fire the Pressor
Beam. This moves the target robot 1 space away from your robot.

> RADIO CONTROL:
Whenever you could fire your main laser at a robot, you may instead fire the Radio
Control beam. This causes the target robot to execute your robot's program for the
rest of the turn. In cases of card priority, the target robot moves immediately after
your robot.

> RAMMING GEAR:
Whenever your robot pushes or bumps into another robot, that robot receives 1 Damage
token.

> REAR-FIRING LASER:
Your robot has a rear-firing laser in addition to its main laser. This laser follows
all the same rules as the main laser.

> RECOMPILE:
Once each turn, you may discard the hand of Program cards dealt to you and draw a new
hand from the deck. Your robot then receives 1 Damage token.

> REVERSE GEAR:
Whenever you execute a Back Up, you may move your robot back 2 spaces instead of 1.
Priority is that of the Back Up.

> SCRAMBLER:
Whenever you could fire your main laser at a robot, you may instead fire the Scrambler.
This replaces the target robot's next programmed card with the top Program card from
the deck. You can't use this Option on the fifth register phase.

> SUPERIOR ARCHIVE:
When reentering play after being destroyed, your robot doesn't receive the normal 2
Damage tokens.

> TRACTOR BEAM:
Whenever you could fire your main laser at a robot that isn't in an adjacent space, you
may instead fire the Tractor Beam. This pulls the target robot 1 space toward your
robot.
=======================================


iiiHuman

[iiiHuman]

I finally heard back about the errors in the Online Demo.

The comments were as follows:

Thanks for your comments. We'll be fixing the text errors shortly. The
programming error in the puzzle segment will take a bit more time, but
we will have it corrected before any further puzzles are implemented.


-----------------------


iiiHuman

[Y2UAsk]

I would add that the programming error in the demo doesn't affect it much -- none of the solutions require you to be turned in this fashion by a conveyor belt. In fact, if you find yourself in a position where the timing of the conveyor belt's turn is crucial, then you're in the wrong place, vis-a-vis actually reaching the flag. So don't let that error prevent you from playing and enjoying the demo.

The text error is a simple oversight that we'll get straightened out shortly.

Steve

[hylentor]

I love that demo - it begs the question of if you've licensed the game out to someone to make a computer version - preferrably with a nice online component?