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The Queen's Beauty Pageant: 2nd Generation


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Division: AC2-ACAA

Designs: 14

Competitors: 8

 

Voting Rules and Info

-Must vote for your top 3 designs, listing which comes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, please vote using design number for my convenience when I do scoring

-Competitors are NOT allowed to vote for their own designs

-Design order was chosen using a random integer function on my calculator, so order is completely random

-The voting threads are on ACU, RR, and ACL, vote on only 1 site for a division

-It’s your choice whether or not to state why you voted for a design

-Scoring will be as follows: 1st choice gets 3 points, 2nd choice gets 2 points, and 3rd choice gets 1 point

-Names of designers won’t be revealed until the end of the contest

-Voting ends July 20th

 

Design 1

Name: Mr. Zones

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/BxVC2AK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5wohJbB.jpg

 

Design 2

Name: Lazor Chikan

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/CYBXyDp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ocygPGU.jpg

 

Design 3

Name: Scuttle Shuttle

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/H2eLaQA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/SlIzzcP.jpg

 

Design 4

Name: Administrator

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/08q06Pm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HOvE34F.jpg

 

Design 5

Name: Pysanka

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/qK2Z1Al.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/X3tXsxu.jpg

 

Design 6

Name: Wrought Iron

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/UpUDoYA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/3Z4yeOS.jpg

 

Design 7

Name: Haze

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/AR48luu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/naQKUYh.jpg

 

Design 8

Name: Pedobear Assault

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/iJEj1wP.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PiG4mRB.jpg

 

Design 9

Name: Pansy

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/9ukNzDo.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/u8PzszE.jpg

 

Design 10

Name: Retenie

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/grvaKD8.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QcV97fZ.jpg

 

Design 11

Name: Lone Stranger

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/lw8J2LG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QA3nxjk.jpg

 

Design 12

Name: Octavius

Game: 2

http://i.imgur.com/MBy2Gat.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ECvHfZK.jpg

-I wanted a chance to build a design with one of my all-time favorite quad legs (the CARM), and this was the ideal time to do so! In addition, I also wanted to put a spotlight on a very under-utilized part: the back unit ECM jammers. The pale purple hue of those back units gave way to the base color for this design, and the piloting premise is to strike shortly and swiftly. This quad is overweight and not meant to be a competitive design at its core, but its high speed coupled with 24 Shots of screaming plasma provides a good deal of fun.

 

Design 13

Name: Fire Chief

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/W46t12X.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MgSwHWq.jpg

 

Design 14

Name: Junkyard Dog

Game: Another Age

http://i.imgur.com/RAzaFBi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MZy4PvR.jpg

Edited by Queen Drac Wraith
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Votes

(see below for Write-Ups)

  1. Design 11: Lone Stranger - Black, but also not black. Giving this the #1 since I'm stubborn.
  2. Design 14: Junkyard Dog - Really it is a battle between this and Retenie, and I do feel guilty for changing the vote from Retenie, but Junkyard Dog simply has stronger back weapons and a more innovative color palette.
  3. Design 3: Scuttle Shuttle - This guy is ugly as fuck.
  4. Design 12: Octavius
  5. Design 6: Fire Chief

Really there are many good designs, and I really liked this division. Someone should submit Fire Chief again next time, and if they do I'll definitely give it a position in my top three. If I remember.

Edited by Siri
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1 Mr. Zones

i like the use of frame parts. its odd and creative, but its tastefully creative and not outlandish. probably wouldve went with different legs though. my main gripe is the colors on this ac. looks like a moldy orange. if the blue was more teal and maybe darker, itd work a lot better in contrasting with the orange, but as it is there are 2 bold colors competing directly with each other, which is 1 too many. its like if you went to a drive-thru and you had to yell at the dude in the mic to stop yelling at you but you cant understand him and he cant understand you so you both just keep yelling at each other until they just give you a free soda because fuck mcdonalds jesus christ.

 

2 Lazor Chikan

probably the best robit in the chikan series. that grey makes the bot look real sleek, while providing a good base for the red and blue. great use of parts as well, since there is a symmetrical series of lines protruding from the ac on the top, middle, and bottom. very good use of radar head as well, since it fits with the overall idea of sticks-pointing-outward-everywhere. im probably thinking about this too much, but if someone told you to turn this ac into a simple icon, it would pretty much end up as the star of david. tldr this is a jewbot

 

3 Scuttle Shuttle

ew

 

4 Administrator

i like how the admin has 4 shields as if he was protecting himself from his own constituents. also has missile pod launchers instead of a straight up missile pack; very symbolic of hiring moderators to do all the dirty work for them. also a hover because admins are fat and lazy and cant even walk around. basically its a fat guy sitting on his ass who, at first glance, looks very imposing and demanding of respect, but under further examination, is actually a lethargic scumbag. oh yeah and nice paint too, very subtle and boring and probably good for hiding.

 

5 Pysanka

pie made this. i really like the use of the back units with the RJ legs, since they run parallel with each other, which also run perpendicular to the arms and arm weapons. frame is very cohesive in terms of pointy sleek geometry. the two main things that bug me about this ac is the booster choice and the color scheme. the yellow is great, but its still not enough to excuse a design for red/black.

 

6 Wrought Iron

fantastic use of frame geometry, color scheme, and concept implementation. the overall idea of creating a bulky straightforward ac isnt executed by using pistols and rifles, its done with big cannons, big missiles, big guns, and big blades. however, like most other tanky bulky serious straightforward acs, this ac suffers from a lack of creativity in terms of colors. it definitely suits this ac though, and the colors are modified just enough to stray away from boring grays and blacks.

 

7 Haze

WEREHOUND IS BETTER

 

8 Pedobear Assault

ugh

 

9 Pansy

UGH

 

10 Retenie

the color choice and frame parts are outstanding on this ac. fantastic job, not only with matching part colors, but selecting parts that had a legitimate color relationship that looked cool and matched the blocky geometry of the whole ac. even the turquoise accent matches the inner wall of the boosters. incredibly well constructed and creative ac.

 

11 Lone Stranger

the more i look at this bot the more i like it. at first i glanced over it because it looked like another red/black mission bot, but under further examination, it is very neat. the red does well to match the weapon accents and the soft blue gives it a dark steel look that matches most of the parts. i think the greatest part about this ac is the change to the core and head colors with the white and orange. the white goes well with the cannon and breaks up the red color scheme, and the orange is a unexpected and unique color addition to the bot, and it actually works well.

 

12 Octavius

so basically heres how it works

matthias + pantokrator + lakers = this robit

 

13 Fire Chief

great use of concept for this ac, as it is designed to look like a firefighter. the bright yellows and oranges are reminiscent of reflective tape, and the glass bubble head give a very functional look while adding a contrasting color to the orangeish red. the vents on the back of the back units also add a sense of functionality, since fire makes smoke and fighting smoke requires ventilation of some sort. kinda strange that a firefighter has a flamethrower tho. maybe firefighers in the future literally fight things with fire.

 

14 Junkyard Dog

incredibly cool looking AC that definitely has a junkyard feel to it. the head and core choice add a lot to the concept's execution, as well as the weapon part choice in general. great use of junk-like paint as well, with alternating shades of off-green and teal with purplish gray. this ac is junk. in terms of color and frame choice, its fairly similar to #10 (arms, legs, sniper, boosters, tan) so i suspect that they are made by the same person. maybe its an incredible coincidence tho and i have to rescind my votes for both because both designers are unoriginal (!!!)

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Just like the MOA division, this division has become stronger this time around than the previous contest, although there are less entrants than I like considering the percentage growth of the other generations. I found this generation the strongest in this contest, as I was literally starring at a good 5-6 designs on my screen for 30 minutes deciding which ones to omitt from my top 3, and even to this moment I still don’t know if I’m ultimately satisfied with my choice of top 3.

 

 

1 Mr. Zones

 

The most appealing aspect of this AC to me is its unassuming nature. It strikes me as something that could literally have been one of the arena rankers in the AI arena for AC2, perhaps an AC that was in the 30-40 ranking with a pilot that’s modest but highly skilled, with a frugal AC. Arena Rankers in AC2 were all psychopaths with mental problems or terrorists and prisoners; this guy would have been along the lines of a Ken Hayabusa or someone similar. The fact that I could create a ranker story so easily in my head draws me to this entrant the most. The paint job is simple yet effective, with the classic orange and blue contrast, with some black trim sparingly used here and there to give some extra dimension to its paint job. The extensions add a nice element of repitition with the shoulders of the arms, and the starter legs are amusingly juxtaposed with the fancier core and head. The one thing I would change would be swapping one of the back Osprey for another weapon. The repition of the back units strike me as having too much of a human touch, something which takes away from its ‘From Software randomized AI ranker’ appeal.

 

 

 

2 Lazor Chikan

 

This AC is a bit too straightforward for my liking. It seems to be one of the many chikan-themed ACs in the contest, all probably made by the same guy. While this one is fundamentally the strongest, it’s also thematically the weakest in my opinion. The overall aesthetic is like a cross-mix between AC2 arena rankers Werehound and Suave, but without the unique appeal of either of them. As I said earlier, this AC is strong on fundamentals. The straight but angled dual back weapons mirror the angled reverse joint legs, giving this AC a very geometrically sound appearance. The laser cannon provide the point of symmetry in which the back cannons and legs mirror off of each other. The paint scheme is very safe and uninspired to me, but the small red trim on the legs is very nice to look at. Besides the paint, I actually think the weakest part of the AC might be the back units. Unlike Suave, who has a hilarious looking AC with the bulky core, skinny arms, and back cannosn which cheatingly poked out to allign horizontally, the back cannons of this AC make it too mundane and too repititive. I would like to see two different back units, perhaps one cannon and something else; more along the lines of Lone Stranger.

 

 

3 Scuttle Shuttle

 

I was very quick to overlook this AC when put up on my screen against all the strongest of the division at the same time. However, on second look it really appeals to a lot of my philosophies. Not only is it quirky in nature, but has enough fundamentally right choices that make it appealing to look at. I love the brown laser blade, radar and joints that give the color of thie AC some much needed variety and decorative trim. I like the use of the MHKS arms, which are a rarity to see in this contest compared to the popular VISE arms. The legs and head choices are unassuming in nature compared to other more often used choices in their part categories. The extension units and arm missiles do a good job of reinforing the overall boxy and plated look of this AC. The use of the bulky frame parts combined with the arm mounted weapons give it a very top-heavy and intimidating look that’s very akin to AC2 arena ranker Lionheart. It’s all these astute choices in parts that make this AC really attractive to my eyes. Upon detailed critique of it, I really can’t find any faults in its overall aesthetic, except maybe swapping the joint and optional color on the arms. The brown hands do come off as slightly weird, but at the same time it’s not something that takes away from the overall appeal of the design.

 

 

 

4 Administrator

 

I thought this was a rather ordinary looking and mundane entry to the contest, until I read over nob’s description on his take of it, which does seem to make a lot of sense. Whether or not that was the intention of the designer is lost in translation in this case. Perhaps it would have helped in this case to write down a certain description like that if it was the underlying idea. I do like the minty paint job of this AC, and it’s blatantly obvious that it’s been made that color to match the caps of the pursuit missile backmounts. The white and black serve well to provide a higher range of values to the paint. I also like the way both the Matrix legs and Pursuit misisles taper into the core, almost parralleling each other in that sense. That specific geometry with the minty cool paint makes this AC have a unique, welcoming and satisfying appearance to it. The side shields and arm missiles fit well here, but the left arm energy shield sticks out a bit like a sore thumb, however I’m not sure what could replace it. If nob’s entire hypothesis is true, then this is a very strong thematically driven AC, however the aesthetics are only par for the course to me.

 

 

 

5 Pysanka

 

This AC has a very sleek and aggressive look to it, which is reinforced by the angling of many of its parts. The lower legs, arm-mounted weapons, shoulders of the arms, core and head all share a same relative downward-forward sloping angle, giving this AC a very aerodynamic look, almost as if it was built for the sole purpose of hunting you rushing down as fast and speedy as possible—very akin in look and theme to a Samsara tpye of archetype. The back units are angled the same as the upper part of the legs, and even come off as part of the frame itself, as if they were a pair of extra boosters. Overall this AC makes extraordinary use of angling to pull of a specific look, very much like Swift BM of the first ACDC. Perhaps my favorite part of this AC is the two-tone play of color on the front and rear of the legs. If AA’s paint system allowed for a very slight trim of the yellowish color on the boosters in the rear of the legs, it would be pretty perfect. While the front of the legs is silver, the red making up the rear almost makes it seem as if it were exposing and glorifying all the internals—similar to Sludge Dredd in the MOA division. In this case I actually like the red hands, as they provide a nice balance of color from the upper body to lower body. Overall, I really enjoy the look of this AC, and it’s amont he best of the division for me.

 

 

 

 

6 Wrought Iron

 

I get boners for well-done badass looking heavyweights, and this AC is a prime example of how a properly executed heavyweight should look. This AC tickles the same areas of my ideology towards AC design as #ThickSkin and Sludge Dreddd. This particular bazooks remains m favorite of the bazookas throughout the entire AC series, and it’s hard not to instantly pump up the hoss value of any AC that’s rocking it. The Moonlight meshes perfectly with the paint of the rest of the design, while the huge plasma cannon and large missiles serve to fully round this monster of an entry out. The sheer bulk of the quad legs reinforse the idea of overwhelming power, while the extension units provide additional girth to the look of the shoulders. The armor plating of the legs also makes it appear as though there are extra missile banks within the legs themselves. It might have been more interesting to use the other extensions, like the 2-shot missile extensions, but in this case the extension boostes go real well with the overall look regardless. The only thing that puts me off is the name of the AC. Wrought Iron is usually seen as very dark—near black, and this AC looks more like some kind of steel alloy. The name of the AC goes real well with the idea of being huge and mean, but it might have been even better to find a similar name that matched the paint better.

 

 

 

7 Haze

 

I hinted at it earlier that a lot of the From Software created ACs that are meant for either AI rankers or other enemies have a whimsically random feel to them, with sometimes simple but very effective paintjobs. This particular AC is no exception to the opinion. Haze/Unfettered from AC2AA has a funny contrast of boxy legs and core, with low-tech curvy arms and head. The extensions and multi-missiles do a good job of going with the greenish-tan color that makes up half of this AC’s two-toned paint. The moonlight is the only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb, but on the actual AI bot the moonlight is clad in all black if I remember. The spread bazooka and legs by themselves are incredible looking parts, and make up most of this AC’s aesthetic. Compared to last ACDC’s AI bot entrant, Werehound, I like the subdued paint and low-tech but aggressive feel of Haze better, even though the legacy of Werehound will always live on in the back of all our minds. The idea of entering From Software ACs is actually very interesting though, because there are many good looking ones from the classic MOA-SL Arenas, all carrying their own sentimental values for each person as they had to fight through them when first playing the game.

 

 

 

8 Pedobear Assault

 

One of two very similarly designed hovers in this division. Pedobear Assault left a very positive first impression on me when I first saw it. The starting head in AC2 has always looked like a bear head to me, and this is the first AC I’ve seen that makes the most out of that particular idea. In this case, the head is fully glorified as it looks like it’s almost mounted on top a robotically operated flying chair. I can’t help but think of something like Modok from Marvel, Doctor Eggman from Sonic, or the koopa kids in their floating contraptions from Mario In this case it’s a bear head that’s mounted to a flying fortress with two main turrets on either side, a third on the core, and you could even go so far as to say two additional turrets on the underside and sides of the legs. What would make this idea of a flying fortress even stronger is if the back units were the dual cannons, only aiming straight forward like on Suave. The heavy use of hotpinks further reinforces the idea of the sexually driven Pedobear as he comes flying towards you on his flying foretress, ready to assault your preteen asshole on a secon’d whim. This is a very sound idea and well executed entry in my view, and I’m actually surprised it hasn’t gotten more votes as of yet, but at the same time it’ll be hard to outdo the strongest entrants from this particular divisoin.

 

 

 

9 Pansy

 

Another hover very similar to Pedobear Assault, that was ironically placed right next to it in the voting topic, thanks to the random number generator. Taken as itself, I think this AC is only average when it comes to aesthetics, with a couple of good redeeming qualities. However, it had the misfortune of being put next to Pedobear Assault, the likes of which makes Pansy seem indifferent in its approach and uninspiring as a result. This AC sports a very interesting and soothing cold palette, with a cyan, with a grayish purple to compliment. Though soothing to look at, the cold nature of these colors goes with the theme of the name, which insinuates something that would want to stay away from any form of contact with another person. The back mounts match the color of the frame perfectly, while the head gives off a cold and unwelcoming stare. The yellow trim color is kind of unsettling though. A better match would be to use a warmer type of yellow—even bordering on the orange side of things, to fit the blue and purple better. As it stands, the yellow is on the colder temperature of things well, and doesn’t serve to contrast the blue and purple well as a trim. A change in color temperatur would help remedy that. Besides that, I think the type of frame it’s using limits the aesthetics of this AC. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but it won’t be using this frame. Pedobear Assault makes better use of this type of setup, going for full comical value.

 

 

 

10 Retenie

 

One of two very similar looking ACs in the contest, Retenie comes off as the brand-new, fresh off the production line counterpart to Junkyard Dog. This AC has a lot of fundamentally strong design choices to it that’s sure to win over the hearts of a lot of voters. The copper color on the legs and core do a decent job of meshing with the sniper rifle in the right hand, while the blueish silver tone of the back units match perfectly with the arms and head of the frame. The sheer bulk of the shoulders match well with the symmetric back units behind them, while the overall mass of the upper half of the AC gently tapers down as you approach the legs, making for a mean and aggressive feel. The light blue details serve to complement both the copper and dark blue very well, giving this AC a very cold and unwelcoming appearance, almost as if it’s not to be trifled with. The core also has enough silver to it as to serve as a gradation of color from silver to copper in the overall scheme. With such solid fundamentals in its design decisions, and a very cool idea, this is definitely one of the strongest ACs in this particular division, if not the entire contest.

 

 

 

11 Lone Stranger

 

This is a very sleek looking and menacing AC that’s dancing on being borderline too cliché. Thankfully, with a couple clever paint and part choices, this AC transformed from something borderline to something that looks very pleasing and decently unique to my eyes. The name is funny too. This AC was walking dangerously close to falling within the generic ‘black-red’ trap that’s plagued many a preteen AC in the past 15 years, but usage of a very darkish-blue, and then a dark cyan that make up the majority of the paint give this AC a very calm and collective foundation, while red and orange highlights serve to lift it out of being too dark to look at. I like the use of the white accent on the core to go along with the plasma arm-mounted rifle and the laser cannon on the back. The extension shields and laser blade are solid and safe choices, while the ECM rockets give a little bit of added flare to the back units. What’s mainly troubling me however is the purplelish huse of the ECM rockets that somewhat clashes with the cooler tint of the frame of this AC. What would have been nice is if the back-right unit had some orange higlights in it that matched the orange highlights of the core and head. Overall this is a very good-looking Ac.

 

 

 

12 Octavius

 

This AC has a similar type of aesthetic going for it that served Pantrokator really well in the last ACDC. It focuses on weapon arms and back mounts as being the forefront of the AC design, glorifying their shapes by making them a different color than the rest of the AC. It works really well here, and I thoroughly enjoy the colros being employed. The purple in the arms serve to match the purple color of the ECM rockets in the back, and in this case it meshes well with the warm brown of the core and legs. The warmish white trim that’s really apparent in the legs and arms does an incredible job at giving this AC some very sleek highlighting, while providing some much needed warm highlights against the seemingly cold black of the legs and core. The green detail color of the core sorta throws me off and feels a bit out of place; it could have perhaps been the same warmish white as well. The pointiness of the arms and ECM rockets go real well with the triangular core and Carm legs, although really Carm legs go well with anything, and are one of the AC2 generation’s gems. The choice of head is a little puzzling, and could have perhaps been one of the pointier ones. Overall this is a very solid design and a pleasing aesthetic. No doubt it will carry around the same success as Pantokrator as the last contest, only it will have a harder time because it’s up against way stiffer competition.

 

 

 

13 Fire Chief

 

Like Scutle Shuttle, I quickly turned a blind-eye to this AC when I first saw it, but have since come to start really appreciated its look over time. Not only is it strong thematically, but also very, very unique looking to boot. At the center of attention here has to be the helmet, which directly contrasts agains the rest of the frame’s coloring. Along with Pedobear Assault, this AC makes the best use out of a head part in the entire division. Fire Chief’s helmet goes well with the rest of his body, and the green details of the shoulders come off as lights on his firefighter robotic suit. The flamethrower provides some witty and ironic commentary about his role. Could he be a firefighter that’s using a flamethrower to fight fire with? Perhaps he’s a corrupt fire fighter that goes around secretly burning houses to the ground? Another idea that came across my head was the firebat from Starcraft, which goes well with his bulky nature. The only thing needed is a cigarette coming out of his Dome. The most troubling thing to me with this design is the choice to use the Pursuit missiles on the back, which doesn’t seem to help push the idea forward in this case.

 

 

 

14 Junkyard Dog

 

If Retenie came off as the new, advanced tech to Junkyard Dog, this AC comes off as the old, grungy and rusting tech that looked like it’s been through the ringer one too many times. It even looks as though it’s been rigged together using multiple parts from different ACs. The arms have a moldy, tarnished brass look to them, but also match the color of the laser blade really well. The core and head have a plasticy green garbage can look to them, while matching the color of the back chain guns. There are traces of copper around the AC, almost as if saying some of these parts used on the AC still show traces of their once glorified history. The copper parts are burried within a purplish iron looking color that makes up most of the legs and core. The head looks as if it’s straight from the scrapped drone of a star wars movie, while the extensions look like old pod racer tech. Overall the execution of this AC matches its name and idea perfectly, and serves as a good counterpart to Retenie. It’ll be fun to see people fight over which of the two to vote for. The right arm unit comes off as a bit jarring to me, as it doesn’t perfectly match the rest of the AC in terms of coloring and looking a bit too high-tech, and the AC might have done better with the other sniper rifle that looks more akin to an old ruger.

 

 

 

1st Place: 6 Wrought Iron: The sheer bulk and proweess of this heavyweight AC leaves me going back to look at it over and over again. It deserves to be in the ranks of other oheavies such as Sludge Dredd and #ThickSkin.

 

2nd Place: 5 Pysanka: I just love the uniqe coloring of this AC, and its very sleek and streamlined look. The grenade rifle in comination with the heavy blade gives it a very menacing look.

 

3rd Place: 10 Retenie: This AC does nothing wrong, with its strong design fundamentals and amazingly cool paint job. I love its top-heavy appearance as well.

 

 

Honorary mentions: This is the strongest division of the contest for me, as it took me so long to pick the top 3 out of 5-6 possible candidates. Octavius, Fire Chief, Scuttle Shuttle and Junkyard Dog all could have easily taken top 3 in this competition, but were only very narrowly edged out by my top 3.

Edited by POSTER X
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  • 2 weeks later...

Undeniably strong division. I really like the aesthetic of AC2 and AA; it's perhaps my favourite in the series in this regard, and other people enter some really great looking bots, so I'm a little confused and frustrated when I can't come up with something satisfactory of my own.

 

I've always felt that parts in these games have a bit of a weathered or dingy look to them that none of the other games in the series quite capture. It's readily apparent on the legs of last rounds winner (Swift BM), as well as quite a few other designs. It can be diminished or enhanced to some extent depending on the colour and saturation of your paint, allowing you to make bots that look shiny and new to pretty worn out. It's a relatively small detail, I guess, but one that contributes a lot to the unique look of the games nonetheless. Speaking of details, I've also always thought really highly of the weapon designs in these entries. There's lots of little rivets and lines and other details on them that make them look more mechanical and realistic.

 

1st - [13] Fire Chief

 

It is superb in both concept and execution. The large imposing frame simultaneously asserts dominance and suggests that it is geared up and ready for anything. I consider the choice of the flamethrower over, say, the more fire hose looking B1100 bazooka (as seen on [6] Wrought Iron), to be really cheeky. Love it. The shield was basically the best possible choice on the left. I'm not really sure how I feel about the back units. I definitely feel something needs to be there, and I like the size they add, but I don't know that they were anywhere near the best choice. The paint is an odd thing in that, were these colours combined in any other way, I would probably hate them, yet as they are, I think they look brilliant. I especially like the way it was utilized on the head.

 

2nd - [11] Lone Stranger

 

I really overlooked this bot early on, sort of writing it off as just too much dark paint, but damned if I didn't succumb to its subtleties. Rather than going flat out black, it's more of a restrained dark grey; dark enough to allow for the greyish blue to standout if you pause for a second, but still light enough that they'll blend if you're not paying attention. Red accents and some white trim tie the weapons in without overdoing it. The overall selection of the weapons themselves fits really well with the feel of the bot. Finally, one thing that keeps drawing my focus is the head. I don't think it would work as well to me if not for the mysterious vibe and dark colour scheme of everything else, but things as they are, it really allows the glow of the "eye" to stand out and add even more the overall aesthetic.

 

3.5th 3rd - [7] Haze

 

Fuck nob. This is better, and I totally vote for it over Werehound from last contest. I'd vote for it in this contest, but man the competition is tight.

Edit: nah fuck it i vote for this

 

4th - [12] Octavious

 

Fuck Pantokrator; this is better. Actually, Pantokrator is probably a little better put together, but I still really like the look of this. It's a bit more reserved and I'm digging that, and as with Akimbo Avelyn in the Gen 3 division, I just really like the colour combination.

 

5th - [10, 14] Retenie, Junkyard Dog

 

If Junkyard Dog used the "copper" that Retenie does, it'd look better. If Retenie used the core that Junkyard Dog has, it'd look better. That aside, both have some great strengths in their frame and weapon choices, I like the new and old thing TM played up (which has actually been a bit of theme for me in this contest so far), and they should probably make a baby or something.

 

It's hard to exclude, but [6] Wrought Iron doesn't look intimidating to me, and I want it to. There's seriously nothing wrong with the bot; it's extremely well put together, but something just isn't clicking for me. [2] Lazor Chikan is easly the best of the Chikans, and I happen to like all the long barrels. Overall, it's a really nice lookin' robit. Also, in company with all the great entries here, [8] Pedobear Assault and [9] Pansy end up looking downright offensive.

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Write-Ups

(see above for Votes)

 

Design 1: Mr. Zones

Orange and blue colors, why the fuck would you choose this? It looks juvenile, the contrast is blindingly bad, and it’s dumb. The frame I don’t really mind too much, though the feet seem creature-like and don’t truly fit with the sharpness and definition of the core/arms above. The shoulders (?) match well with the shield or blade or whatever it is. I think the head also matches well with the core but, damn, son, those colors. Also, if the name is a reference I don’t get it. I feel like I should, and I feel like I might, but I don’t feel like I will unless you spell it out with a description.

 

Design 2: Lazor Chikan

Man I already forgot what was said on the Batcast about this guy. I think this is a pretty damn futuristic chikan and looks all cyborg-like and shit, and the black/blue dresses the bugger up pretty maliciously. The red highlights and vents are a good touch. Overall a good one.

 

Design 3: Scuttle Shuttle

When I first saw this, I didn’t pay attention to it. Afterward, I thought this was one ugly motherfucker. Looking at it again for the last time, I still think it’s pretty ugly, but everything works out well in making it ugly. It’s like all the unpleasing aspects work well together to form something undeniably, aesthetically hideous. The head, core, and all two of its arms go great together (so great I might suspect they’re part of the same frame), and the big-ass fists and fugly head would remind me of apes, if not for the machine gun coming out of its breastly area. The RJs were a good choice if you from behind, since the blockiness comes together well, but from the front it’s a disaster. I will say the colors are perfect in being subtle, pleasant and not ugly. The weapons also match and are pluses. To reiterate, I think the AC is like dressed-up ugliness that takes pride in being ugly and isn’t afraid to show it. Good job.

 

Design 4: Administrator

Nob did a good description of this guy. I will say the first time I saw this the legs reminded me of the old bourgeoisie fashion where the ladies dressed like they had big rumps (someone help me with the name?), or also like those geishas or princesses who dragged a shit-ton of clothing when they walked. How’s that for hygiene.

 

Design 5: Pysanka

I think I’m starting to lose interest in doing write-ups, or I have something else on my mind. Anyway, I heard what someone had tried to do with this AC, thematically, on the Batcast. Geometrically, the back weapons (?) really don’t fit. Leaving that aside, the rusty-red back of its legs are a pleasant surprise, and a good contrast to the comparatively dulled and lifeless main colors. I always did like this head, and it matches with the core and, surprisingly, the arms. RJs are kind of weird on this guy, and the arm weapons don’t add much to the AC—but I guess they don’t detract, either.

 

Design 6: Wrought Iron

This guy is a beast. The head, core, and legs synchronize extremely well with one another. The arms look relatively diminutive, or squished at the very least, but I think they were a smart choice in the end so as not to make the frame look too fat, especially given the bazooka or cannon arm weapon. Its right back is a fitting choice, though I would say the left back weapon is looks out of place. On the other hand, given the angle and position of the camera, the slanted position of the cannon makes a good contrast with the straightness of the other back weapon. It also looks suspiciously parallel with the angle of left hind leg (as the right back weapon looks parallel with the right hind leg), and TM (I believe) did a good job taking the pictures for this one. The colors are a little plain, but they’re also solid and quite fitting in this case. The extra addition of red seems to be a classic design decision as well. The back weapons look a tad shinier than the rest of the frame, and this I think is a good differentiator between the rest of the frame and the weapons.

 

Design 7: Haze

So apparently this guy is an actual FROM mech. It’s simple and solid, but the colors leave something to be desired—such as more/brighter orange highlights, an eye color if possible, and other minor such minor details. I particularly like the asynchronous look of its back weapons, the end result of which gives an unbalanced, non-boring air to the whole thing. Seeing this guy in greater scrutiny makes me think he’ll be a contender for my top five of this division.

 

Design 8: Pedobear Assault

The neon purple-pink main is a bold and, in this case, terrible decision. Honestly, why not go for something two shades subtler, or give it more red than purple? The color pairs fine with the actual maroon secondary, but the dark purple is barely noticeable at first glance. Finally, what are you doing with these legs? Give it any other biped and I probably would have afforded it a top five vote. But right now, its potential is being dragged down by my disappointment. The head and weapon arms are very good though.

 

Design 9: Pansy

Uh. The head is a bad choice, and I feel like the colors have been wasted on an AC such as this one. Try again. The back weapons are fine.

 

Design 10: Retenie

The first time I scanned the thread, it wasn’t until Retenie—the tenth design!—that I found something satisfactory. And, wow, this guy blew me away. Not just in comparison to everything else I’d seen till then, but just in overall aesthetics. It sports the same head as Pansy, but does it smartly (part of what drew me to it in the first place), with a fitting frame and near perfect colors. The brown/tan could do with being less yellow, but I really enjoy the light blue accents littering the core. The steel of the arms are unexpectedly appealing. The back weapons look fine from the front, but with the rear shot they give less of a positive impression in conjunction with the straightness of its back. The rifle (?) maintains an awkward rusty, golden brown coloration, but looking at the picture minimized it gives a sense of impermanence and flexibility, as if the weapon could be discarded for something else with nary a hesitation. Which is oddly fine in this case, thanks to the solidity and strength of the frame.

 

Design 11: Lone Stranger

It sounds like quite a few people initially brushed off this AC, and I might’ve been among its early appreciators. The best thing about this AC is the variety of its colors, something its creator undoubtedly strove for. The main colors of black and blue are neatly contrasted with the application of a striking red at choice locations: the torso, the triangles of the “knees,” and subtle parts of its arms. Everything else is supplemental but just as necessary, to provide an interesting and engaging form. Keeping yellow-orange lights is a great decision, and the solitary white across its chest is the clincher. The frame and extensions are a completely solid combination, no doubt. The right front and back weapons pair perfectly, though I really did wish we were given a third pic to see it from the back. Simply looking from the front, the back left weapon appears to be a fine pick, but at this point nothing more can be said. The only thing that detracts from this AC might actually be its numerous colors: the legs, in particular, appear to separate the blue and black almost too much, giving it a sense of disorder and sloppiness in my opinion. It was initially my #1, but will the contenders below it allow it to keep its position?

 

Design 12: Octavius

Bold frame colors and subtle weapon arms. Digging those gilded quads. The green lights are an odd contrast but I’ll accept them despite being one shade too dark. I can’t quite tell what the head is, so it may drop from #3.

 

Design 13: Fire Chief

I thought this was another ugly mofo the first time around, but listening to the Batcast allowed me to see some of its positive points. The head reminds me of the EVA helmet from Halo 3, while the colors—a fantastic pick—are reminiscent of those on the Medabot, Warbandit. The frame suggests a strong and powerful presence, and the back weapons only add to this. The shield is hardly noticeable and makes no difference in my eye, but the flamethrower (as I believe has been pointed out) is an ironic weapon choice. It could be that he’s not a firefighter at all, but someone who’s thematically tied with fire, and likes to give himself flashy titles like Fire Chief despite having no political authority. Or maybe, as LS pointed out during the Batcast, it’s an underappreciated take on Fahrenheit 451. Or, fuck, the flamethrower just has a fire theme to it. In any case, the whole damn AC is a good one.

 

Design 14: Junkyard Dog

We finally come to the AC Niji’s been pushing us all towards, the underdog cousin to Retenie. I will say it has strong and imposing back weapons, as well as a great, great, GREAT choice of shoulders. I also applaud the left weapon, and not only does the head fit with the core, but the splash of green on both is an unassailable idea. If anything, the AC looks even more impressive from the back, thanks to complementing colors and, again, good pick of back weapons. The colors, of course, are fitting with the “junkyard” theme of its name. It is undeniably curious to have so many almost-duplicates in this singular division, two of which are rather disappointing, and two of which are so strikingly powerful entries. I am tempted, as have been several others, to simply vote for neither, and give other ACs a better chance in this category.

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