Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Like. Can we have the MCing of this off on a mini field between Karthik and Paul, where they're having a mini dodgeball game while announcing?

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

You, sir, just made my day.

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Our original plan was just like 548/330. Ultimately, we decided to amputate our mast and reattach the forearm backwards so we could rear-collect.

Sounds very 2006.

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Does dodgeball ever really go out of style? Sure sometimes it is more fashionable than others, but there is something incredibly rewarding about pegging someone with a foam rubber ball, or catching a throw they fire your way.

For you Travis, we could do a longs vs. wides... ;)

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Only if one of the longs were blindfolded. :cool:

I vote for our drive team coach to do the honors.

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Wow, what a day.

Here's my views. This is still only my second year doing this, so I may be overlooking some things:

From what I've seen, it looks like 341 tops the entire game, and will continue doing so with their 1st seed rank for the remainder of tomorrow. When it comes down to alliance selections, they'll want someone who can both hinder their opponents and score, so 125 with their amazing feeding and starvation strategy will be a steal away from their currently 3rd place seed (although tomorrow it may get up to second place, but IMO they'll stay 3rd or 4th due to the need for strong alliance partners). With an accurate scorer and a great feeder, they'll need a bot who is fast and can pick up and shoot balls fast to pair with Dasiy, and it looks like 973 will be the perfect bot for that. 973's "Emperor Swerve" has allowed them to be one of the most versatile teams at IRI, giving them the ability to not only collect balls and score quickly, but also play some killer defense (although who could expect less from the team who T-Boned their way through Einstein in 2011?). Another option instead of 973 would be 330. While the Beach Bots don't have a swerve, their accurate shooting and strong drivetrain will allow them to score very accurately, as well as push through most of the competition.


Other things I've seen:

67 has flown under the radar for most of the competition. Ending in 50th place, they are a team almost certain to be in the top 32 teams in the elimination rounds. Although I have noticed quite a few balls fall out of that utility arm....

1114 has been doing what they've always been doing, and doing it well, but they still seem to have landed in 31st place. Still a strong scorer, but seem to be held back by the competition (and some of their alliance partners).

1538 holds the title for the top ranked California team, and for a reason. Since the last time I've competed with them (SVR), their scoring ability has multiplied, and it's getting scary. A fast, reliable, and high scoring Hybrid mode has helped them pull through the competition. Unfortunately, that's some of the best they've got. Some shaky driving and a lengthy bump traversal time hits them hard in the bellypan (stick to bridges Holy Cows, they're faster in this case).

68 is another bot with a high chance of making it to eliminations. A consistent Hybrid mode and their ability to score high in teleop mode will surely bring them far.

1676 has been a bot I've always been interested in this season. Great driving, accurate shooting in both Hybrid and teleop mode, and excellent bridge balancing has brought them to the 5th seed, and almost for sure they'll stay in the top 8 tomorrow. The only letdown is their somewhat slow shooter. It's not too slow, but there are a lot of faster ones with similar accuracy out there.

I left out a lot of great teams (62, to be exact), but I can't write about all of them, and these are the 8 I've spent the most time observing.

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Wait what!!!!:eek:


This IRI looks extremely competitive compared to previous years. While a lot can happen tomorrow morning to allow the rankings to settle there are a lot of powerhouse machines outside the top 8 which will make picking very interesting.

Scouting will be crucial as most teams have new drivers so previous wins mean nothing.

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

I'm having a great time, volunteering very close to the field. Since robots aren't inspected at IRI, I think queueing is the best volunteer opportunity to see the 'bots up close.

Echoing a preceding post: scouting will be critical. There are 26 teams with two or fewer losses now, and many of them have three qualifying matches tomorrow -- any of them could become an AC. That's a lot of variations to analyze.

Repeating what I said in an earlier post -- I would like to see Michigan vs. Canada for all the marbles. However, there are quite a few teams from neither of the above that are playing strong and smart now, so my fantasy final is a long-shot.

During his opening speech this morning, Paul predicted 30 triple balances during qualifying matches. By my count the total after Q73 is 11 triples, two of them coming in the same match (Q61) and another by the losing side (Q25). (Condolences to the Digital Goats who came out on the short end of both matches.) I expect the rate of triple balances to increase in the Saturday morning qualifying matches, so perhaps Paul's prediction can still come true. However, the top offensive teams here might just reckon they are better off shooting it out in the final seconds.

Dean Simmons and the Kamen Brothers put on a great show after dinner. "The day the robots died..." IMHO their best performance ever.

As always, IRI has been worth the trip. :)

And it is not over yet. Tomorrow will be exciting.

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

How about CA vs CA?

330-399-1538 vs 1114-2056-4334

Of course, 1717 and/or 254 in that first alliance would make it more interesting...

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

I'd be down with Ca vs. CA! 1717, 973, (some other CA team not attending IRI) vs The Eh Team.

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

Here's my opinion:

To whomever seeds number 1, there are plenty of good scorers at this competition. That was evident from seeing the team list. What there aren't so many of are excellent feeders and defenders. There is one team, I think everyone knows who I'm speaking of. They're the defending World Champions. If the first seeding team can score faster than they can collect balls, like Miss Daisy, they need someone like 16 to feed them. I'm not privy to their scouting but if I was, I would be that they would be highly considering picking 16 as their first choice. There is no doubt in my mind that the ninth pick (1114? 67?) will still be an excellent scorer. That does not hold true for excellent feeder. If the first alliance doesn't take 16, someone in the middle like 3322 will and they will become unstoppable.

tl;dr: I think the winning alliance will be 341/16/1114/[Backup Scorer, maybe fender rather than key]

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

I alluded to this scenario in another thread.

In this game, the "do we want to play against that team" factor trumps OPR. You'll need a stopper to win the hoop points battle and move on in the elims. Winning balls on the opponent's side of the field (without drawing fouls) creates a huge advantage.

Team 16 is effective triple balance robot as well. Their World Champs alliance nailed a triple balance in a ~7 seconds on their first attempt on the practice after Galileo alliance selection. Their 40-point balance with 1114 and 2834 today looked pretty smooth...

Wishing I were there (my personal fantasy). :(

Revised fantasy: 341/16/1114 would definitely rock IRI - against any other alliance!

Re: IRI 2012 fantasy match-ups
 

I guess my fantasy match up would be:

1114-2056-67 vs 118-2826-341

I'm not sure why, just 2 strong alliances.