Re: What we learned from week 1
 

T10, but technically, yes, that's true. I think certain things, from a practicality standpoint, can be ignored. IMHO, it only elicits a full reinspection after a visible physical change.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

1 would not. You are removing material, not adding it.
2 could. A large nut could cause a weight limit breakage. However, I don't think this would necessarily be checked or caught.
3 is a repair, not a modification. No reinspection necessary--unless you used a different motor type.
4: see 2.
5 is a code change. No reinspection necessary. Software is not inspected, though versions are checked to make sure they are the proper ones.
6 would be a reinspection, albeit a quick one. Added wire needs to meet the rules, added sensor needs weight check. That would be a "Hey, we added _this_ to the robot, are we A-OK still?" check--5 minutes and out to the field.

Under most situations, the only one that would actually be inspected would be #6, if a robot was going to elims (the inspectors will ask if there are any changes at that point).

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

Actually, I think that it was the human players that weren't making at least 66% of their shots that caused the rule change. :D

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

Care to explain what 1126 did? Also does any one have video of 48's defense? I would love to see it.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

I've only skimmed the thread, so here's my observations - sorry if they're repeats.

Automated weight-scoring: Awkward when it's broken. Sometimes we were losing 582-14. However, when they take the score down off the big screen, the countdown timer goes too, since it's all the same graphic. It'd be helpful to change that, since some coaches look there instead of the ones on the alliance wall. (Also, at GSR the timer on the driver's station was occasionally not working. It was weird.)

Frisbee Blizzard: Much better than Week 0, but my official count was Near Misses- 10, Frisbees-to-the-face- 1. Most of those were white discs during robot-only times. Only a few were out of control HPs. Keep in mind, I was up taking pictures for my teams, so I was by the field a lot. But still, it gets crazy.

Weird Ref Happenings: 229 got bumped in the last few seconds of the match as we were on the 10-point hang, and the other 'bot was touching us when the buzzer sounded. Ref called for a reset before we could ask, but we were NOT awarded the climb-impedance-foul-points. The answer upon challenging was "Oh, sorry, we reset too quickly, I didn't see it." Sorry, Head Ref whose name I don't know, but that's all on you. If you're a ref, PLEASE look at the field at rest before you signal the all-clear.

Week one was a whole lot of fun for me. Looking forward to next week!

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

What is the likliehood that the GDC exercises their option to alter the scoring for pyramid by up to 10 points per level at the Championship? (Ref: Blue box under Section 3.1.5.2 of the manual)

If they plan to do it, I hope they let us know well in advance.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

1126 made a robot that was small enough to go under the pyramid but had an amazing drivetrain. The lurked under theirs and when their opponents (two slot loaders) came to get discs, they would pop out and waylay them like crazy. At one point I was worried that they were going to get a blockading the gameflow penalty when their alliance partner was lined up to shoot and the entire field was blocked.

As for 48's defense, I don't know if there is any FLR match footage yet but if I remember correctly, they scooted out from auto and pushed 1559 out from under they pyramid before they could begin their climb. It was crazy.


From what I've watched at the regional, the field is incredibly cramped around the pyramid and feeder stations. Defense is incredibly viable though somewhat contradictory - you want to be tall enough to block shots but short to go under the pyramid. If someone can do both and be pushy and fast, they are the ultimate third round pick.

Two shooters one defender is a better alliance than three shooters since the field gets clogged with people going from feeder station to goals and the scoring positions are somewhat limited. Uncoordinated alliances almost end up playing defense on themselves when one robot is driving from the feeder slot to the goals and another is going from goals to feeder slot. I think the ultimate alliance would be one full court shooter, one ground pickup shooter, and one underpyramid defender. Any shots missed by the full court shooter could then be picked up by the ground pickup and scored, as they are now on the right side of the field. However, at least at FLR, there is very little in the way of ground pickup. And when I say very little, I mean none. It looked like 48 and 1507 both had mechanisms but didn't use them, instead opting for feeder station.

A word of warning for anyone putting on lunchtime shot blockers: 578 put one on and their driver, not used to playing with a tall robot got a red card for contacting a robot climbing.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the GDC change points to 10-30-40 or even 0-30-40. Climbing seems to be under powered in relation to how difficult a task it was.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

If any of the other caused a significant change from your last recorded weight (remember, we re-weigh before elims) you'd also potentially get questioned about 1, 2, and 4. Assuming 50 locknuts or zip ties, or a very large "corner". :)

Bottom line...regardless of what you're changing it's safer & a lot quicker to pop over to the inspection table on Thursday afternoon to say "we're doing this; do you want to take a look?" If you don't, what could have taken 2 minutes when you have lots of time (and remember what you did) turns into 20 minutes when *everyone's* getting re-weighed & changes discussed. And when you'd rather be prepping for that important first quarterfinal.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

I noticed this on the FLR stream and looking at the layout for TCNJ, but what is the purpose of the LCD TVs next to the driver stations?

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

Protocol states that you should place the screen on the same or opposite side of the scoring table along the horizontal side of the field so both alliances can see it. At FLR, the venue layout has seating on both sides so the screen is placed on the vertical end of the field, only one alliance can see the realtime score and match time left. The screen is placed next to the drivers on the opposite side of the field so they are not disadvantaged by not knowing the realtime score and time.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

No, not "great", but "Obnoxious". I can understand high school kids being oblivious to the hearing damage - I was a kid once, too - but please, please have some respect for the rest of the crowd. If you can't be loud with your voice, then you can't be loud. Capisce?

In 2012, that would have put up over the weight limit. :rolleyes:

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

I hope someone has videos of those matches. :-)

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

Please read:

I really wish these rules were better enforced.

I usually bring and wear earplugs to competitions, because usually its so loud I cannot have a conversation with the person next to me in the stands without yelling. It's bad when you have to text back and forth to communicate without losing your voice in ten minutes.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

Line defense is the easiest way to play penalty-free defense on arbitrary opposition.

Cycle time is what separates the good from the great.

A pure hanger that doesn't move isn't nearly as valuable as people expected. A moving drive base, especially if you're under 30, makes you far more useful to an alliance since you can play defense.

Defense is more about top speed than pushing power this year.

There better be a good reason if you're more than 30 inches tall.

Re: What we learned from week 1
 

If you're a dedicated hanger and hang from the front, back, or inside of the pyramid, you'll probably be in the way of any back of the pyramid shooters on your alliance.