Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

OK, so I wasn't the first one with this idea.

Alternatively, since FIRST has probably already purchased noodles, they could be IDed by wrapping a ring of red or blue gaff tape around the noodles.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

(Setting aside the red/blue solution, whether by noodle color or tape,) I'm curious as to why most people seem to be advocating the "+2/-2" solution, rather than simply a "-4" to the alliance with the unprocessed litter (rather than +4 to the opposite side). Can someone explain to me why "+2/-2" is better - as an incentive to avoid unprocessed litter, and also eliminate the benefit of TNA - than "-4"?

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Like Chris, I have not read all 14 pages of posts. Also not a fan of the agreement. However, unless it is somehow voided I would feel compelled to agree. Perhaps this has been communicated already, but ...

Is this the equivalent of 6 vs 0 from Breakaway?

What is the line between Coopertition and collusion?

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

In my opinion, the line was drawn when FIRST made a "game" where there were no winners.

Given the focus of Recycle Rush, I feel that TNA is fully within the spirit of the game.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

The reason this could be seen as more beneficial, compared to simply a -4 for the other team, is because there are no wins and losses in qualifications. By making it a simple -4 only penalizes the alliance who happened to face a good noodle thrower and didn't or couldn't process the litter. A +2/-2 solution would provide a lesser penalty to the opposing team while still giving a benefit to the team that few the noodles. I think that the same issue is still found in the +2/-2 solution, albeit to a lesser extent, and think that merely color coding the noodles with some gaffers tape would be a more appropriate solution than subtracting points in qualifications.

It's unfair (in my opinion) to the opposing alliance to be penalized for an action of the other team when they aren't competing against each other in terms of winning or losing each match. My reasoning for this is that, due to robot design or some other factors, teams may not be able to push noodles into the landfill zone to prevents "penalty" to their score even if they are able to push the taller crates more easily to score. The seeding points are supposed to be based on how well you can score points, not how well your opponents can "de-score" them by throwing noodles.

That said, I still think the Noodle Agreement provides interesting strategic opportunities during the course of the qualification matches. I just don't like how it can be used to artificially deflate the scores of a specific alliance (compared to the others) in the finals. I would be fine with noodles simply being a -4 or +2/-2 in finals since then you negate the Noodle Agreement while still giving an opportunity for a skilled noodle thrower to elevate their team above the rest. I think it's safe to assume that teams should at least be able to bulldoze noodles into the landfill during the finals, whereas it might not be the case in qualifications due to differing robot designs (which may cause noodles to become entangled if he teams drives over them instead of pushing them, depending on design and ground clearance).

I eagerly await the first rules update to see what actions - if any - will be taken by FIRST in regards to the Noodle Agreement. We'll get to see if it was a intended strategy (or an unintended strategy that isn't necessarily disliked by FIRST), or if it's something that FIRST doesn't wish to see at competitions.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I think that the best available options are to:

1. Leave it as it is, GDC already thought of this
2. Allow robots to throw litter to the other side
3. Increase the points for having a litter in a recycling can to 8 points
4. Give the team with the least unprocessed litter the difference in number of litter
5. Give teams 30 points if they have no unprocessed litter on their side of the field

(5. will give teams the points of the noodle agreement if they have all ten of their noodles in the landfill zone)

Personally I think 5 is the best option.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I'm not too sure how I feel about this strategy. As the human player on my team, I believe I would agree to this against an alliance that I trust. I'm not so sure about others, especially those with teams that usually play to win. I feel that rookie teams will easily be enticed into this agreement for a free advantage.

This is a thread that I'd recommend to any human player. Does anyone know of any other good threads discussing important human player strategies/info/pasta treaties?

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Unprocessed Litter is worth +4 each, or 40 points.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

30 points for no unprocessed litter, 10(1) for all your noodles in the landfill zone is a total of 40.

The 30 points gives teams an incentive to still put in the litter to get more points(1 in landfill and 4 for getting it to the other side) and also it is a large incentive to clean up your side of the field in the last 20 seconds(no more encouraging littering on your own side).

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

But most teams would then be driven to completely bypass litter the whole match in order to get 30 free points and not worry about dropping litter. This would essentially remove litter from the game (I guess that's good for the recycling theme, but not for the gameplay).

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

It is already removed from the game as it was intended intended, and launching the noodles across the field would give you the possibility of 4 points instead of 1.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Or to really mess with teams they could put noodles by the starting cans and totes.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I really don't like the noodle agreement. If the rules are not changed with an update, my team will participate - those noodle points will really weigh heavily into scores in preliminary rounds. Good robots that do not participate in the agreement will be eliminated. Frankly, I really don't like this.

I would really like to see the rule changed: unprocessed litter on my side would cause my team a four point penalty.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

That's what I was thinking, too. That would involve less risk in case the other alliance doesn't follow through. And it would give you an opportunity to score 6 points instead of 4 (which is a more realistic goal with just 5 noodles, instead of 10).

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

As being on drive team last year I found it extremely difficult to get some of the teams including human players to stick to a plan that we had executed and decided on before our match, let alone two alliances on a very impactful agreement that you won't have time to discuss with the other side while the match is in play.
It's also a matter of full trust in both alliances to follow through with your decision made, let alone the possibility of it working out correctly. If anyone breaks that agreement then it will make you or your alliance members look untrustworthy and risk losing that possible consideration for alliance selections. Once those noodles are ran over or torn up after a few matches it may not make it so easy to fly it, like we discovered at a team meeting tonight. I know last year there were a few human players at my home regional who claimed they were great at throwing in the ball without fouling, yet almost cost us the matches due to fouls from the human player. That could make it a risk at least with some teams and competitions that those who may need to throw in the noodles aren't good at it.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Negating TNA would require a zero difference or equation.....Noodle (Unprocessed Litter) is worth +4 to the opposing alliance...simply put, 20 noodles dumped is worth +40/+40 or 80 points split (software changes cost money & time), changing rules. +2/-2 each is still 4 points.

But, dump 20 noodles (Unprocessed litter using the +2/-2 penalty, Unprocessed litter still worth 4 points a each....only you dump 10 on your side +2X10=20 points & -2X10=-20 points equals ZERO GAIN for each side & alliance....Noodle Dilemma gone like the wind...NO TNA (The Noodle Agreement)=FULLY RECYCLED & only a minor scoring code software change.

It is the easiest solution....And I'm a lazy man looking to fully negate the foolish possibility of TNA and have each pc. of Litter still be worth the same math amount as designed by the GDC.

-4 is another solution, but the GDC made it +4 for a reason....Recycling LITTER IS IMPORTANT in RECYCLE RUSH.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Bulldozing Litter once great stackers have stacked won't be as easy as you think once 2 walls are built. LOL. You better have a camera on that bot! Or you will be driving through your own hard built stacks.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

+40 points every match to both Alliances is almost impossible to pass up if fairly within the rules.....=The 2015 FIRST FRC NOODLE DILEMMA! Think with your noodle. Qualifying Averaged scoring determines everything this year w/ tiebreakers! (It only takes 6 teams to force all to abide by TNA, or simply "goodbye yellow brick road)".

=Not fun when left in the dust, simply because of a poor thought out ruleset.

There are enough stacking dilemmas if you do not use a Grey TOTE and place that Recycling Container w/ litter therein or thereon. Mistakes will be made. And they will be a shame. Each time performed.:D

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I don't know if this has been suggested, as I may have missed it in the thread, but in my mind the easiest rule change to prevent shenanigans would be to remove any sort of point value to unscored noodles. If a noodle is lying on the ground it is treated the same as a tote or recycling bin on the ground, e.g. it means absolutely nothing.

This prevents the noodle agreement, prevents bad blood between teams, and allows teams that design the ability to manipulate noodles to go about their job unmolested. I just think this is the simplest solution.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I think that with FIRST's value of good sportsmanship, people will honor their word, and in the case that they don't, word will spread quickly that they can't be trusted.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Poolitics are all fun and games until Saturday morning when feelings get hurt as teams go for ranking positions.

What if we want to practice noodles in bins on Friday? Are we against the spirit of TNA? What if a team says NO, THOU SHALT ABIDE AND NOODLE TEH FIELD, and then tries to hoard the noodles to do so?

TNA is a tangent that needs to be made irrelevant, IMO.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Honestly, I don't think anyone would be mad at a team for doing this. It's their decision. The only time people will get upset is when a team says they will go along with TNA and doesn't do it. It won't even be that big of a deal though if you both put in the noodle one at a time.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I am not a fan of the Noodle Agreement. I believe that it unnecessarily detracts from the mission of the game to the detriment of teams making the effort to meet its challenges through engineering. Hard-earned points scored by robots performing very complicated tasks should not be overshadowed by humans inflating scores by tossing noodles on the field. As the game manual stands right now, though, it is a legitimate scoring strategy that must be considered.

I appreciate all the thought given by other forum members to potential solutions to this dilemma, and think a couple of them are good ways to preserve the integrity of Recycle Rush. I had a different thought that I haven't seen come up yet, though, and I'd like your opinions on it:

Let's imagine for the sake of argument that the GDC didn't want to alter the point structure of the game or bother with color-coding noodles, but also didn't want Noodle Agreements to be a factor. What if FRC simply asked teams not to entertain any kind of Noodle Agreement? In your opinions, would the honor system prevail, or would there be backdoor dealings? Would suspicions of shady pacts damage reputations and relationships, or would teams trust in the honesty of their counterparts?

(My first post on Chief Delphi -- please be gentle!)

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Personally if FIRST came out and said they don't want the noodle agreement but refused to make any rule changes then I think it changes nothing. Plenty of people have made pretty reasonably suggestions on how to fix this and to simply tell teams we don't like this is not going to cut it.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

One of the things you could do is have the other team put one noodle in, then your team puts one in, then back and forth to ensure that no team has more than a 4 point advantage.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Welcome!

If the GDC asked us to eliminate all noodle agreements, I think we'd still get at least the normal bell curve of teams who agree, teams who rolled their eyes at TNA to begin with, and teams who will defy the GDC for personal gain.

Entering my 11th season overall and 9th season as a driver coach (maybe...) this is why I think so. I've been asked to ram other robots in an attempt to break them. Teams have asked me to throw matches since it would help their ranking and ours didn't matter at the time. A team once asked me to try to split up an eliminations alliance by throwing a match. In 2013 a couple of alliance partners hoarded discs so they could make less than 20% of their full field shots, even after agreeing that we'd split the discs evenly amongst the alliance. In 2014, an alliance partner tried to take our autonomous ball out of our robot so they could try their 2-ball autonomous since they didn't want to "take a chance" on our ~80% shot rate after very few matches.

Each year, we've performed in roughly 20-30 matches, and each year there were 1-2 where these examples of non-GP behavior occurred. Thus if the GDC relies on GP-based adherence to their desires about TNA, I think teams will still encounter it at competition.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I'm speechless. I truly did not expect that. I'm sad to hear it, frankly. In that case, I hope that the GDC tweaks scoring in such a way as to remove any incentive to participate in pasta pacts.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Too bad the "The Noodle Agreement" wasn't called "The Litter Agreement" then it would be abbreviated "TLA" which is a TLA (Three Letter Acronym)

In any case, I predict, as many others, that it won't survive past this coming Thursday.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Keep in mind there are 3 teams per alliance, so your team would have to convince not three but FIVE other teams to do it. If you can manage to do that, I'll be impressed.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

It will be a challenge to persuade five teams to agree to simply GIVE the opposite alliance points. For so long the games have been win or lose, change is hard, as a result it will come about slowly.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I agree that would be much better, however, I think a 2 point penalty would be a bit more reasonable.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

fun game when both teams can just throw stuff on the ground and wait, then get +40 each...

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Frank just posted a Team Update regarding this...

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Link?

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

The team updates (web viewer) does have something listed under today's date on the table of contents. I cant see the info though.

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...ated-documents

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

http://contentviewer.adobe.com/s/FIR...02.html#page_1

Only seems to be up on the web viewer, not the pdf.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

For the web viewer you have to use the down arrows to get to another page, simply scrolling won't work (a poor design in my opinion).

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

This should work.

They haven't updated the rule yet but they're working on a rule change.

http://contentviewer.adobe.com/s/FIR...02.html#page_0

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

It looks like it hasn't posted to the website yet, but it came up in my iPhone app a few minutes ago.

It's a long note about colluding in noodles, how the GDC considered it but thought it would happen very much, how they wanted to keep the rules simple, how they see it as detrimental, and ending with a note that it is something they will be addressing in a future update.

Screenshot attached, not sure how readable it will be.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Awww! I was looking forward to walking around at competitions and asking people if they had heard the "noodle news" and giving them a pamphlet on the noodle agreement.

It only lasted about two days.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

tl;dr (but you should)

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Was hoping for the actual change to be told but I suppose it's better than nothing. I think this all discourages noodle manipulation for the most part though. We still don't know if collusion will still be possible or if it won't. Just that they will implement a rule to discourage it more. A team designing a strategy around noodle manipulation would be pretty dark in the water right now.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Agreed. And even, the current update, almost makes the noodle agreement even more favorable due to the extra sentence added talking about the variability of the noodle game pieces!

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Is variability in game piece really that big of "news"? Back in 2012, balls varied wildly. In 2013, the height of the rungs to the pyramid varied ~2" competition to competition, and even sometimes from one side of the field to another! If you expected foam noodles to stay in pristine condition all throughout the competition, you were in for a surprise anyways...

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I am reasonably pleased by the post. Sure, I would have loved to see the actual rule change, but simply knowing that the GDC prefers that we not have a Noodle Agreement is a good... I'm sure it will fix the problem to the point that such noodling will not greatly affect that standings.....

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Have you read the team update released today by FRC? Is the noodle agreement out? The director of FRC said that they will make rules to discourage this activity.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I've read it.

MORE IMPORTANT than the note is that the GDC not only is working on taking action now, but that they found not one, but TWO methods of collusion prior to releasing the game, and eliminated one before release, then worked their hardest to simplify the rules and still remove TNA as much as they could.

They're getting a lot better at identifying potential trouble spots! I would guess that they've got some ideas already and are just taking extra time to kick them around and make sure they won't cause worse problems.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Interesting that they said it wont completely remove the loophole but only discourage it. I would think they would add colors to the noodles and then penalize you for litter of your color on your side. Honestly I think the best option would be to allow the robots to throw the noodles, since then there is a high chance that most alliances would have a noodle throwing robot, making the noodle agreement much harder to agree on.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Unless they change G24, having a noodle throwing robot doesn't seem to make much sense. Now if the same robot could instead place a noodle into a bin, now that is worth something. There are other good uses as well but I will let you figure them out. :)

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Yeah, thats what I was talking about, amending G24 to allow robots throwing noodles to the other side.

Either way, generally speaking I dont think putting litter in cans should be a priority, I think time could be spent better building 6 high stacks, plus since you can put noodles directly into the bin from the human station its really not necessary to build noodle loaders, just bring the bin to the loading station, which most robots would probably be able to do, so its actually not as big of an issue as it first seems.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I am also pleased that Frank confirmed the GDC intentions and that they had identified the potential prior to releasing the game. Interesting that they chose not to implement a "fix" until after release.

Here is what I would prefer to see happen:

G33 LITTER may be introduced onto the FIELD only during TELEOP and only in the following ways:
A. through the LITTER CHUTE, or
B. over the ALLIANCE WALL during the last twenty (20) seconds of the MATCH.
VIOLATION: FOUL per LITTER.

Scoring Change:

LITTER Scored in/on a RECYCLING CONTAINER 6 per LITTER

UNPROCESSED LITTER Bonus 0 per LITTER

COOPERTITION LITTER Scored in a LANDFILL ZONE or STEP * 1 per LITTER

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

My guess is they wanted to see how teams would handle it, but this thread convinced them it wasn't going over how they wanted. It also explains why the fix wasn't ready, since the thread was only started a few hours before the update.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

To be honest, I'm all for changing the noodle rule from a bonus to the other team to a penalty for the team with the "unprocessed litter". I believe it to be the simplest way to discourage TNA. Maybe make it a two point penalty or something.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

AndreaC.

Without quoting you....Once TNA was a mentioned game strategy (BTW the most discussed game strategy so far on CD by the length of threads and extreme number of posts mentioning TNA or other pasta recipies). Recent history proves, that some form of it will survive into the competitions, if the rules were simply not changed (some change there is coming, we now know so, by Frank's long note), and say the GDC just decided to (as you suggested), simply suggest Teams & Alliances should not participate in any form of Noodly (or Pasta or littering), Collusion.

Just reading on CD long enough will show, that the overlying thoughts of "If there isn't a specific game rule against a certain thing published in the rules, then It is legal, and a viable game strategy if it scores points, or keeps your opponent from scoring points." And yes, even if you both can score points....Afterall, it still is a COMPETITION.

The problem with TNA given the possible points one can amass (and the change from W-L-T to Qualifying Average Points or QA this year), of +40~+50possible max litter points per game (if the strategy is employed, agreed to, and carried out fully by all parties (any really, since just 1 match, any 2 alliances can employ it and therefore force all others following, to also either employ it also, or risk as a group, falling way behind in their possible total points averages), all the possible points will total using a successful across the board TNA Strategy will be between 400~500 points for each team over 10 Q matches (depending on either collusion strategy employed "The Full Monte" =10 littered per side = +40, or "The Half/Half" =use 5 in RC's/litter 5 up to= +50 points per Alliance and team). There are also many other combinations possible too (up to 7 RC's for 1 side/7 used in scored bins 7X6=+42 plus 3 littered -12, or 3 Landfilled scored +3...or, or, or....

400~500 possible "easily scored points" over a 10 Q period is huge in the QA points averaging, and would not easily be dismissed out of hand as a game strategy (It takes 200~250 Grey properly placed & stacked Totes to score that many points over the same 10 Q matches!) Of course, that does not add the possible RC (including the level multiplyers), & Litter bonuses either, but you cannot score those unless stacking Grey Totes.

I'll go 1 further....Just read a Q&A question and answer that made me think even further about possible TNA Strategies...Drive Team Members/Human Players (minus the coaches since they cannot touch the game pcs.), may according to the question posed (though asked not fully in the only possible scenario...They asked about Human Players only, & the answer was more encompassing than the question though w/ starting line limits for Drivers....).

Ok, the Question posed without quoting (I have no access currently to the actual Q&A), was...."Can Human players touch the Totes & the Litter & enter the Human Player Zones during the Auto period"....The answer was (without quoting again)...."YES, Human players even during AUTO can handle the game pcs., and can enter the Human Zones, though DRIVERS must remain behind the Start Line. (Which extends from carpet edge to carpet edge, BTW), they...HUMAN PLAYERS, can even enter game pcs. onto the field...Remember those possibly removed Yellow Totes? At first I wondered why you would ever want to remove one...ever, now I know why.

Throwing away that previous rule book meant HUGE (not just big), changes were coming (rarely could human players, or drivers, do anything but wait patiently...(except during the hybrid-auto start 2 yrs. ago),...during the Auto period). This year, up to 9 Human Players & even Drivers (as long as Drivers stay behind the start line....Nobody asked/answered, about where Coaches can go yet), can take some kind of game pc. action during the Auto Period (even the Coaches can help direct them, as long as they don't actually touch the game pcs.).

OK, reason I stated all the above....Let's say that all stayed the same as is now concerning published Litter Rules....The TNA is discussed and 5 of 6 Teams Agree to collude (1 says...absolutely not, we created a fantastic Litter manipulator, and by gosh, we plan to deploy & employ it in this game, we will show you!

The other 5 all wink at each other & nod (the 3 Coaches get w/ the other 2 Coaches, if even by a simple pre-worked up hand signal, while superteam is attaching their hard labor created and super fantastic Litter Inserter, and the match is about to start. The TNA is on even if the 6th team does not wish to play the game that way (I agree, no team should ever be forced to participate in TNA if they do not wish to be), so everybody get behind the Start Line Please, the match is about to begin.....

The Human Player of one of the TNA agreed 5 Teams gets right in the middle between the Litter Bin and the Drivers...facing the Litter Bin, And, as soon as the Buzzer sounds to start the Auto Period (Arms wide, snatches all 10 of the Litter, and walks them over to 1 of the Human Player Zones and stores them right under the Tote Chute and takes up residence in that Human Zone throughout the match (same on the other end of the field, same side of the field...so vision is easiest maybe?...Though I would think that will be very difficult and extremely tenuous at the very best after walls of 6 high + stacks are formed, by my view!)

Now, the team that didn't want to play TNA (and has a Litter manipulator), is forced to play TNA whether they like to or not (and will gain the +40 points if TNA is successful, but, may just be unhappy anyway with that forced 5/1 or 4/2 Tteam/2 Alliance Collusion without their willful participation), their Human Player cannot enter the occupied HP Zone, as long as the HP stays in that zone, without incurring the wrath of a FOUL, cannot reach into that zone to snatch a Litter pc. from their own alliance member Human player, or even test their Litter manipulator in real field conditions...And TNA is still employed. (Though how successfully...would be certainly a matter of personal perspective). Not everybody agrees in Majority Rules when dealing w/ multiple team game strategy...Feelings can still be hurt easily.

See, the GDC dealing with it to either negate the plusses (or at least reducing the plusses), of employing TNA as a Game Strategy has a ton of merit....If nothing else but a simple peacekeeping method. And a method to certainly make the game a bit more enjoyable.

I think you'll find that it will be harder to use the TNA "Littering Strategy of...."You put 1 in, we put 1 in, back & forth," agreement honesty verifyier method, in the last 20 match seconds, will find their vision much hampered by all those totes and bins nicely stacked on both ends of each field in 4 pretty solid high walls...At least I certainly surely hope THEY ALL DO!

(PS: By the above method...Only 2 Single Teams...1 each from opposing Alliances in Match 1, could actually force almost All Teams into TNA without a problem (or the rest get left in the dust in QA), by simply employing at the same time the very simple 10 Pasta Snatch/HZ Campout each). So Massive TNA Collusion isn't really necessary at all. Try that on for size.

I am fully looking forward to the publishing of a Litter rule change.:D

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

RIP Noodle Agreement
1/3/2015-1/9/2015
"You Do It! No You FIRST!"

Rule Update 2015-01-09:
http://contentviewer.adobe.com/s/FIR...tes/cover.html

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

New Team Update says LITTER will be color coded per ALLIANCE.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Take a look at today's team update, effectively removing TNA

So they went with the strategy of coloring the noodles. Can't really complain

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Bummer. That is pretty darn nerfed.

does not mean that both teams still cant get 40 points (assuming they have amazing throwing arms)... but it does mean that noodles will be everywhere in odd places, noodle-blocking stacking and such.

And robots still cant manipulate noodles to the other side of the field, so.... that is also a bummer.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Noodles are dead...Reduced to nothing but "Litter" now folks. k sara:cool: Pasta Presto.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

Cool, it even seems they went with something like the gaff tape suggestion I made earlier.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

We can still have the agreement (since the two alliances arent competing against each other) to not actively try to 'descore' other alliance's noodles, or maybe even help the other alliance to transport their noodle to the auto zone if they dont make the throw...

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

I doubt it. I think most people are underestimating the task of just pushing noodles on the ground. Unless you design a specific drivetrain or subsystem, most robots are just going to run them over instead of push them. The noodle agreement was only really likely because everyone would be able to do it. Now that this is no longer the case, you want to maximize your score and minimize your opponents. Although it's not about W/L/T anymore, doing as much as you can to lower the score of the opposing alliance is very beneficial, especially if you want to knock someone out of the top rankings or lower them a bit. So long as it doesn't negatively impact your own score of course.

Re: The Noodle Agreement
 

now the real question is what do you do if they dont agree to it?