Throwing Totes
 

Upon reading through the rules (by which I mean Ctrl+F for "throw"), there is nothing against throwing the totes. Is this a legitimate strategy? Because my team is seriously considering it...

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Are you saying as in the robot throwing the totes or the human played throwing the totes? Also, did you check under "launch" ?

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Throwing them where? Totes can enter the field of play by team members only through the Tote Chutes; if you want a robot to throw them, I suppose you could but if they break or go to the other side of the field, then expect some penalties.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

The robot throwing the totes. I'm not even sure how it's planned to be used as a legitimate strategy. I'm just wondering if the rules say anything about it.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Well, if you think that throwing the totes might cause damage to them, then that's a violation of 3.2.3 G16... but otherwise throwing doesn't seem to be on the list of prohibited actions.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Correct me if I'm wrong but I assume that you mean throwing them over the step to the other alliance's side of the field to take out their tote stacks.
This is from 3.1.2 of the manual. Knocking over the other alliance's totes would not help you because they would get the points anyway.
I read the entire game manual for this year's game for the rules test my team issues for driving.
This is in section 3.2.1 of the manual. It doesn't say no throwing totes but I'd bet that it would be considered unsafe.

So basically, don't throw totes. :D
The Manual: http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default...Manual0123.pdf

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Not sure how it's planned but.....


To fellow Rochesterians, I would recommend against it.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Considering the amount of danger you would be putting everyone around the field in I think Dante would have some very stern words for your team.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

In other news, I will begin selling these T-Shirts shortly: :D

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Popping a tote any large distance is very hazardous. If you are planning on using mad skills to shoot a tote onto the top of a stack I won't lie I considered it.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

There's no reason to throw totes in this game, unless you're a team with infinite resources and the ability to shoot totes to create a stack (Even the poofs won't do it, dude.)

Interestingly enough one of 20's prototype intake mechanisms has the ability to shoot totes and aerial assist balls as an added "feature". It was pretty amusing to find when we were testing, but also a completely useless feature.

In summary: Don't throw totes, focus on the tasks that matter and make sense in Recycle Rush.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Those were two clips pieces together.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

I would strongly consider it!

Throwing/launching is not prohibited. However, it has to be safe. If there is a decent chance of a game piece leaving the field you'll be in trouble. If it's not a long throw http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...hreadid=132285 I bet you can get it to pass.

As far as being the best strategy... don't worry about it! I regularly intentionally take odd ball strategies when I design (or especially play card and board games).
Do I fail? A lot.
Do I win? Sometimes.
Do people laugh and say "Awesome! I can't believe that worked!"? Often.


What do I hope to see this year?
A thrower
A double/triple/etc bot
A conveyor
Something longer than 12 ft
A misshaped carousal

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Definitely want one of these regardless. Add that to my FRC shirt collection

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Yes, I know. But hey, It's the idea that counts! ::safety::

Re: Throwing Totes
 

I'm going to discourage this- not because I want to discourage creativity in design, but for two reasons:

1) Safety. If a volunteer gets a concussion because an uncontrolled or poorly controlled robot fires a tote into their face, both that volunteer and that team are going to have serious issues.

2) Its not reasonable. This is a stacking game. Tote-tossing can easily draw fouls if it lands on the other side, it can easily knock over other stacks on your side, and its very difficult to actually stack totes this way.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Benefits: Faster stacking (hopefully), less driving (hopefully)

Drawbacks: Lots of misses, high chance for penalties (multiple types, some with red cards attached), high safety risk due to flying heavy objects.

Ya know, just a quick look says that maybe I should not try this. Two possible benefits vs at least three definite drawbacks.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

No way! Next you'll be telling me this was fake.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

This strategy is only valid if your robot is throwing totes through some window like frame on your robot. Call your robot "The Defenestrator!"

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Throwing totes seems like a big safety hazard, given that:
1. It's unexpected; this year isn't a projectile game.
2. The totes are hard; past FRC projectiles have been soft to cushion impact
3. The totes are massive; about three times the weight of the Aerial Assist ball.
4. The totes have corners. They are not balls that are pretty much flat when they hit you.
5. There's no netting like in 2013 to prevent tote-alling something.

All of these mean that a flying tote is much more prone to damaging something than an Aerial Assist ball, and there were some incidents with those if memory serves correctly...

If I were a ref I'd be disabling a robot that is throwing totes based on this alone...

Re: Throwing Totes
 

Considering that the Cheesy Poofs are throwing totes, I'd say it's a viable strategy. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v...type=2&theater

Re: Throwing Totes
 

No, because that's "tote"ally legit.

Re: Throwing Totes
 

You mean like this?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n8wQOAa35HU

Because I can't see that idea backfiring. At all. :rolleyes:

If you're seriously considering this, you may want to revisit your game analysis matrix. Something tells me you've jumbled a weighting factor somewhere. Just a hunch.