Re: IRI Predictions
 

Probably. But maybe 3130 was doing really well that day and 2338 had a couple bad matches. I believe 2826 and 3130 won a regional together as well, which was a part of my prediction. (Although you probably know that better than I do, considering you're from that region).
Both robots are 2-ish stacks from the landfill, anyway.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

I would say the #2 alliance would win all day, 'er day. 1023 and 33 put up at least 6 stacks together, and 548 puts up four stacks of five (one uncapped). Add 1023 or 33's 20pt auto and that's 336 points WITHOUT litter (thrown and inside cans)

Re: IRI Predictions
 

Yeah except that every alliance does that in theory:
1) 1806-2056-1619-4678 (1806 makes 3, 2056 makes 3, 1619 makes 3)
2) 1023-33-548-469 (1023 makes 3, 33 makes 3, 548 makes 3.5)
3) 1114-195-1310-1325 (1114 makes 4, 195 makes 3, 1310 makes 2.5)
4) 148-1625-2468-217 (148 makes 4, 1625 makes 2.5, 2468 makes 3)
5) 118-624-3824-67 (118 makes 3, 624 makes 3.5, 3824 makes 3)
6) 2826-3130-2122-2512 (2826 makes 3.5, 3130 makes 2.5 , 2122 makes 3)
7) 2338-234-125-1218 (2338 makes 2.5, 234 makes 3, 125 makes 3)
8) 330-1730-16-107 (330 makes 2.5, 1730 makes 3, 16 makes 3)

Basically every alliance here makes about 8.5-9.5 stacks in theory, the difference between all of them being stack height (in the case of 548), noodles thrown, or uncapped stacks.
They all have 20-28 point autonomous modes and can grabbers.

Whichever alliance consistently performs near maximum capacity wins.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

Crap. I kinda have a nasty habit of failing to realize the obvious.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

2338 also has reliable can burglars(compatible with IRI rules, they have the ability to take 2 right cans from the STEP) and 3130 can't run their can burglar in auto because 3130 takes the 2 middle cans from the STEP in auto which is prohibited at IRI due to changes in the rules(Assuming 3130 doesn't modify their can burglar before IRI).

2338 also has a tethered ramp which they can pull out during eliminations if changes in strategy are needed.

I will agree that both robots are pretty equal in terms of stacks made from the landfill at the end of the match, but if both robots are playing well at IRI, I'd take 2338 because of their can burglars and tethered ramp compatibility.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

Alliances look pretty much ok but I would say the #2 seed alliance will take the win. 1640 Can make a 3 6 stacks together with team 118 and 2826 ability to make 3 6 stacks it can be an amazing result. btw team 2826 auto is pretty much consistent you can't argue with that, I can't belive it will keep them out of the finals

Re: IRI Predictions
 

I think it is almost impossible to predict the field at IRI because some teams will get better some many crumble under the pressure. I think to be in the top eight a team will need to consistently make 3 capped stacks and have a consistent 20 pt autonomous . Consistency is the key word . How many teams
attending can do that I am not sure, but I am curious about the number of teams that can do it.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

It's not about realistic predictions. It's about bold, crazy predictions so that if they come true people are amazed.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

IRI is always tough to predict because of the rule changes and the extra five pounds per robot, so I think that the best predictions are simply the alliances that you have always wanted to see face off against each other. Then go from there. Here's what I want IRI to look like:

Alliance 1: 2826 - 118 - 27 W
Alliance 2: 148 - 1114 - 195 SF
Alliance 3: 2056 - 1023 - 1730 SF
Alliance 4:624 - 469 - 125 QF
Alliance 5: 3824 - 33 - 2614 F
Alliance 6: 330 - 548 - 1218 QF
Alliance 7: 1325 -2468 - 16 QF
Alliance 8: 3641 - 379 - 4143 QF

This list excludes fourth picks, as very few of those robots would actually get to play.

Alliance 1: 2826 as first seed could pick 118, a two can grabber with good landfill speed. Their second pick could be 27, so that 118 could push out tote stacks while 27 can cap with cans and noodles quickly.

Alliance 2: 148 is second seed and decides to choose 1114 ( assuming: they have a fancy new can grabber that doesn't break when grabbing cans). 195 is a good feeder bot and an excellent second pick.

Alliance 3: 2056 as fourth seed has been bumped up a spot and decides to choose the sixth seed 1023. 1730 matches up nicely as a second feeder bot.

Alliance 4: I just want to see this alliance. I don't even know why; I think it would be cool to see.

Alliance 5: 3824 is a good three stack robot. They pick 33 so they have a good landfill bot and a three tote autonomous. They pick 2614 because they know them from a previous competition [;)] and they know that they can get a solid two six stacks from a feeder. This equates to 7-8 stacks per match.

Alliance 6: Another cool alliance I want to see play.

Alliance 7: Two feeders and a landfill. Solid alliance.

Alliance 8: The Flying Cat Wars alliance. Who doesn't want that?

Re: IRI Predictions
 

Every thread like this needs an outrageous prediction, so here it is.

1. 1114-2056-1310-1325
2. 148-118-624-2468
3. 2122-2826-1619-3130
4. 1730-1806-3824-225
5. 1023-33-27-67
6. 2338-195-1640-125
7. 1657-548-1756-2512
8. 330-234-233-16

The Canadian teams decide to team up with each other. The Texan teams follow along, with the alliance nickname of "The Appreciative CRypto-Robowranglonauts." The #5 alliance gets jealous and decides that they need the nickname of "The HOT Killer Rush Express." All the other alliances choose each other and don't create names, with the exception of Alliances 8 and 1, which choose to call themselves "The Pink-Blue Beach Squad" and "The Runnymede OP-Simbotics Paradox," respectively.

The eliminations begin with Bedford's alliance performing well against Driven's, thanks to the fact that Bedford can now make four six-stacks. The next round begins with a fantastic performance from Gear it Forward's alliance after the Tators' alliance realizes that three chute door robots on one alliance might not work too well. The Robowranglers' alliance kills it in the next round, as does Simbotics'. Both alliances they face perform respectably. In Quarterfinals 6, SWAT reveals a new autonomous mode that cuts out the center of the step with lasers, allowing it to be moved. When the match enters teleop, SWAT drives forward into the other side of the field, allowing it to steal totes and bins from the other alliance. That gives them a huge advantage over the other alliance, and Driven becomes the first alliance in the world to score over 300 points. The next round puts Bedford's alliance against Tators'. When autonomous begins, it is revealed that Tators has developed a new autonomous mode to cut out a new chute door from the wall, allowing the Tators' alliance to put up incredible scores. After the final two quarterfinals, the alliances that move on are Simbotics', the Robowranglers', Tators', and Driven's.

The semifinals show some truly impressive scores; there isn't a single match where an alliance scores under two hundred points. SWAT's lasers don't work during a match, which leaves them to have to use their own totes. Up-A-Creek sets a new record by placing a fifteen-stack on the scoring platform with bin and noodle. The Robowranglers pull off a successful autonomous every time. Simbotics scores five stacks in one match. While the final averages of all four alliances are within two points of each other, Simbotics and the Robowranglers are the ones that move on.

The finals have arrived, and the tension is in the air. The MC counts down to begin the first finals match. "3, 2, 1..." He is stopped just before saying Rush. The MC turns off the microphone and has a heated debate with the referees. They stop arguing and the field resetters begin to modify the field. The MC reveals some startling news to the anxious crowd: There will be a a third alliance, the green alliance, for the IRI finals. As the field resetters begin to add a third side to the field, the MC explains that the green alliance consists of teams that didn't realize how intense IRI would be until they saw the quarterfinals. They had all decided to form an alliance and fly to Indianapolis to attempt to get into the competition. It had worked. Their alliance name, he says, is known as "The Hawaiian Cheesy Citrus Shockwave." The crowd cheers, realizing the Cheesy Poofs will be playing after all.

The 1114-2056-1310-1325 alliance is given the red side.
The 254-1678-4488-359 alliance is given the blue side.
The 148-118-624-2468 alliance is given the green side.

Finals 1 shows an impressive autonomous for all alliances. The cans that were not grabbed are immediately snatched by Simbotics' harpoons as soon as teleop begins. Simbotics puts them to work. OP is at its best. Runnymede is killing it. Meanwhile, the Poofs and Citrus Circuits show just how well they work together. Shockwave is putting up an incredible amount of stacks, but accidentally knocks over one. The Robowranglers and Robonauts show that they can work really well together, but CRyptonite has connection issues, preventing them from doing their best. The match ends, and the scores revealed. With an impressive score of 327, Simbotics' alliance scores a win. One more is all they need.

Finals 2 has Citrus Circuits reveal their just-developed autonomous mode of grabbing the two cans it can, then lining up to race Simbotics and grab the other two during teleop. Simbotics fires the harpoon just after the bell. Citrus Circuits deploys the rakers they're famed for. The whole thing takes less than a third of a second. Against all odds, Citrus Circuits beat Simbotics to the cans. They and the Poofs immediately put them to work, while Shockwave stacks and stacks. The Robowranglers do what they always do, as do the Robonauts, but CRyptonite still is plagued by connection issues. OP puts up stacks, but Simbotics, still in disbelief about how Citrus Circuits managed to beat the harpoons, accidentally drops a can without the time to get it. Runnymede does what it always does. The round ends, and the Poofs' alliance sets a new high score with 345, winning the match.

Finals 3 arrives, and everyone is tense. The new autonomous mode of Citrus Circuits works like a charm, and Simbotics is ready to fire the harpoons again. Meanwhile, the Robonauts grab their bins. The bell sounds, and Simbotics' harpoon doesn't fire due to technical issues. The Robonauts realize what just happened and manage to grab the other two cans before OP can get the chance. CRyptonite has managed to find the connection problem and fix it, and their machine performs better than ever before. The Robowranglers immediately work with the bins, along with the Robonauts and CRyptonite. Simbotics goes to work with the five bins they have, with OP and Runnymede taking some. During the match, Runnymede suddenly stops working. Citrus Circuits and the Poofs stack and stack, with Shockwave accompanying them. With 10 seconds left to go, however, the Poofs accidentally drop a bin. The round ends. While Simbotics' alliance did what they could with the totes, without the bins and Runnymede, they couldn't score as high as the others. The Poofs' alliance put up stacks, but not all were as highly scored as could be. The Robowranglers' alliance, however, managed to go through the match without a single can dropped or stack fallen. The match goes to them, but just barely. Everyone is incredibly tense as the IRI finals go into a fourth round.

Finals 4 had a few changes on each alliance. On Simbotics' alliance, the disabled Runnymede was swapped with Inverse Paradox, and the harpoons were removed. On the Poofs' alliance, Citrus Circuits' autonomous was perfected. On the Robowranglers' alliance, it was made certain that CRyptonite was good to go. The match begins with Citrus Circuits, Simbotics, and the Robonauts all successfully grabbing their containers. The Robowranglers get ready to use the bins. The bell sounds, and Citrus Circuits grabs the other two cans. All robots on all alliances create a fantastic display of six stacks with bin and noodle. Suddenly, CRyptonite stops stacking and grabs a single tote. Everyone wonders what the robot is doing. It was in this moment that CRyptonite chose to unveil their ultra-secret project they had kept under wraps until now: THE TOTE CANNON. Both the blue and red alliance had stacks fall to the ground as CRyptonite launched totes across the field. While everyone is stunned, they are also amazed that a team made a tote cannon. After knocking over a few stacks, CRyptonite returns to stacking. Later in the match, the Poofs unveil their secret weapon: THE STACK STEALER. Two really long arms emerge from their robot, move to the Robowranglers' side, and steal a six-stack from their alliance, successfully bringing it back and scoring it. They do this again with one of Simbotics' stacks, and then resume stacking. The match then takes a sudden twist when Simbotics and OP use their ramps as a method of getting onto the step to grab totes from it, since they have run out of nearly all their other totes. Two six-stacks are created from the step and scored by OP and Simbotics, with only two seconds remaining. The field is almost entirely clear. The scores come in. The score is really close, but 148's alliance beats 254's and 1114's by only one point. The Appreciative CRypto-Robowranglonauts win, and the IRI of 2015 is remembered as one of the greatest FRC events of all time.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

This should be the winning alliance's best attribute. Even more this year than in the past IMO. I believe most or all of the alliances at this year's IRI will have the potential to empty the field of upright totes, but even without the 135 second time frame it would still be a tall order to coordinate and fit 9 to 10.5 stacks on the platforms. The alliances will need to develop their chemistry (or renew their existing chemistry) very quickly in order to make it far.

I think another important factor will be an alliance's ability to not push their individual robots to their absolute potentials. There are a few teams that were rock solid consistent all year preforming at their best (148 seems to spring to mind), but most teams had trouble staying consistent. This year's championship winning alliance was an excellent example of relieving stress on the individual teams. If a can was dropped by 118, 1678 was there to still use it, because they themselves (due to an excellent third robot in 1671) were responsible for less than their full potential in the alliance's strategy. For that reason I don't think we'll see any of the teams on alliances attempting to handle more than 3 cans on their own, and instead spreading them evenly (3,2,2) among the whole team, which should reduce the stress and leave room to recover fallen cans.

Due to the two additional cans, I think we'll see quite a few more multiple robot recycling container sets and (dare I say?) even a few 32pt autos. I believe the alliances will all be very evenly matched, and it will come down to which alliances have the most organized and developed plan.

TL;DR: IRI won't disappoint, and that last prediction is obviously the best thing I've seen in a long time

Re: IRI Predictions
 

We discussed this but decided that leaving the center of the step open to all robots wasn't exactly a choke-hold strategy. Our cheaper and much more effective solution involves a grappling hook and some stack stability upgrades. Besides, it's harder to keep us away from your capped and noodled 6 stack when we can just drop down on it from above as if we're a spider enemy from your favorite RPG.

Re: IRI Predictions
 

I uh, well, I...

But how what even-

What I'm trying to say is...

Has anyone really been far as decided to use even go want to do look more like?

Re: IRI Predictions
 

Which teams are most likely to team up?

Re: IRI Predictions
 

I'm Shockingly OK with this prediction :P