Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

Ok I honestly don't think that this will make a huge difference in score, especially in matches with high tier teams (which will be quite often as it is world's). I say this because from what I've seen, at least at many competitions nationwide, a -2 or lower tower strength is not entirely uncommon. When it comes to low-goal cyclers vs high goal ones, however, I do see a bit of an advantage on the low-goal robots because of the speed and efficiency they bring to the table. High goals are easier to defend against and are statistically less accurate. However, the scores will not be affected in my opinion. Since balls still count as scored even when the tower is decreased below zero, the alliances will simply gain the Capture later in the match as opposed to after the eighth shot (which has recently occurred pretty early).

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

The lines show the percent of half-matches with a certain score that damaged the tower to a certain degree.

This leads me to believe that increasing tower strength may be a fairly big deal in qualifications (where match scores should hang around in the 100-150 range), but no so much in eliminations, where teams should be able to put up 120+ without the breach/capture bonuses.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

I'm actually curious how this change would have affected DCMPs. It'd be interesting to see how the rankings would shuffle with 10 tower strength instead of 8. Keeping in mind that average quality at DCMPs is usually much higher than at CMP.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

Seems like a pretty straightforward change. In the New England District at least, by the latter end of competition season (and especially at District Champs) you were regularly seeing both alliances get the breach ranking point every single match. It often came down to which team could score more boulders. Increasing the tower strength only seems to up the ante. It's obviously going to favor the teams who can score quickly and consistently. As others have said, having a tower score <-2 wasn't particularly uncommon amongst the upper caliber of teams, so I'm skeptical about the magnitude of change this rule will make. I think the obvious conclusion is that it will separate the good/quick shooting bots from the exceptional/rapid shooting bots. Things like 2-ball autonomous code will be even more valuable going into worlds.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

I wrote a script to calculate just that. Here's MSC, for example:

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

This would certainly have created a very different draft!

However, I suspect higher tower strength would also have caused several teams to play differently.

I look forward to the style of play this change will cause at CMP.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

Hope so:D

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

First of all I gotta say i'm pretty happy with increasing the tower strenght to CMP. I was sure that the defences strenght will increase as well because of it...
I don't think this action will effect the low goal robot from the main reason that if you can capture the tower if can get the RP and if you can't you just won't. I't dosen't has anything to do with where you score the boulder, it's all about if you can score 10 boulders in the tower and unfortunately this will effect many teams during the entire CMP.
Whenever it comes to playoffs I believe that the tower health will be down by every game but the real question that still keeps the capture precent pretty low is will the tower will be captured? Will all the teams will be on the batter? That's the biggest misery

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

Imo, putting a boulder in your own defenses would not be a G11 infraction by itself. G11's blue box says
Putting a boulder in your own defenses would be a valid defense strategy then, since the opposing robots can choose to slow down and clear out the boulder to avoid the foul. As I see it, the difference is that the opposing alliance is not forced into committing a foul.

Disclaimer: Just a student's interpretation of the rules. The refs may call it differently.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

Read one rule further. ::rtm::

G12-1 ROBOTS may not deliberately use FIELD elements, e.g. BOULDERS, in an attempt to ease or amplify the challenge associated with other FIELD elements, e.g. DEFENSES. Violation: FOUL. For every five (5) seconds in which the situation is not corrected, FOUL

And its Blue Box:

Example actions that violate G12-1 include, but aren’t limited to the
following: adding BOULDERS to your Moat to make it harder for your
opponents to CROSS the Moat, using a BOULDER to prop up Cheval
de Frise elements, propping open a DEFENSE door with a BOULDER.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

I think you all are missing a very valid point. Consider this:
A consistent, accurate high goal shooter, spends a lot of time chasing down boulders. A consistent, fast, robot that can breach most outer works can feed the high goal shooter. Get a ball, drop it in front of the high goal shooter and go get another one. Repeat the cycle. Quickly. Two things happen, the outer works fall and the cycle time for high goal scores drop. Scores go up. Discuss.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

What is the third robot doing in this situation? If there is a good defender against the high goal shooter who can do something with the boulders that the feeder bot brings, it would cause the shooter to go chasing boulders down instead of shoot, load, rinse and repeat.

EDIT: Third bot could draw the defender's attention away from the shooter and allow it to do its thing, or remain undefended and make up for the lost cycle time. If the third bot is playing defense, I feel this strategy would get shut down pretty quickly.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

If you had a reliable shooter whose limiting action is its defense crossing ability, you could consider running the third robot in tandem with your shooter, setting picks and crossing defenses, but not manipulating balls.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

One of the things you have to remember about low vs high is that it takes 2.5 low goals to = 1 high goal. Look at the following situation. One alliance scores 10 boulders all in the low goal in elims this = 45 points. The opposing alliance shoots just 9 but all high goals this = 45 points. A low goal shooter is really valuable for bringing down the tower, but it is going to take the high goal to win divisions or Einstein. If the high goal shooting alliance previously mentioned scores just one more ball, the swing is 30 points. You cannot just rely on the low goal, at the CMP level you will be out scored on most occasions on Saturday, however you will gain that ranking point in quals which is always wanted. You have to put some boulders in the upper chains. This is going to be a neat addition to offensive and defensive strategy at CMP.

Re: Tower Strength Raised to 10 for CMP
 

I think you made a typo...