Re: Value & Credibility of 4th robots on an Alliance
 

That actually happened in the 2015 semi between 118's alliance and 1114's. The two sides agreed that deployment would end up worse than playing it out as it did. And it was probably the most dramatic match of the year.

Re: Value & Credibility of 4th robots on an Alliance
 

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?

Re: Value & Credibility of 4th robots on an Alliance
 

Oh wait, not playing is a losing move also. :( Now, about that game of chess...

Ike may have made the subtlest xkcd reference I've seen on CD yet. Props!

Re: IRI Alliances
 

The decision on whether or not use Team 900 was based on the readiness of the harpoons. The harpoons weren't ready and tested enough by our standards, as such we decided to play it safe and keep 1923 on the field. I actually had no insight into 5012's can grabbers and what they involved until months after the event.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

Thanks for the explanation, Karthik. Some of us in the nosebleeds kept wondering why that evil harpoon array never made it to the field. A MAD standoff makes a good story, though.

Isaac saw what I was thinking immediately -- he and I think alike often. BTW, I don't recall an xkcd reference. My thought was about the end of the 1983 film War Games, in which the NORAD computer learns (by playing a lot of Tic-Tac-Toe before running a lot of simulations) that global thermonuclear war cannot be won.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

Off topic, but https://xkcd.com/601/

Maybe the fact my mind went to xkcd first means I have a problem :P (although WarGames is a great movie)

Re: IRI Alliances
 

Ah, so a reference to a reference.

Reminds me of a college friend who watched the 1948 film "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". When Bogart asks the bandits (who claim to be Federales) to show their badges, they respond with the classic, "we don't need no stinking badges!"* My friend had been using that line for many years without knowing where it came from.
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*Not the actual quote. See the clip.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

Karthik,

This is how I understand it as well.

However, I do remember hearing from 118 about some discussion to negotiate a 2 and 2 can split in our SF versus the 1114 alliance? I wasn't privy to the discussion at the time, so this is second hand information. As I understand, our alliance opted to take our chances and try to get more than 2 cans off the step. I believe this was at the risk of seeing 900's harpoons (which we were all terrified to go against!)

The alliance negotiations for every match on Einstein were something else! Great memories.

-Mike

Re: IRI Alliances
 

WOPR with the operating system known as Joshua. It was one of my favorite movies to have on in the background while I built things out of legos. Closely followed by another 1980s gem where I learned the odds of finding a 5 leaf clover.

*Warning some possible stronger language than I remember watching it on WGN channel 9.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

My daughter's FTC team taped a 5 leaf clover to their robot in 2015 for good luck. Although as someone who has found multiple 5 leaf and multiple 6 leaf clovers, I question his math.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

The old field at my high school (before they changed to turf) had one spot where one could find clovers of 5 leaves and up easily. My brother's cross country team raided it, and my brother came home with 2 8- or 9-leaf clovers, although apparently another kid found a 12-leaf.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

We were afraid to deploy them! ;)

I even seem to recall some mentor comments about how had we used them then FIRST would have been destroyed forever or some such hyperbole.

Re: IRI Alliances
 

I remember the discussion vividly. There was a bit of confusion about the match schedule in the semis. At first we thought we'd be playing you guys in our first semi match, so a 2-2 can split seemed like a good idea for both alliances. However, we then realized we were playing each other in the last semi match. Going into that match we had a 25 point lead, thus a 2-2 can split would have put you at a bug disadvantage. As such we agreed that we'd fight for the cans. This left our alliance with a big decision on whether or not we should deploy 900's harpoons. I made the call that the harpoons were too big of a risk and the rest is history. The definitely one of the coolest matches (despite being on the losing side) we've ever been a part of.