Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

In the Overflow Loading Station in each teams Alliance Station, there is a gear slot like that of the Return Loading Stations. Next to each Return Loading Station there are stacks of gears to be put into play by the opposing alliance, and there does not appear to be a stack for the OLS. This begs the question as to why there is a gear slot on the OLS. The game manual says "An Overflow LOADING STATION is used to feed FUEL from the OVERFLOW BIN on to the FIELD." and there is no mention of gears being inputted. Am I missing something or is this a useless slot?

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

Game pieces that somehow migrate out of the Loading Lane into the Alliance Station belong to the Alliance that owns that station. Section 4.6.

Also, sometimes if something is just a little off, it makes sense to just build it the same. FIRST is building 6 loading stations per field, may as well just build them all the same as it's one less part number to track.

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

But the point is, one is not allowed to use the Overflow Loading station to enter gears onto the field, right? The rules specifically say that:

"An Overflow LOADING STATION is used to feed FUEL from the OVERFLOW BIN on to the FIELD. "

Does that inherently means you CANNOT use that loading station for any other purpose?

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

I may not be fully correct but I believe that the overflow station gear drop is for the gear the opposing alliance has not taken as preload for autonomous. so like if your alliance only takes one gear preload the other two go to the overflow on the other side of the field.

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

The gears that aren't preloaded are added to the 18 gears in the loading lanes, so they don't go to the overflow loading stations. (pg 40)

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

That kind you for posting this question, we had the same confusion/conversation. Ultimately, we agreed that no gears would be loaded from the overflow station and it was designed that way simply to be consistent with the other stations.

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

I don't think you are correct.

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

Thank you for posting this question, we had the same confusion/conversation. We couldn't find anywhere in the manual that discussed gears being loaded from that station. Ultimately, we agreed that gears would loaded from the other two feeder station a and it was designed that way simply to be consistent with the other stations.

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

You start with 30 fuel and 3 gears behind your alliance station wall that can be introduced during Tele. These 3 gears are separate from the 3 gears that you are able to load into your alliance's robots in Auton.

Re: Useless Gear Slot in Overflow Loading Station?
 

That is incorrect