Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

I tend to agree. It will be rare enough for three robots of either alliance to get three on much less three from the same alliance and even less than that three in a row. This will be the same as capping the center goal with the tetra in 2005. It won't happen. I hope I am proven wrong though!

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

You willing to make that a bet?

$50 steak dinner at Outback?

-dave

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

If he's not, then I am...

I don't see more than two teams doing this, much like last year, when not more than two teams went for the 3pt. goal.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

Please, a little GP is always in order.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

The only real advantage of the autonomous this year is to be able to claim 3 spots in a row and get good field position for the human operated part. although this is a small advantage i think it will be a major factor when it comes down to it.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

Initially, I also thought that the autonomous mode was about worthless this year.

But then I got to thinking, and I realized that it's not worthless, it's just anticlimactic. Getting a keeper on a row means the maximum scorability of your opponents in that row is divided by 2.

The other thing that you need to remember is that the score grows EXPONENTIALLY with each ringer in a row. If you can manage to get 3 keepers in a row, that not only guarantees at least 6 points, but significantly increases your chances of getting 32 or more points in a row.

There was an argument made in another thread that getting a robot 12" is worth almost 5 tubes in a row. But getting 6 in a row is worth more than both bots 12" in the air.

if you can guarantee 3 of those 6 will stay, it's a matter of stopping your opponents from spoling or filling in the gaps to guarantee high scores.

I'm predicting that you will see at least one qualifying match per regional where there will be 7 or 8 in a row (and it will likely be the top row). Of those, 2 or 3 will be keepers.

Sorry for the ramblings of a flu-infected coach.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

If he doesn't I will! $50 is a small price to pay for your service to the entire FIRST community. I would love to have the chance to pick your brain for an hour over dinner! :)

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

I don't think the FIRST board placed as much importance on the autonomous mode this year point wise. I wish they would have because I think it's an important thing. I think this should be taken into consideration when forming a strategy. I don't think there is a VERY big advantage to a great autonomous.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

I have read several people say this. An important point to remember is that the extra ring doubles the score for the row that it is in, not the whole score. (I know that you all know this, but we need to keep the exponential thing in perspective). My guess is that most ringers will make a 2 row into a 3 row (a plus 4 points from 4 to 8). How long will it take a team to make a ring counting the time from one score to the next score (the whole cycle)?

I'm betting that the end bonus in this year's game will be as big as the "king of the hill" bonus in 2003.

Matt B.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

Dave,
If you want to open it up, I'll take that bet.

I hope I do get to see three from one alliance in autonomous - in a row or not, but $50 is cheap for a entertaining dinner with Dave and a few friends!

I guess we would have to look at your face, though, wouldn't we?

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

I think one alliance will be able to get all 3 on in auto...

...that might not happen until the Finals on Einstein, but I still think it will happen sometime.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

The Randomly moved Rack reminds me of Triple Play's randomly placed tetras in that it will be difficult and the rewards will be too insignificant. This year's autonomous is certainly more easily accomplished, but I agree that it is not well enough rewarded.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

I am VERY dissapointed in the auto mode this year. As a mentor I live for the auto mode. We were a rookie team low scorer last year and we were 9-0 at Houston because of auto mode that always worked.

This year it is different, an auto mode will not set us apart like last year. But I have told myself get over it.

It will be very difficult to score in auto, maybe it is only one tube but it will set you apart.

BTW as far as three teams scoring, it will be done in atlanta. Our team was part of an alliance where all three of us scored, it was sweet just to warch, see video, we were the low scorer that did it from the far position:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...442&q=1902+233

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

The odd of a 8-Row 256 Point combo is slim to none. Three robots would have to fight carte blanche against either 3 rookie teams, or a combination of a damaged robot and two robots that can't do jack. Trust me, any robot that scores 256 points will have slim chances of making it to the finals. By that time, the other alliences will have caught onto this pattern, and will be effectivly blocked.

Much like the 10-balls-in-2-seconds robot in Aim High.

Re: Advantage given by succesful autonomous mode
 

well it depends on what you do with auto. I mean a really good stratagy I thought of is to drive to the other side of the rack and score your keeper on the other side thus prementaly derupting opponents line making abilities