Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Hey all,

For those of you who are in Atlanta on Wednesday and already attending Raul Olivera's 5:30 PM conference on Pneumatics and JVN's 7:45 PM session on the design process, you might as well stick around for what's in between.

I'll be giving a presentation on Effective FIRST Strategies, taking place on Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 in room C203. This presentation will discuss many key concepts which can help take your team to the next level. The presentation focuses on three major areas; strategic design, scouting and match strategies. Some particularly relevant topics that will be addressed include using regression analysis in scouting (i.e. "OPR") and alliance selection strategies ("should we break up alliances?").

I've given this presentation many times in the past and I like to have a lot of fun with it. It's especially fun to share a lot of neat historical FIRST anecdotes, and discuss them in a strategic context. If you are planning on attending and there's any questions you'd like to ask advance, please send me a PM and I'll work it into the seminar.

I hope to see you on Wednesday. At worst, you're guaranteeing yourself a seat at JVN's session. ;)

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

I wish I could be there, instead I'll be taking a statics exam.

This is one to go to, teams often overlook strategy. Who better to learn it from than Karthik.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Will popcorn be served? :rolleyes:

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Of course not, lest it be thrown. :p

You know, someday it would be great to come to Atlanta just to attend all the presentation sessions. Don't volunteer, don't watch matches, don't mentor, just absorb.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

This is an AWESOME presentation that goes into strategy not only in the competition season but also strategy in designing robots and building drive teams. I will try to make it again this year! :)

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Ughhh I really wish I could go to this. Alas, I won't be getting in until Thursday morning.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

I too won't be getting there until Wendsday night, is there anyway to see this presentation online or see the powerpoint or whatever materials you will be using Karthik? A taping would be excellent but that may be asking too much.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

I went to this last year and I cannot recommend it enough. If you care about strategy at all, you should try to go.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Rolls-Royce typically tapes many of the presentations, they are archived on the WPI site

I would recommend you come early to get a seat to this one. Last year it was packed as people kept filtering in(with many "FIRST celebrities" in attendance, if you use that term :D ). As an added bonus, I asked Karthik a driver training question and Paul Copioli answered it as well.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Im going to this one,

hopefully I can still get back in time to uncrate the robot;)

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Come for Karthik's presentation... stay for his friends heckling him!

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

I heard Karthik is going to review his entire match strategy for the 3 days in Atlanta. This is a "must see" event for anyone expecting to play against 1114....

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

John you must be one of the meanest friends ever. lol.

Looks like I'll be making it for the little lectures that are in a row on Wednesday night. woot!

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

OK, I'll throw in a cheap commercial here for a nice Robot Electrical Seminar on Thursday at 10 AM in C203. Be there or be square!

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Al, come on, Al - you are supposed to start your own thread ... :)

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Strategy in a nutshell:
Everybody but 1114 and 71:

Preseason: Review all 1114 designs and ask yourself why for every part.
Build season: Ask yourself, "What would Karthick Build?"
Precompetition: Pray really hard that you get a schedule with either 1114 on your alliance or you never see them until the finals.
Comp Season: If you get a schedule against 1114, try trading numbers with a Rookie bot that doesn't have 1114 in their schedule. Offer a bonus window motor to seal the deal.

Nationals: More praying for "with them and not against them".
If you find yourself against them in the qualifying schedule at nationals, try the Rookie trick again. Just make sure they aren't from your Region... Also if your robot is covered with famous yellow honey comb, give some to the Rookies and remove yours.... this is true for famous bananas, flames, frogs, and a certain hot pink frame.


Team 1114: Ask themselves what would 71 do? Then plot fun rumormill ideas with friends from MI and Texas.:yikes:

Team 71: So good at Strategy they already have figured out what next years game before the GDC has even met.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

WOW! Raul, Karthik, then JVN. I was going to leave after work to drive over to Atlanta on Wednesday; now I'm thinking I'll try to cut out early to get there for these sessions. I'll even bring the popcorn Rich.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Gary - I think you will need to be supplied with a few of these:

Hey, no one ever said that the popcorn had to be popped before it was thrown...

-dave


(p.s. I really loved the idea of buying one of the 2,500 pounds bags, but just could not see fitting it into the car for the drive to Atlanta)

.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Too bad Karthik's is one of the only ones that's not archived. :P

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Hmmm, If the camera adds 10 pounds...

Karthik would be one of the few people on earth unafraid to be on tape.

... maybe this year.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Would it be possible to get this seminar again on Friday? Or at least have it recorded?

I'm EXTREMELY interested and would like to hear it, but I cannot attend Wednesday or Thursday...

Please let me know.

Thankx.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

You can find the powerpoint of an older version of this same presentation on the 1114 website: http://www.simbotics.org/workshops . It's the one titled "strategy". ;)

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Or one of these:



Thanks again to Team 2056 for the amazing bag of popcorn they brought us at the Waterloo Regional.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Everyone should read all the other ones too.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Yahtzee! As Joe said, that whole page is great source of information. Thanks Karthik. Very well written - the points are communicated very clearly, and I don't even speak Canadian.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Can somebody record and distribute bootlegs** on the internet?


** = JOKE.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Does anyone who attended the workshop know if it was recorded? I am sure there are one or two people other than me that would want to watch it.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

All of the conferences were being recorded. Who knows where they will end up and when.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

They will probably be posted here:
http://first.wpi.edu/Workshops/index.html

As for a timeline, I don't recall how long it took to get the presentations posted the last couple years.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

I was fortunate enough to be at this presentation. Amazingly good presentation! Great tips for any team wanting to step up to the championship level. It was hilarious with the stories Karthik would mention and the banter between Paul and Karthik, or the Thunder Chickens who were there. There was so much good information! As a side note, all three of the sessions were great! Team 973 is planning to make many improvements, and have already used some of the sayings that were in the presentations, thank you JVN and Karthik as well as Raul. Imagine a documentary behind the strategy of 1114. Bottom line is go to any presentations JVN, Karthik, and Raul do. They are well worth the cost! Thank you for such an entertaining and eye opening presentation.

Re: Karthik: Effective FIRST Strategies
 

Karthik, thanks for putting together this presentation.

Everything in it is 100% accuarate, I am glad that there is a resource out there for all of the teams to reference.

I only wish I could have arrived in Atlanta in time to see the presentation and be part of the banter.

I hope all teams recognize the value of this information and reference it in the future.