Re: 2011 Mini-bot?
 

So obviously depending on the team, it might be hard to do both. IMO a successful team will be able to do both. So what do you sacrifice first? Minibot performance or scoring performance? Consider This.

An amazing robot which can score like crazy and has a wicked fast minibot....STILL needs another minibot. I would say in prioritization, make this first. And if you're sacrificing something else, make this AWESOME. That's a 30 or 20 points you could potentially score for your alliance in 10 seconds.

Now what do you sacrifice? Maybe you have to sacrifice the whole scoring thing, but I don't think so. Try something first like only being able to score on the middle/bottom rows or only bottom. You're still helping out scoring, but you're able to do everything your robot can do really well.

If you need to sacrifice scoring for a minibot, I would HIGHLY recommend putting some sort of gripper on your robot so you can be a game piece transporter. As stupid as this sounds, a good minibot launcher, defense player, and tube transporter, teams will fight for.

On the other hand. If you sacrifice the minibot, you better have a scorer that can make up for that (aka REALLY. FREAKING. GOOD.).

But yes, I think that both this year are the best strategy and whatever you put more time into will make your robot unique. Just like 2007, Ramp bots need something to go on them and scoring bots need a ramp bot.

Re: 2011 Mini-bot?
 

you can't use a bottle becuse it is not in the list of parts that can be used as part of the minibot

Re: 2011 Mini-bot?
 

That will be the interesting part about the alliance selection process this year. Clearly the teams that can hang tubes on pegs well and do the mini bot will place best because they can win qualification matches on their own. However, when it comes to choosing alliances, will it be better to choose another great hanger first, or go for that really useful feeder bot to deliver game pieces for your hanger?

Re: 2011 Mini-bot?
 

My team is planning on creating a minibot for this year. Reason: successful deployment means ≥10 bonus points!

Re: 2011 Mini-bot?
 

People continue to talk about using 2 minibots as a 50 pts swing. Assuming you have the best 2 (or even 3) best minibots on your alliance, you do get 50 pts; however the other team, as long as they have 2 working minibots, still get 25pts. That means a usual 25 pt swing, if not less (depending on the order they reach the top).

Re: 2011 Mini-bot?
 

Absolutely the mini-bot. It's barely feasible in any circumstances to justify even dropping ten guaranteed points.