Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

I didn't build a robot this year, and I hear Cory McBride builds good robots... so maybe I will. I'd be neat to see for sure. But I've had a pit full of teams tell me they could hurdle 4 times in a match reliably... and looked at scouting data 48 hours later to see that only 5 teams average 2. (obviously, these teams were not the Cheesy Poofs)

If someone posts a video of them scoring 8 tubes in 2 minutes with a robot in the way, I'll bite. Maybe it will happen, but I see it in a "254 vs. two toasterbots and a broken robot" deal as opposed to "254 does it every match."

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

Certainly nobody will average 8 tubes per match, but I don't think it will be that uncommon to see a single robot score 8.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

We went into the season thinking that floor loading was the way to go (and I still stand by that, it's something I wouldn't want to be without), but after seeing the first video you guys posted hanging a logo with your static arm, we put a lot of thought into loading at the port. We have an interesting semi-automatic loading maneuver that we're looking into as a result.

Although, if we were playing against a high scoring no-floor-loading team like you guys there is a good chance that we might drop an ubertube in your lane during auto. fyi. ;)

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

I have been tipped off that at least one robot did score 8+ tubes in a match in 2007, so at this point I'm probably going to end up eating the shoe on this one. Can't wait to see you guys play!

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

Surprisingly, this isn't strictly true.

It takes a lot more engineering than a lot of teams think / thought to load a roller claw off the floor. I suspect a lot of teams will have trouble with it, thinking it just "looked easy".

Same can be said for a pinch claw, but a pinch claw can be just as good. Pinch claws are dramatically worse than roller claws only when pieces can roll away from you. These game pieces are pretty good at staying put.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

Being able to load from the floor OR the human player is a must this year IMO. I mean, if I was up against an alliance with none able to pick up from the floor, my field just got half as long because our human players should start "chuckin away!". :D One can only hope.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

If the poll results are accurate, and 90% of robots can pick up from the floor, then every alliance should have at least one bot that can do so. If your robot can hang with great speed, and floor pick up is necessary, why not have an alliance partner pick them up and hand them to you? (and I dispute your prediction)

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

Good point, Martin. It's so important that most teams made a robot that can do it, but 179 figured this out and made one that could not, because they knew they wouldn't have to.

:cool:

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

this is interesting. not even %5 are incapable of picking up tubes. I was expecting a majority

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

If the 84" rule remained the 60" rule we would not have floor loaded.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

the GDC was fully intending to have the 84" rule since the mistake in the first place was a typo, was it not?

Floor loading I think will be critical to this year's game as one major strategy for racking up points. If your team can floor-load effectively and avoid/push defense then travel time can be cut by half with the presence of human players with an adept ability for throwing the tubes precisely and consistently. Safe zones are not much of a haven if you cannot enter them or exit them without losing time due to defense. Overall I think this is a matter of compatibility with strategies and abilities of yours and the other alliances to see what way of obtaining tubes is best, floor-loading is one game plan out of the pile.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

I think alot of those teams should restate their answer as they INTEND to pick up from the floor not that they CAN. Or at least not do it well with consistency.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

Sounds like "pit scouting" to me... Where people tell you what their robot was built to do, instead of what it can actually do...

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

That's what I thought when I saw the poll.
I can't stand pit scouting.
I mean for all you know your talking to an animator who never even picked up a wrench all season! Of course he's gonna say their robot can do everything. Nobody ever admits their own robot stinks.

Re: Poll: Picking up tubes
 

That's why you send someone who knows a lot and doesn't need to ask any questions to learn about the robot. All you need to use is your eyes, not your voice and you can learn a lot about a robot.