Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

What are the key lessons learned for the Week 2 regionals to know about?

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

Minibots can win a match, if you can actually properly deploy them in time. I noticed a lot of teams, even "good" ones, trip up and miss the pole, or have the minibot fall off the deployer, or not engage, etc.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

I wanted to wait until the regionals for this weekend were over but I decided to list my observations so far. Like the above stated minibots are an important factor at the moment. I also noticed that there was little defense played during the matches which really shocked me, however I feel this might change in quarters. Lastly I predict that the winning alliance will have two good hangers on their team and one reliable minibot. This should at the least earn 60+points, I believe that the robot that is relied on as the main deployer will be the one who plays defense or herds tubes to their side of the field.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

To still need to watch out for the second day of the regionals. Because their might be some new strategies that develop from the elimination rounds that could he useful.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

1. If you don't have a roller claw on your robot (and are not the Thunder Chickens), seriously consider replacing whatever manipulator you have with a WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCE roller claw.

2. Throwing tubes is a great idea if you offensively outclass your opponents. However, if you are offensively outclassed by your opponent, throwing tubes onto the field is a bad idea. The number of times I saw alliances enthusiastically feeding tubes to their opponents is stunning. I know that human players feel the need to be *DOING SOMETHING*, but this was a repeated tactical mistake that made difficult games completely one-sided.

3. Make sure the firmware on your driver's station is the latest version. The inspectors were sloppy at FLR, and lots of teams had the wrong version. The FTA will disable your robot for the match if this is the case, and this will be a sad thing for you!

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

I disagree with this. I saw many teams today that scored effectively without a roller claw (67). I also saw a roller claw break and make the robot useless besides the minibot.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

A well built manipulator should work most/all the time...
25 doesn't like your reasoning.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

Other than hype, what makes 217's claw different from most clamping claws?

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

It seems that the alliances at FLR throw the white tubes out first.
It looks like that the white tubes roll into the zone on the other side.


And what is a withholding allowance claw?

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

Honestly, I saw more poorly implemented roller claws than amazing ones. It seems they are a degree of difficulty harder than a solid pincher.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

I think that what he meant was that you should bring in a roller claw within the withholding allowance (that rule which allows teams to bring in fabricated parts if you didn't know) to replace whatever you might have for a manipulator.

At least, that is my interpretation.

But anyway, what I've been seeing in the stream is that there is no part of the match that is overwhelmingly important. If you have a great minibot, that will make up for a sub-par manipulator or just lack a manipulator anyway. Otherwise, having a great manipulator can do the opposite, making up for not having a minibot in the first place (although the attempt to have one should occur anyway).

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

Minibots only seemed to decide the game if one team had it and the other didn't/couldn't deploy.

As for manipulators, i saw a great many good pincer manipulators, and a great many good rollers. It comes down to each teams implementation of the feature. some did it better than others. I think 2 or all (i don't remember which) of the blue alliance from finger lakes final had pincers, and they did EXTREMELY well in the finals. the minibots decided the last two matches. Blue made a comeback in the second round just by minibots, but lost the next by the same. Great regional for anyone who watched.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

One of the two scoring methods (good manipulator or minibot) will get you into elims. However, you need both of those things on at least two alliance partners to win elims.

But can we really say we didn't already kinda know this?

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

5/6 #1 seeds won the regional.
1/6 #3 seeds won the regional.
It appears the ranking system is doing its job.

Few others:
Having two minibots will make you a great alliance.
Having two sub-2 second minbots will make you an outstanding alliance.
Ubertubes are really worth 12 points because any decent alliance will score a logo over the ubertube.
Like minbots, scoring two ubertubes on the top rack will make you great, 3 and you are near unbeatable.

The only time you will ever see a scoring rack completely filled up is at the end of the day.

Go for the top rack or find some other way to help the alliance.

Many alliances never entered the lane. I suspect this will change in the coming weeks.

Re: Lessons learned for Week 2 Regionals?
 

At NJ, it looked like the tubes were still quite overinflated - many teams had difficulty floor loading for this reason. FIRST said that a template was being used to regulate this, but I'm not sure that was the case (or perhaps there is some confusion over the proper way to use the template).

Either pray that this was an isolated incident, or start planning now about what you would do if you encounter tubes that are larger than you had designed for.