Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

They human load but they can pick up off the ground, just it isn't worth it according to a member I spoke to.

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

just my $0.02:

- As previously stated, minibots are a game changer

- Be careful if there is a defender on your end. If you get pushed into the opposing alliance's lane, it is a penalty on you and the defending bot only gets one if the action is deemed intentional. My strategy for this is to not come out of your home zone unless you know you've got the defending robot beat.

- There are many strategies to Logomotion. If it seems the team you're going up against can outscore you, or has only one minibot when you have two, try starving the field. It will produce lower scores for both teams, but if you get more minibots scored than the other alliance (and have successfully starved the field), it is likely you will win.

- Don't underestimate the third alliance pick. They have to be a good at defending and herding tubes for your alliance to be successful.

- Lastly, beware of over inflated tubes. The rules about tubes changed after the build season and they are now inflated to 7-8 inches instead of just being 7. My team had to cut off some of our claw to fit in the boundaries at the beginning of the match, but it seemed the inflated tubes (especially the squares) were easier to pick up, so it was a blessing in disguise.

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

Teams have to learn not to set up at the min i bot tower with 30 some seconds left. Complete a logo or just place a piece on the rack you will get back to the tower in time for most team.

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

Defense. If you place that piece, your opponent will get between you and the tower, and then you won't get to the tower. If you're on the tower at 30 seconds, they can hit you for 15 seconds, debate whether to back off for 5 seconds, but if they hit you after that, they get a red card. If you're placing a tube before running back, they get between you and the tower, and you can get a pinning penalty. Worse, if you try to ram your way through, you need to be careful not to hit your opponent at their tower, because then you get the red card.

330 learned that the hard way in Arizona last weekend.

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

The sum of the parts do NOT equal the whole.

In alliance selection taking critical points away from other alliance can equal big points for you.

This means minibot and autonomous monopolies can determine wins and losses.

Come Einstein though, I expect that minibot and autonomous monopolies won't exist. What will be critical on Einstein is being able to leave your best robot (not robot + minibot) at the rack to finish capping those last critical tubes. I predict that unless there are huge upsets in the elims, the 6 points captured from each of the lower level rack will differentiate the winners from the losers.

but for now minibot and autonomous makes the difference. You have to have a monster of a robot to offset not having a minibot (148 being one of the only teams able to accomplish this), so if you don't have a minibot, unless you are one of the best, you are in trouble.

same is true for autonomous. Having a consistent autonomous is very valuable.

reliability > potential for everything (IMO)

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

Autonomous and MiniBot very important.

Autonomous that doesnt go backwards!!! LOL

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

Grab tubes in mid-air? I've never seen a team do that. How would that be possible?

Re: Lessons learned in all weeks.
 

Something very important: At our regional, at least, tower bases got dented. They're made up of about 12 different pieces with radial support structures between each piece (look at the field drawings), and by the end of our regional every single one of them (on all four towers) was dented inward. This made our deployment lining up mechanism mess up. Make sure you account for some denting, especially in the bottom half (the top part of the pieces weren't so bad).