Thread: Please fix auto
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Unread 16-05-2011, 17:55
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Re: Please fix auto

Quote:
Originally Posted by lemiant View Post
And yet even spectacular auto like 233 (sorry I haven't seen the others) is worth very little to the game, it ends up being a challenge they did just to prove they could do it. 233 would get at most 24 extra points for that work in a 150 point game. Its not an equivalency that encourages teams to finish early or put resources into auto.
I think you may be drastically underestimating the importance of autonomous.

FRC isn't about making autonomous the over-riding priority of the game. However, most years it is extremely important.

For instance, a working two tube autonomous was an absolutely incredible boost to the teams that had it.

Now, if your robot wasn't going to be in the top 15 anyway, you're right in that it didn't matter quite so much. However, if you were one of the 8-10 teams that were usually tied or within one match of eachother at the top of the ranking board, it was crucial.

Two tube autonomous was worth 24 points. Only a handful of teams in the country did it consistently. I would wager a steak dinner that 24 points could win you a WHOLE lot of matches.

Indeed, in breakaway, a 2 or 3 ball auton and a consistent lift would win you something like 90% of the week one and two maches. Go look at the final scores on einstein that year and tell me that autonomous wasn't important as well.