DO NOT balance in autonomous. It's a huge penalty if you fall over to the other side, and I'd never balance a robot autonomously without the possibility of driver intervention in the case something goes wrong.

On the subject of defending, you can do it right, or you can do it wrong. The results of getting it right are perfectly starving your opponents, legally disrupting play, and aiding your alliance in a positive way. If done wrong, not only will teams not want to pick you, but you will get many, many penalties. You need to make sure you can be effective at defense without getting penalized. At all.

Here's my advice: Before the competition, get your drivers together and draw out routines as to where you can drive without getting penalized. Also, STUDY THE RULES. They are your greatest asset to being a successful driver.

Also, be sure to gear low. I mean 7.5 - 9 fps low. Trust me, when you're pushing 120 pound robots, you'll want to push them the most you can. 4 CIMs in the drive, more motors in the drive if you can. If you're only going to be a drivebase and a bridge actuator, use all motors you can in the places you can.

Hope this helps. You have a good robot, believe it or not, and excellent drivers. I look forward to watching you in your regional(s).

-Andrew