Quote:
Originally Posted by JackS
The one thing I dislike about the FiM system assigning points based on Alliance Selection is that it gives points for essentially the same thing QF gives points for.
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While this is sometimes the case, awarding points based on Alliance Selection can also serve to balance out the variation in teams' qualification schedules. If a team has a great robot, but happens to lose a few qualification matches to tough opponents, being picked high can be a chance for them to regain some of those points.
One thing I keep coming back to with the proposed system for elimination points is the situation where the two strongest alliances at an event happen to face off before the finals. The bracket-style tournament is very effective at determining the best alliance, but it doesn't work as well when it comes to ranking the remaining seven alliances.
For example, let's say the higher seeded alliances all win their quarterfinals. Alliance #3 squeaks out a semifinal win over Alliance #2 in three close matches, but then goes on to win two very one-sided finals matches against Alliance #1. Based on this, it would be reasonable to say Alliance #2 is stronger than Alliance #1. Under the proposed system, Alliance #1 would receive twice as many points as Alliance #2 (who all evidence would suggest is the stronger alliance) based purely on the structure of the bracket.
I can't think of a good way to deal with this situation, short of a complex system that takes "strength of schedule" into account, or a different structure for elimination rounds (neither of which I think would be the right answer). But I do think that it's an important thing to keep in mind when creating a system like this.