Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber
This is incorrect. Logic would show you that preventing an opponent from scoring is exactly the same as scoring the same number of points yourself when it comes to determining who won the match. 0-1 match scores, while boring, count the same as 0-120 scores from a WLT perspective.
However, this changes when you start looking at it from a ranking perspective rather than a winning perspective. Take, for example, years where your second sort was based off of your opponent's score. During those years it was beneficial to allow your opponents to score so long as you could outscore them.
So, what I'm saying is that offense or defense wins matches (it doesn't matter which one) but offense tends to rank higher. Now, the really fun part of the discussion involves the difficulty and risk of effective defense as well as the metagame of the area you are playing. You also need to take into account the difference between effective defense and crappy defense (I'll give you a hint 90% of defense is of the crappy variety, maybe more).
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I completely agree with this. If your scouting system fails to appreciate the value of defense in a single piece game like this, you are setting yourself up for an outright spanking when you pass up that total shutdown defensive bot in eliminations because they have no OPR.
If a robot is able to effectively seal off one side of the field (or simply deflect even as low as 25% of shots) it doesn't matter how far you can shoot, or how well you can catch, if you struggle to end a cycle, even mediocre robots will take the banner away from you.
Points not being awarded to your opponent are subtly points being added to your own score. If you can slow down the other alliance such that they can only complete one less cycle per match, that effectively gives you an entire cycle's points worth of a head-start on them.
Matches are only ~2 minutes long, and when your 20fps shooter fires a ball right into the awaiting goalie post of the other robot, it is going to go flying in some direction, wasting precious seconds. If a defensive bot can deflect even as low as 2 shots per match, I wholeheartedly believe that they will significantly hinder your score.
Also take it psychologically: from a driver perspective (as a former driver), getting your shots blocked is
very frustrating, in the heat of a match nothing makes you madder than an effective defensive robot hindering your progress. As you get angry you stop thinking clearly, only digging yourself deeper. Even the most trained and level-headed drivers will face the pressure of constantly being shut down.
This makes me wish we had made a defensive bot this year.