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Re: Defense
With all the many robots choosing the Ri3D lean out type top roller collectors this year (and there are so, so too many for my tastes, from what I saw last night). I'd think any simple rookie team built box on wheels (w/ a great drive team), playing defense w/ a simple articulating 19.5" long 2"X4" that is about 14"-18" off the floor could have a great time just sliding it between the attempting assist passing robots this year, to put a big bosh on the ball in those assist attempts (even better if it articulated out 2 ends giving a quick choice of less bot turn around time).
My opinion is, those able to gain assists & pass that huge (single game piece), ball, robot to robot (or w/ the human player as an intermediary assist element, that I have already seen being practiced well), without using the floor at all, will have a supreme advantage in that situation of course. The year of the "claw" maybe? Or a robot w/ short soft pop-up passes and some great catchers on the alliance teaming up, will reign the field this year.
Shutting down the defensive screen can be done w/ the shooters alone if controllable shooting / catching is available. (And it will be!)
The action along the sidelines will be fun to watch. And penalties galore called weeks 1 & 2 I predict after the recent sideline safety zone changes (most will be very accidental, but will be called for human player safety reasons alone!) Inbounding will be tough now, w/ that "no mans land" added (& trying to keep the ball up off the carpet, while just learning the inbounder ropes I think during the heat of the battle).
Inbounders will now be forced (I suspect), to roll the ball off the shelf rather than toss it in, in most instances just to keep themselves from entering that safety zone w/ the hands. That will create some very early loose ball problems all on its own.
Those depending on (a great auto session alliance score), then a quick repeated inbound, truss pass, high score using only 2 bots (w/ #3 playing dedicated defense), will find their meager points every 3 cycles of offensive play actually shut down (and evened out), by a single high scoring opposing alliance cycle of all points possible scored.
This won't be quite as easy as it looks from the current single bot practice perspective by any means. Those (lucky ones), that have an opportunity to practice together in large groups of bots early, will have a supreme advantage in the early or even later weeks.
Don't you just love the late "bag day rules changes." The whole game actually changed and most were not even aware of it that day. But the GDC gave a lil', and took a lil'....It was quite fair.
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