[ThunderousPrime]

I don’t advocate a 2v2 qualification route for various reasons. Firstly, the scoring of aerial assist was designed to play as a 3v3 game both on the basis of teamwork as an attribute as well as the strategic implications of the 30pt-3 assist bonus. Assuming the scoring the values remain unchanged (see two paragraphs below) the maximum amount of points that can be scored per cycle is 30pts. I think most 2v2 cycles though will be we worth 20 or 21pts though because it is unlikely that all teams will be able score high and truss efficiently. I find the amount of points scored per cycle to be significant because teams that miss 1 or 2 auto balls compared an alliance that makes 2 or 3 auto balls will be 1 or more cycles behind.

Ex. Red Alliance misses 2 auto balls, but gets 10 pts for the mobility bonus. Blue alliance scores 2 auto balls both not hot for 30pts and gets 10 mobility points as well. Advantage Blue 40-10. At this point they are one 30pt cycle behind and would presumably clear the auto balls for one point. In 3v3 a 30pt deficit is much more manageable because 3 assists will immediately catch the Red alliance up in this scenario as well as providing one of the three robots the opportunity to defend the Blue alliance’s cycle. This scenario assumes that both scored balls for blue are “not hot” too; if either of the 2 balls scored is hot the red alliance is behind by more than a complete cycle. Also if 3 balls are scored in auto then the alliance will be almost 2 cycles behind. In short I think the 2v2 format makes comebacks very difficult if one alliance flops during autonomous and the other puts 2-3balls in the high goal.

Additionally, changing the scoring values will make a lot of more work for scorekeepers who would likely have to add assist points to the score generated by the FMS. This is the event’s inaugural year and I think that keeping with the standard FMS team randomization for quals and assist scoring will help the event flow more easily. As Bobby already mentioned the change from 2v2 to 3v3 from quals to elims will inevitably cause confusion with drivers and scorekeepers.

Another aspect of why I support stay with the standard 3v3 matches is that not all teams registered are not watching/posting on this forum. Half of the the teams registered did not post in this forum so they may or may not know that 2v2 matches are considered. I think that most teams registered with the intent to play 3v3 because it simulates a real regional or district in terms of the number of teams on the field.

In regards to 2v2 being a better format to train new drivers, I respectfully disagree.While driving on the field may be “easier”, because of fewer robots on the field and defense, I think that exposing new drivers drivers to defense and a more cluttered field presents a more realistic challenge that they would see at regionals and districts. (Realistically, no shows rarely happen at the regionals have attended. My mentality to approach offseason events is that they should be a stepping stone to get both new and veteran drivers experience for the upcoming competition season and not as a way to learn driving the robot for the first time.) I also think that the 2-3 more matches that a 3v3 format will provide will allow for more opportunities for new drivers to work out the problems that come with a very brief 2min 30sec match.

Sorry for writing a book.