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Unread 03-01-2015, 22:57
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Re: The Noodle Agreement

Quote:
Originally Posted by Newo View Post
Nobody wants to be "that guy" or "that team," especially considering how much TNA goes against FIRST values and robotic design competition.
I must strongly disagree with this sentiment.

TNA is gracious professionalism just as much as any coopertition points have been in the past. More so, because it is not explicitly stated in the rules.

More importantly, perhaps, if a noodle agreement is made, but then broken, and thus backstabbing the opposing alliance who expected the noodle agreement. Is, just that: A backstab. and very anti-GP.

I do hope that rule G24 is amended, indeed, to allow for robots specializing in noodle manipulation, but at this point, the noodle agreement is far too optimal in score vs effort to not be done. Also, if the rule is changed too late (and perhaps it already is too late), robot designs will already be fairly set, parts ordered, and such, and the 'meta' in as much as ratios of robot types. has already been affected.

Let me list the pros vs cons as I see them, as far as the 6 teams on the field during the qualifying matches will see it:

Pros-
Weight, design time, space, complexity are all saved.
A guaranteed 40 points
No risk of flying or fallen noodles interrupting stacking operations.
Time not spent worrying about noodles is more time spent completing other tacks, potentially further increasing both alliance's scores.
A way to build trust with the enemy alliance.

Cons-
2 points lost per stacked can which could have had a noodle in it.
one player feeding station is effectively inoperable for the last ~10 seconds of the match, if fed though the feeder station. ~30 seconds if tossed over the top.
Potential backstab by the enemy alliance: but very not GP and as such not expected.

Any rational team will find the pros of the noodle agreement far outweigh the cons.

Frankly. if G24 is amended to allow robot noodle manipulation, even then The noodle agreement, in as far as total point scored is superior to having a noodle manipulator on your team. Your noodle manipulator will still score you 40 points, perhaps up to 80 if it can pick up off the floor, and hold all 20 noodles for a last second shotgun burst of noodles to the enemy side of the field (improbable to say the least), but now you have to deal with noodles annoying your robots, and you have one less stack manipulator... Manipulating the noodles in this way feels very non-optimal, as far as scoring goes, compared agreeing to the noodle agreement, and having a third stacking bot.


Frankly. As the rules are written right now... the noodle agreement is kind of like Jury Nullification.

Not explicitly in the rules.
No one tells you about it.
But incredibly important for the preservation of justice... i mean. optimal game play.
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