[Boltman]

In our case we treat single Totes and RC's as objects and as such we can pick up any object in any orientation just the same... upside down, angled doesn't matter.

Totes specifically we can control TWO at a time as long as they are side by side longways or horizontally as in the landfill pattern... then we can place both on near platform and quickly create a double-stack..rinse repeat.

At door we can create double stack equally quickly...control first second automatic stack...move score rinse repeat OR get first tote grab can get noodle human drops second tote and score (2tote+Rc+litter 18pts) still fast maybe stack that on existing stack.

So we designed our robot to be versatile..it really can do most anything to score it needs to in any possible game match scenario well...effective scoring regardless of situation. Mainly because we don't need a specific position arrangement to manipulate objects....we have finesse too to move an object slightly if needed.

So we could go all game doing a ton of mini stacks that score. If we wanted 4 x10, 12, 14 ? but run out of platform space.

BUT there are more multiplication points for topping higher stacks with RC+noodle (more efficient increasing score), we handle that quickly as a topper robot. We could noodle top all stacks with RC that we had on our side of field at any height.

AND co-op points YEP we can get all three GOLD quick (more efficient increasing score) and easily stack on wall as a wall co-op robot to gain both alliances 40 doing most of that work.

So we decided rather than do ONE thing "GREAT" do instead "Everything Very Well" because of the nature of the changing game itself and the messy field that was our main overriding design decision..so while I am a bit jelly of those creating 6-stacks sideways RC on top internally..thats all they do well usually and most don't have noodle scoring too...plus many I've seen lose a multiple level with sideways RC. They cannot wall stack usually.

I really like our versatility and speed. We are banking on speed/versatility kills in Recycle Rush....we are aiming to go to St Louis if we guessed correctly as a winning alliance member. Don't see too many robots like us..good to have that uniqueness...thats what got us to St Louis last year as a blocker.

As to previous comment "only one correct answer" I disagree..it just as fast to grab two landfill as door if your robot is designed to handle both scenarios and is fast at movement and stacking.

So I did not vote in the poll as do both was not an answer. Totes are important for multiplier action do yes totes matter a lot.

All comes down to what is max score each match in 2:15 and that's going to change match to match.