[jman4747]

Originally Posted by Siri

I will counter your anecdote-based opinion with my own anecdote. I've been fieldside for a number of high-profile outsider guests these past few weeks, and it is much worse than last year or particularly 2013 (also 2012). They're not as engaged, don't get caught up in the action, don't watch as long, and make decidedly unexcited comments about how hard this must be.

Now that we both have anecdotes, can we stop asserting their conclusions as fact?

If you'd like to recall your own anecdotes, I'd like to suggest the TBA Approach. Pick your favorite event and your favorite number (under ~70). Watch that match from 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (a current senior's career in FIRST). I just did Match 40 at Week 1 Hatboro-Horsham.

2015 Week 1 HH Match 40
2014 Week 1 HH Match 40
2013 Week 1 HH Match 41 (40 is missing)
2012 Week 1 HH Match 40

There's no correct answer as to which one you enjoy more, but it might be an interesting exercise regardless.

1st 2013
2nd 2014
3rd 2015,2012 tie

That's how interesting those matches were in order, and I was getting into the 2015 one more (probably because were playing it now). My point is an outsider looking at any match here wouldn't decide to get into STEM by virtue of the match alone. I think the better way to illustrate this is to imagine watching week one match one of 2014 and Einstein finals vs week one match one of 2015 and finals at Ontario this year. The relative reaction would be the same. A good 2015 match can be as good as a good 2012-13-14 match. If the robots are all doing really good bystanders can tell and will react accordingly. If the match ends with a few stray totes here and there it can be confusing as to what they were trying to do. If 1114 comes in and cleans up the field you will have a good example of both the objective and how it can be accomplished.

Basically I think this game is harder and thus you will see less high level play. High level play is exciting in any sport. Also the absence of a hole or box to shoot things through makes it more difficult to see the end goal with no fore knowledge. For instance if in 2013 one robot shot only 3 discs and made two the whole match you knew what they wanted to do (put disk in rectangle). In 2015 if a robot only gets 4 totes at all and one falls off the stack you may not know they wanted them there (what if the platform just looked like an obstacle?). Also I think everyone is to used to shooting and defending. Bottom line is if we all played like we wish we did matches would all look better and be more obvious to the outsider every year.

And TLDR because none of that is what makes you decide to do STEM. It's our job to get new people in the door not the GDC. Dean needs us to make it loud no matter whats going on at the field. The game is not bad.