Quote:
Originally Posted by pmangels17
There is another point that has been made on here, but overlooked. Even the greatest robots are awesome the first time you've seen them. But, once I've seen 1114 or 148 or 2056 make a wall of tote stacks once or twice, it gets old. In previous years, defense and strategy made it so that you never knew what was coming in the next match, even if you had seen the robots preform previously. Unexpected or unique strategies in previous years changed the gameplay entirely with things like 1114's blocker in Einstein Finals last year, or the other alliance figuring out how to defend 469's machine on Einstein in 2010, make watching gameplay incredible more enjoyable, and make the game more unpredictable, with some variety.
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I'm going to disagree that the greatest robots are actually especially interesting this year precisely because of the reason you mention (that top teams go and do the 'same' thing every match)...
What made the Einstein Finals in 2010 and 2014 so extra-interesting were the fact that those forms of defense (1114 trying to block 254's auto in 2014 or 1114&469 teaming up in 2010) were against something everyone was expecting... against teams so successful and consistent that everyone wondered (skeptically) how they could be stopped. We all expected 254 to run their fabulous 3-ball auto... the question was how to defend it, since it's so reliable and parked in front of a low goal. In 2010, we all knew 469 was going to drive to the tunnel in auto and re-cycle the balls while 1114 fed the cycle... most people thought 469 and 1114 winning in 2010 was a foregone conclusion. But when 67 just played the midfield game so spectacularly in an 'ordinary' way, 177 assisted, and 294 did their best to snarl up 469's cycle, and then things just didn't go quite right for 469 and 1114 (2041 got stuck in the goal; 294 was highly effective), everyone watched in shock as the alliance of 67-294-177 won.
FIRST needs 'iconic' top teams to be like a sport. In professional sports, the game is the same year to year, and the seasons are long so we all get to know what makes someone special... what they're better at than anyone else or what their Acchiles Heal is... that way at the Super Bowl or in the World Series there is a story anticipating the event. But, the FRC game changes every year, so the top teams that make it to Einstein need to re-write their story every year... be so fabulous and so consistent that everyone in FRC knows what to expect on Einstein, despite a short competition season... that way when a team get's toppled doing their 'tried and true' or they have to deviate to counter an opponent, it is that much more exciting.
Besides, high-level elimination matches this year will be overwhelmingly intense... down-to-the-wire in the quarters and semis too, because each alliance is facing every other alliance, fighting to get those last few points to bump up their QA... I agree with Koko Ed, April 25th will be one wild day.