[efoote868]

When I was in high school, my team's strategy was to pick 1 element of the game and do it better than anyone else, and in that way we could be an attractive pick for the #1 alliance that could do everything else well but needed our complimentary capability.

Some years it worked better than others - especially when we picked the correct element of the game. Other years we struck out because we bit off more than we could chew, or because we picked the wrong strategy. Regardless, we always had unique robots that played the game.

If the current metagame continues, the best way to follow that strategy would be to let the #1 alliance "fill in the blank" with what they need, which means having a blank canvas for them to work.

In my humble opinion, a drive train should not be an attractive option as a 2nd or 3rd pick for elimination.
I don't blame the elite teams for this... it's a logical conclusion to competition. I don't think there are any rule fixes for this either; I think the solution is that the GDC needs to design games that critical elements cannot be achieved solely with a bolt-on solution, and in that way simple drive trains cannot be cheesecaked into championships.