Quote:
Originally Posted by Fusion_Clint
So what was the specialist last year? What about 2014? If you want to compete in this FRC Game, you have to be able to do everything. If you can't effectively score alone you will not be in the elimination rounds, we don't plan on being a 2nd pick.
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The stereotypical specialist last year was the capper. Much like the capping robot, a specialist this season has huge points potential in the right situation. However, that "points floor" for a specialist is higher than last season. A dedicated capper could not score points if nobody could stack totes for them. A dedicated shooter can still go get balls to shoot with, even if nobody is moving balls into the courtyard for them. In this game, a specialist is extremely viable because the specialist roles are not entirely dependent on each other, unlike last season where one specialist without the other meant disaster for both.
I don't mean to rail on the hybrid robot design. A well-made hybrid robot should be able to dominate this year's game, because the difference in playstyle that may emerge between quals and elims lends itself well to a robot that is adaptable to these varied playstyles. (By this I am referring to the idea that breaching will be more popular than shooting in quals, because capturing requires greater precision in overall robot design, as well as coordination between alliance members that is atypical of qualifying matches) However, the hybrid carry is, as always, a high-risk, high-reward proposition. For most teams, this is too much of a risk to take.