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Unread 03-06-2016, 16:27
MattRain MattRain is offline
AZ FTC AF, FTC #2844 and FTC #8640
FRC #1492 (Team Caution)
Team Role: RoboCoach
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Rookie Year: 2008
Location: Chandler, Arizona
Posts: 313
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Re: Preferred Scoring Element

Quote:
Originally Posted by CMBrandon View Post
What would you rather have as a scoring element in a FTC/VEX competition?

1- Balls (Wiffle, Ping Pong, etc)
2- Hockey Pucks
3- PVC Baton


Is one inherently more difficult to work with?
I was a student on FTC 2844 (mentor now) during the years that we had these elements. Speaking in regards to the past FTC games and how they were played, out of the three elements, the Batons were the hardest. Once they hit the ground, there were usually left there. Taking them out of a rack like Get-Over-It was semi-easy with the system we had created though.

During FaceOff (Hockey pucks), if the pucks did hit the ground, my team come up with a quick and easy grabber to pick them up.

Wiffle balls are by far the easiest game elements around, and have been used in 3 different past FTC games. With a hard shell, it was easy to travel around in them. The Golf-ball sized Wiffle balls were annoying at first, but easy to work around.. driving past/over them, discarding them out the back of the robot... (Hotshot, Cascade Effect, Res-Q)

Racquetballs were easy, but also a nuisance during Bowled Over since they would squish.

Ping Pong balls would last a matter of seconds in an FTC arena with the way teams drive and build now.

The yellow blocks have been fun to work with over the past few years. Creates a new challenge that my students have been able to adapt to pretty easily. (Block Party, Res-Q).

As for next season's piece...
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Last edited by MattRain : 03-06-2016 at 16:33.
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