An
ALLIANCE is, as defined by the manual:
Quote:
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a set of up to four (4) FIRST Robotics Competition Teams who play FIRST STRONGHOLD together
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Regardless of whether the 4th robot is on the field, they are a member of an ALLIANCE, and an ALLIANCE is what wins a competition, thus, regardless of whether it is considered fair for them to be included in the win, they are winners.
Of course,
it is completely fair for them to be included as winners. Let's use the analogy of a robot to explain why the 4th robot should be included as a winner. We'll pretend our theoretical robot is designed to play FRC STRONGHOLD, and is composed of a...
-Drive
-Intake
-High-Goal Shooter
-Hanger
Let's say that there is one match where a defensive robot on the opposing alliance has managed to master the art of blocking high goal shooters. Thus, this robot decides to simply intake boulders, and out-take them into the low goals. The robot does not use the high-goal shooter that match.
Since they did not use the high-goal shooter that match, does that mean that the shooter should not be considered part of the robot (
of course not!)? That is what people who think the 4th robot should be discluded from the winning alliance are essentially saying.
Just because a 4th robot does not play a match (or many matches), it does not mean that they shouldn't be considered part of the alliance. Perhaps in the match-ups, it simply wasn't strategically advantageous to play that robot.
For example....
-3rd robot has an excellent drivetrain, but a horrid shooter
-4th robot has an excellent shooter, but a weak drivetrain
In a matchup against a very strong alliance, with excellent shooters when left undefended, it may make more sense to play the 3rd robot to limit their scoring by approaching with a defensive stance. Under no means does this reduce the merit of the 4th robot being considered part of the winning alliance.
Just like a robot choosing to not utilize their shooter one match because it makes more sense to low goal,
a 4th robot not being played is just a strategy being implicated for that match.