Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber
Hence, why I ask how we can bring this type of experience to more local events cutting both the cost and the logistical headache, while increasing the level of attendance and ability to scale. I'm not trying to deny experiences to teams, I want to give even more teams the option. But I also want to keep the concept of a championship because I think having that to strive for is important.
Also, for the record - I HAVE been on one of those teams. But before then I was on another team that was competitive at that level so I figured I'm biased.
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So would you like teams to pay travel money and take off work to go to the event without their robot? Do you think anyone will actually do that? What we have IS a championship (even the split championship is still a championship). Most of the teams there made it there for some amazing things they did, whether it was winning with their robot or doing amazing things with their programs and their communities. It is a championship not only for the robots, but also for the teams themselves and what they are doing. The 600 teams (soon to be 800) that make it to championships are truly the best teams in FIRST, and the ones with the best robots will make it to the playoffs on Saturday.
Saturday always works out to be only the best robots playing on the big stage anyway, so what exactly is the problem? If you're defining "championship" as only the best robots, then you get that on Saturday. The rest of the event, we are celebrating all the teams that made it their for their achievements, but only the best make it to Saturday. Saturday is really the day you get the most spectators anyway, and that is the day that the best of the best are truly showcased for everyone to see.
As far as bringing this experience more local, this was ultimately the goal with DCMPs, but I don't think you will find a DCMP that has nearly the same kind of experience as the championship. Even if you found a way to "increase the experience" of the DCMPs without making them enormously expensive, I don't think it still wouldn't come close to what you get at worlds.