[Donut]

Fuel scoring will determine events, due to ranking points. The best gear bot in the world won't get 12 gears by itself, while really good ones will have trouble breaking 8 a match and average gear bots will get 2-4 (average FRC team, not necessarily the average Chief Delphi browsing team). Gear bots are heavily reliant on partners to get an extra RP, and if captures last year are an indication it will be rare in quals outside the Championship and District Champ events.

In comparison the fuel RP seems much more achievable by one bot with little to no partner help. That is 40 points, the equivalent of an extra rotor, plus a guaranteed RP. If a fuel bot goes 7-3 but gets the fuel RP in every match it wins, it is tied in ranking points with a gear bot that goes 10-0 and gets one extra RP in the event due to hitting 12 gears or a partner getting the fuel RP.

Gear running will make you a strong first round pick, but gears alone will make it difficult to crack the top 8 unless you are a top 2-3 gear cycler at your event since bots with fuel capability can have a 2-3 win cushion on you if they consistently get the fuel RP.

We prioritized fuel over gears for this reason. We're interested in seeding in the top 10-15 and just making eliminations, since seeding that high will almost guarantee we qualify for the off season State Championship event in Arizona, and we don't think we can pull off a high level gear cycler plus climber.