Quote:
|
Originally Posted by KenWittlief
the reason defense is a risk is while you are busy trying to stop the other side from scoring 10 more points, YOU might be the one that ends up getting tipped over, having a cable ripped out, having your arm damaged, so when you try to hang or cap or whatever you do to score points, you cant
and you lose
...SNIP...
if you did not build a bot that can outscore your opponent head to head, dont assume you can push them around either - and if you get frustrated and start ramming them you have a good chance of finding yourself disqualified for tipping or intentional damage.
|
Ken,
I absolutely agree with what you are saying here.
John and I are arguing something very differently, though.
Some robots are DESIGNED to play defense. They have beefy, agile drive systems and mechanisms that allow them to vigorously interact, at least with a part of their robot, so that they do not sustain damage.
When I talk about a defensive bot, I am NOT talking about an offensive robot that is playing defense. I am talking about a robot that is specifically designed to play defense and which picked that strategy as its primary focus for the game.
Further, when I talk about DEFENSE, I am not necessarily talking about RAMMING.
One very common defensive maneuver has been to place a mobile goal in the ball chute. Another defensive maneuver might be to occupy a portion of the top platform and keep other robots off the top platform. Another defensive maneuver would be to park on the steps leading to the stationary goal so as to prevent capping.
I'm not sure about the team number (237?), but one team climbs onto the bar and drives along it so as to prevent other teams from hooking and climbing.
DEFENSE really means to occupy territory, either with your robot or a scoring artifact, so as to disrupt or delay another robot from executing their strategy.
When I say DEFENSE, I do not mean ramming, tipping, or intentionally damaging. I generally mean preventing, occupying, or containing.
That having been said, a robot which attempts to execute a "high objective" (capping the stationary goal, climbing the 6" steps, or extending a 10' arm to grab the bar) may end up tipping over as a result of "preventing." However, that is more a design flaw on the part of the offensive robot than an intention of the defensive robot.