I have to say that I both agree and disagree
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I agree that the increase in regionals has somewhat "distilled" teams throughout regionals. I wouldn't say it has decreased the quality of competition, though. Teams, in essence, are given the chance to compete in more matches because of the decrease in participation.. and this basically allows for good competition because teams can see the abilities of other robots, not based on 3 or 4 matches, but rather, 6, 7, or 8 matches. Consistency becomes a key factor in determining the quality of the competition.
True, some of the more experienced and successful teams may not be present because of the "distillation". This doesn't take away from the spirit of the regionals, though. Attendance by spectators has gone up. Honestly, I think this is also a key factor - when drivers and human players are encouraged, competition goes up. You know the dealio
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