I see a few things in this thread. A few points that i like are:
- Something does need to be done about robots not making it to the field.
- Why should something be done?
- Is it gracious professional to be so competitive?
First - Something does need to be done about robots not making it to the field.
Yes, something really does need to happen about this. Wether or not it will is another thing. But ideas such as having the kitbot there and even other robots ready to jump in are both great ideas and should be looked into.
Second - Why should something be done?
It should be done because the matches may be random, but if a team is paired with the same team that can't make matches because of one reason or another the team(s) that does/do make the field should not be penalized more than once. In all reality they shouldn't be penalized at all.1.) Because it then becomes an uneven playing field. And we all know that FIRST is about even playing fields no matter what.
2.) It takes any competitiveness a team has away because 2 robots can't really take on 3.
Third - Is it gracious professional to be so competitive?
Very much so it is. You want to be able to contend against other people so that they can really see how thier robot compairs to others. Once again if it wasn't so competitive would high school kids be so enthusiastic and driven by the program?
just my 2 cents.
Tim