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Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery
I'd actually say the best situation for omni-directional drivetrains is the exact opposite, when the field is crowded and full of difficult (or impossible) to bypass obstacles. It allows the robot to move easily and rapidly around these obstacles with the least amount of time spent repositioning and turning in place. This parallels where these drivetrains are most often used in the workplace, crowded areas. Mecanum drive forklifts are often used to maneuver around crowded warehouses and ships.
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Though I agree that Mecanum are great for maneuverability, you seriously lose traction and power on your train if not done right. The main problem is that it often takes tries upon tries to get it done right, and by then the question is...is it really worth it?
Personally, I'd rather go with standard Skyways in a tank configuration, which gives you nice turning --with tank drive-- and truly awesome traction and overall pushing power.
So in the end, it depends on your goal for the game. I remember some robots trying to shoot with Mecanum drives, but would be pushed around like rag-dolls, often rendering their shooter mechanism useless. It's a matter of combining form, factor, and efficiency to meet the demands of the game as you see them. If you want incredible maneuverability, often be prepared to pay for it with a loss in traction and pushing power (in comparison to other drives).