[galewind]

Initially, I also thought that the autonomous mode was about worthless this year.

But then I got to thinking, and I realized that it's not worthless, it's just anticlimactic. Getting a keeper on a row means the maximum scorability of your opponents in that row is divided by 2.

The other thing that you need to remember is that the score grows EXPONENTIALLY with each ringer in a row. If you can manage to get 3 keepers in a row, that not only guarantees at least 6 points, but significantly increases your chances of getting 32 or more points in a row.

There was an argument made in another thread that getting a robot 12" is worth almost 5 tubes in a row. But getting 6 in a row is worth more than both bots 12" in the air.

if you can guarantee 3 of those 6 will stay, it's a matter of stopping your opponents from spoling or filling in the gaps to guarantee high scores.

I'm predicting that you will see at least one qualifying match per regional where there will be 7 or 8 in a row (and it will likely be the top row). Of those, 2 or 3 will be keepers.

Sorry for the ramblings of a flu-infected coach.