Quote:
Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery
Methods exist to still play defense, but they involve much more sophistication, dedication, and patience than simply sitting in between the offensive robot and the goal or trying to push the offensive robot. It will be very difficult for the average "box-on-wheels" to play effective defense this year. Most defensive bots will have to incorporate aspects similar to scoring bots, if not be scoring bots themselves (who need a different role on their current alliance for whatever reason).
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Why is defense hard? in at least 75% of the field, opponents bots are fair game, and for the remaining 25% it only matters if they are about to hurdle. Which means you can hassle an opponent for at least 80-85% of the time. Just don't go backwards or hit them outside the bumper zone (unless its gripper gripper contact) and you're good. I think defense is always going to be big, you just need to know when to pull of. Also make sure you keep making laps. These traffic jams are a killer for everyone. There will be matches where you just can't do anything because bots will be laying everywhere, or broken, or clotheslined, stuck together etc. I've noticed in the scrim videos everyone clumps around the balls too. Getting a ball out of that mess will be near impossible sometimes. Sometimes you're going to have to play possum to get your opportunity at a ball and bring it to your homestretch. Not to mention fighting your own teamates for a ball. Those lap bots are going to be the quiet little winners we all forget about until their seeding in the top spots. I think the really strong grippers that can drive right up and on the ball will do well because they dont need space or time to do it.
Anyway, for my topic 2cents, random high scores because good hurdlers are left alone due to unable opponents. Then finals will get interesting. But I think more than 1/2 the matches will be without hurdles, and lots of racing.