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Re: Game design /w surface leveling the competition?
I don't see this year as terribly different than any other year.
We will see special defensive robots that excel in regionals...We will see veteran teams with good resources (and an additional 15 lbs of allowable carryins) continue to adapt and alter their robots as the season goes on.
I think we will also see that in Atlanta... Teams will be looking for 3 good machines that can all score...
Defense is a game that can be played by most well-driven machines if they have a good drive train and a good driver. Few robots are designed from scratch to be a defensive machine... during the season they just grow to be one. There may be exceptions to this of course, but I would like to hear from a team that designed their robot to be a "pinner" straight from the first weeks of build.
Atlanta is a different ball game. In divisional play, alliances are picking from many GOOD well rounded robots...so why not pick three scoring robots...???
I do think that it behooves many teams to try playing defense...see what you can do.... try during practice...
It may be necessary during your regional elimination or at Atlanta.
All in all, I don't see this game as being the great "leveling".
Rookies still struggle, We need to continue to provide support for all of them both pre-season, during build, and during competition.
Teams with few resources and few mentors also struggle. Likewise we all need to band together to do what we can to buoy them up... helping in whatever ways we can...
Teams that are well-funded and well-mentored and that are willing to work hard are going to do better. This is the way of FIRST.
But isn't that what life is about... and I don't mean being well-funded...
Many teams that have these funding resources work HARD the whole year to provide this for their team... this effort should be rewarded.
Anne Sullivan once said:
People seldom see the halting and painful steps by which the most insignificant success is achieved...
I firmly believe that EVERY TEAM can point to its successes this year.
On the field, OFF the field, in the classroom, in the workplace.
Everyone comes out of FIRST with success...
I am constantly astounded at what teams and students are capable of doing.
It is why I spend so much of my time in this endeavor.
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