[EricH]

Originally Posted by DannyB1259

With FRC though the alliance could be changed, the field used to controls your red/blue LED lights anyways and for eliminations; its all based on what teams are on alliance with the most points at the end of the match and thats the way you start the next match. If your alliance thinks they can win alone this give motivation to prevent a switch and if you think your done for your going to try and switch. the strategy would be all messed up think if red spent the whole match scoring on themselves and then at the end switched sides to steal the win. FIRST is always looking for ways to make things harder and more interesting and this would sure do it.

Imagine this scenario: You pick your alliance (or, the top 24 robots are chosen and randomly placed on alliances) for the finals. First match comes up, and robots A, C, F win because they're on the same alliance at the end. (Alliances were originally A, B, C vs D, E, F.) Match 2 comes along, and A, B, E win. Now who goes on? A certainly should, because they've won 2 matches. But B, C, E, and F have one win apiece and D has none, so A has to play again instead of advancing. That's the mess you get into. So you have to have a completely new format for eliminations, one where individual teams advance, or alliances are locked after the first match, or some other similar nuisance.

In addition to totally confusing the teams, not to mention the Joe-off-the-street types we want to see us and the VIPs, you have to figure out how to assess the penalties that happen (which alliance gets the disable/DQ when teams are switching) and all the rest of that stuff.

It's not impossible. It's just crazy to do. Technically possible? Sure, if you can tell the robots that they just switched (and the drivers, for that matter). But it's your worst nightmare in terms of tournament play and who advances.

Now if the entire alliance simply switches colors, that's another thing (and almost pointless).