Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Steele
The way you stop this strategy is by getting more balls in your own home zone at the beginning of the match... 469 depends on its alliance partners to get the balls in the home zone..
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Actually, 469 kicks two balls into their zone (and often the goal) in autonomous. They start the cycle themselves, but obviously not as well as when their partners help.
As for the rest of your post, you're correct in many regards. In many of the high scoring matches they had 9-11 balls in "the cycle." 217 was moving 3 balls into the zone in autonomous, 469 was moving 2, and 217 would often chip another one or two in at the start of tele-op.
That being said, that many balls is not essential for their system. It was actually causing clogs and jams in goals and in the return chute. The limiting factor actually became how quickly the human players could return the balls, not the amount of balls.
The idea of removing balls is certainly a valid part of many counter-strategies, but I doubt that it alone could function as the only part if 469 has quality partners.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RRLedford
Better at what? Exploiting a weakness in the game's set of rules that allows for gaining an almost un-surmountable advantage, ruining the competitiveness, and makes fans bored too!
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So, we've seen one robot execute this strategy successfully at one event (and mostly in the eliminations) and you're ready to call it un-surmountable? You've got to be kidding.
Let's not ignore the fact that 469 is far from the only team with a robot designed to deflect and/or redirect balls we've seen compete (1024, 79, 375, etc.). Just nobody else did it nearly as well and it resulted in them often pursuing other roles in the alliance.
Let's also not ignore that 469 was beaten in qualifications and was kept out of the tunnel more than once.
Let's also not ignore that there are many of the top strategists in FIRST devising plans on how to stop (or at least mitigate) 469 and similar bots.
Let's also not ignore that 469 will likely not be alone by the end of the season. I know of at least two other bots yet to play with very similar strategies, but who knows how successful each of them will be. I'm betting that one or two more bots emerge in a similar class to 469.
In short, stop overreacting. Las Guerillas made an outstanding machine and deserve the success they have. But the season is far from over.
And flat out lying about it boring the crowd certainly did not help your case.