Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz
Daniel,
Sorry but I disagree. Stuffing an opponent into a goal to take them out of the game and to block a goal is not what I would expect in this competition. The goal is wider than most robots so there is nothing you can design around. You might as well push them over the side of the field border. The effect is the same.
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Unless you can quote a rule that states otherwise then it is a perfectly valid strategy (not saying I agree with the strategy, but ...).
Oh, and you can design around it with either a good drivetrain (that can pull you over a 2" bump) or be wide enough to not go in fully.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz
If you know that a robot can be tipped and use that as a strategy then I think that is also wrong. To intentionally go out and tip over robots that are easy (by virtue of their design) is not in the spirit of the competition. I read G36 and G37 as support for this belief.
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Agreed, but the real issue is intention. Many robots this year are far easier to tip due to the bumper position, the ramp near the goal, and the bumps. Thus, even without intentionally tipping a robot you can do so.
I instructed my driver to back off if he saw a robot tipping. We tipped one during our regional (sorry 501) and we ourselves were tipped 4 times even though we could go 90* and still come back on to our wheels due to our CG. The game is what it is and robots will tip. Build a self righting mechanism.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz
I want to lose a match to superior robot/driving/strategy. I don't want to lose to a team that has taken out my alliance partners by tipping and/or entanglement.
That being said, humans make mistakes, refs included. They miss calls sometimes, that affect match outcomes. What we see from the stands is not always what they see from the field, up close.
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I don't believe that the refs are missing many calls (unless you count the balls that are staying under robots while they continue to play the game). Field entanglement has never been a penalty (unless it involves field damage), nor is unintentonal tipping.
Would you rather see a game where robots play tiddlywinks and can never touch another robot? do you believe that would be interesting? I don't. A level of interaction is always enjoyable to watch ... as long as teams are playing within the rules.
The above, as usual, is JMHO.