FIELDS. YES FIELDS.

[JohnFogarty]

Okay being a FRC member and knowing your feelings on these subjects I want to know.Why is there so much blame being put on FTC? Being at the Championship the last 2 years the FTC dome field setup has remained the same. It was not their fault at all about the pit fields. It was the concert that caused the move.

Now I took a cad program and remapped the dome and I could fit 3 fields in their easily but not a 4th. So they decided to move 2 into the pits to keep it fair in a sense. NOW I am perfectly aware that those seats in the pits were more than terribly inadequate. Which may be fixed in further years.

But these arguments that yell about the $5000 entrance fee that you guys pay. FTC pays $1000 as well. that's a good chunk esp since schools with those kind of programs have much less money most of the time. FTC was made to be the easily affordable J.V. program for FIRST.

[cziggy343]

So... From Bill's Blog:

Bill's Blog: Expect fields in pits at Championship next year. As the FIRST family of programs grows, we need to ensure all programs are represented at Championship. In order to give FTC and FLL fields equal prominence in the Dome, the decision was made this season to reduce the number of FRC fields in the dome. (Believe it or not, this decision was made long before will.i.am committed to hold the ‘half time’ show.) Rather than eliminate Einstein entirely or move one division into the pits and have those teams not compete in the dome, we went with having two fields in the pits and developed the plan to ensure all teams had time in the dome. We’re going to be reviewing pit/dome layout this summer and working to find ways to resolve some of the crowding and noise issues in the pits, but as our other programs grow, don’t expect FRC to have 5 fields in the dome next year.

Seems like it wasn't the concert... but I don't think that too many people are BLAMING FTC... I think they are just wondering why it is in the dome over the much larger (and more expensive) FRC.

[JohnFogarty]

yeah I know how expensive it is. But then who would want to part of a program the first shoves behind a door in the pits. At least ever division got a chance to be in the dome.

[akoscielski3]

FTC was made to be the easily affordable J.V. program for FIRST.

it was actually made to be a prototype for the future FRC seasons

[BrendanB]

I'm not blaming FTC. My issue is that if they were running short on space, wouldn't it make more logistical sense to move some (not all) FTC to the pits.

Think about it:

Less teams
Less stands
Less mass chaos

It seems like FIRST took the hard route and moved two FRC fields and if you were in the pit fields on saturday (I was a specator for Sat. elims on curie) it was ridiculous that this was championship and the walkways were packed!

Now 4 days later since we ended we are keeping with the idea.

I have NOTHING against FTC or the teams!

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by John_1102

yeah I know how expensive it is. But then who would want to part of a program the first shoves behind a door in the pits. At least ever division got a chance to be in the dome.

I don't think people are saying move all of FTC to the pits. Maybe 1/3 or 1/2.... like they did to FRC!

[Robby Unruh]

I have nada problems with the way FRC put the fields this year, the pit fields maybe lacked a little on seatings, but it's nothing you couldn't arrange yourself. People there are courteous, just ask. It got my friends and I a seat on Newton everytime we returned from getting a drink, snack, wandering the pits, etc.

[DonRotolo]

FIRST knows there wasn't enough seating in the pit fields.
I would be very surprised if they could not devise a solution to that problem.

[cziggy343]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

FIRST knows there wasn't enough seating in the pit fields.
I would be very surprised if they could not devise a solution to that problem.

Personally, I preferred the pit fields... Under the stipulation that next year there was more seating... The 20 ft walk from pit to field was really nice!

[DSM33]

Nothing against FTC but going to Atlanta the past 2 years for me had more of a "World Championship" feel to me
With the matches in the pits I felt more like I was at a district event in Michigan. Like I said on another thread... Since FRC is a more spectator friendly sport I believe that the FRC fields should be the main showcase in the dome so the non FIRST-ers can see the "big robots"
FTC is also better for the crowd if the audience is closer to the fields because of the field size. (although im not opposed to the idea on placing FTC fields right next to FRC fields which I think would give FTC MORE exposure)

I don't think that anyone is hating on the FTC but I think there are good reasons to support the move of some of the FTC fields into the pits

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by cziggy343

The 20 ft walk from pit to field was really nice!

20 feet IS a bit far. Maybe they can cut that a bit too...

[Hawiian Cadder]

i had a novel idea, why not put the FTC stuff in the conference rooms that circle much of the stadium. pits as well as fields.

[Blackphantom91]

I think like Ive said in other threads It was seriously communication for me. Lack there of letting us know what was going on. I hear arguments on both sides FRC does spend significantly a lot more money to come than FTC does, but I do think FTC and FLL have been completely overshadowed by the FRC competition. I have to agree with first trying to give all events a even amount of "limelight" It just happened to come at FRCs expense this time.

Thinking about this in retrospect I think moving the fields to the pits wasn't a bad idea but FIRST not explaining in full was. I see this situation way if we shut out the other events like fll, ftc, frc what does that say to the people participating in it? I'm not mad at FTC at all im actually glad that they got the same experience that we have all have for a good some of years. Here's an incentive if you want to play in the dome make it to Einstein. Im 99.99% positive that next year will be better.

[Blackphantom91]

Originally Posted by Hawiian Cadder

i had a novel idea, why not put the FTC stuff in the conference rooms that circle much of the stadium. pits as well as fields.

Where would teams sit to watch? Not bad thinking though.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Blackphantom91

Where would teams sit to watch? Not bad thinking though.

Nah, just move the fields into the theater in that case. Yes, there is a theater in the America's Center. There's seating in there, it's reasonably sized for some of the FTC/FLL action (2 fields for either one--you'd have a hard time putting an FRC field in there), and the seats are, well, theater seats. And I didn't see anything scheduled for that this time (OK, maybe there was a conference or something in there).

Then make sure that signage is pointing in there for whatever's in there. Lots and lots of signage.