[EWCP] 10-30-11 Cast - Scouting

[IKE]

Originally Posted by BJC

Are there going to be any example documents published before or after the cast so listeners have a take home example scouting sheet or something along those lines? (This would be pretty sweet!)

Here you go, but I think you have seen these before:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=98039

[jwfoss]

I'm looking forward to being a part of this cast, below are some of FRC2168's scouting documents from this year

Scouting System http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/papers/2450

Draft Scouting Manual http://jwfoss.posterous.com/draft-sc...ining-document

[LeelandS]

Sounds like there's a lot to talk about! Hopefully it isn't too late to submit a question.

How do you connect the data you collect to the order you want to pick teams. Is it just sort the data by highest to lowest average number of tubes hung (using Logomotion as an example, obviously different to each game) and there's your list, or do you factor in other things like experience, history (of the team, not with them), and how well you think you could/have work(ed) with them? I know not to mix personal feeling with making a pick list, but how do you guys take it a step beyond that, and mix the numerical data with other things?

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Leeland1126

Sounds like there's a lot to talk about! Hopefully it isn't too late to submit a question.

How do you connect the data you collect to the order you want to pick teams Is it just sort the data by highest to lowest average number of tubes hung (using Logomotion as an example, obviously different to each game) and there's your list, or do you factor in other things like experience, history (of the team, not with them), and how well you think you could/have work(ed) with them? I know not to mix personal feeling with making a pick list, but how do you guys take it a step beyond that, and mix the numerical data with other things?

VERY good question. I'll be sure we talk about pick list methodology, as I have a lot to say on the issue.

[Andrew Schreiber]

I've collected most of these (I tried to eliminate duplicates) into a google doc which we will try to go over.

As usual these notes are available at http://goo.gl/L2Syu

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Good news everybody, I'm finally learning how to use Talkshoe...

Call information:
TEL: (724) 444-7444
ID: 98466 You may need to register with Talkshoe if you haven't before.


http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/98466 should have a link to the cast once it goes live ~830PM EST

The call is now live, we are just prepping up and waiting for people to log in. Jim Zondag is ready and in the call, so be sure to tune in ASAP!

[Michael Blake]

For Jim/Issac, etal. :

For a 2nd season team... what's the 3 MOST important things to do to optimize your chances to be picked by the top 8?

GREAT webcast... THANKS for sharing!!

[AlecMataloni]

Thanks for getting together and doing this!

[Akash Rastogi]

One thing I think we forgot to touch on: selling your team to the top 8. There's a line between trying to talk to a team about alliance selection, and straight up bugging them about it.

Do not try to suck up in a blatantly obvious way or obnoxiously. Teams absolutely dislike that. As Chris mentioned before, try to have an honest conversation with the teams who are in the top 15 at the end of qualifications. Tell them what type of asset you think you can be. Do NOT kid yourself by giving them farfetched data, the top teams scout and know when you are BSing them (sorry couldn't think of a better term). Know your own team's real positives and negatives.

Things you can do during competition to help you get picked:
1) Fix any problems ASAP after they occur.
2) Document your failures and fixes in a journal in the pit.
3) Make sure you have someone ready to speak to other teams when they come to your pit. This is very important because teams can get annoyed if you do not have someone ready to communicate with them to talk strategy or about a match.
4) Be honest. Scout your own team and get data about your team from other good scouting teams.
5) Avoid making simple rule errors (penalties, coaches touching controls by accident, etc.)
6) Be cooperative.

Other than that, I'm sure the other EWCP guys have more to add along with Jim and Isaac.

[connor.worley]

Originally Posted by Michael Blake

For Jim/Issac, etal. :

For a 2nd season team... what's the 3 MOST important things to do to optimize your chances to be picked by the top 8?

GREAT webcast... THANKS for sharing!!

In addition to what Akash said, some things I've noticed...

If you're aiming to be a 1st pick, be the highest scoring robot at an event
If that's not possible, be the best at doing something, whether it's autonomous mode or endgame. You can shoot yourself in the foot by spreading your resources too thin and building a robot with a poor autonomous, poor scoring, and a poor endgame. Instead, focus on whatever aspect of the game you think will most benefit an alliance. A perfect autonomous mode isn't common at the regional level, and can easily make up for poor scoring / endgame.

Specific things you can do at competition...

• Don't procrastinate.
• Get through inspection as soon as possible. You really look bad if a team has to help rush you through inspection.
• Once you're through inspection, get on the practice field and give your drivers as much time to practice as possible, make sure your autonomous mode works, etc.
• Be on time for your matches.
• If your alliance decides on a strategy before a match, FOLLOW IT. If teams don't come to your pit to talk strategy, you go to theirs 5-10 minutes before the match starts. If you don't like the strategy, try to politely negotiate. Flat-out ignoring strategy match after match is the type of behavior that gets you on a team's "permanent blacklist."
• Be competitive and motivated, but don't be rude about it. Try to make friends with other teams and their mentors. Long-term friendship can play into alliance selection.
• If you don't end up in the top 8, don't go and beg just before alliance selections. Those top 8 teams are sitting down and putting a lot of thought into their final decisions about who to pick. Begging is tacky and it doesn't work.

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by connor.worley

• If you don't end up in the top 8, don't go and beg just before alliance selections. Those top 8 teams are sitting down and putting a lot of thought into their final decisions about who to pick. Begging is tacky and it doesn't work.

If begging gets you on the pick list, it is not an alliance you want to be part of.

[EricH]

Akash's #3 is a really great way to keep yourself on a team's picklist. Ignoring it... well, it's a good way to get yourself off a picklist. It's happened before.

Just remember: Don't ignore the scouts when they show up. Especially if it's right before selection time.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Download for scouting cast is at http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-98466/TS-550883.mp3

Streaming is at http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web...50883&cmd=apop

[IKE]

Originally Posted by Michael Blake

For Jim/Issac, etal. :

For a 2nd season team... what's the 3 MOST important things to do to optimize your chances to be picked by the top 8?

GREAT webcast... THANKS for sharing!!

There are probably a lot more than 3 things, but here goes:

#1. Be good at something. Performance is really the driving factor for most pick-lists. Being really good at something is much better than not good at a lot of things. You don't need to be the best at your competition, but you do need to be within that top 24. Not everyone makes the best picks though, so really to a be a lock, you really need to be within the top 20 or so from a performance perspective (not necessarily rank).

#2. Be consistent. Being consistent or consistently improving. Either of these are good trends to see. Consistency is a nice catch all for realiability, performance, and can lead to dependability.

#3. Be prepared. If your team is prepared, it will show, and people will take notice. Complete your machine early. Test it. Have it looking neat and prepared, and you will do well at most events.

There are a lot of other factors, but these 3 should get you into good position at most events.

As a bonus:

#4 for Chet and other scouts, HAVE CLEAR NUMBERS. If it is difficult to read your numbers, some folks might get you confused with another team. When making your bumpers, set them on the ground and try to read them from 100 feet away. This is especially true if your team has a 6, 8, 9, 5, 3, or 1, 7 in it. FIRST could really take a lesson as their font choice is horrible for the screens.

[jwfoss]

That was one of the most interesting casts we've had so far, lots of great information was discussed. Thanks to all of you who tuned into the chat, hopefully you enjoyed it as much as those of us on the call.

A special thanks goes out to the guys from FRC33, your insight and willingness to discuss how you do things is a testament to how great of a team culture you have created. If only all the "elite" teams were this open. I hope we get the chance to talk more in the future.