Ideal Regional?

[Jonathan Norris]

Greater Toronto East is going to be a tough new Regional this year, its also pretty stacked with a lot of Canada's top teams: 188, 610, 781, 1075, 1114, 1241, 1547, 2056, 2809, ect. Thats a lot of good teams for a 36 team regional.

[Chexposito]

I love the Greater K.C. Regional, the pit space is huge, the field area is huge, there's tons of seating, it's been growing in team size and the competition is good. The only thing that may be bad is that people with allergies to animals such as horses and other various livestock are bothered (it's a rodeo arena).

[1986titans]

Originally Posted by Chexposito

I love the Greater K.C. Regional, the pit space is huge, the field area is huge, there's tons of seating, it's been growing in team size and the competition is good. The only thing that may be bad is that people with allergies to animals such as horses and other various livestock are bothered (it's a rodeo arena).

KC's setup last year was probably my favorite out of all the regionals I've been to. The only things I'd change about KC is the smell of the American Royal that hangs around just a little bit and the fact that it's a Week 1 regional. I think the competition in KC might be quite a bit different if it was a later week.

[JosephC]

MSC hands down. The high concentration of high caliber teams makes it incredible.

[StevenB]

Originally Posted by Garrett.d.w

I'd like a two stage regional. One stage that is very competitive and you go to test your metal (no pun intended) with other teams. The second stage would be a relaxed event, where rookie teams would get a chance to work with the powerhouse teams (winning alliance of the previous stage).

At the risk of local horn-tooting, this is more or less how the season works in New England. There are now four regionals (BAE GSR, WPI, Boston, and UTC CT), all of which have their share of pretty competitive teams. They're intense and hard-fought.
But after the official season comes the fun. We have a ton of off season events*, which are generally fun and relaxed. Everyone gets a chance to tweak their robot (or build a new one), try new drivers, or just wipe the dust off for one last hurrah. There usually are fewer teams, more matches, and many opportunities to interact and learn from other teams. And the cost for all of these events is on the order of $1000 - for all of them combined. That's ideal, if you ask me!


* including Mayhem in Merrimack, Beantown Blitz, WPI Battlecry, Bash at the Beach, River Rage, Where is Wolcott, Mainely Spirit, and one or two more I can't remember.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by JosephC

MSC hands down. The high concentration of high caliber teams makes it incredible.

I haven't been to MSC since 2009 but I didn't care one bit for the pit set up which was here, there and everywhere. Otherwise the event was amazing.

[flippy147852]

The pits are *only* split in half

[dodar]

I have to echo what Ed said. if you want a regional with some intensity behind its crowd and absolute niceness in the pits, can't go wrong with Orlando. If you want a calm, laid back regional with some of the best backdrops you haven't been to a reional till you've been to Colorado. But for the overall experience I would have to say Champs in Atlanta; the pits, the fields, the sounds, it was a 24/7 nerd rush and I mean 24/7 because you could hardly sleep during that entire week.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by flippy147852

The pits are *only* split in half

Like I said: awful. MSC needs to be in a place worthy of it, like Ford Field.

[PayneTrain]

I LOVE big regionals. I guess 36-40 team regionals get a lot of replay time, but I've never not been to 60+ team regionals. The competition is so thick, and there are so many more teams that can inspire.

I guess an ideal regional is one where you have a large number of teams, with a 75/25 split of in-state and out of state teams.

[MarcD79]

N/E Regional in CT this year has 64 teams. That's a lot of teams! I am set-up, take-down & FTAA. I will try my hardest to make sure the teams get as much round time as we can get them. It's a big task to get that many bots through in a timely manner. There are a lot of teams that can be number 1. Should be a fantastic time! Would love to see an East & West division in CT. The Convention Center is big enough.

[JosephC]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Like I said: awful. MSC needs to be in a place worthy of it, like Ford Field.

What's wrong with having 2 pits? It's how I get my exercise.

[RoboMom]

A regional where the event is fully staffed with a combination of experienced and rookie volunteers, including a healthy dose of alumni in the key positions.

[Squeakypig]

I think a competition like the Troy District is ideal. This year we have 8 rookies competing there amongst the 44 teams. We also have a great cast of veteran teams for those rookies to learn from (with the recent addition of 1918 to the party it's gonna be an amazingly competitive regional). Pits are nice. Only complaint would be trying to find a seat when the Thunderchickens, HOT, Robostangs, and Killer Bees sit their huge teams down.

MSC: Pits are terrible, I agree. I don't know if this happens every year, but in 2010 the pits were mainly split up into 2 but there were also a few teams that got put in a hallway out in the middle of nowhere (I think 910 Foley Freeze was one of them if I am not mistaken). I'd love to see this thing happen on Ford Field or at the Silverdome even!

[flippy147852]

<wishfulthinking>

maybe FIRST can buy the silverdome and use it for year-round FIRST action!

</wishfulthinking>