need input for FTC skills challenges

[Andrew Schuetze]

greetings,

I'm working with a local FRC/FTC team to develop a FTC off-season event in late May here in San Antonio, TX. I'm in contact with the NJ FTC affiliate partner to obtain his revised game rules for their FTC Extreme version of Bowled Over. I'm reviewing a driver skills challenge course from a fall event up in the mid-west which looks interesting.

A few questions in which C.D. members can help:
Driver's skills challenge course - scored on some combination of best time plus time penalties for missed obstacles? Something like a bike rodeo with 5 seconds for hitting a cone, driving out of the lane...

We 're working on an autonomous challenge / programming challenge. We'll set up a course that can be navigated autonomously with dead reckoning but better times will likely be obtained with use of basic sensors such as a bump, ultrasonic, maybe light.
Do we need to post the course weeks in advance of the event or do we keep it secret and unveil the morning of the event? I see pros and cons for both. Scoring would be 100% completion best time??

Do we add an adults coaches driver challenge round? Same as regular driver skills challenge but let an adult coach get a round at the controls? How popular is that at events?

Thanks for your input,

APS