IRI - Dates, Info and Rule Ideas

[Chris Fultz]

IRI 2012 is July 20 - 21. Same location as 2011.
Details on timing for applications, invitations, fees, etc. will be coming soon.

For now - what ideas for rule / play adjustments do you have?

Remember, the goal of the IRI is to maintain the primary focus of the FIRST game, but sometimes make tweaks to rules or game play based on the benefit of seeing multiple events and how the game has played out. So, we won't make major changes or radical departures form the game teams have designed robots to play.

As thought starters, here are a few ideas i have heard -

1. Less value on co-op bridge (1 point vs. 2).
2. Use a "money ball" at the end that has extra bonus value if scored (option to help offset 40 point triple balance).
3. Longer Autonomous to encourage the use of Kinect.
4. Longer Teleop to allow for strategies to play out differently (3 minutes?).

[lemiant]

This probably wouldn't fit in IRI, but it would be pretty awesome to see a "hybrid" that was a minute long, where balls got returned.

Co-op balances with 1QP for every team past 1 and allow sketchier balancing devices.

[Wetzel]

If you want to drive Kinect use, allow a Kinect driven robot to ignore the backcourt violation.

Wetzel

[P.J.]

One thing I've been thinking about all season is maybe changing the rules involving hanging on the bridge. I don't know if this would be considered too "radical," but basically allowing structures like 118's original bridge hanging device from their initial reveal video to be used without incurring penalty.

[Billfred]

Instead of altering timing (which I'm a bit leery of, given how longer runs get our CIMs way too hot on last year's robot), how about this: A Kinect-using robot can pre-load a third ball.

A money ball could be fun to fight over--say that the ref puts it in the corral of the alliance that "won" the hybrid period at 30 seconds (at the train whistle). If there's a tie, put one in both corrals. With the right point value (+10 over the basket's value? 15?), it could open up a lot of new strategies (both offensive and defensive).

[Koko Ed]

Dump the Kinect. Waste of floor space.

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Dump the Kinect. Waste of floor space.

I vote for this. Totally agreed.

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by Billfred

Instead of altering timing (which I'm a bit leery of, given how longer runs get our CIMs way too hot on last year's robot), how about this: A Kinect-using robot can pre-load a third ball.

Couldn't you then use a Kinect, but not do anything with it?

Last minute "hail marry" shots should be worth the hybrid period points (4, 5, and 6 points per basket, respectively).

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

Last minute "hail marry" shots should be worth the hybrid period points (4, 5, and 6 points per basket, respectively).

I could go for that. That's one heck of a shot to hit those.
I finally hit one last weekend in DC after getting the field up and nearly threw out my elbow doing it. Kudos to those who hit it often.

[Chinmay]

I'd love to see a change in the penalty for contacting an opposing alliance's bridge; it would be nice to see no penalty for this unless you contact the bridge while the opposing alliance is. This would get rid of the 9 pt fouls and also introduce the possibility of snatching 2 extra balls if you are careful.

[Duke461]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

I could go for that. That's one heck of a shot to hit those.
I finally hit one last weekend in DC after getting the field up and nearly threw out my elbow doing it. Kudos to those who hit it often.

I hit three shots
I also upvote the human player bonus idea


Here's my idea:
In eliminations, the co-opertition bridge can still be used. If a robot is balanced on that bridge, it receives 10 points. In other words, in elims a triple balance is worth 40 points, and a double and single balance gets you 30 points.
Now the actual "having control of the co-op bridge" is the real problem. I haven't picked a really nice solution yet, but maybe the money ball mentioned earlier could be used for this purpose of securing the co-op bridge to one alliance.

-Duke

P.S. I wholeheartedly upvote the CP bridge balance being worth just one seeding point (or maybe get rid of it altogether? Then apply my elims rule to all matches?)

[HD]

How about making the autonomous pre-loads 6 balls per alliance instead of 2 per robot. (so one robot could have 6 pre-loads)

Originally Posted by hmannn1

How about making the autonomous pre-loads 6 balls per alliance instead of 2 per robot. (so one robot could have 6 pre-loads)

Good suggestion, but IRI is supposed to make the game more user-intuitive, but also a bit harder.

How about: Each robot can start with a maximum of 1 ball, and the remaining 12 are placed randomly on the 3 bridges.

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

Good suggestion, but IRI is supposed to make the game more user-intuitive, but also a bit harder.

How about: Each robot can start with a maximum of 1 ball, and the remaining 12 are placed randomly on the 3 bridges.

I don't really agree with you on this point. IRI is not supposed to be harder (the teams that come make it harder, but the game is not changed to be more difficult) it's supposed to take the rules that people don't necessarily like and remove them, or add ones to make the game more fun.

I would prefer having 6 balls that can be distributed any way among your alliance rather than taking away balls from them and putting them on the bridges.