IRI Rule Changes - 2012

[Tetraman]

Originally Posted by BJC

Every robot is built to try to win matches in its respective game. Even though there are other factors involved (such as your partners and opponents) I think that how many matches you win overall during the season is still a fairly good indicator of how "good" your robot is. It's not perfect, but its the metric used by competitions everywhere. It is, in any case, a better way to determine robot rank at a competition then the co-op bridge is.

But that's the thing, the co-op bridge isn't the only way in which your rank is determined. You have to win the match before you can reap the real benefits of the co-op bridge. There is a benefit in earning co-op points when you lose, but the real winner is the robot that wins the match and earns co-op points too. And in order to gain those points, your alliance must still win the match. So yes, you are right, if a robot is deemed "good" it's usually because of how many matches they win, but part of the game of Rebound Rumble and what makes teams (not robots) good in Rebound Rumble is their ability to utilize the white bridge.

Every robot at IRI is going to win their fair share of matches. That's for certain. And the robots that are expected to be in the top 8 will most likely do so. But the co-op bridge allows you to extend your victory and turns it into the same as two victories. Cooperating is a skill of Rebound Rumble, and it is a whole lot more than just another way to rank robots. It's a skill, and an alliance can be rewarded for utilizing and implementing that skill.

I find that removing the co-op points is more than just the removal of a "fairness" system that FIRST implemented because Coopertition and GP and all that, it's also removing a core and fundamental part of the game just so the teams and spectators can watch a few more triple balances.