FRC Blogged - What Do You Think? The ‘Invite to Decline’ Strategy

[JohnSchneider]

Originally Posted by srippetoe

When we look at alliance selections, one of our concerns is the formation of an alliance we really don't want to play against. Such was the case at TRR when 3310 asked us if we would say yes if asked to join their alliance. If that had happened, we were pretty sure 624 and 118 would get together. We looked at what might happen if we did not accept and thought that gave us a better chance of winning TRR. We ended up with 359 just as we expected.

We told 3310 that we would decline their invitation but they asked us anyway. I found that a little surprising as it did not affect our ability to invite other teams and we were the second seeded alliance so no one else could ask us to join them. We knew 3310 had a good robot and drive team but an alliance between 118 and 624 was a little frightening.

I like the idea of asking teams if they want to accept or form their own alliance. This was definitely our thinking at the Bayou Regional where we thought we had a chance at a wild card slot if we met 118 in the finals and we were the alliance captain.

Scott Rippetoe
Texas Torque

We picked you first because we felt you were the best robot there.

We picked 118 because we felt they were the second best robot, however we were a little surprised 118 declined (as I imagine you guys were).

It is possible 118 only declined because 1477 declined first. They may have had the same mentality as you guys in thinking that 3310 and 118 might not be able to beat 1477&624 - especially considering the experience those teams have working with one another. By declining they could break up that alliance.

But I think that TRR is a good example of the cost-benefit of declining in alliance selection. It shows the system really works in its current state - All of the elimination matches at TRR were intense and fairly even.