The Not So-Secret Secret End-Game

[AndrewPospeshil]

A general request to those who believe a secret endgame can/will happen is for you to kindly keep said speculation out of other threads. There's a chance that it won't happen, and no team should be planning for it to happen (in contrast to being ready for it). Also I think many people would appreciate it if mentioning it in general was kept to a bare minimum (preferably not at all) seeing as it isn't explicitly stated and I doubt everyone wants to keep debating it over and over when they've already formed their own opinions about it.

[Link07]

There will NOT be a "secret endgame" or "endgame added in later." Of course, I'm not the GDC. But it's not gonna happen.

[XaulZan11]

Originally Posted by rzoeller

I'd be careful with that though. Defending a robot possessing a ball could be an easy way to be ruled as possessing it yourself, if you make any sort of meaningful contact.

If this is the case, then getting assists will be extremely easy.

[isaacnance2014]

Another scary thing to consider is the goalie zone is absolutely useless. To set up to block shots is not only impracticable with a six inch cylinder, its illegal. Its purposeful contact with an oponents ball

[synth3tk]

Originally Posted by TucoSalamanc

I browsed the subreddit through imgur (http://imgur.com/r/frc) as I was only looking for visual posts (searching for that offseason drivetrain posted a few days ago). Is there a way it can be in the imgur subreddit, but not the real one? I have a link but don't want the guy flamed, should I PM it to you?

Wow, you learn something new everyday! I never knew about that feature of imgur. Yes, please PM me the link.

[BWeldon]

I can't help but think that the name is the clue. What about this challenge, as it is, has to do with anything aerial?

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by BWeldon

I can't help but think that the name is the clue. What about this challenge, as it is, has to do with anything aerial?

The balls. Being shot in the AIR. Aerial.

[Thad House]

Aerial can also be in reference to the 6 inch extension that robots can have, which could be considered an antenna.

[chibi_mechanic]

Though your idea is very valid, I doubt that FIRST would subject us to such torment by throwing new rules and requirements at us mid-season. I may be a rookie, but I've done my research on a lot of past competitions as well as looked through many old posts on this site. I've never heard of a surprise endgame that wasn't heavily hinted. Usually FIRST makes it quite obvious what our tasks must be, and don't like to throw in surprises, nor do they enjoy creating new rules. I have no worries about this game, but I would not discount it entirely. Keep the notion in the back of your heads, but I wouldn't rely on this rumor.

~Rose Emma, Mechanic, Rookie

[Wildcats1378]

Originally Posted by Libby K

The balls. Being shot in the AIR. Aerial.

It is a pretty small part of the game though... You don't even have the throw them in the air. Does have a small point.

[JosephC]

Originally Posted by Wildcats1378

It is a pretty small part of the game though... You don't even have the throw them in the air. Does have a small point.

Throwing balls can earn you an addition 29 points per run. And even more in autonomous. I'd say its a fairly decent part of the game.

[O_ya]

Originally Posted by raptaconehs

I would like to point out there is a rule stating that a robot cannot extend past 60 inches unless they are in the goalie zone. So I highly doubt that would be the case.

The truss is approximately 62" (give or take up to 5") above the floor. After you take into consideration the hight of your robot, it will most Lilly be mor than the 5 inch grace zone. So this would be very plausible.

[chibi_mechanic]

Originally Posted by isaacnance2014

Another scary thing to consider is the goalie zone is absolutely useless. To set up to block shots is not only impracticable with a six inch cylinder, its illegal. Its purposeful contact with an oponents ball

Actually, it's not illegal at all. You are allowed to block the ball, as long as there is no POSSESSION of the opposing teams ball. My team actually looked this up in the rule book today. We assumed the same thing, but apparently this is a bit of a loophole. FIRST might edit the rules though, if their intentions don't coincide with this. But I doubt this will be changed. Otherwise, the goalie zone WOULD be useless. What point would there be if blocking balls was illegal? You might as well pin the robot so that it can't make the shot, but pinning is illegal too... it really sucks that we can't do battle-bots!! Ha ha! But anyways, I do think that FIRST will let this loophole slide. Otherwise defense would be almost non-existent.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by O_ya

The truss is approximately 62" (give or take up to 5") above the floor. After you take into consideration the hight of your robot, it will most Lilly be mor than the 5 inch grace zone. So this would be very plausible.

That's a 0.50" tolerance, not a 5" tolerance. (Or, as it could have been read, a 50" tolerance.)

Which, I might add, is pretty standard tolerance for large parts of an FRC field, which can be expected to vary by an inch or two over the full field.

[AndyBare]

Originally Posted by chibi_mechanic

Actually, it's not illegal at all. You are allowed to block the ball, as long as there is no POSSESSION of the opposing teams ball. My team actually looked this up in the rule book today. We assumed the same thing, but apparently this is a bit of a loophole. FIRST might edit the rules though, if their intentions don't coincide with this. But I doubt this will be changed. Otherwise, the goalie zone WOULD be useless. What point would there be if blocking balls was illegal? You might as well pin the robot so that it can't make the shot, but pinning is illegal too... it really sucks that we can't do battle-bots!! Ha ha! But anyways, I do think that FIRST will let this loophole slide. Otherwise defense would be almost non-existent.

I don't really see how this is a loophole. In blocking a ball, you in no way have control of it. You never possess the ball. Goalies are definitely legal, and teams will definitely use this strategy. Hands down.