[MCC] Minimum Competitive Concept 2014

[Nemo]

MCC is one concept that is defined in a certain way, but it brings a different question to mind.

For a team with median resources,
assuming that competitive success is prioritized over cool factor,
given what was known about the rules a few days into build season,
What is the smartest robot design to attempt?

This year, lots of teams prioritized shooting over acquisition and ended up not being able to participate effectively in assist cycles. It wasn't a secret that ball control would be hugely important for every robot. It was right there in the way the game and its scoring system were designed. Why did so many teams miss on that?

Should we have this thread nice and early next year? It will probably be possible to take a decent shot at MCC (or similar) in the first week of the season, and that might be useful to a lot of teams that would otherwise put their eggs in the wrong basket.