Where is the sweet spot?

[asid61]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

It's not "too much" optimism; it's the right amount.

I agree with you that most teams still hope to do better than they will actually achieve. My team just happens to be one of the very few exceptions. This is closely tied in with what the FIRST Robotics Competition is all about. In a competitive venue, safe designs constitute "playing not to lose"; bold, innovative, (and therefore risky) designs are "playing to win". If you don't push your limits, you're really just imposing your own limits.

I agree with this. While there are exceptions, I very highly doubt the teams on Einstein are going to be making 3-tote stacks. If you can't make it to Einstein, then the point is moot anyway and you can go on making 3-tote stacks.
It comes down to how much you want a working robot with no risks versus a probably working robot that has potentially higher scores.
You do have to be consistent though.