Is anyone surprised by the scoring in week #1?

[BBray_T1296]

From a team competing at Dallas right now, our robot is certainly was not up to snuff (Friday at least) due to a variety of problems including differences between our home field/the competition practice field/the game field, as well as user errors.

You can practice on your wooden version all day long but competition with the clock actually ticking is a whole different animal. Of course this is the case every year but for teams like us who didn't finish the comp bot until just thursday there are gimmicks that slow performance.

Most years you score maybe 4-10 times over the course of the match, but now many teams only attempt 1-2 high-value stacks that take the whole time. Making even one small error has a massive impact on match score for this reason.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Peyton Yeung

I've seen a few box on wheels which have really messed up things for the other robots on the alliance.

Box on wheel teams often do not employ strategy.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by PVCpirate

There are 0-0 matches every year in week 1, as well as teams committing dumb fouls, nothing to see here.

The worst fouls I've seen being commuted are drivers wearing coaches buttons and coaches standing in the human player zones getting penalties when the human player moves into the zone.

[dodar]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

The worst fouls I've seen being commuted are drivers wearing coaches buttons and coaches standing in the human player zones getting penalties when the human player moves into the zone.

Yeah, the biggest set of penalties ive seen, granted its just from South Florida, are HP penalties.

[jimbo493]

Here at Howell we got some really high scoring, there were a couple low matches. But we got a considerable number in the 110 range, and the Semis/QF/Finals were intense, which was really surprising for a week 1. Personally I wasn't expecting to break 100 at all this weekend. But we did many times. And by this afternoon, it was normal.

[Jacob Bendicksen]

Originally Posted by Ricksta

Not surprised. Coop points will rule the rankings. At district champs and worlds, coop during qualifying will be expected.

I'm surprised to see no one starting with the yellow totes behind the glass. If you don't make a 3 stack in auto and load from HP, why not make it faster/easier to get that coop bonus.

Most (if not all, though I don't remember exactly) playoff alliances at PNW Oregon City today started with them behind the alliance wall, though that's not as surprising for playoffs (where coopertition stacks don't count).

[Ben Wolsieffer]

Originally Posted by faust1706

But alright. 148 will still mostly likely win every competition they go to....without using a third of their robot. I'd like to see other teams try to do that.

148 didn't win Dallas...

[Boltman]

Originally Posted by lopsided98

148 didn't win Dallas...

They would have had High Rollers not been disabled or they topped the last stack on the platform... Those two will be at LV and take that regional most likely. 148 in WC regardless.


Happy for Robonauts 118 though way to go awesome win awesome bot! Also 624 Cryptonite was holding its own when 118 was down..great alliance!

[Ichlieberoboter]

Very surprised! The only way to move up in the rankings has essentially been coopertition.

[Left To Beaver]

I think the main problem keeping scoring down this year is that a lot of teams made stacker robots without container mechanisms in the hopes of having a capper robot putting a container on top, and that a lot of teams made capper robots without stacker mechanisms in the hopes of having a stacker robot to provide totes, and that those two robot classes are not getting along at all. A couple stackers without any cappers just leads to bunch of scattered tote stacks and minimal scoring. A couple cappers leads to no points or action at all (or, if your that one team in Dallas, trying to stack containers on top of each other because your alliance partners can't even push a tote on the step). Even if there is a stacker and a capper in the same match, I saw many examples of overzealous cappers trying to put a container on a stack and pushing the entire stack off the platform in the process.

I am surprised by the number of robots that can successfully do co-op stacks, though, to the point where, by some regionals' end, matches having co-op was the rule, not the exception.

[Boltman]

Originally Posted by Left To Beaver

I think the main problem keeping scoring down this year is that a lot of teams made stacker robots without container mechanisms in the hopes of having a capper robot putting a container on top, and that a lot of teams made capper robots without stacker mechanisms in the hopes of having a stacker robot to provide totes, and that those two robot classes are not getting along at all. A couple stackers without any cappers just leads to bunch of scattered tote stacks and minimal scoring. A couple cappers leads to no points or action at all (or, if your that one team in Dallas, trying to stack containers on top of each other because your alliance partners can't even push a tote on the step). Even if there is a stacker and a capper in the same match, I saw many examples of overzealous cappers trying to put a container on a stack and pushing the entire stack off the platform in the process.

I am surprised by the number of robots that can successfully do co-op stacks, though, to the point where, by some regional's end, matches having co-op was the rule, not the exception.

Yes this.

I'm surprised at the predominant specialization ...stacker, capper or stepper.

There were many times today watching I just shook my head at time wasted. Some good bots basically neutered waiting for another bot to finish sometimes waiting over a minute. That is what we purposely designed our robot to do it all perhaps not as a high of a level as a true stacker only against the HP station BUT can change roles on a dime as needed.

[RonnieS]

At first glance walking around the pits, we were pretty pleased with what we saw. Only maybe 1 or 2 teams that were the common box on wheels, the rest seemed to have mechanisms....this opinion greatly changed when we seen teams on the field. The box on wheels has evolved to a tall rectangle on wheels. The teams that have had drive practice were very easy to pick out.

Teams with active intakes that worked had a great advantage! Being super slow and relying on lining up is a very bad way to get good at this game. It also seemed that a good alliance was better off doing 2 stacks of 3 totes and a can then 1 stack of 5 with a can and then tip it over after wasting the entire match.

Now strictly scoring, I was surprised with how little every team beside the good ones were able to contribute. I thought there would be the good and mediocre but it seemed like you were either getting a few stacks or none(beside the bad matches which I will attribute to little drive practice). I expected more teams to do a 3 tote auto just simply on the fact that the points from that would get you ranked fairly high just from that. (Obviously this is true for early events, not so true for later events)

This is just a side note, I noticed the refs being very relaxed about transport configuration. I seen numerous teams come to the field WAY outside of transport configuration and nothing said...that really disappointed me.
-Ronnie

[GeeTwo]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Box on wheel teams often do not employ strategy.

This year, there's not much they can do. I think I'll make a list, and make sure the driver team has a copy for any of these:

• Score single gray totes (2 points each) by pushing them on a platform. Preferably, they'll use an HP station, as the landfill will make a bigger mess.
• process litter, provided they have very low ground clearance, or can make a plow and pass inspection with it (1 point each)
• move fallen and surplus items out of the way (0 points, but helpful)
• get in the way (0 points, and not helpful)
• make a mess (e.g. break up the landfill - 0 points, not helpful)
• knock over stuff and commit fouls (negative points)

[quote=Left To Beaver;1451356]I am surprised by the number of robots that can successfully do co-op stacks, though, to the point where, by some regionals' end, matches having co-op was the rule, not the exception./QUOTE]
Most outside-chassis lifts can place totes on the step just as they score on the scoring platforms; it's only 4" higher. Coopertition is a large chunk of relatively easy points that can't be de-scored once scored; it was high on our list of things to be able to do.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Ronnie314

This is just a side note, I noticed the refs being very relaxed about transport configuration. I seen numerous teams come to the field WAY outside of transport configuration and nothing said...that really disappointed me.

It is very difficult to tell a team's transport configuration in queue. If someone is way out, probably we'd find out.

But there isn't a foul we can call. All we can do is tell the team to get it into transport configuration. And then they'll need to get out onto the field--and get back out of transport configuration.

[gabrieltheaweso]

Originally Posted by MrJohnston

I am surprised at the number of teams not putting up any points.... Very few teams seem to be attempting a three-tote auto stack - and fewer are succeeding.... Even some really strong teams are struggling... Watching Dallas, I saw 148 fail to score any auto points, but did proceed to make two very nice stacks topped with recycling containers.

My team has a 3 tote auto, but it requires 2 of the 3 containers to be moved out of the way: we are finding it difficult to get 1 or 2 alliance partners to do this, so we never ended up using it.