IRI - 2015 Rule Modification Ideas?

[Adam Freeman]

Lets just trim each match down to the 15s auto period.

We can all work all summer long to create either the most awesome "Wave-like" tote stack / can grabbing machine... or the worlds fastest and baddest Recycling Container yanking device.

The rest of the match is just a pain in the butt to play anyways, lets trim the fat and do what is most exciting.

I was most excited about every Division Playoff and Einstein match at the beginning, usually just the first 0.5-1s.

We could probably play a lot more matches, or get done faster for more time for extracirricular activities.

-Adam

[Paul Copioli]

Here are my serious suggestions:

1. Get rid of serpentine (a long staple of IRI)

2. Go back to wins and losses in both regular and playoff matches. There is precedence for this in 2003 and it was much better. Even if it is just for the playoffs, then that will still be better.

3. Go to 2 v 2!

4. As a result of #3 above, reduce the number of teams attending.


#3 is the most exciting for me because this reduces the need for all of the cans and makes that race less influential without significantly changing the game. It also makes an alliance really weigh the trade-offs between auton and cans.


and one not so serious suggestion:

All day Friday are mentor matches. Only Saturday are student drivers allowed to drive.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Paul Copioli

... and one not so serious suggestion:

All day Friday are mentor matches. Only Saturday are student drivers allowed to drive.

If there is a robot left to drive. Many mentors are not good drivers.

[Nemo]

Originally Posted by Paul Copioli

3. Go to 2 v 2!

#3 is the most exciting for me because this reduces the need for all of the cans and makes that race less influential without significantly changing the game. It also makes an alliance really weigh the trade-offs between auton and cans.

This is an interesting thought, but I prefer Zondag's suggestions to make more cans and totes available. If the game piece limits go away, then the incentive is to get the 3rd robot on the alliance to be as productive as possible, which I find to be more exciting. Let's see 10 stacks on each side of the field.

[Steven Donow]

Make can races an autonomous bonus. Whichever alliance gets the most cans ends up with a 20 pt bonus (or something...or just X points per can).

Then balance out however many cans by giving them to the HP station (ie. Red alliance steals 3 cans, blue steals 1, Blue gets two cans in the HP station, Red gets none), extend the HP area to an area similar to last year allowing them to place cans onto the field.

Only issue is this assumes a can race where all four cans are taken happens in every match/what to do about contested cans that are still being fought over in teleop.

[Shifter]

Add an end game:

Yellow totes that do not start on the field may only be introduced through the chute in the last 20 seconds of the match.

At the end of the match, a stack containing one or more of these end-game yellow totes scores double (ie. one six-high stack with RC and noodle where one tote is an end-game yellow scores 2 x 42 = 84 points). If multiple stacks contain an end-game yellow tote then only the stack worth the most amount of points is doubled in value.

Perhaps the same applies for the co-op stack during qual's - would love to see teams screaming through forests of stacks in a race to co-op before the buzzer sounds.

[BrendanB]

After watching matches this weekend I would suggest the following:

Remove the step. Flip the upside down totes while filling the now vacant step space with totes. Create a rule that you can not cross over the white tape line defining their side of the landfill zone. Small penalty for minor infractions yellow/red card for if strategic/knocks over a stack.

Consider placing a special tote(s) in a randomized position in the landfill in the center line of totes that is a bonus tote when scored.

Place 8 RCs on the scoring platforms.

Increase totes count to 42 (or more) totes behind the alliance station.

With more totes available consider placing a scoring platform on the sides of the landfill for more scoring space each for their own alliance.

With Co-op removed allow yellow totes to be used in stacks.

Litter can only be scored in Recycling Containers or remove litter altogether.

Just a few different ways to change up the game.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Half joking suggestion that hasn't been completely thought out.

Tote Scoring: 2^(level -1)

It would take some of the weight of the can race off. Though it's a major change and it definitely hurts can specialists.

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Half joking suggestion that hasn't been completely thought out.

Tote Scoring: 2^(level -1)

It would take some of the weight of the can race off. Though it's a major change and it definitely hurts can specialists.

This is something that should have been done initially.

[Bennett548]

I'd prefer that each tote is worth [level of the bottom-most point of the tote] + 2
1 tote stack (level zero)=2
2 tote stack=2+3=5
3 tote stack=9
6 tote stack=27

Makes canburglars not as powerful, rewards taller stacks.
(and this is coming from a mentor on a team that specializes in canburgling, and can only do 5 stacks, for now)