Eliminating "Start Build Day"

[Lil' Lavery]

Yes, I know "Start Build Day" is actually called Kickoff.

This is an idea that's been kicking around in my head for a while. I had intended to create a post during the "Eliminate Stop Build Day" discussions that had occurred recently, but never got around to making a post that said what I wanted to say in the way I wanted to say it. Inspired in part by this thread, I invite a full blown discussion of when the new game should be revealed and what teams should be allowed to do prior to the game reveal.


Much of the discussion revolving around the elimination of stop build day revolves around giving teams more access to their machines. Why is stop build day the only artificial date being examined? There's also an artificial start date. Should teams be allowed to use components they fabricated or designed prior to kickoff? Should the game be revealed earlier in the school year?

One of the parallels often drawn in other discussions were to the lack of Stop Build Day in FTC and VRC. However, these programs also have differing views of Kickoff (both from FRC and one another). Both programs have more than six weeks between game reveal and the initial qualifying events (and for some teams, massively more than that). Both programs have a much much larger window between game reveal and the conclusion of the competition season (in the case of VRC, the next game is revealed during the Championship event, meaning there's an active game 365 days of the year). Perhaps someone with a better nuts and bolts knowledge of these programs can offer perspectives on their rules allowing reuse of parts or designs.


So, is January the ideal time for kickoff? Can team experiences and/or performance be improved by adjusting the kickoff date? By relaxing the kickoff requirements?