"Playing Cheap"

[Ryan Foley]

Now why would you say hanging is a cheap strategy?
1) It's part of the game. The only cheap strategies in FIRST are those that break rules. The bar is in the game because FIRST wanted to see some hanging bots. Obviously if FIRST thought that just hanging was cheap there wouldnt be a bar to hang on.

2) You can beat a hanging bot, just block them from getting to the bar. And if they do latch on. just beat them with balls.

3) Doing only 1 thing IS A GREAT STRATEGY!!! It gives you all of build season to focus on building the mechanism for that task (the hanging arm for example), saving you time and money. Then your drive teams are so much better at it because they really only have to practice doing 1 thing.

4) Why shouldn't a team get awards when their robot only does one thing. They have played the game as they wanted to, and they, like the rest of us succeeded in building their robot. I have seen robots that do only one thing that are far more impressive than ones that do everything. Just because they only do one thing does not make their robot any less impressive or their team any less skilled.

5) Bots that only hang can be exciting too. With all the trouble getting up the platforms many bots have, its suspenseful watching to see if they can get on top without tipping over. Or try the match at BAE when 4 robots went for the bar at the same time.

6) remember that most of the time, simpler is better. I have watched many matches where the big fancy robot that does everything looses to a little tiny robot that only does one thing. Look at the top seed in BAE, Team 501 only hanged, and they did it well.

Honestly, doing 1 thing is a great strategy. Its simple, usually inexpensive, and usually quicker to build. If a team wants to do this than thats how they want to play the game, and it's their right to play it that way.

by the way, as far as teams that lack the bravery to do anything, consider a few things first:
-maybe that team didnt have the time, resources or money to build anything more than a box on wheels
-never underestimate what a box on wheels can do, they can surprise you
-the team still built a robot didnt they? That means they still did what they set out to do, build a robot
-perhaps the team might not be doing all these showy tricks in matches for fear of breaking or destroying their creation that they worked their buts off on for 6 weeks.

Teams can play the game anyway they want (except for breaking rules of course). Like I said, there arent any "cheap" strategies except those that break the rules or go against gracious professionalism. Obviously if FIRST thought something was "cheap" they would put something in the rules forbdding it (such as the tipping of another robot).