**FIRST EMAIL**/Match Results Posting Information

[Ricky Q.]

Greetings Teams:

We know that many of you have been looking for the match results on our website and we apologize for the unforeseen delay that is taking place.

We chose to embark on an ambitious redesign of the scoring system software and hardware this year, and hope that you enjoy the many benefits including better displays, much improved team pairings for qualification matches, more accurate timer control of robots, and now real-time scoring at some events. There are also numerous "invisible" enhancements to the system that make setup, operation, and takedown much easier for our volunteers, improve software reliability, enable remote maintenance, and more. The downside to this complexity is that we must ask for your patience as the web update functionality is finalized.

Once this feature is complete, match results and teams standings for all current and prior 2004 events will be posted to the FIRST web site. We estimate that this will be done no later than 5 PM EST on 3/22.

Regards,

FIRST

[Ricky Q.]

Originally Posted by Ricky Q.

Greetings Teams:
...We chose to embark on an ambitious redesign of the scoring system software and hardware this year, and hope that you enjoy the many benefits including better displays, much improved team pairings for qualification matches, ...
FIRST

I don't know how well the software is working, because I now recall that in St. Louis last weekend we were involved in matches with the same 4 teams for 3 in a row, it was nuts, easy stratigizing but still really unexpected and unnessecary.

Hopefully all their bugs are being worked out...

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Ricky Q.

I don't know how well the software is working, because I now recall that in St. Louis last weekend we were involved in matches with the same 4 teams for 3 in a row, it was nuts, easy stratigizing but still really unexpected and unnessecary.

Yeah, I've heard of similar type complaints at LI

[Tyler Olds]

Originally Posted by Ricky Q.

I don't know how well the software is working, because I now recall that in St. Louis last weekend we were involved in matches with the same 4 teams for 3 in a row, it was nuts, easy stratigizing but still really unexpected and unnessecary.

Hopefully all their bugs are being worked out...

Thanks for the update Ricky, It's good for peopel to know what is going on. I am sure that FIRST is still working out the kinks in their "random" match pairing system.

I think one of the main problems for teams being together is that they don't want to scedule a team to have 2 matches very close to each other. Thats why on Saturday, (at least at St. Louis) we were paired with a completely differant team.

[Swan217]

"much improved team pairings for qualification matches"

Huh, whatever you say. The Detroit Regional was still the same teams match after match. At least it made the scouting easier, because all of your partner's weaknesses this round will be your strategy against them the next round @_@

[Joe Ross]

Well, they are much faster with the awards this week. UTC and Annapolis are posted already, with partial results from LI.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

Well, they are much faster with the awards this week. UTC and Annapolis are posted already, with partial results from LI.

SBPLI is listed too.

[pras870]

woohoo, 870 got the Xerox Creativity Award, go us.

[IMDWalrus]

Originally Posted by Tyler Olds

I think one of the main problems for teams being together is that they don't want to scedule a team to have 2 matches very close to each other. Thats why on Saturday, (at least at St. Louis) we were paired with a completely differant team.

Seems like it's been that way for a while...I've heard more than a few complaints about this, but it's not going to change anytime soon.

FIRST wants everyone to have a (more or less) equal amount of time between matches, right? Say you have 45 minutes between your last match and your next match...guess who else has had 45 minutes between those matches? That's right...the teams you just finished playing with / against. The pairings might have changed, but the robots are still the same.

If FIRST did move to a more randomized schedule, without as much of a concern for time between matches, people would complain about not having enough time to fix up their robot. It's a lose-lose situation, unfortunately.

Still...better pairings would be nice. 818 didn't get to compete with or against 33 for the entire Detroit Regional, and I would have loved to see that happen (even though we would have probably lost). Maybe things will improve a bit next year...

[ejthe4th]

I don't think the pairings are that bad, although we did experience some repeates. At GLR, we (240) in match 48? were against 67 (HOT) and then again in match 62 (i think) we were aginst 67 again, then 4 matches later (as soon as we got to our pits we were called back out) we were allies with 67. Even though we did go against the same team twice, the stratergies used in the 2 games were totally different because the difference in our ally's abilities and our new opponent's abilities (we won the 1st and lost the 2nd match aginst 67). I think FIRST's "random pairings" are just fine, i just would have wished to not have 2 back to back matches, luckily nothing had broken so we were fine.

[Joe Ross]

FIRST seems to have gotten all the results posted. Way to go FIRST!

[dez250]

the people who work the systems (the scorekeepers) that create the maches do not have controll over what teams are in what matches. I mean all they do is put in the constarints for the algerithims (sp?) and click a generate button. Many teams dont seem to be bothered by their alliances and their opponents. Also with the average number of teams @ a regional (without counting the Canadian) there is under 40 teams present. How many teams all can be in the same time blocks?

[Wetzel]

GLR had 62 and St Louis at 52. Average size is in in the low 40s.

I know in the past that some scorekeepers ended up massaging the list manualy for hours to remove the repetition while others just left it as it was.

That said, being able to look back over all the matches and their scores is very interesting. Very cool FIRST.

Wetzel