Predictions for UTC New England Regional

[foursixnine]

I'm gonna have to go with the best 2-goal bot there and a bot with the capability of defending/dragging the 3rd goal. This is all based on how regionals have ended in the past. Really the only way a 2-goal bot and single goal bot can be beat is by teaming up on the 2-goal bot, but even then though it's a throw up between the 2 teams because it could turn into a 4 bot tug-o-war (personal experience at Buckeye).

[dtk]

It seems like that was the question at the beginning of the season, whether it was better to go for all three goals or one goal and stuff it full of balls. Now after 9/17 regionals have finished (3 more will finish up in a day) the answer is still unclear.

There's no doubt in my mind that in qualifying one goal and balls is definitly the way to go, but for the elimination rounds its not so clear. In a strategy where a team focuses on the third goal and filling it with balls it becomes much more diffacult to get quite so many balls in when the other teams robot is there fighting for that goal. The two regional events that my team has attended (GLR and OH) were won with the three goal strategy. This may bring into question the quality of ball-bots at these events. However i am of the opinion that some of the best 1 goal+ball robots were in attendance at these events.

http://www.soap108.com/2002/stats/eventlevel/index.cfm

As you can see these events were top three for number of balls scored on average. In addition to that at GLR team 47 (18.43) and 65 (17.14) attained 2 of the top averages for balls per match at an event. Which in some cases exceed the top team at a regional by 5+ balls per match. And I'm just going to add stats aside they are both VERY good at stuffing a goal.

So basically what im saying with all that is my biased goal dragging point of view still believes the final matches are going to come down to goal control.

-dtk

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally posted by Kevin Ray
TEAM 173 RULES !!!!

Is 'ol one arm going to be back to full capacity by then?

OF COURSE!!
the cast will be off the weekend before Nats.
im lookin forward to seein yous guys.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Just to let ya know.
The doctor said today(4-1-02) it comes off 4-15 so by nats. it will have been off for a week+

[Elgin Clock]

Balls definately do count!!! Twice in the final rounds we won by 1 point. Now since goals are not worth one point I wonder where those one points came from???? Hmmm....I wonder??????

[Raul]

A note to all strong 2 goal bots:

You better plan on having a ball bot when you go against Beatty. Otherwise, they will eat you alive. They will not lose a pushing match to anyone.

I watched 469 play at Buckeye and GLR and I was very impressed. Then I watched Beatty at MWR. Beatty would dominate 469 in a pushing match. Ball bots will be the difference!

[Todd Derbyshire]

So does anyone want to start throwing around team numbers...
I'm going to guess myself an alliance between
(157, 95, and 88)
From what I know of these two teams they would be the perfect alliance partners for us and we would be able to compliment them nicely. Wouldn't mind working with spike again either (Good job in NJ guys remember to pick us again in CT so we can have some revenge) Any other ideas?

[JAlpert]

Team 469 agrees that we cannot stop Beatty if both teams grab goals. The shear of the file cards on Beatty's walking bar is probably greater than the pushing power of 469. We have not given up, however. We are not stupid either.

There is a 25% chance that 469 and 71 will be in the same division at nationals. The chances are just about 0 that the two teams will be on the same alliance. So, if 469 and 71 are ever on the same field at nationals, they will have opposing light covers. I hope it happens.

We greatly respect Team 71 and all they have done for FIRST. They have a robot that could very well be unstoppable this year. It would be an honor to face beatty in a national elimination match.

Jeff Alpert
Team 469

[Raul]

JAlpert,

469 has a great chance against Beatty. But not because you can get two goals, but because you are very fast. The key is to quickly get one of the outside goals and fill it with 10 more balls than they can, then score it and get your robots to your endzone.
Watch some of the movies of MMR on SOAP and you will see what I mean.

We never got to play with or against you at GLR - hope we get a chance at Nats. Good luck to you guys at Nats

[Ricky Q.]

Originally posted by Raul
JAlpert,
The key is to quickly get one of the outside goals and fill it with 10 more balls than they can, then score it and get your robots to your endzone.
Watch some of the movies of MMR on SOAP and you will see what I mean.

Raul is right, that is the way to beat Beatty, if you can get to an outside goal before they latch on, push it back out of the way and just load it with balls, you have a chance. You definetley need a ball bot against Beatty.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally posted by Todd Derbyshire
So does anyone want to start throwing around team numbers...
I'm going to guess myself an alliance between
(157, 95, and 88)
From what I know of these two teams they would be the perfect alliance partners for us and we would be able to compliment them nicely. Wouldn't mind working with spike again either (Good job in NJ guys remember to pick us again in CT so we can have some revenge) Any other ideas?

I got 2 teams for ya.
173 RAGE , and 237 TRIBE
we would do very good together.
for the third, though, im not sure, i would like a robot very similar to 237, or 173, to keep the same strategy

[Todd Derbyshire]

12 hours left before I leave can't wait to the competition starts

[fast frank]

Originally posted by Kyle Fenton
This is not a full list of teams but there seams like there is more ball handlers than 2 goal grabbers in UTC.

Ball Handlers
58
69
95
103
121
126
131
145
166
173
175
236
271
348
500
782
811

2-goal grabber
38
151
237
287
505
596
839

Other
293
809

271 is also a 2-grabber as well. we can garrentee 10 balls and we can hold 2 goals easily with our 4 motor drive system and goal locking chassis.

oh yea, we're leaving in about 2 hours to go up to new haven, i better try to get some sleep now!

[jasoni]

Team 95 is the best ball grabber I have ever seen.

For anyone who hasn't seen 95 in action, they pick up an entire line of 20 balls in one shot at full speed, totalling about 5 seconds.

My hat goes off to 95.

[Mark_lyons]

Seems like teams are on to them though. In the last match their opponent 195 scattered all the balls on them before they could get there, making it much more time consuming for them to gather the balls.