YMTC: Redateam uses remote kickoff field

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Sidney San Martín

Wait... I can't see the obvious reasons. It would seem that the demo field would be the best and most complete field to support demonstrations and look cool at the kickoff. What would be missing?
I'm still relatively new, so bear with me while I build my FIRST personal obviousness database.

By the way, I voted semi-legal. I can't see why this action would be wrong, but it is an unfair advantage to have extra time and advance specs.

What would be missing?

For example, at San Jose State in 2003 only half the ramp was built (Or they just didnt bring in the other half)

To build all of last year's field would have been insane and taken up A LOT of space that Im sure most remote kickoff sites don't have.

[phrontist]

The remote kickoffs have feilds?! VCU didn't last year did it? So you're telling me some teams get advanced specs... why haven't we seen these!!!

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally Posted by phrontist

The remote kickoffs have feilds?! VCU didn't last year did it? So you're telling me some teams get advanced specs... why haven't we seen these!!!

Aside from attending a remote kickoff, I have very little experience with how they're actually run. But from what I've heard, volunteers (from comapanies who sponsor the host team, parents, etc) usually begin to piece together the field components. Keeping with gracious professionalism and fairness, the team knows nothing about what these volunteers are doing - just that they are, in fact, doing it. The volunteers set up the field at the remote kick-off site, and when the time comes, the field is unvailed to everyone's surprise - including the members of the host team(s).

That's my understanding of how the demonstration fields are set up at remote kickoffs.

Please, correct me if I am wrong.

[dez250]

Originally Posted by phrontist

The remote kickoffs have feilds?! VCU didn't last year did it? So you're telling me some teams get advanced specs... why haven't we seen these!!!

Some remote kickoff locations will sometimes have part of the field or some field elements present. This can be used as an "incentive" for a company/sponsor/venue to host a remote kickoff. FIRST will release only field specs to certain people who have signed NDA's (Non-Disclosure Agreements). So even though the field is being built, the game still isn't known to the builders. The Field is then property of the group that built it and the decision of what happens to it is up to them after the event. The people who are on the build group for remote kickoff equipment normally aren't on a team and are employees of the hosting facility or sponsor. The NDA acts as a way to keep these people from telling anyone what the field involves and normally you wont even know they are building the field. So yeah most remote kickoff events that are official events through FIRST will have some field object present.

But now i guess its my time to voice my opinion. I think that any team that goes through the organization and work to have a remote kickoff hosted more then deserves any field part that were developed for that event.

Hope that helps,
~Mike

[Matt Krass]

I have an issue with this for one reason.

True, the host team doesn't get the rules but, some field elements speak for themselves.
For instance the bar 2004, seems obvious to me what that's for even without rules, and the 14" barriers in 2003. You knew you needed a low robot to go under that. Sure it's only a day, but in 2003 those 'snow days' we got allowed us to finish an integral part of our robot, vastly improving it. One day can carry a lot. Forgive any typos I'm on my Pocket PC.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by Sidney San Martín

Wait... I can't see the obvious reasons. It would seem that the demo field would be the best and most complete field to support demonstrations and look cool at the kickoff. What would be missing?
I'm still relatively new, so bear with me while I build my FIRST personal obviousness database.

By the way, I voted semi-legal. I can't see why this action would be wrong, but it is an unfair advantage to have extra time and advance specs.

At the remote kickoffs it is not necessary to have a complete field since all of the game is done in NH. The field pieces and movable goals (if any) are all that are required. The border, players stations, carpet, etc. is not needed.

[Steve W]

Nowhere in the question does it say that Redateam builds the field. It does say that they organized and paid for the field. If the team did build the field, yes i agree that this is unfair. To my knowledge FIRST does not disclose any of the plans with teams. There may be a team mentor or someone associated with the team that builds the field but they would need to sign a non disclosure form. I do not see anything different in that case to say dlavery being on the game committee or any of the others that may be involved.

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Steve W

Nowhere in the question does it say that Redateam builds the field. It does say that they organized and paid for the field. If the team did build the field, yes i agree that this is unfair. To my knowledge FIRST does not disclose any of the plans with teams. There may be a team mentor or someone associated with the team that builds the field but they would need to sign a non disclosure form. I do not see anything different in that case to say dlavery being on the game committee or any of the others that may be involved.

It wouldn't really bother me if some teams got even the entire rule book early. Every year at the kickoff it's stressed that FIRST isn't fair; what difference will a couple days advance notice make with all the variables of budget, mentoring, etc. between teams anyway? The winners in FIRST are typically massive established teams with hordes of professional engineers. Is a little advance notice of the game really going to change a thing? I'm willing to bet that if the build season were extended by even a few weeks, there would still be just as many teams staying up all night the day before shipment. Advance notice to build a field won't give a team any significant advantage. Any thoughts?