Rule 8.4.1

[Petey]

Originally Posted by M.O.R.T.

I definately think that this will change things around for the elimination matches...instead of the number 1 seed getting the 1st and 9th pick...which are the "best picks of the rounds" they get one best and one worst...it'll be fun

Hmm....

Well, as much as I like the fairness, I also don't like it because I think it could take away from the top seeded teams.

If you take your cues from sports--which I usually do--than this is strange, because you normally have, say, 1st seed playing 8th seed because it is recognized that, although there *needs* to be a playoff, you want to give the 1st seed the advantage because they deserve it--because they finished first during the "regular season."

However, FIRST is different because in the qualifying matches are always done with the aid of an alliance...

I suppose this will make the playoffs more competitive, which is never a bad thing. However, it will make it so that more undeserving teams get picked to go to finals, and more deserving teams get picked by an 8th seed that might well be eliminated.

I mean, put it this way: Team A is 1st seed, Team B is 8th seed. Team C is a non-seeded team with, say, an 8 out of 10 robot, Team D is a non-seeded team with a 5 out of 10 robot.

Normally, Team A would ally with Team C, and Team B would grab Team D. However, it will now be the other way around, and Team A--the first seed--will be paired up with the weakest robot picked during the second round of selection.

Team A will still have an advantage, because the first seed can still pick the second as an alliance partner. However, now that we play with three alliance partners, that third one is much more important than it used to be. It's almost going to be better to aim to finish around the 8th seed, because then you get a decent pick twice.

So I give the new rule a tentative thumbs down, and eagerly wait comp to see what kind of equalizing effect this has on seeding.

--Petey