What went right?

[Koko Ed]

There were no scoring software problems at FLR or field problems. In face I haven't heard of any of those problems at all this year.
FIRST deserves a pat on the back for that.

[Andrew Blair]

Scoring was excellent. And at Pittsburgh, I never saw a match restart, a huge improvement over last year.

[StephLee]

Originally Posted by Andrew Blair

Scoring was excellent. And at Pittsburgh, I never saw a match restart, a huge improvement over last year.

I forgot to mention that earlier, that was a DEFINATE leap forward from the constant restarts and delays during the elims last year.

Also, for such a complex game, the visual scoring representation seems to be fairly easy for spectators to understand, even if the actual scoring isn't.

[ChuckDickerson]

The Bayou Regional Planning Committee did a great job at Bayou. The venue in New Orleans was great. There was plenty of space all around. The Marti Gras parade and party line were really cool and unique. I bet no other regional got Marti Gras beads thrown to them by Andy Baker! The robot traffic flow was better than any regional I have ever been to.

We are happy to report that New Orleans is alive and just as much fun as ever. The sweet sounds of jazz and zydeco flowed in the streets and, of course, the choice of food in New Orleans just can't be beaten! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

[Josh Fox]

from what I've heard (being a rookie) this has been one of the more challenging games over the past few years. it may not be that fast-paced, but it requires lots of strategy and thought/logic skills

[Billfred]

I was at the Florida Regional for two of the three days (Friday and Saturday). Not once did I hear the foghorn. That alone puts a grin on my face.

[Michael Corsetto]

We had a HUGE practice field area at PNW. At times there were 7-8 teams on the field but we were all able to stay in certain areas and not get in each other's way. I remember after Fridays qualifiers we spent a good 40 minutes in front of the practice field rack, scoring ringer after ringer. We also got a compliment on our robot design from the FIRST president while we were practicing, which was something special

One of the main reasons I like going up north week one is because although there were still 50-something teams there, the pit is so wide open and relaxed and we get a lot of space to make all the last minute fixes that come with a week 1 regional.

[SURVIVORfan44]

This year's game seemed less brutal to me. I am a volunteer and I didn't pick up any parts on the field. Last year, I couldn't pick up the poof balls because I was busy picking up all the spare robot pieces.

This year's game embraced teamwork unlike any other.
Teamwork is very valuable every year, I know, but this year seemed different to me. At VCU, I saw the teams work together like never before. I was impressed. The teams that worked together the best won easily.

The game is very easy to score and tally up all the points. The referees seemed to enjoy it, being that there weren't as many penalties as last year and all.

The field set up was very easy to put back in place. Last year, it took a while with all those balls and the robots that still had balls stuck inside them.

This game wasn't as entertaining as last year, but I don't feel as if it's about entertainment. I think the importance of this year's game is the message it sent out to teams and the lessons learned.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

This game is easy to keep track of.

There were matches last year where so many balls were flying, and the scoring system was going haywire that it was impossible to tell who was wining.

It’s easier to watch.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by SURVIVORfan44

This year's game embraced teamwork unlike any other.
Teamwork is very valuable every year, I know, but this year seemed different to me. At VCU, I saw the teams work together like never before. I was impressed. The teams that worked together the best won easily.

From being down on the field, I can definitely say you are 100% correct. I'm not sure if anyone saw me, but it was such an incredible experince as coach leaving my drivers behind and hopping over to the partner teams to make sure they had the information and direction they needed. I really was all over the allaince station, because that's what it took to get the job done. And to watch our partners keep our opponents off of us, and to push us back into the homezone when our drivetrain died, and to make that last minute dash onto our platforms, and to level out mid-lift, it was all just so incredible. This is a game that truly does take teamwork to succeed. The coordination we were able to achieve behind that window was just remarkable.

[J Hayashi]

Our team loved that the gameplay required closer cooperation with the other teams. As mentioned before, the practice field at the PNW Regional was larger than past years. This allowed us and other teams to practice with each other. It was helpful in giving our driver the confidence to get up some of the narrower ramps.

The Gracious Professionalism showed by the teams at the Regional. Team 1318 gave us pointers on autonomous strategy and Team 1280 provided us with Anderson connectors to repair our backup battery connection. We played against Team 1280 in every match and they were still willing to help us.

On a more personal note: Our team had a great season! We were able to use pneumatics, learned how to create several new mechanisms, got the camera to work at home, and have students that want to stay involved in robotics year round.

[dtengineering]

Originally Posted by Rex114

We had a HUGE practice field area at PNW. At times there were 7-8 teams on the field but we were all able to stay in certain areas and not get in each other's way.

One of the main reasons I like going up north week one is because although there were still 50-something teams there, the pit is so wide open and relaxed and we get a lot of space to make all the last minute fixes that come with a week 1 regional.

If they packed teams into PNW like they do into Hershey Centre for the GTR, I figure Memorial Colliseum could hold over 100 teams.... and still be less crowded. Hmm... the PNW with 100 teams.... both sides of the stands open... I know we could fit two playing fields in there....

As for what went right... the scoring, the lack of fog-horns... and a ton of GP as per usual. All the good stuff is still there and we shouldn't let anyone think that the concerns and criticisms discussed in other threads negate that.

Jason

[MrForbes]

Pretty much everything went right.

Something specific that went right: I got to personally thank Ian Lao, Don Knight, Jeff Seaton, Steve Sanghi, Carol Popovich, and several others who helped make the Arizona regional happen.

[Luke]

I loved that in eliminations all 1st rounds of the 4 quarter final matches are played before moving to the 2nd rounds.

[Jeremytice]

This year at FLR everything ran very smoothly. There were no field problems and no scoring problems like Ed said. Also the matches were basically on time like scheduled! Great job FIRST!