Predictions Week 4: Bash Fests in Boston, San Diego & Waterloo. Big Scores @ Buckeye

[Pavan Dave]

I see disaster for Boston. Not too many teams with experience with the rack and a load of rookies makes that just a bit more interesting. Hopefully all of the teams have "Gotten it" and are ready for game and the challenge this week.

Buckeye is going to be fierce this year. I am going to place a wager that one of the teams that makes it to the final six bots on the field here will end up on Einstein at Atlanta. They have some great teams and since there are bunch of veterans at this regional it will be some tough competition with people "in the zone" and prepared for what is in store for them.

I have a very good feeling about the Beach Bots and unfortunately I believe that although 1038 was one of the few scoring during autonomous at Pittsburgh (Dr Joe's source), there will be much more autonomous competition by about three to four bots per regional due to Update #19.

Pavan.

[rees2001]

Originally Posted by Pavan

I see disaster for Boston.

Buckeye is going to be fierce this year. I am going to place a wager that one of the teams that makes it to the final six bots on the field here will end up on Einstein at Atlanta.

I have a very good feeling about the Beach Bots

I completely agree about Boston although I am still rooting for Rolling Thunder to come back with a great performance.

About Buckeye, I think Joe left off 2 very good Xerox teams. I could see 1126 or 191 coming back from Ohio with some hardware and medals.

From what I have seen about Beach Bots, I love what they have going.

Good luck to all teams this weekend. Try to remember, FIRST is like life, it is about the journey not the destination.

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by rees2001

I completely agree about Boston although I am still rooting for Rolling Thunder to come back with a great performance.

About Buckeye, I think Joe left off 2 very good Xerox teams. I could see 1126 or 191 coming back from Ohio with some hardware and medals.



Good luck to all teams this weekend. Try to remember, FIRST is like life, it is about the journey not the destination.

I would have to agree. 1126 is looking good and in the top 10 all day. while 191 has been up and down all day at the moment they are up in the top 10.

I sent Joe a message around the time he posted this about 1126, but looks like he didn't think they would be a threat.

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by rees2001

I completely agree about Boston although I am still rooting for Rolling Thunder to come back with a great performance.

I'm rooting too! At the end of day one, 1511 is at #4, so it's looking good. When I first checked this afternoon they were at #1!

[Richard Wallace]

(to the melody of Dixie, with apologies in advance to Daniel Decatur Emmett)

I wish I was in the land of (Tim) Horton's
Robots there are not forgorten,
... eh?
I said, eh?
Way up north in -- Waterloo!

Where Karthik leaps and Copioli chatters,
And a rollicking time is all that matters!
C'mon, eh!
Come to play!
Bring it on in -- Waterloo!

Then I wish I was in Waterloo!
Hooray, hooray!
In Canuck-land I'll take my stand,
To kick some 'bot in Waterloo!
Away, ... away, ... away up Norrrrrrrth!
In Waterloo!

(Hopefully I'll be able to get up there for 2008. )

[Chris Sturrock]

so far it looks like the Waterloo Regional is actually turning out to be one high scoring regional. there has been 2 matches with a score of 286. with quite a few other large scores.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Chris Sturrock

so far it looks like the Waterloo Regional is actually turning out to be one high scoring regional. there has been 2 matches with a score of 286. with quite a few other large scores.

That tipster sure seems to have eaten his words about waterloo. 1114, 188, 1503, 1680, 1901, and 2056 can sure pile on the points, and it seems to have been enough to overcome most of the defensive efforts. 1114 especially, they've scored 286 not once, but twice! Additionally, their 90-78 win is one of the best matches of the year so far, with 19 tubes scored on the rack, and a robot elevated 12" for each alliance, and if the blue alliance had managed to place a single more tube, it would have been 90-90. 188 is probably the 2nd best team at the moment, with their only losses coming to 1114 and when they got stuck (and I mean stuck) on the rack.

[Todd Derbyshire]

The legendary flip is still something that is a huge part of my FIRST history when I was involved as a student. I had heard ancient stories of the early years of first and the battles that sounded like titans clashing in Plymouth. Oh those were the days. Now I'm a graduate student in college and am no where near a FIRST competition . Sad days. Personally I will like to show and pick team 69 as a team that will be a great asset to an alliance tomorrow. Oh and another legendary rule that everyone thinks was changed due to one robot in one particular year was the Beast I believe when they used velcro even though robots had been using velcro for some time. Anyways its good to see that FIRST has made such great strides and I look forward to working in a school someday that will have a FIRST program. Good luck to everyone

[Rich Ross]

Sean,
I think the tipster is setting himself up for a huge success! The predictions i know of seem to be meant for the elimination rounds. This being said, the defensive Bash-Fests will come out in full force tomorrow afternoon. Remember, waterloo is the regional most well known (in my mind) for removing your arm and strapping on a weight. Expect the gym to be short about 30-100 pounds of iron, depending on how many bots decide to get Down'n DEFENCE (as they say in Canada.

Tomorrow, the battle of Waterloo will be a defensive one.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Rich Ross

Tomorrow, the battle of Waterloo will be a defensive one.

Maybe. But I'm betting on the rack to get very colorful, very often.

All those teams that Sean called out earlier, c'mon and show us how to hang 'em up quick.

[chaoticprout]

I shall be rooting for 968 in San Diego, I want to see RAWC in atlanta, they have an amazing robot. Good luck guys.

[Francis-134]

Originally Posted by Pavan

I see disaster for Boston.

I think that "disaster" may be a little drastic. With a lot of defensive robots that have difficulty scoring on the rack, ramp bots will just be more important. Imagine a good scorer like 121/126/88 etc. (prolly more but it's early in the day) with a good defensive bot and a ramp. Sure, the scoring robot may only get 1-2 tubes up whether they are defended by one, two or three robots, but the ramps are really a great equalizer, especially when there is really no way anyone is going to get a row of six with any regularity.

Look at SVR as an example. There were a few teams that could score very well, 100, 114, 254 just to name a few. However, if they were defended, it became very difficult for them to score big points. This brought it down to which alliance had the better ramp robot and the best drivers. If you can equalize a really great scoring robot on tube scoring with defense, a ramp will win out every time.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Francis-134

I think that "disaster" may be a little drastic. With a lot of defensive robots that have difficulty scoring on the rack, ramp bots will just be more important. Imagine a good scorer like 121/126/88 etc. (prolly more but it's early in the day) with a good defensive bot and a ramp. Sure, the scoring robot may only get 1-2 tubes up whether they are defended by one, two or three robots, but the ramps are really a great equalizer, especially when there is really no way anyone is going to get a row of six with any regularity.

Look at SVR as an example. There were a few teams that could score very well, 100, 114, 254 just to name a few. However, if they were defended, it became very difficult for them to score big points. This brought it down to which alliance had the better ramp robot and the best drivers. If you can equalize a really great scoring robot on tube scoring with defense, a ramp will win out every time.

DITTO!!! However, I would add that instead of "ramps," any kind of reliable good bonus point scorer and also the use of spoilers!