Scouting on Thursday?

[SSMike]

As wierd as this may sound, the best team to scout on Thursday may just be your own. Imagine that you were on another team; what would you think of your robot? What pros/cons can you see in strategy or design? What types of robots do they work best with? etc.

Also, Thursday is the best time to see any potential problems in your design or strategy and be able to possible alter them before the actual competition begins.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by SSMike

As wierd as this may sound, the best team to scout on Thursday may just be your own. Imagine that you were on another team; what would you think of your robot? What pros/cons can you see in strategy or design? What types of robots due they work best with? etc.

Also, Thursday is the best time to see any potential problems in your design or strategy and be able to possible alter them before the actual competition begins.

You bring up a good point. ALWAYS scout yourself. This can help you figure out if your scouting program is accurate.

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by EricH

You bring up a good point. ALWAYS scout yourself. This can help you figure out if your scouting program is accurate.

And, in the case of match scouting, help you make an accurate strategy choice. Realistically, every team thinks their robot performed better than it did. It's not like there is anything particularly wrong with that (as long as it is not an exaggerated effect), but it makes for a tough time planning strategy. If you have numbers/info on everyone in a match, including yourself, you can make very good strategy decisions. If you only have info on 83% of the teams in your match, then you are unnecessarily handicapping yourself. The only team you play with every match is your own* - it's best to know what you really can do, not what you think you can do.


*unless you are stuck in 2007 with that awful match randomizing algorithm.

[Ali Ahmed]

I'm basically emphasizing what everybody said above. Yes, coming to the regional on Thursday is worth it. Very worth it. The best thing to do on practice day is pit scouting, especially at the end of the day when teams have figured out for themselves what their strengths and weaknesses are. Match scouting is not absolutely important but it does give you a good chance to practice your system and iron the kinks out.