week 1: Three Things I've Learned

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I attended the Midwest Regional this year and I can say that I was not surprised by the results. I am, however, surprised by three things:

1. The game is VERY boring and anti-climatic.
2. The matches are determined by penalties more often than not.
3. A team can get selected because of their reputation to build amazing robots in the past. (Someone from 16 or 1625, please explain to me why you selected us [648]? I'm grateful that you did, but it's perplexing.)

Any comments, concerns? Agree or disagree so far?

I hope that something is done to make this game more exciting, as right now I believe it's the worst yet. Can't wait for IRI and their rule changes.

Also, this was a very bad game to introduce new spectators into, too much going on in any given area.

BTW - Congrats to all of the participants of the Midwest Regional, it was stellar event yet again. And too all of those that dared enough to compete in first week regionals.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Johnson

1. The matches are determined by penalties more often than not.

I totally agree with you on this. It got kind of anticlimactic due to penalties as well. But later on in elims. the games became more and more intense and there was always a point of climax in the Trenton matches. Either it was the end game in which robots were 1 second off from placing or removing a ball or hurdling at the last second. It got pretty intense.

[smurfgirl]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Johnson

The game is VERY boring and anti-climatic.

I have to disagree here... I think Overdrive is incredibly exciting! I watched the NJ webcast, but I heard that there were a lot of great bots at the Midwest Regional, too. Plus you guys had the national high score yesterday. Boring? I think not.

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Johnson

A team can get selected because of their reputation to build amazing robots in the past. (Someone from 16 or 1625, please explain to me why you selected us [648]? I'm grateful that you did, but it's perplexing.)

This is nothing new; I've seen this happen a lot in the past. It has often been quite profitable, too. Even if the team doesn't have "the best" robot on the field, they have experience from past years which can help them to be better at handling their own robot, working with alliance partners, strategizing, and thinking on the fly. Experience is a huge plus in an alliance partner, and if a team has proved themselves in the past, other teams are not going to forget that.

[Kellen Hill]

1625 and 16 chose 648 because 16 had them on a short list and convinced our scout that you were the guys to go with. I will tell you that some people on 1625 had doubts of how good of a third bot you were. You guys were amazing at running laps and I am glad we picked you as a third bot. I actually didn't see your bot on the field a few matches because you were so fast. Well, I am happy with the alliance we ended up with and don't regret anything.

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by hill

1625 and 16 chose 648 because 16 had them on a short list and convinced our scout that you were the guys to go with. I will tell you that some people on 1625 had doubts of how good of a third bot you were. You guys were amazing at running laps and I am glad we picked you as a third bot. I actually didn't see your bot on the field a few matches because you were so fast. Well, I am happy with the alliance we ended up with and don't regret anything.

And together you guys formed what is probably the first alliance in the history of FIRST where every member had a swerve drive.

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Johnson

I attended the Midwest Regional this year and I can say that I was not surprised by the results. I am, however, surprised by three things:

1. The game is VERY boring and anti-climatic.
2. The matches are determined by penalties more often than not.
3. A team can get selected because of their reputation to build amazing robots in the past. (Someone from 16 or 1625, please explain to me why you selected us [648]? I'm grateful that you did, but it's perplexing.)

As for the first point I can't disagree more. I can't recall a game where the audience rose to their feet more often. Every time a ball went over, the roar of the audience at BAE was obvious from the field. Autonomous was essentially a mass of cheering. This is without a doubt the most exciting game I have seen in my 5 years of FRC. BAE's elimination bracket was very even, we had a tie in BOTH semifinals. Balls went up, balls came down it was without a doubt amazing. We were picked by the 7th seed, and won our first match against the 2nd, and the only time I have ever felt more adrenaline during a match was when we won BAE in 2006. I LOVE OVERDRIVE!

Seriously, this game is amazing. The game presented just the right balance of challenge and difficulty, and teams rose to the challenge, and clearly kicked it into overdrive. This year definitely took the cake for general robot goodness.

Second point, I can't disagree, but I don't really agree. Penalties are huge, but they are avoidable. Teams just need to get better at avoiding them. Come ATL, it'll be smart teams will scout for those who don't get them.

Third point, kinda in a way, yes. In my experience, there's always a deal of politicking that goes on during the draft. I don't know your particular regional, but perhaps you had the most experienced drive team left, and they felt that was important to a good run?

[IndySam]

Boring and anti-climatic, I would absolutely disagree.

The first couple weeks qualifications are always less exciting, even boring, because the game play and robots are new and feeling their way. The finals in St. Louis today were amazing to watch. I don't think I ever have seen a more exciting finals in a first week regional before.

Week 4 and 5 and Atlanta are going to be incredible.

[Cory]

I'm still on the fence when it comes to the game. I think it has some potentially serious flaws, which are being hotly debated right now (penalties, impeding, etc), but wow, Midwest had some REALLY exciting matches.

I think a lot of regionals will see a lot of boring play, but when you see a regional with the caliber of play that the upper echelon teams had at Midwest, it sure is exciting.

I'll give you the three things I learned from the webcast:

1) Teams need to get exponentially better at avoiding penalties. Many a match was won, and then lost when penalties were counted.

2) Boy, you sure are screwed if you lose hybrid by any more than ~20 points. Anyone complaining about the value of auton being too low last year should be very satisfied this year.

3) Placing trackballs at the end was much more important than anyone imagined, especially with penalties turning what looked like easy victories into close matches.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by lukevanoort

And together you guys formed what is probably the first alliance in the history of FIRST where every member had a swerve drive.

No swerve for 16... rear wheel steer I believe, just like our pre-swerve drives.


The eliminations for Midwest were exciting, mainly because the teams separated themselves and used strategy. I'm still sticking to the boringness versus all previous years. I could usually predict who was going to win right after of autonomous.

[Vogel648]

I agree with him here, all of us working back in the 648 pits were figuring we were fixing up stuff to be shipped off to West Michigan, then I think a representative from 1625 came over and asked if we needed anything to help with our robot. Then I had a sudden moment of realization that we got picked.

Honestly, I probably from what I saw in the previous matches wouldn't have picked our robot, but I think we ended up doing pretty good as an alliance.

Thanks to 16 and 1625 for picking us, slightly better luck and we could have won.

Sincerely
-Nick Vogel Lead Programmer and IR operator for team 648

[JaneYoung]

Just a thought here guys.

It is always good to be gracious.
Questioning why you were picked is ok but gracious appreciation that goes with it is excellent.

Jeremiah, I think you needed a big box a popcorn and a diet coke. That would have made it even more fun! Wish I could have been in your shoes - really!

Congratulations all!
Jane

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Johnson

No swerve for 16... rear wheel steer I believe, just like our pre-swerve drives.

Check out 00:26 of this video of their robot. They swerve, they just don't do it that often in competition...

[Scott Carpman]

Originally Posted by IndySam

Week 4 and 5 and Atlanta are going to be incredible.

What, no love for Week 6?

As for the three things I've learned in Week 1:

1. This game does not translate well onto a webcast. The live atmosphere fuels Overdrive, and that atmosphere isn't carrying over to the live streams.

2. Shooters are better than arms (don't start flaming here, there is another tread for that)

3. Hybrid is the best and most certain path to victory this year.

[Vogel648]

I agree with Scott's point 2 and 3, 1 it is kinda hard for me to know, get back to you in 7 days.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Just a thought here guys.

It is always good to be gracious.
Questioning why you were picked is ok but gracious appreciation that goes with it is excellent.

Jeremiah, I think you needed a big box a popcorn and a diet coke. That would have made it even more fun! Wish I could have been in your shoes - really!

Congratulations all!
Jane

LOL, I did have front row seats to what I hoped (and in the end was) a great regional. Thanks to all the powerhouse teams for coming and reinstating Midwest and the greatest regional (objective ).