week 1: Three Things I've Learned

[Alex Golec]

1. I find the game mildly entertaining, but that's my own opinion of it - everyone is entitled to their own.

2. Yes, penalties get annoying for just about everyone, but it is a flaw in the game design that requires penalties in order for you to play that game as intended.

3. This is the answer I want to focus on - why pick teams that seem unqualified to play in the eliminations. (One possible) answer: Alliance play is crucial. I'll use my own team's example - we arrived at St. Louis with a good, quick drivetrain and and arm that seemed like it was going to work. After 9 qualifying matches and a couple hundred quick-fixes made by a dozen students and a handful of mentors, the arm still did not work. Yet, we were still picked into the eliminations, and gave our own unique contribution to the alliance - defensive lapping.

Yes, it seemed unexpected, but looking back in ever-perfect hindsight, it seemed planned well from the start. The alliance was built on role-playing, and the little contributions of one team contributed to the overall greater success of the alliance. Every team can provide something in the eliminations.

-Alex Golec