Look Back: Week 5

[Craig Roys]

Originally Posted by vadyr

I can only hope to see a match where all four balls are pinned and the other two robots are just cruising around running laps -- then what would be said.

I cannot envision this ever happening (of course, never say never, eh?). The only reason an alliance would choose that strategy is if they were going up against 2 or 3 good hurdlers with only 1 or none on their side. Two alliances going against each other when both have 2 or 3 good hurdlers are going to send 1 'bot out for defense and the other 2 will hurdle/lap or maybe play keep away, but not pinning. I won't say it would never happen, but it would be a strange scenario. I believe that in this type of match up, the alliances would opt for the "shootout" as they are offesively minded teams - look at the finals in Detroit. They were some of the highest total scoring matches that I've seen.

As for teams with hurdling robots getting mad a teams who play a defensive/pinning type game - no way. We are a hurdling robot and had a ton of defense play on us at GLR. Did I get frustrated with it? Yes. Did I get mad at the other team for doing it? Heck, no! I congratulate them for a strategy that worked for them. It's called competition - do what you can within the rules (and without trying to harm another robot) to gain an advantage. I would say there is nothing ungracious or unprofessional about playing a defensive strategy - this coming from an offensively minded team.