Prebuilt alliances?

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Posted by Matt Leese at 1/31/2001 6:51 PM EST


Other on team #73, Tigerbolt, from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Rochester Institute of Technology.



I'm kind of curious on everyone's opinion of this (and no, my team is not doing this): will there be any predesigned alliances? Given the level of specialization this year it would seem to me that it would be very easy for a prebuilt alliance of four or five robots plan to pair together. Now, this would only work at a regional because of the divisions at nationals (intetional by FIRST?) but I think it would be fairly easy to be a powerful force that way. Ok, maybe I've just been doing too much robotics on too little sleep......

Matt who gets to talk to the Engineer Department about FIRST tomorrow and isn't really looking forward to it.....

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Posted by Tom at 1/31/2001 7:01 PM EST


Student on team #25, Raider Robotix, from North Brunswick Township High School and Bristol Myers-Squib.


In Reply to: Prebuilt alliances?
Posted by Matt Leese on 1/31/2001 6:51 PM EST:



My team is not doing this.

However I think that doing that is stupid, not only would it defeat the whole purpose of the competition (whatever competition is left in this years game) but you have no idea how another team's robot is going to turn out. Even if you do this with a bunch of local teams there is no way to tell how effective at scoring your alliance will be compared to others. And finally there is no way to tell if even one or any of your alliance members make it to the elimination rounds.

The whole idea is pointless.

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Posted by Michael Martus at 1/31/2001 7:15 PM EST


Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.


In Reply to: Prebuilt alliances?
Posted by Matt Leese on 1/31/2001 6:51 PM EST:




I do not think this would work. What a team thinks it can do and what it is able to do in any given match is quite different. The proof is in the performance.

Very difficult to select a overall alliance. Scouting is even more important this year.

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Posted by ChrisH at 2/1/2001 9:50 AM EST


Engineer on team #330, Beach 'Bots, from Hope Chapel Academy and NASA JPL, J & F Machine, Raytheon, et al.


In Reply to: Prebuilt alliances?
Posted by Matt Leese on 1/31/2001 6:51 PM EST:



I think it could work at the Regional level. But I would only join up with teams that have a good track record and continuity of personell.

In the west that would be Beach'Bots (so I'm prejudiced), Crusher, Kingman, Cheesy Poofs, and Homer to name a few good candidates. There are also some good up and coming teams that could fit here, Archer and Bell come to mind. The problem would be who to leave OFF the field.

Of course all of these teams would want to lead the alliance and so we could actually be worse off. Anyway all of this would have to be done even before the kickoff so the "chores" could be divided within hours of the game revelation. That way each team could focus on the perfect robot to do its function. Any later than that is too late. So on this we were already behind when the game was revealed. But next year might be a different story. I can see tentative agreements being made even now...

I'm speaking as someone who works on inter-company teams for a living and no negative reflection meant on teams I didn't mention.

Chris Husmann, PE
Team 330 the Beach'Bots (of couse)