Look Back: Week 5

[Brad Voracek]

Thanks to everyone for mentioning us, again. It was a rough weekend, although the scores don't show it.

As mentioned, scouting is the most important thing this year. We recorded every match on friday, and I watched at least 2/3rds of them in order to make our third pick for the eliminations. It's so much harder than it looks, especially if there are not enough scorers to go around. Obviously atlanta will be different, but scouting is more important than ever. It was an emotional roller coaster, but we pulled off the win.

See you all in atlanta.

[robodude03]

Originally Posted by Brad Voracek

Thanks to everyone for mentioning us, again. It was a rough weekend, although the scores don't show it.

As mentioned, scouting is the most important thing this year. We recorded every match on friday, and I watched at least 2/3rds of them in order to make our third pick for the eliminations. It's so much harder than it looks, especially if there are not enough scorers to go around. Obviously atlanta will be different, but scouting is more important than ever. It was an emotional roller coaster, but we pulled off the win.

See you all in atlanta.

You can say that again. For those of you who did not see the alliance pickings, Brad was trying to make a decision between two robots for our third alliance. It all came down to the scouting done by several members on our team and the discussions we had late into the night on Friday. I can't stress enough how important good data is needed for scouting and in the end it payed off for us.

[engunneer]

Seattle was certainly dramatic. Most memorable for me were the following:

#1 seed was #3070, the first time I've seen a rookie go first. They made a great pick of 1983 (The same first pick we made in Oregon that took gold). LF is right that many of the best teams were heavily defended, and most went 6-1 or 5-2 in quals.
We were grateful to be picked 8th (though we were hoping to be picked by 360).
#8 beat #1 in QFs in two heavily offensive matches. it's scary to see 1983 left with an open field.
488, 1425, and 1569's alliance were clear favorites from the start of QFs. They held a decisive win in most of the elimination matches.
The 4 round semifinals aren't shown in the FIRST official rankings, but they went Tie, #3, #8, #3. The last two matches were especially dramatic due to 1318 being partially dead in both matches. We lost a PWM cable on the left drive at the tail end of the third round, and two independent wire failures on the scoring mechanism in the fourth. Had the upper conveyor worked at all in that last very close match, we would have met (and probably lost to) the 488 alliance in finals.
This regional also marks the first time 488 has gotten gold after many (8!) years of superior, but somehow non-winning robots.

All in all, a nice selection of top PNW teams will be heading for Atlanta this year. 360's chairman's win brings another great robot to the fray in the Dome.

[sciencenerd]

Branden, a quick clarification: our 4-round semifinal went tie, #8, #3, #3. 1318 had trouble with wires coming undone in both of the rounds we lost, preventing us from scoring.

But I heartily agree that the winning alliance had what it took to bring home the gold!

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by sciencenerd

Branden, a quick clarification: our 4-round semifinal went tie, #8, #3, #3. 1318 had trouble with wires coming undone in both of the rounds we lost, preventing us from scoring.

Thanks for explaining what I was seeing at Crater-side. I thought maybe balls had jammed your mechanism, but a failed wire makes more sense. I thought any of four elimination alliances could easily have won.

[BurtGummer]

Congratulations to 399 and 1717, both teams that I was sad to see not make it at the LA Regional. We'll see you in Atlanta! Hopefully we can be allied with both of you......haha.