Battle O' Baltimore RULE CHANGES!

[Francis-134]

What is the purpose of removing a trailer? As stated before, most teams designed knowing that they would have a trailer on their robot. How does it make the game better, i.e. what was wrong with the original game the necessitated this change?

Similarly, a robot without a trailer will be a huge scoring threat. Imagine a top-tier team with double the maneuverability.

[Stephen of REX]

Originally Posted by Francis-134

What is the purpose of removing a trailer? As stated before, most teams designed knowing that they would have a trailer on their robot. How does it make the game better, i.e. what was wrong with the original game the necessitated this change?

Similarly, a robot without a trailer will be a huge scoring threat. Imagine a top-tier team with double the maneuverability.

Well I didn't come up with these changes, but I think that the idea was to increase the scoring threat. After all, both alliances will have one un-trailered robot. I think it will make for a more exciting match!

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Francis-134

Similarly, a robot without a trailer will be a huge scoring threat. Imagine a top-tier team with double the maneuverability.

Arguably, it's harder to drive without a trailer than it is with one. Most drivers only know how to drive with a trailer's added weight and motion constraints which leads them to over shoot certain moves without the trailer. If anything, those robots without trailers may slow an alliance down... Just my 2 cents though.

The rule changes seem interesting, to say the least.

[wilsonmw04]

My guess is that they changed the rules to meet a physical limitation. They have a limited number of trailers and balls. If the goal was to increase scoring, why reduces the availability of the scoring devices (balls)?

[Stephen of REX]

No, I think that we are using the NASA Goddard field. The trailers were reduced, I'm guessing, so there would be more scoring action by the "free" robots. And if the moon rocks were reduced, I'd say its so that the trailers don't fill up too fast, leaving room for super cells at the end. The super cells are intended to play a more powerful role, because the "crab-super-cells" count as more.

[EdwardP]

I think what will happen is the game will turn in to all the teams bunched up on the side by the outposts trying to prevent EC collection. If there are really only 18 Moon rocks in play (how I read it, could be 3 per robot starting loaded...), one team per alliance will start with 7 in their robot, because I think they meant to, but didn't change that rule. That robot will score its 7, the human player will be even more important as it will be essential that the HP scores the 2 moon rocks that don't go into the alliances "scoring robot". From there it will come down to getting those EC through and not letting your opponent do the same.

If any team has an EC auto mode they will likely be dominant...
(EDIT: not that it would be too difficult for a team to set up counter auto modes to stop whatever teams do this...)

I think it is kind of unfortunate how they do the second alliance partner selection, as 177 will tell you the third pick can often be just as or more important than the first... (less so in regionals, but it is still very important)

In all, very interesting rules, creating a very unique experience...

... just my thoughts...

[Stephen of REX]

Originally Posted by EdwardP

I think what will happen is the game will turn in to all the teams bunched up on the side by the outposts trying to prevent EC collection. If there are really only 18 Moon rocks in play (how I read it, could be 3 per robot starting loaded...), one team per alliance will start with 7 in their robot, because I think they meant to, but didn't change that rule. That robot will score its 7, the human player will be even more important as it will be essencial that the HP scores the 2 moon rocks that dont go into the alliances "scoring robot". From there it will come down to getting those EC through and not letting your opponent do the same.

No, the moon rocks will be reduced by 18, still leaving 102 of them on the field. Its just that each team will start with 17 orbit balls instead of 20, big deal

[EdwardP]

Oops... my bad... that makes more sence...