[FTC]: Robot Capabilities

[JesseK]

Think about what it takes to prevent auton. scoring by spinning the bar:

• A bot must get over the center wall consistently or have a very finely designed mechanism to move the bar from outside the wall without breaching the 10" boundaries
• The bot's alliance partner also foregoes the ability to score in the center goal, at least at the regional level, should spinning the bar be successful
• If the bot does make it into the middle, it risks the opposition getting into position to take your ball chute as soon as teleop starts, therefore netting them an advantageous 3 chutes to 1 chute
• Even if the bot does not go into the middle yet spins the bar, and the opposition's bots are smart enough to ignore the auton. shot if it's not where it's expected to be, the bot is still on an even field with them -- 2 chutes for it, 2 chutes for the opponents, except now the bot is 40 points down.
• Let's say the bot tries to go into the middle but doesn't make it one match -- it won't incur the 40 points, but essentially it's now a busted autonomous, which leaves the door wide open for the opposition to score as well as getting more ball chutes than you. A little bit of defense in the endgame, and the opponents would win.

It's definitely a niche strategy that could win in the clutch, but overall it would be very very risky to design for without having already seen the game played by actual teams. I'd put it on par with a Goldman Sachs investment strategy: it's great at the moment for you, but bad for everyone, including you, overall in the longer term.

Additionally, playing defense in auto could also lead to a disadvantage at the ball chutes ... though I'd estimate the chances of that are the same chances two robots block each other on the way to getting their far chute in auton. It's just too difficult to tell how it'd play out right now and so it's definitely an option we'll have available.

[Chris is me]

I was personally thinking of getting a close ball chute locked up, then going for the bar (with line tracking or whatever). Partner could secure the far chute. If the alliance only scores their 4-8 preload into the high goal, well, worse things have happened.

Still, this strategy will rarely ever happen. I wouldn't count on it.