2010 New Jersey Regional

[musicgurl1329]

Originally Posted by galewind

I swear to the love of all that is holy -- if I see a bear suit, I am RUNNING.

But what if it is someone in a gorilla suit?

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by musicgurl1329

But what if it is someone in a gorilla suit?

I think that would be the gorilla my dreams...

[Alexa Stott]

Well, seems as if my ride has fallen through. Looks like I'll be missing NJ this year. Best of luck to all the teams!

Does anyone know if there's going to be a webcast?

EDIT: Just booked bus tickets. Thank goodness for the Bolt Bus and its $40 round trip!

See you all on Saturday!

[Barngirl425]

Team 2458 will be back this year. We are really excited

[Libby K]

I am so sad. For the first time in ten years, I will not be at the NJ regional. I will miss you all so much! I will be mentoring at FLR with 229.

I am there 'in spirit' cheering for 1923. I will always be a MidKnight Inventor.
Hope it's a fun and exciting regional, as always!

-Libby

[George A.]

Less than 4 days separate us from the competition at the Sun National Arena (formerly the Sovereign Bank Arena)


That being said, I'd like to offer a few pearls of wisdom to those folks that will be joining us (be you first time NJers or Wily Veterans)

1) Jersey is notorious for bad weather. It has almost become a tradition for us to have inclement weather the week of the competition. So hope for the best but prepare for the worst (we did get about 3 feet of snow this past week)

2) The competition is held in an ice rink. So please dress accordingly. It is always easier to wear extra layers and take them off, than to not bring layers and have to find extra clothing.

3) We have 63 teams and are a week 1 regional. That being said I can guarantee there WILL be glitches to the system. Please everyone remember their GP and take a deep breath before going off the deep end.

4) (this should be a 3a) Everyone is going to be getting 9 matches this year, instead of the normal 7 or so. That being said it will be everyone's responsibility to help make the event run smoothly. With 2 extra matches a team we will be under an even bigger time crunch to make sure that we aren't there until midnight. So before you leave your pit...do you have a charged battery, do you have your driver buttons, do you have your safety glasses? All the little things will add up to massive amounts of delays if we have to keep reminding everyone about it.

5) Please also remember that the people working this event are volunteers. They don't get paid, they are their for the sheer reason that they love FIRST and want to see everyone have fun. We don't get paid...our "salary" is a meal and a t-shirt. We have a number of people there who have worked this event for more than 5 years and do their best to make things run as smooth as can be. Also keep in mind, that if you think you have a long day, theirs is longer. We have to report to the arena at 7:00 every morning (almost an hour and a half before the doors open) and we don't leave until at least an hour after you guys leave.

So while the passion of competition might bring out the "less-GPness" out of some people, take the time to thank a volunteer with a hug, a handshake or a simple thank you...I guarantee it will make their day. (also, I'll be the guy with the mic in the Hawaiian shirt by the scorers table if anyone wants to say hi).


Sorry for the rant, but I figured the more prepared you guys are the better.


So rest up, save your voices and get ready for a fun three days in NJ!

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by George A.

3) We have 63 teams and are a week 1 regional. That being said I can guarantee there WILL be glitches to the system. Please everyone remember their GP and take a deep breath before going off the deep end.

4) (this should be a 3a) Everyone is going to be getting 9 matches this year, instead of the normal 7 or so. That being said it will be everyone's responsibility to help make the event run smoothly. With 2 extra matches a team we will be under an even bigger time crunch to make sure that we aren't there until midnight. So before you leave your pit...do you have a charged battery, do you have your driver buttons, do you have your safety glasses? All the little things will add up to massive amounts of delays if we have to keep reminding everyone about it.

I'd like to expand on George's post.

These two things are very important. The field crew at Jersey has been top notch every year I've been there and everyone should work their hardest to help them out. Make sure you're paying attention to whats going on because there will be problems and the will be errors made and it helps to have everyone informed. Make sure that you have everything operating correctly on your machine so time isn't wasted chasing a "Field Fault" when it's really something to do with your robot (Everyone blames the field at first, I've been guilty of it once or thrice.).

Also, 9 Matches with 61 teams is truly a gift to those competing, and we should all remember this.

See you all on Friday, better bring your A Game...

[Rion Atkinson]

Does anyone know weather or not the regional will be webcast? Or where I could find it? with 4 days left, I would really like to watch a week one regional.

Thanks,
-Rion

[nlknauss]

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Does anyone know weather or not the regional will be webcast? Or where I could find it? with 4 days left, I would really like to watch a week one regional.

Thanks,
-Rion

Rion, I believe that there are no current plans for a webcast at the regional. If something does come up, I'm sure it get up here for everyone check out.


Good luck to everyone attending the regional! With so many great volunteers and teams in attendance, I have no doubt as to whether or not this will be an extraordinary event. Rock on everyone!

[Akash Rastogi]

MORT will have info to pass out about our I <3 Autonomous Mode t-shirts at Trenton

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=83805

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Formerly Famous

Does anyone know weather or not the regional will be webcast? Or where I could find it? with 4 days left, I would really like to watch a week one regional.

Thanks,
-Rion

Rion, FLR (Rochester) is being webcasted on Friday and Saturday. I'd suggest Checking those out.

If someone does manage to get a webcast going during the regional I'll be sure to post up here though.

[thefro526]

Since Looking Forward came out and said that they will be unable to make predictions this year, I thought I’d have some fun and make NJ predictions of my own. Locks are teams that are the most likely to make it to the finals, Tips are teams that are most likely going to make it to Eliminations and Others are teams that have the potential to make it to the Eliminations.

Locks:

25 – 25 always fields one of the most competitive machines in New Jersey, and I’m sure this year will be no different. They have won New Jersey in 3 of their last 4 attempts (Though all of these were with 103 who is not competing at NJ this year) and I expect them to have a strong showing here.

2753 – 2753, 2009’s rookie sensation. Arguably 2753 is the most successful rookie team since 2056 in 2007. Last year they made their way all the way to Einstein. This year they showed that their fielding an 8WD machine with a very capable looking kicker and hanging mechanism. If Team Overdrive’s short history is anything to go on then they will do very well.

56 – 56 is another one of those New Jersey Powerhouses and judging by the video and photos of their robot I’ve seen so far I’d say they’re shaping up to do the same. If their kicking and hanging goes well then they’ll definitely be playing into the afternoon on Sunday.

1279 – 1279 Is a Mecanum wheeled Sucking Machine – Literally. If their vacuum ball possession mechanism works well I can see it being a huge asset and if it’s coupled with some smart driving I could see Cold Fusion going very far.

Tips:

2016 – 2016 was mentioned first here for a reason. I would’ve made them a lock, because of their collaboration with 2753 but I’m not too sure of how they’ll handle their machine. They’ve always build good machines for as long as I can remember, we’ll just have to see if they’re able to take home a banner.

75 – 75 is a world class organization. They build capable robots year in and year out and they’re also no stranger to elimination matches. They’ve got all the tools they’ll need to do well, we’ll just have to see how everything plays out for them.

1923 – 1923 may have the most heart out of any team I’ve had the pleasure of being around in FIRST. Last year they really stepped up their game and were able to take home a Banner in addition to making an impact at every competition they went to. From what I could tell from the picture on CD, they should field capable machine, we’ll just have to see if everything works in their favor.

11 – 11 is one of my favorite teams, and for good reason. MORT is made up of some of the nicest people around but their robots don't always get the respect deserved. Regardless, the MORT camp has been quiet this year, but I know they’ve got some new sponsors and access to the resources of EWCP which means that they have everything they need to field a powerful machine. With some help, MORT should make an impact here.

293 – I had the pleasure of seeing SPIKE’s machine up close and it looks good. They have a powerful Cam kicker that should be punting the length of the field. They didn’t have a hanging mechanism though which may hinder them later on, but I know they should make it to the First round of Elims at least.

2344 – 2344 may have fielded one of the most understated machines at the New Jersey regional last year. Regardless, they took home a banner in NJ and were a finalist in NYC in addition to winning a Chairman’s there. I know big things will come from this team in one form or another.

1860 – 1860 looks like they’ll be fielding a competitive machine this year as well too. Their kicker looks powerful and they’ve definitely got some spirit. Oh, did I forget to mention that they’re from Brazil, and Brazilians are great at soccer?

237 – 237, The TRIBE is returning to NJ for the first time since 2007. I haven’t seen their machine this year, but if past robots are a sign of things to come then they should do very well.

Others
I would guarantee that the 12 teams listed above will make an impact on the NJ regional and play in the Eliminations. The Remaining 12 spots will probably go to some of these teams: 41, 102, 223, 303, 486, 555, 714, 816, 1089, 1228, 1403, 1676, 1807, 2180, and 2590.

Hints

Because New Jersey is a week one regional we will see a unique (most likely crude) style of Gameplay that will evolve over time. The scores will vary a lot, but I foresee many matches staying at less than 10 points total scored by both alliances. About midway through the qualifications defense will show its ugly head as teams realize that their manipulators aren’t as effective as they hoped. We will probably see a huge upset in the Eliminations (8 beats 1 or 7 beats 2) because of defense. Hanging will probably become more important as the day goes on, as the scores begin to rise.

Also, it’ll be interesting to see how teams adjust to carpet; I know there will be a large portion of second year drivers that’ll be in for a rude awakening. In addition to adjusting to carpet, there will be a lot of robots with Omni-Directional Drives that will have to learn how to use the effectively. I'd almost guarantee that 1/3rd of the robots in the finals will have an Omni Drive of some sort though.

(PS, don’t be offended if your team wasn’t mentioned, if anything go out there and prove me wrong.)

[Chris is me]

Awesome, honest predictions! I'm really looking at 25 this year - they seem to do better using a bit more physical play than finesse, which could make them a huge asset to many alliances here. I just have a gut feeling this is going to be a good 25 year.

2753 is quantitatively the best rookie since 100 won the championship in 1995, in terms of success at Champs. No way they won't at least be an elimination force, if not event winner. 2016 is in a similar boat, though. Since Tyler's driving neither robot you can't just say for sure which could be better, but 2753 has the (albeit short) track record and quality team structure it takes to stay at the level they reached last year.

56's robot is awesome, no doubt about that. The only question mark I have is how such a drivetrain will handle when the eliminations pour on the defense, but if 56 plays like their preship shows, they should be able to get their hands on partners who draw defense away from them.

11's the wild card this year, I think. Akash and his buddies love continuous improvement; they'll probably bring in something new even to this week 1 event. With that being their strength, though, it's hard to predict how well 11 will do at their home event before they truly get to shine. Their robot will definitely gather a lot of attention, especially if they bring in something awesome with them, and there's no way they won't be a factor.

I like your prediction on the gameplay of the event. In previous years, defense isn't exactly what New Jersey is known for, so it'll be interesting to see what the scouts decide will work in eliminations. Considering how drastically different the games are with the new ranking system, alliance selection is going to matter a lot more than your rank in the top 8.

[DonRotolo]

Thank you for the excellent predictions. Had I known, I'd have fed you some info about 1676.

I do not expect us to be radically different this year, but with a new drivetrain (8WD) and new drive team (the old ones graduated ) it's unpredictable. We have a nice kickerbot that has been performing well in testing, a new web-based* scouting system, and lots and lots of spirit this year.

* Using a local HTML server connected by wire. No WiFi this year. As in the past, ALL TEAMS are welcome to stop by and download our data, all day every day. Bring a flash drive to download please. The server will be up in the stands, but we hope to have a runner keep a fresh copy in the pits as well.

And we're going to have incredibly nice weather this weekend!

Don

[Wayne C.]

[quote=Chris is me;930894]Awesome, honest predictions! I'm really looking at 25 this year - they seem to do better using a bit more physical play than finesse, which could make them a huge asset to many alliances here. I just have a gut feeling this is going to be a good 25 year.

QUOTE]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. But the only team that has seen our robot was 103 when we visited their field on the last weekend.

Yes- we have a strong bully drive train, multiple auto modes, do all sorts of game activities. I hope our machine does as well as we hope it will.

It will be a glorious competition. Lets ALL hope it doesnt turn into a referee decided penalty fest.