Mini Bot - displeasure

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

I really do not like the adjustment of the Minibot rules in Team Update #1. Honestly, just when I thought FIRST had finally created an FRC game without any near universally-hated rules, they went ahead and made one in TM 1.

We were an early adopter of the FIRST Vex Challenge, and subsequently bought a lot of Vex parts. When FIRST pulled the rug out from underneath us and switched from Vex to Tetrix, we stayed with our investment and stopped competing in the then renamed FTC and started doing VRC. There was no reason to drop our large-investment in Vex to stick with the FIRST brand name. If FIRST hadn't dropped Vex, our team would definitely still be involved with FVC/FTC, and I'm sure they wouldn't be having any issues trying to grow the program.

We were planning on using a stored-energy (via surgical tubing) Minibot launcher to avoid having to buy any FTC parts other than those we got from FIRST Choice. We even started prototyping ideas, and our first prototype showed much promise with times faster than the theoretical minimum time for ascent powered by FTC motors. Then TM #1 ruins all of that, and forces a large unplanned expense onto our build season (We have the budget to absorb it, but are still irate we're being coerced to buy something that otherwise is not needed for our goals of inspiring students).

And as a result of this update forcing all Minibots to be propelled exactly the same (good bye innovative ideas and inspiration, hello clone bots), I expect ~90% of Minibot teams to reach the trigger within 0.25 sec of each other. Now the Minibot bonuses will literally be decided each match by statistical luck more than anything else.

I cannot agree with you more. Making an investment in a new system just simply isn't in the financial cards right now. Sorry FIRST, I'd love to support your programs but I'd rather compete next year and inspire another generation of students. I'm sure Tetrix is grand but I have thousands of dollars of Vex stuff, I'm gonna use that.

Art, sorry you wasted design time. We had a hunch that FIRST would clarify that rule and wanted to wait for it. Sadly it wasted 4 days of our season but we had other things to work on then anyway.

I had hoped the minibots could be some sort of vertical mousetrap car competition. THAT would have been awesome. Now I feel it will look more like a bunch of rodents scurrying up a drain pipe. (Who will be the first team to put their minibot in a mouse trap?)

It has soured my opinion of this game, I guess I'll have to wait until it is played to pass judgement though.

Edit: Mr Martus, I don't think it is unfair. This is FIRST's ball, field, bats, gloves, umps, and game. They can do whatever the heck they want, they could say that all HoF teams always get +50 points and that would be completely within their rights. Do I think it is a restriction made with political motives? Nah, but the road to hell was paved with good intentions and I definitely think this is not the direction I feel is best for FIRST. It is a divisive move with purely symbolical benefits that most of the audience won't even recognize (though the announcers will harp on it almost as much as they did the 1/6th gravity thing in Lunacy). Fair isn't the right word, I think this is outright political and the mere implication of that does more damage to many people's opinions.

And to anyone who says that if I don't like it I can go away (because I know someone will say it eventually) I have to strongly disagree. I do this because FRC made me who I am today and I hate to see the program lose mentors over something as silly as the stupid perception of a contest between two companies who used to work hand in hand. Every mentor we lose is potentially dozens of students lost and when that happens we are all just facing into the wind.