IRI - Dates, Info and Rule Ideas

Originally Posted by P.J.

I don't really agree with you on this point. IRI is not supposed to be harder (the teams that come make it harder, but the game is not changed to be more difficult) it's supposed to take the rules that people don't necessarily like and remove them, or add ones to make the game more fun.

I would prefer having 6 balls that can be distributed any way among your alliance rather than taking away balls from them and putting them on the bridges.

Whichever way works. I haven't been to IRI yet, so I've only heard it's harder.

Note to self: Go to IRI sometime.

[Duke461]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

Whichever way works. I haven't been to IRI yet, so I've only heard it's harder.

Note to self: Go to IRI sometime.

It's harder because every team there is really really good.
Even if your team can't go, you should go to watch. It's amazing.

-Duke

[BrendanB]

What if you decreased the point value of two robots on the coopertition bridge and had a special value if three robots are on the coopertition bridge.

Just a thought I think it would be cool.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

Whichever way works. I haven't been to IRI yet, so I've only heard it's harder.

It's harder because 85% of the 70-robot field is the caliber of 254 and 971. Not because the rules are harder. (The other 15% wants to be at that caliber.)

Originally Posted by EricH

It's harder because 85% of the 70-robot field is the caliber of 254 and 971. Not because the rules are harder. (The other 15% wants to be at that caliber.)

WOW. That's tough! I'll need to watch the webcast this year for sure!

[P.J.]

Aw man, I saw EricH was the last one to post and I was really excited to see his suggestion for rule changes. No such luck.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by EricH

It's harder because 85% of the 70-robot field is the caliber of 254 and 971. Not because the rules are harder. (The other 15% wants to be at that caliber.)

It's like shaving the cream that has risen to the top of each championship division putting them into a blender and serving the concoction up to the FIRST community for dessert.

[bduddy]

9 points for incidental contact on the opponent's bridge, including contact that doesn't affect the game at all, is way too much of a penalty. Aside from that, I can't really think of anything that needs to be changed right now - it would probably be a good idea to wait for Championships to see what really high-level competition looks like.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by bduddy

9 points for incidental contact on the opponent's bridge, including contact that doesn't affect the game at all, is way too much of a penalty. Aside from that, I can't really think of anything that needs to be changed right now - it would probably be a good idea to wait for Championships to see what really high-level competition looks like.

MSC and the MAR championship should be a real good indication of how IRI will play out.

[Bjenks548]

That coop bridge would get balanced 99% of the time. I say throw it out all together and use elimination bridge rules (much more fun). I don't like the idea of bonus points for shooting from far away because a lot of robots are not designed to shoot past the key. It would be fun with more balls on the field though maybe start 3 or 4 on each bridge instead of 2.

[AllenGregoryIV]

I want to see the triple implemented on all three bridges in qualification matches. It will make teams have to decide where to balance, triple on your own to win, or try to double all three bridges and hope for the win and coop. If you think you will loose you're better off trying to triple on the coop bridge with two of your robots and one from the other alliance. Rarely at IRI would you have a team not on the bridge at the end since they will be worth so many points.

1 QP for double coop bridge and 2 for a triple like others have said. I am not sure about giving a score bonus to the team with 2 robots, I don't see that playing out very well.

There have been so many creative triple balance strategies (NYC anyone), I would love to see impromptu triple balances on the coop bridge.

I also think that at least one ball from each alliance bridge should be moved to the center bridge. The battle for the bridge in hybrid is going to be so important at Championship that making it have more balls will increase competitiveness. Do you shoot first or go to the bridge first and shoot once you have the balls on your side. It would be much harder to 5 ball if you can't shoot your two first, though I guess you could shoot them while moving back to the bridge.

[EricDrost]

Perhaps alliance bridges (which should be cake to double balance at IRI) could be limited to use in the last 20 seconds. This makes you really work for those extra points. Penalties for early balancing would be similar to deploying a minibot early.

[efoote868]

Make the opposing alliance's bridge off limits for only the last 30 seconds of the match.

Increase the number of balls on the field, 6 more would be nice.

Make the key penalties 1 pt instead of 3.

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by efoote868

Make the key penalties 1 pt instead of 3.

I don't know if they're actually able to do this, as this requires going down into the actual software and changing things, which I know is fairly difficult if not impossible.

[CalTran]

How about just taking the ball holding cap off all together? I know most robots this year are designed specifically to only hold 3 balls, but it would make for interesting starvation play...do you shoot and give your opponents the ball or do you wait and starve them of the balls you possess?