paper: Stop the Stop Build

[GeeTwo]

Jim,
Thanks for all the great data analysis, tied together with great commentary! I have been a bit on the #keepthebag side, mostly from a "devil you know" philosophy. After a first quick read, I'm now squarely #onthefence, moving towards #banthebag.

Sean,
Thanks for pointing out all of the weak points I'd noticed as I read, and a couple more. Even given those, there can be no reasonable doubt that more time with hands on the robot and more drive practice (not necessarily in that order) means increased ability for a team to perform game functions and be competitive.

All,
Since reading about the poll this morning, I've been pondering the question of whether we'd still do a second robot if there is no bag, or (later), 8 hours of access per week.

As background info: we're competing in the regional model, and this part of the country is still several years away from the team density to support districts. For the foreseeable future, we're looking at district registration and full team travel and hotel costs for a second event. We managed to binge-fund a trip to CMP in 2015, and drew in a few more sponsors, but unless we get a mentor or student with a better talent (or at least drive) to draw funding, we'll probably be able to afford a second regional about the same time we transition to districts.

At 8 hours per week, we would probably expand our Saturday build (currently six hours) to eight or nine, and do a single unbagging each week where we did fabrication, drive practice, pit crew practice, and robot upgrades in a rush, and used our much shorter weekday evening schedules for planning, CADding, and working with a practice robot that we would definitely still build.
At 20-168 hours of unbag per week, the question becomes a bit murkier, but I still think we would do two robots. Two robots are already part of our pre-bag processes (swapping robots off between project groups, including chassis, manipulators, programming, and drive team), so unless we lose a significant amount of resources (which could be money, facilities, mentors, or students), we would probably tweak the second robot processes, but not cancel them.
The thing that excites me about a protracted unbagging each week is the possibility of a scrimmage. Currently, teams who do not build a second robot cannot even think about competing at a scrimmage, so there is no point in doing it in our area; I believe we are one of a very few. With an 8-hour unbagging window each week, I could definitely see enough teams to support a 3-6 hour scrimmage every week or two between "initial bag" and Bayou Regional, if we can identify a facility and carpet large enough to host the event.