This is a brutal game.

[JohnBoucher]

This years game has more balances and trade-offs than any one I can remember. Woodie and Dave talked at length about that at kick-off.
IMHO the GDC did a fantastic job balancing the needs and experience level of rookie teams while allowing the veteran teams to build a very robust machine. This has to be a game for everyone.

We seem to forget that this is a learning tool. Don't think that your robot is not as good as the one in the pit next to you. That you made it to this point is my definition of success. My teams robots have been good, bad and ugly BUT they were all beautiful because they were there.

If you like something on another robot, ask them how they did it, or better yet ask them what in their decision process made them design it that way. At UTC they had random pit assignments. The teams were mixed veterans and rookies. Team 1784 form Litchfield, CT was pitted next to Team 126 from Clinton, MA. What a learning experience.