A strategy note: Tipped robots

[EricH]

Let's suppose that there is a match in progress. A robot is attempting a hurdle when--BAM!--it falls over. Sideways. Now this robot is about 7' high and it lands across the track. The track is 13' wide, roughly, so the robot takes up half of it.

The point I am trying to make here is that one robot on its side will block a large portion of the track and create a traffic jam. The object of the game is to score lots of points. Having ANY robot across the track will slow that object significantly.

If you see a robot start to tip, please get under them and keep them upright. If they go over, please pick them up. This isn't NASCAR; we don't have "tow robots" to clear the way. We just have five other robots that are trying to score.

Remember, a tipped robot is your enemy, regardless of alliance. A driving robot is your friend, regardless of alliance.

(Oh, yeah, and if you tip, please compress as much as possible.)

[Jherbie53]

Originally Posted by EricH

This isn't NASCAR; we don't have "tow robots" to clear the way. We just have five other robots that are trying to score.

If it also happens early in the match, we don't get yellow flags to stop and move out of the way.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Jherbie53

If it also happens early in the match, we don't get yellow flags to stop and move out of the way.

True--we just have driver alertness--hopefully.

BTW, my dad is the one who told me about this.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

To play devil's advocate, if I'm on the opposing alliance, that's one less robot I now have to worry about scoring points and moving their ball around.

The tipped over robot is blocking traffic for everyone, but scoring less for only their alliance. Why would I want to pick them up?

[Pavan Dave]

Originally Posted by Ogre

To play devil's advocate, if I'm on the opposing alliance, that's one less robot I now have to worry about scoring points and moving their ball around.

The tipped over robot is blocking traffic for everyone, but scoring less for only their alliance. Why would I want to pick them up?

Not even your alliance. If you are winning, and all lanes are shut than it would be beneficial for you to keep that "jam" as long as possible. Strategically the jam would be in your best interest.

Pavan.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Pavan

Not even your alliance. If you are winning, and all lanes are shut than it would be beneficial for you to keep that "jam" as long as possible. Strategically the jam would be in your best interest.

Pavan.

And if the situation is reversed? The other alliance is in the lead?

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by EricH

And if the situation is reversed? The other alliance is in the lead?

What makes this game interesting is there exists sort of a status quo that is constantly mantained. Everyone will likely proceed around the track at the same rate, as I believe any breakaways that do occur will either hit the pelaton again (which they won't be able to pass through) or hit some other traffic obstruction.

So, lets say the other alliance is in the lead, but you so happen to have a robot about to hurdle. So they hurdle, and now you are in the lead. It is still in your advantage to have the robot down. Or if you are ahead, most of the time it will be in your advantage for traffic to be slower (of course, there are exceptions, but this situation is on a case by case basis).

So, picking the other robot up, or moving them out of the way is a strategic decision.

I don't agree with this. If it is in my estimation a strategic advantage to slow the scoring down with a tipped robot, I will not move them out of the way. I will let them lie where they are.

Originally Posted by EricH

Remember, a tipped robot is your enemy, regardless of alliance. A driving robot is your friend, regardless of alliance.

I would say, a tipped robot, regardless of alliance, will slow down scoring. Whether or not this is a bad thing is highly situation.

[ALIBI]

I pity the repair job and the manipulator that is blocking the track. 25 Feet Per Second has Gotta Hurt!

[GaryVoshol]

To add insult to injury, there's probably a penalty for being over 80".

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

To add insult to injury, there's probably a penalty for being over 80".

Much like the 72" rule in 2007, I fully expect that if you tip over when you're over 80" tall, you'll be flagged. I also expect that this will be a huge deal at early regionals... scores will be low, and tipped robots will be numerous.

[Eric Scheuing]

Finally, an advantage to the walking robot.

[Andy L]

Honestly reading this post kind of makes me mad not only should you not try to tip a robot because it slows the game but I have a couple of other points

-Rule G42 States basically ramming a hurdling bot is a penalty
-Gracious Proffesionalism??
-and in my opinion one bot falling over there is still 2 others trying to get 2 balls around and 3 on the opposite alliance who can always accidently push the other alliance's balls around

Please tell me that GP is still in FIRST

[MGoelz]

Here's my take on it:

Dean's homework this year is to draw more public attention to FIRST through the media. With (hopefully) more public awareness, more average non-FIRSTers will be coming into competitions and checking us out. I think that even attempting to right a tipped robot will show what this program is really after.

FIRST was not created to be something where all you care about was winning. It's the attractive part, but it isn't necessarily the important part. The important part is to learn skills that we will need or want to use in the future. It is to give us insight on our own capabilities. Personally, when I see a tipped robot successfully put upright, it makes me happy and proud to belong to my team and to FIRST. I won't remember who won or lost that match, but I will remember who fell and who helped pick them back up.

I also do not think a game in which the whole field is blocked would be appealing to the audience. It slows down the game, and makes it a little boring.

A few years from now when you are applying for college or a job, and you mention FIRST, would you rather say you won the Championship and a lot of regionals? Or would you rather say that you gained more experience from this program than anything else and you learned things that are not taught in a classroom? I'm for the latter.

That's just how I see it.

[Otaku]

I'll just say to everybody who says "I'll leave them there" one simple thing:

Gracious Professionalism.

Learn it. Love it. Live it. Also remember... Foe one match, Friend another. Helping somebody out might just help you out in the long run, and even if it doesn't, this is FIRST, so we're all winners anyways.

So just help out a fellow FIRSTer if you see 'em tipped.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Ogre

To play devil's advocate, if I'm on the opposing alliance, that's one less robot I now have to worry about scoring points and moving their ball around.

The tipped over robot is blocking traffic for everyone, but scoring less for only their alliance. Why would I want to pick them up?

Everyone scores less because it blocks so much of the field. If they're already in the lead... If they have a trackball in grasp, it's even worse (up to 100% of the track blocked until somebody clears part of it.)

Think of it this way: there's an accident on an interstate that takes up two lanes. (Some have six each direction in SoCal.) EVERY lane comes to a halt/slow crawl as everyone merges into the remaining lanes. Once you're clear/the accident is removed, traffic speeds up.