With a limited number of containers on the field taking control of the containers on the step may be important. One way to ensure control of these containers would be using autonomous mode to grab the containers. However there is a large amount of totes in the landfill making it so the robot would have to extend pretty far to get the containers. What are your thoughts on the importance of controlling the extra containers and on how to go about getting to the containers.
Going off on a tangent, this is one of few parts of the game where there is inter alliance competition as both teams have access to these containers and will have to beat the other alliance to the containers.
Personally I see this as a possibly over looked part of this game.
A strategy that guarantees the win when max possible points by both alliances are scored will never be overlooked. The GDC made an odd number of recycling cans on the field for a reason.
That said, it’s only going to really matter come late playoff rounds at strong competitions. Few alliances will have the firepower to worry about running out of a game piece.
Yep. Three in each staging zone for the alliances, and four on the step. I could have sworn it was three on the step myself though… rules haven’t all sunk in
The two containers in the middle would not be difficult to reach because there is a gap in the totes in the land fill so you could get to those easily and then wait until the landfill is cleared out to get the other two.
Unless some teams develop non wheel robots that can stack a tote every 2 seconds from anywhere on the field ,i don’t think it will matter that much. I think teams will target stacking the recycling bins and autonomous because both are worth a lot more.
well knowing there is no starting configuration you could start with your robot fully extended with two arms, grabbing at the containers and have it lined up perfectly so that when auto start you grab them spin drop them in the zone then grab the other two
The definition of each zone in the glossary does not include a vertical extension of the boundaries. Wondering if this implies that hanging over the boundary is OK as long as you aren’t in contact with the floor or the game designers overlooked it. Maybe this needs some clarification.
Added thought - the zones are referred to as areas and not volumes. That would be another indication to me that the rule refers to contact with the marked area by a part of the robot.
There is an exact diagram in the manual that shows hanging over the step is completely ok, so long as you are not in contact with the other game pieces or carpet, I believe.
As noted, this is mostly going to matter to top ranked teams in Elims. Especially at MSC and Champs. The question you have to ask yourself is if you think a 1 or 2 seed is capable of doing more than three 5-6 tote + container stacks. If they are, then you’re starving them for points if you can control all 4 of the shared containers.
Also, picking the containers up isn’t actually necessary for a denial strategy to work. You just have to get them onto your side of the field. Once they’re beyond the step, they’re off limits. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a specialized auton and mechanism to swipe the two middle containers in autonomous mode and count on winning the race for one of the two outside containers.
Presume 3 containers scored atop a stack of 5, each with a piece of litter.
Per stack, that’s worth:
5 totes x 2 points ea. – 10 pts.
5 levels x 4 points / level – 20 pts.
1 litter x 6 points – 6 pts.
36 pts.
3 stacks x 36 pts. per stack = 108 points.
Ignoring the additional time required, for better or for worse, presume that 2 containers are taken from the step at some point during the match and the number of totes consumed remains unchanged.
Per stack:
3 totes x 2 points ea. – 6 pts.
3 levels x 4 points / level – 12 pts.
1 litter x 6 points – 6 pts.
24 pts. per stack.
5 stacks x 24 pts. per stack = 120 points.
In many instances, it’ll be more efficient for alliances to form more shorter stacks than a few taller ones if containers can be obtained and scored on those stacks. It’s easier to make shorter tote stacks and easier to place containers on shorter stacks, as well.
keep in mind that starving your opponents of points is of little use especially if you are wasting your own scoring time doing it.
If you can acquire the containers from the step AND score them then you have a winning strategy in my humble opinion.
So if you are aligned with 2 great stackers that can get 3 full stacks and have time left then acquiring the step containers is going to be very valuable.
This isn’t what they are asking about. In 2014 zone boundaries were specifically described as the infinite plane extending upwards from the edge of each marked area on the carpet. This year’s game manual says nothing about the 3rd dimension of field zones. OP’s question is whether or not the air above the landfill/autozone is included as part of each respective zone, or if only the actual carpet is the real zone.
This isn’t what they are asking about. In 2014 zone boundaries were specifically described as the infinite plane extending upwards from the edge of each marked area on the carpet. This year’s game manual says nothing about the 3rd dimension of field zones. OP’s question is whether or not the air above the landfill/autozone is included as part of each respective zone, or if only the actual carpet is the real zone.
Precisely my question. Definitely needs clarification, but I believe all the indicators are point toward being able to extend over the landfill and auto zones at the beginning of the game.
Robots have no limits on x and y dimensions which would make no sense if you can’t stretch over those zones.
The rules talk about the zone area and not the zone volume.
No mention of an imaginary vertical plane which is language used in previous games.
