Would like to see your thoughts on this part of the game.
I say bring it on. Work together, and you both seed better. Makes for a nice challenge in qualification matches.
This ramp will be key. I have a feeling a lot of teams won’t review the ranking system this year and it will bite them at their first event. You will see a top 8 much similar to that of 2010 (BreakAway)
I think teams that are used to working with one another (like you guys and 103 or 1114 and 2056) will be able to make this work out more often than not but I can’t see pulling this off with any random team. It’s gonna be hard enough getting on your own ramp with your own alliance teammates much less your opponents who you may not have had a chance of brokering a deal with. it does require some co-ordination to pull this off.
I like this Coopetition MUCH better than last year where most teams just chose to ignore it and even some competitions didn’t bother with it.
I’m not sure yet, we’ll see.
Does this ramp become an alliance ramp in eliminations? Meaning, in the eleimination rounds does this ramp mean nothing or can like the 3rd red/blue alliance member use it to get 10 points?
No the coopetition ramp has nothing to do with the playoffs.
You think? If one robot drives on, tips the ramp down, lets the other hold it, drives back and locks into place, the other robot should be able to drive on and balance – keep one stationary, let the other do the balancing (probably with accelerometer assist).
It won’t be easy per se, but I don’t think it requires any amazing pre-ship coordination between teams.
That’s what makes this true coopertition – you have to talk to your opponents before each match to coordinate who is going to balance with who, and how. The fact that you can’t talk to each other while trying to balance makes the beforehand communication absolutely critical.
I think it’s pretty ingenious.
We tossed out some methods for on-field communication in this thread:
Teams that have operational previous year robots should practice balancing robots on a ramp copy of this years piece. We are looking at doing this just to see how hard it will be to coordinate with another driver in achieving the balance and get some training in on it.
While we’re on the subject of ramps, did anyone else notice the little note from the GDC that said:
“As the level of competition at the FIRST Championship is typically very different than during the competition season, the Game Design Committee will possibly alter the value of balancing at the FIRST Championship within the range of 5 to 15 points per Robot.”
They kind of are trying to give themselves a get out of jail free card if the point system turns out to not work.
This refers to the alliance bridges, not the Coopertition bridge.
i think the coopertition bridge really is exactly what the spirit of FIRST is about, working with your own alliance members becomes just as important as working with the opposing alliance. i like it, it’s an interesting twist.
on that note, i feel it might be important to have us share information regarding our weights and centers of gravity prior to a regional here, so that teams can adequately match up who can balance who, etc. i feel like it’d be useful.
This idea is a very unique and ingenious way to promote Coopertition that I hope the GDC puts into use for years to come. I think you will see more Coopertition this year than ever.
Last year at the events I attended I only saw a few cases of Coopertition (sharing minibots for those of you who don’t know) and in most cases it was in eliminations within an alliance. The problem, in my opinion, with last year was if you shared a minibot with another team who was not on your alliance you risk eventually loosing to them (if you did not take the minibot away from them when you played against them).
This years Coopertition eliminates that problem by making it relatively useless in the finals (unless you are trying to win the award), and only beneficial in the quals.
I see what you did there GDC…
Anyone have any answers about the legality of hooking onto alliance member robots on the bridges? Hooking onto opponents are clearly off limits, but never mentioned alliance members.
The rule has no exemptions, so hooking onto alliance members wouldn’t be permitted as well I guess.
If I’m interpreting the rules correctly, cooperation is HUGE in this game. If balanced, it’s as good for your rankings as playing and winning a whole additional match.
I guess G26 clears that up… I was just looking at G27
The robot-robot interaction rules (G26-G30) disallow extending within an opponent’s frame perimeter:
[G27]
Deliberate or damaging contact with an opponent Robot inside its Frame Perimeter is not allowed.
They say nothing about deliberate contact with an alliance robot inside its frame perimeter.
There are two end results to this: We see a lot of lower level teams, but those who can balance, end up high in the rankings.
Or the high end teams realize the importance and get really got at it.