I think we are far enough into the season to know how the game plays out. I’m curious about what the off-season will bring us.
This year, there are no “chokeholds” like games similar to Recycle Rush. Does Steamworks need a special set of rules? This doesn’t need to be just IRI, but for any off-season event.
Previously, the rules were to make the game more balanced. This year, the only imbalance I see is the pegs. I would propose three changes there:
- Rotate the pegs (once CW/CCW across both sides) each round (each team plays once, then rotate)
- Change the PVC rings in order to make untangling the cord easier
- Reaching outside the airship is legal above the deck, without contact with a robot
At Gull Lake, we saw that with the PVC rings. They removed them entirely, and made a custom retainment method that laid the string down onto the deck. This made untangling much easier.
The pegs themselves can be rotated fairly easily, with or without the PVC rings (the handle fits through the ring). This would be a big deal for all teams, since it would mean that the springs (which would be replaced infrequently anyway) wouldn’t always be in the same place, or even on the same side.
As for the third point, I think it would just help reduce unnecessary cards. Our team has received a yellow card at both of our competitions, neither of which was a safety hazard or strategic advantage. We aren’t alone either.
Fuel could be a little different too. I would suggest that the boiler gets a slight backboard. Only a couple inches tall, but tall enough that a ball that would hit the existing rim would bounce into the boiler. Possibly having a field pause would help too. Get a thumbs up from the field supervisor to allow the boilers to empty. Do the same at the end of the match, just so scoring fuel means more.
The refs should be watching the hoppers more. If a hopper is knocked down, the ref might need to help shake the fuel free. It takes no extra time for the field staff and would lead to more entertaining games than “Gear-and-Climbworks”.
Climbing, I think one thing is obvious: Cut down the C channel. If a team can climb the rope, they get points. End of story. If the field can’t be changed easily, then any robot that is off the carpet gets 50 points. I’ve seen the davit assembly though, and the touchpad could be lowered below the channel with two additional bolt holes. At the very least, give teams the option to leave the bottom pin off of the davit, so their robot can swing out to trigger the touchpad.
Is it also worth mentioning that alliance stations are messed up? They need some logic. The alliance captain (as usual) should be in the center. The first pick should be at station 1, and the second pick at station 3. This is the case for the blue side of the field, where the boiler is on the left. The first pick is on the boiler side. However, when you move to the red side, the first pick is also on the boiler side. Why is this an issue? This is something that many people haven’t noticed yet. The field this year is mirrored, not rotated to be symmetrical. However, the alliance stations aren’t. They are labeled 1 on the driver left, 3 on the right. This means that the first pick on the red side is actually at position 3, not 1.
And yes, that makes a difference. I’m not saying that proximity to the boiler is the wrong way to do it, but I think that the alliance stations should be swapped. 1 on red should be the retrieval side like normal, but the same on blue. It takes so long thinking about station numbers, and it’s just a pain for everyone.