I don’t know if it is just me…there are a lot of robots that I don’t believe are ready to have defense applied to them. Especially seeing how this year should be a defense heavy game (basically it will be). Is this just me or do you see it too??::rtm::
I could not agree more.
Absolutely agree.
Team 25 showed why they were the best in 2006.
Lots of great shooters that year, but only one Team 25.
I remember about week 3 or so I saw a team post a video of a “shock” type device that let their intake move side to side a fair amount and still maintain functionality, that will be key.
Intake down, robot drives into it, your gunna have a bad day :eek:
Our eight-wheel tank drive has been able to push every robot we’ve ever encountered over the past 2 years out of the way, which is why we keep using it. We’ve got a similar set up this year, so as a driver I’m not at all worried about being pushed around. Blocking, on the other hand? Well let’s just hope there aren’t any goalie bots at Salt Lake or Denver 
I think us and truck town would like to accept that challenge.
I’m not too concerned about getting pushed around or breaking our attachment, but I’m actually worried about breaking another robot. We’ve got a big heavy catching thing that expands around our robot that won’t break. If we go full speed into a robot’s intake, there are several I’ve seen on here that I’m sure we’ll break right off. We’re making sure to bring our intake in if it’s not in use when we play.
With you on this. With an entirely open field, I think many teams fell for the illusion that this would be an all offense game. In reality, the best strategy would involve teams playing defensively for two thirds of the match as I see it.
Yup. The team that wins in auto will simply have to play defense to ensure the win.
I disagree.
Yes. All of our perimeter protrusions are structurally reinforced with 1"x2" box tubing (1/8" wall and currently not cheese-holed either) with the pivot of the intake made from 3/4" diam steel axle. We spared no weight in protecting our attachments
Auto doesn’t give you a big enough lead to ensure a win by just playing defense there on out.
Unless the defense is summed up by a shutdown goalie bot that thwarts ~2 of your auto balls and a large percentage of teleop shots
You mean If I’m up by 5 after auto I haven’t already won?
What do you mean first round sort is assist points not auto points? grumble
Did I mention the drop center? We’ll see you in St. Louis 
If the red ball (or 2 or 3) is on the floor, and two blue bots can take turns hitting it (or hitting red bots trying to pick it up) to keep it on the floor and out of possession by red bots-- and one blue bot can make cycles without ever putting the blue ball on the floor (or holding it precariously in front of itself) then blue can win (albeit with less assists than they might like.)
I think a very competitive bot design is one that can get loaded in a secure hopper above the frame by a human (bot preferably not needing to be stationed at the field wall to still reliably receive), then truss toss and catch in its own hopper reliably (I know, no catch points for that) and then score, preferably 10 pts.
This bot can score 20 pts (and one assist – since a solo run is one assist) on very fast cycles with low risk of loss of ball control, with the only effective defense being bots getting in the way and/or playing goalie. The bot’s two partners can play full on defense- taking turns bumping the ball in the wrong direction and significantly slow down any cycle strategy that puts the ball on the floor to pass or where its easy to have a bot lose the ball via a strong hit due to insecure possession.
All three human players in alliance station can speed up cycles – one at pedestal, one at corner and one at inbounding location – ball is tossed from player to player to inbound as quickly as possible.
As long as the team is not too far behind after auto, it should be able to get/keep ahead with a robust, fast, low scoring cycle against a largely disruptable strategy that puts the ball at high risk of possession loss.
The top teams/alliances will have full control/carry-possession of their own ball and will control (but not possess) their opponents ball as much as possible. If you can’t guarantee a reliable CATCH or a reliable self or human catch or human catch after a TRUSS, its probably not going to be worth doing the TRUSS, if your opponents are playing smart.
Truss shots yo. There’s no way you have a blocker that’s within the height requirements that can block the parabolic arch of a truss shot.
Height requirements in the goalie zone?
I thought there would be only one human player in the alliance station. Two are stationed up by the truss in those positions. I also note that human players cannot pass the ball between each other from station to station. Now… that was assuming human players were dispersed on the field and not all behind the alliance area.
Anyone else want to chime in on this? Can an alliance use all of its alliance human players in the drive station area? Would you want to?
G8
Each TEAM member must be in designated areas:
COACHES and DRIVERS must be in the ALLIANCE STATION and behind the STARTING LINE.
HUMAN PLAYERS must be either in one of their HUMAN PLAYER AREAS or in the ALLIANCE STATION and behind the STARTING LINE.
G38
HUMAN PLAYERS may not pass the BALL to a HUMAN PLAYER in another HUMAN PLAYER AREA (passing the BALL within an ALLIANCE STATION or HUMAN PLAYER AREA is permitted).
If they can never complete a cycle (blocked in the high AND low goal) all you get is 10 points (20 for catch).
John is right though, assist points win 1st seed