Taking a look back…
Last year marked the beginning of a new era in Georgia FIRST: the district system allowed teams to make steady upgrades throughout the competitive season, improved the quality of play throughout the region, and developed a solid middle tier of competitive teams.
While there certainly were some bumpy times during the events, the system brought more events to the state and improved overall awareness of the region’s robotics programs. However, teams have a solid year of experience with the new system and we can honestly say that FIRST in Georgia has never been better.
Looking Forward…
FIRST Steamworks is an interesting game, one that has a lot of layers and presents quite a few strategic opportunities. While there are areas for specialization and focus, the real magic will come from robots that will diversify and improve as the game matures and the season goes on. However, it’s worth mentioning that the competitive floor for this year is a little higher than last year, where simply having a strong drivetrain could win you the event.
As such, we expect that Gainesville will be dominated by the gear and the climb. Teams have proven that it’s not difficult to put together a passive gear mechanism and the wonders of velcro have rendered the the climbing challenge all but trivial. As such, we expect a majority of winning alliances to not score a single ball.
We definitely expect to see shooters at Gainesville, but what they may not understand is that the game isn’t ready for them yet. When shooting teams realize that their 40 kPa production can easily be matched by 1 pre-provided gear by the opposing alliance, even the best shooters will shift their focus to gears for a majority of Gainesville.
The field…
With a better spread of event dates this year, every district has a good distribution with over 30 teams in attendance. With that being said, Gainesville’s relative proximity to the Atlanta metro area makes it a prime destination for top tier teams and sets the stage for one of the most competitive district events. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at these numbers:
Number of 2016 Event Winners: 9 (7 unique)
Number of 2016 Top Seeds: 4 (3 unique)
Number of Teams from the PCH Top 10 in OPR form 2016: 6
Number of Teams from the PCHQA Power Poll: 7
The contenders…
There’s no better place to get things started than 1261. The Robo Lions have consistently shown an ability to dominate on the field, winning both Albany and Kennesaw in 2016, and coming just short at District Champs as a finalist. Last year, they showed promise with a top level strategy and a rough-and-tumble drive team who pushed anyone in their way to the side. However, after both their driver and operator graduated, it’s up to a new class to fill those roles. From a robot perspective, 1261 features a turreted shooter with the goal of using their vision tracking to become a shooting powerhouse. Hoping to collect the 1RP for 40kPA every match, it would not surprise us at all to see them come in and shoot the lights out. However, 1261 also tends to start slow: they haven’t won a regional at their first event since 2014, and hadn’t converted before that. Their success at this event will be dependent on them starting hot.
Speaking of teams that start hot, **1648 **has done just that the past two years, winning both Georgia Southern Classic and being the first pick at Columbus and Albany last year. While they’re definitely on the rise, they’re also a team that has historically struggled to keep up with the evolving gameplay. However, this year’s robot features components to tackle aspects of the entire game, using a fixed hooded shooter to nail shots from both short and long distance. Like Robo Lions, G3’s success will dependent on starting fast out of the gate. However, they also need to find a way to sustain that success to see them bring home their third banner.
1746 has undergone significant change in recent years. As the lone representative from Georgia at IRI, they went from being a low goal bot with a climb (arguably the best robot in the state last year) to a high goal bot within a matter of days. And that high goal bot was no slouch: they nailed eight high goals from the batter and almost proved themselves worthy of eliminations. This year, they may have bit off a little more than they can chew. Their turreted shooter with one of the largest capacities in the state may be on the robot, but it may not be a featured part of their strategy. Instead, look for them to use their driving skills and strategy to rely on gears and climbing to return to the winner’s circle.
**4188 **spent all of last year proving that 2015 Peachtree was no fluke: they backed up victories in Recycle Rush with a Stronghold success in Columbus, Albany, and Rocket City, where they had the best out-of-district performance of any team in the state. This year, they’ve finished their robot well in advance and the general public can expect a brilliant performance of driver skill and robot climbing. With a 2 second climb, they may be the speediest specialist there. If shooting doesn’t become the most critical facet of qualifications, this team could not only seed first, but dominate in eliminations.
Could have some potential…
**4468 **spent much of last year as a solid contender, and deservedly so. After winning Columbus, they went on to seed first at both Kennesaw and District Championship. However, last year they won with a superb drivetrain and an added-in-season low goal mechanism. Since that drivetrain will no longer give them significant points, they’re going to have to find a way to leverage their passive gear mechanism to score. If things go right, maybe we will see them bring out their gear floor pickup.
Last year’s state champion alliance captain, 4026, may be a sleeper at this event. After consistently improving event after event last year, they broke through at states. This year, they’ve been relatively quiet, but rumors abound of a 50%+ accuracy shooter with a rate of 4-5 balls per second and a complete auton. If those numbers are indeed proven on the field, they will find themselves among the most impressive at the event.
We can’t forget 4910, the other state champion at the event showed great promise at the Atlanta scrimmage. With a sleek, speedy robot, their passive gear mechanism and solid intake may be the key to earning a top seed. Out to prove last year’s victories at Dalton and District Championship we truly indicative of a team on the rise, we expect them to be a top four seed.
Popping up nice and toasty, 5332 has a clean, sleek looking design that’s a stark contrast to last year’s robot. However, unlike last year, much of it is untested, and that could prove to be the difference at Gainesville. If they can put together, test, and finalize their robot quickly, they could prove to be a contender.
After a relatively rough season in 2016, **4189 **is looking to start anew. With a highly accurate shooter, they may be one of only a few teams consistently putting balls into the top goal. With a climber and passive gear mechanism, they could provide themselves a great chance to leave the event with a blue banner.
The wildcards…
With their recently revealed robot, **6325 **may be the best rookie in the state. Although we are not sold on the speed of their mechanisms, it is a classy machine with a climber and mecanum drivetrain. If they can find their footing early on in their FRC career, they may surprise.
**1002 **is another team featuring a mecanum drivetrain, and they’re certainly fast. Although they just have a passive gear mechanism, their shifty drivetrain may be able to avoid the collisions most teams experienced during week zero. If they can dominate the tournament early, look for them to be an alliance captain.
**4941 **has made some pre-tournament noise with a solid drivetrain, simple gear mechanism and grippy climber. Although last year they encountered some struggles, with a trip to DCMP and a returning driver, the extra experience gained last year should help them come out of the gate strong. Look for them to be selected early for eliminations.
Good luck!