Wow. 12 days until the greatest regional in California! Who’s going? What’s it going to be like? How excited are YOU?!
256 will be attending, loud and proud! We will be bringing our robot LeROY (pronounced Luh-Roy). We also hope to be bringing with us the team from the hit technology show “Tech Now”, to promote FIRST.
Team 100 is ready for it. We really improved in Sacramento, and our alliance with 1868 and 751 almost beat the winning alliance in our second quarterfinals match. Unfortunately the bridge unbalanced as the match ended, but the match was still close. I’m sure 971 and 254 will dominate as usual, but 254 certainly set the bar quite high last year. There’s also 5 rookie teams and it’ll be interesting to see how they do after the success of all the rookies at Sacramento.
Talking to the Space Cookies at Davis, I learned that one of the reasons that they were having trouble was many of their mentors from NASA were let go, and no longer could work full time with the team. Considering the Cheesy Poofs and the Space Cookies share a lab (and possible mentors), 254 could have a tougher year.*
(*I have not seen 254 play, or even their robot, so this is purely conjecture.)
No matter what, both teams always make excellent robots. I never got to see one of 1868’s robots up close on the webstream, but from what I saw it was simple software problem with their shooter that needed to be fixed (not even, just some values needed to be changed). Their robot was great, and 254’s, likewise, will probably be great. I know already 254 has had a tough year. NASA has been cutting a lot of funds, so they’ll be missing that (should not happen to a world champ team :mad: ). However, I still think they will have a great season. They have robot building down, and if anything will continue to succeed with their student-run program.
What are you talking about?
On the FIRST website, it shows less sponsors than you used to have, and at a WRRF workshop in December, Mc kenna (sorry if I spelled it wrong) said that 254 was loosing some sponsors during the workshops.
If this is wrong, please tell me. I’m just going off of what I’ve seen and heard.
It is true that the NASA mentors were laid off, but we are all still here, only we are volunteers instead of paid employees. We are dedicated to Teams 254 and 1868 with or without a paycheck.
It was very obvious that the Space Cookies were having a difficult time at Davis. We had a lot of unforeseen electrical problems and a new drive team that had no drive practice. Both students and mentors will be working hard this next week to fix any robot issues and prepare for SVR.
I want to thank everyone who stepped in to help us at Davis, especially the mentors from team 971. I’m not sure we would have made it without your help!
-Krystine
Dona and I will be there for our first time. Looking forward to visiting San Jose and checking out this wonderful regional we have been hearing about.
After hearing on the Davis thread that Davis is a particularly “defensive” regional, I was wondering how SVR is regarded by many. In my opinion, it it a very strong regional, but what type of play does it tend to see in qualification and eliminations? What types of team tend to win (and be selected)?
Me too, Richard! I will be helping with inspections, and I’m looking forward to being at this great regional for the first time.
Andy B.
Hi Andy, Richard
If you guys haven’t made plans the 971 Team would love to show you around. We can arrange tours of Google, NASA , local manufacturing facilities.
Dinner at Santana Row???
Feel free to email me
Roy
It is Mc Kenna for the record:) . Also neither the poofs or the space cookies are down sponsor(s) in fact both have added new ones this year. However what I think you are referring to might be that NASA’s funding has been very publicly cut across the board which of course has an affect on all its programs.
Also Andy if you want to check out the NASA ames lab we would love to have you
SVR is the powerhouse regional of CA (until CVR, maybe…). Not only because of it’s majority of teams being top-tier, but because of the heavy understandings of the game. Each year, SVR sees some of the greatest strategy and designs for the game that are seen nowhere else. Very strategic play is seen in some matches, and in others it ranges from all out defense/offense to a complete surprise! Robots in elimiation rounds are generally those who have found a specific niche in the game strategy and are very successful at it. We’ve seen feeder robots, uber scoring robots, and sometimes robots who de-score their opponents with mad skill. The winning alliance (from what I remember) usually consists of 2 offensive teams, and a defensive/feeding team, since the offense usually seen at SVR is top notch, with teams like 971, 254, 1538, 604, etc.
On another note: Andy Baker and Richard Sisk coming to my home regional! :yikes: This is going to be the best regional ever! I can’t wait to have my robot inspected by THE Andy Baker! 
Andy, Richard, if I bring something, will you two autograph it for me?
That may have been it. Sorry for misspelling your name. I know too many Mc Kennas, Makennas, Mackenas, etc, that I often mix up names.
Its more than alright I got over people messing up my name at about age 6 
So, how do you propose to do that this year? Build a robot to reach in through the opponent’s basket and pull out the basketballs? Just so long as it doesn’t violate G08 and touch anything outside of the court boundaries, it is fine…
Edit: might be tricky getting under the 14" appendage rule. Hovercraft, anyone?
The winning alliance also usually consists of 254
We are looking forward to SVR, after we have made some more improvements to our robot since Sacramento.
The de-scoring was a few years ago, but I suppose there may be a few ways to do this (IRI?)
You forgot something. The winning alliance usually consists of 971 as well. 
Maybe 256 can be in on that too this year. We’ll have to see in a few days.
10 more days.
Team 597 cant wait.
You forgot something. The winning alliance usually consists of 971 as well. 
Unfortunately the winning alliance didn’t consist of 971 last year 
I feel like that loss was due to 254’s insanely good robot and all the problem’s we had with our Banebots gearboxes last year. At least 1622 is able to say the only team that ever eliminated us last year was 254!
Change that to a has always been, unless you count the controversy of 2008.