What do you guys think is the purpose of the spy bot? Like what can it do? Does it just stay in the same position? Or can it move and play like the other bots?
It seems like a very weird position to start autonomous in. If I’m not mistaken it can’t hold a ball so no scoring can be done that way. Maybe it can be used to easily push the drawbridge down just by driving into it. Same with the Sally Port.
I think the purpose is to give a robot that doesn’t have the ability to traverse out of the neutral zone to start in an area that allows it to contribute.
Why do you say it can’t hold a ball (“boulder”)? Can you refer to a rule? That would be very helpful, thanks.
Rule 3.2 says robots may begin autonomous with a boulder pre-loaded. Nowhere does it say the spy bot cannot.
My team is under the belief that since not stated otherwise, spy bots can have a ball preloaded for scoring. Other than that, I don’t see a big advantage of it. I think it will mostly function as:
- less experienced teams to have the opportunity to score more than two measly points in auto (by reaching outerworks). And if their robot is not built to even get over a defense, being a spy will allow the team to more easily participate in offense, like if they have the opportunity to help capture the tower at the end.
- If a team can’t get over the particular defense set up from that round.
- A back up for if two teams on an alliance would have conflicting autonomous programs if they both started in their usual neutral zone spot.
I don’t see spies being vitally important, just more as an alternative since there is so much variance in how autonomous (and rest of the match for that matter) might be structured round after round.
But every point counts.
Pretty much this IMO. It’s a chance for a bot to get to score without having to get past a defense. If all three robots can only do the drivetrain-based defenses, which there are only two of, then one should be a spybot. If all three can go past a defense and score in auton there’s no purpose for a spybot.