Team Update #18 is posted.
(Sorry Wildstang…)
BEN
There go our big plans. Once again Raul and Wildstang were one step ahead, and we were one step behind. It’s too bad, I really liked the pre-stack strategy, it opened up some interesting possibilities.
Aww they just had to ruin our fun 
Too bad, it’d have been nice to see a few more teams pull that off.
Another thing for Copioli?
That seems like a pretty big change pretty late in the season. I realize 99% of the teams probably weren’t actually planning on this during build season, but it’s entirely possible someone was and is now caught out. I could understand changing the safety rules to require those robots to be disabled, but completely outlawing it with 3/5ths of the competitions gone seems odd. I do understand the logic, it just seems like a pretty big change.
Would it work to have a ringer between the two stacked robots? The rule says you can’t touch other robots but the ringer would be between. It would be fun to see the head ref try to remove the ringer at the end of autonomous.
RAZ
ahahahaha.
I don’t like that the ruling has been changed now, after the strategy was actually used, when the very question was asked in the Q/A forum back in January and it was given the go-ahead.
I’m fine with not allowing it…but don’t allow it from the start next time!
Something makes me think they might have a small problem with that! Just Maybe.
I find it unfortunate that they made this rule, as now robots that have drivetrain problems cannot help their alliance. With out this rule, even a dead 'bot could have been useful to their alliance. Now they won’t even bother to bring a dead 'bot to the field 
If we have the change, I WILL try this. Hopefully to win, but if not atleast in protest of the constant rule changes.
After the made up rules that could’ve cost us a match, and these random team updates, I’m bringing the rules out on the field with me.
Pardon my ignorance, what did Stang actually do?
I mean I think I know, but I am unsure.
You mean this Q&A response?
Huh.
meatmanek@yggdrasil /tmp $ xpdf 2007\ Team\ Update\ 18.pdf
Error: Document has not the mandatory ending %EOF
It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a corrupt file through HTTP. Re-downloading worked fine.
That wouldn’t be a very smart Idea. A robot that is supported by a ringer at the end of the match is worth no points.
At least one of their alliance partners were dead in a match. They (wildstang) placed the dead alliance partner on top of the third robot in the alliance. Wildstang went out and tried to score, etc, and the other two robots stayed in the end zone for a 30 point bonus.
I revise my earlier opinion. A complete reversal when the question was asked a week after kickoff and given the go ahead and a team was obviously thinking about it is just plain wrong. The Zone Zeal tape measure decision was bad enough with allowing previously illegal mechanisms after build season. But outlawing a strategy after build? That you’d already been asked about? I think the GDC made a pretty large slip-up here.
It’s good entertainment watching everyone’s pre-game strategies go to waste!
Why do I have a disturbing feeling that we are heading for another Update 16 debacle. It seems interesting to me that FIRST wouldn’t have learned their less on that one. Also I say props to WildStang for thinking of this one haven’t seen anyone else try this in any of the last 3 regionals I’ve been at/watched I guess because of the size restriction issue. Once again the action of FIRST reversing it’s decision mid-season seems far worse than the decision itself. Although this used to be the norm and it may make things more interesting sometimes. I guess FIRST should put a disclaimer in the manual “rules are subject to change until the last match has been played on Einstein in Atlanta.”
-Justin