I have two questions/concerns about the rules and the game in general.
1: How does the defense system work in lay man’s terms I still do not understand?
2: Are teams going to be able to set up their robots in autonomous knowing where the defenses and what defenses will be chosen? Or, will they set up the robots then the defenses will be placed.
I will answer #2 and say you know one match prior to competing.
answer #1 will probably be “read the rules”
Read 2.2.2.1 to learn the defenses,
read section 5.5.5.10 to learn how they are chosen.
1: Two matches before you pick your own 3 defenses, you already know low bar will always be in position 1 (GIVEN) and audience selection in position 3 (Changes every full round same for both) THEN you select from remaining categories to benefit your alliance against the other.
So in summary Two are set completely out of your control (1 and 3) …three (2,4,5) will be selected one from each remaining category about two matches before you play, one match before you play you will get a layout of what your competing alliance selected for you.
Basically how it works (and PLEASE read the rules for more detail) is the following:
When you are #2 in queue for a MATCH, you get to select the DEFENSES that are in positions 2,4, and 5. (1 is always the low bar, and 3 is selected by the audience, once per round - i.e. the time that it takes all teams to play one MATCH). You select the DEFENSES that are on the opposite side of the FIELD. When you move up to queue position #1, the selections of the opposing alliance are revealed to you, and you can strategize based on that information.
There are 4 groups of two DEFENSES each, for a total of 8 possibilities of selectable DEFENSES. The audience selected group is random for the first qualification round, but then proceeds alphabetically. For example, if FMS selects group C as the first audience selection, the second time the audience gets to select, it will be from group D, the next time from group A, etc. This ordering proceeds into playoff rounds as well. The ALLIANCE may not select any DEFENSE from the group that the audience selected, and must select one each from the remaining three groups. They may be placed in any order.
Hope that helps a bit!