Autonomous Strategies in Sack Attack

[MetalJacket325]

Originally Posted by Thorondor

well they are only 5 additional points, which in the scheme of things isn't exactly that much. Plus, with descoring back, someone could easily just descore your bonus sack and then put it in their trough.

I guess, unless someone comes up with another last minute mass-scoring idea like the stacker from last year

[Warrior5]

My versonally is that Robots which can only score a few at a time will be the best because of a few things:
Descoring
Only about 30 sacks fit in a tough without poking over the top
The sheer improbability of lifting 80+ sacks.

Just my thoughts, but I do not think super "sackers" will work all that well.

[Totally Generic Name]

Well you don't need to be able to carry all of the sacks. The odds of one robot ever being able to collect more than 40 sacks in a relatively even game are pretty low. Given the placement of the sacks, I'd say it'd be near impossible to reach the sacks on the far wall before the other alliance could pick them up, unless they scored them and you descored them into your own bucket.

Besides, unless the other team has: 1) the high goal scored, 2) the autonomous bonus, or 3) more bonus sacks than you, you'd only need to score 53 sacks to automatically win. Now account for the fact that there will almost assuredly be some sacks left unscored on the field, your alliance partner will probably be able to do something, and they might even score the high goal if you can't, you'd probably only ever need to super dump 40 or so sacks to have a good chance of winning against another super dumper or ridiculously good alliance of efficiency bots.

On the other hand, blocking is still an issue.

[The VEX Raptors]

Originally Posted by Totally Generic Name

Well you don't need to be able to carry all of the sacks. The odds of one robot ever being able to collect more than 40 sacks in a relatively even game are pretty low. Given the placement of the sacks, I'd say it'd be near impossible to reach the sacks on the far wall before the other alliance could pick them up, unless they scored them and you descored them into your own bucket.

Besides, unless the other team has: 1) the high goal scored, 2) the autonomous bonus, or 3) more bonus sacks than you, you'd only need to score 53 sacks to automatically win. Now account for the fact that there will almost assuredly be some sacks left unscored on the field, your alliance partner will probably be able to do something, and they might even score the high goal if you can't, you'd probably only ever need to super dump 40 or so sacks to have a good chance of winning against another super dumper or ridiculously good alliance of efficiency bots.

On the other hand, blocking is still an issue.

You have to be careful about blocking your opponent, though. They might just go back to their tile at the end and score all of their sacks there. That way, they'd get the parking bonus and have a bunch of points on the floor goal.

[Totally Generic Name]

40 sacks on the floor is worth 8 sacks in a trough and 4 sacks in the high goal. Taking the time to pick up that many sacks and not being able to score it in a trough hurts a lot, especially when your teammate doesn't have access to those sacks. Heck, it even makes the parking bonus seem worth something in comparison. On the other hand, it is better than nothing.

[Epsilon]

Originally Posted by The VEX Raptors

You have to be careful about blocking your opponent, though. They might just go back to their tile at the end and score all of their sacks there. That way, they'd get the parking bonus and have a bunch of points on the floor goal.

But even if they were able to get 50 or so sacks scored on their tile and the parking bonus, I would just have to score 12 sacks in the trough to beat it.

And I don't think they would be able to get that many sacks scored there anyway since they would all have to be touching the tile.

[murdomeek]

i think its the right time for a thread revival
after yesterdays competition
i think its safe to say that descoring 50 points at a time from the troughs will be fairly easy to do
and the elite teams can get around 20-40 pts in autonomous
so chepo "drop a sack in your square" doesnt really cut it
ive noticed not many teams go across the trough in the early stages of matches
maybe there will be strategic advantages of doing that in auto?

[Owen]

Originally Posted by Warrior5

My versonally is that Robots which can only score a few at a time will be the best because of a few things:
Descoring
Only about 30 sacks fit in a tough without poking over the top
The sheer improbability of lifting 80+ sacks.

Just my thoughts, but I do not think super "sackers" will work all that well.

Same reasoning, different conclusion.

Congratulations, you spent a minute and a half scoring small amounts of sacks in troughs. I'll drive up and descore your troughs, rescoreing every one of your sacks before the end of the match.

The only real strategy against effective descoring is dumping a large amount and protecting it.

By the way, Sack Attack is (or soon will be) all about descoring. If you can't do it well, I suggest you rethink your design.

[Warrior5]

Originally Posted by Owen

Same reasoning, different conclusion.

Congratulations, you spent a minute and a half scoring small amounts of sacks in troughs. I'll drive up and descore your troughs, rescoreing every one of your sacks before the end of the match.

The only real strategy against effective descoring is dumping a large amount and protecting it.

By the way, Sack Attack is (or soon will be) all about descoring. If you can't do it well, I suggest you rethink your design.

***From the post made 6 months ago***
Trust me, after working with the elements Last June, I had come to the same conclusion. Just forgot I had posted that other opinion in this thread.

[ClockWorkKnights]

with an autonomous period of only 15 seconds and so little bonus at stake yes the autonomous period is not very important. However from the stand point of an educator and a coach it is invaluable. It is the opportunity to teach young students how to program. If the focus was only on the driver control period I wouldn't have the chance to teach. This educational experience is a primary mission for our club/team.

FWIW