Answered: Robot/Programming Skills Preload Clarification

[DracoTheDragon]

On this Q&A (Answered: Robot Skills Loads - VRC > Nothing But Net (15/16) - VEX Forum), you clarified the number of preloads each team can use during skills.

…you would be able to start with 4 Robot Skills Preloads on the Red Alliance Starting Tiles, then load 28 Robot Skills Loads from the Red Loading Zone. To access the remaining 32 Robot Skills Loads you would need to travel to the Blue Loading Zone. There is no restriction on where you have to shoot the Balls, just a restriction on where they may be Loaded.

However, is it also legal to start out (for instance) as the “red alliance” robot to start out with the “blue alliance” preloads? The implication of this would be that at the start of skills, instead of having access to 32 balls due to adjacent preloads and skills loads, they would have an additional 4 preloads from the opposite color (36 total for high school, 40 total for Vex U).

In a Robot Skills Match, all Goals and Alliance Starting Tiles are considered to be the same
color for purposes of any rules or definitions.

Due to all goals and starting tiles are considered to be the same color. Due to a robot may use their 4 preloads

Prior to the start of each Robot Skills Match, each Robot may use their four (4) Balls
available as Robot Skills Preloads. A Ball is considered to be legally preloaded if it is touching the
Robot, not touching any other grey foam tiles, and is fully within the field perimeter. Any unused
Robot Skills Preloads become Robot Skills Control Loads. Please note, the twelve (12) other
Preloads that would be used by other Robots in a normal Match are available as Robot Skills Loads.

However, the definition of a preload is not limited by color in either robot skills or in the main game, simply if you have access to it

Robot Skills Preload – The four (4) Balls each team may place on the field such they are touching its
Robot, not touching any grey foam tiles, and fully within the field perimeter prior to each Robot Skills
Match.

Preload – The four (4) Balls each team may place on the field such they are touching its Robot, not
touching any grey foam tiles, and fully within the field perimeter prior to each Match. Unused Preloads
become Driver Control Loads.

Additionally, <SG2> does not specify that a set of preloads is linked to a tile or color. Simply that they may use their four preloads.

<SG2> Prior to the start of each Match, each Robot may use their four (4) Balls available as
Preloads. A Ball is considered to be legally preloaded if it is touching the Robot, not touching any
other grey foam tiles, and is fully within the field perimeter. (See figures 8 & 9) Any unused Preloads
become Driver Control Loads.

Because of this, can you apply rule and rule to start on the “red” alliance tile and use the “blue” alliance preloads during skills, meaning that you can start with 32 balls off the field with 4 balls preloaded in high school, and 32 balls off the field and 8 balls preloaded in university?

[Karthik]

@DracoTheDragon

However, is it also legal to start out (for instance) as the “red alliance” robot to start out with the “blue alliance” preloads? The implication of this would be that at the start of skills, instead of having access to 32 balls due to adjacent preloads and skills loads, they would have an additional 4 preloads from the opposite color (36 total for high school, 40 total for Vex U).

No, this would not be legal.