NO MORE DESIGN CONVERGENCE!!! (or at least less) 
Lots of ways to score, and it will be (almost) impossible for any robot to do all of them. Robots will have to be designed to do a few things well rather than try to do everything. Makes for VERY interesting alliances and alliance selection!
Interesting.
I am stunned on how to do it all
Iâm not sure that it will be possible for many teams other than a few EXTREMELY high caliber teams. Iâve been wrong many times before, though.
I really like this game. -Cody
With our first year behind us (almost) and the schooling we are getting this week I am excited! We hope to have a field and elements within a few weeks and a chance to get started early. I agree that there initially does not seem like scoring all objects is going to be possible or at least easy.
The thing i dont understand is the team stations and the starting tile⌠Maybe i missed something but how do you rotate your bot during auton or how do you insert your preloads when your station is nowhere near the start tile?!
I bet the couches are allowed to stand by the starting tilesâŚ
My first thoughts upon seeing the field were âExcellent, no sacks.â
Upon reading the rules, I was terrified of how much specialization would be needed. I am sure many teams will design their robot for a specific zone, and thus there will be a heavy element of luck in terms of who is paired with whom.
The âAlliance Robot Interaction Spotsâ are where the coaches/drivers stand to interact with the robot.
Wouldnât couches sit? Lol
Initial Reaction: âWhat the hell?â
I have a feeling that although this is a much harder game than last year, there will be only a few designs that will prevail.
in the rules <G4> states that drivers and couches are to remain in the station unless the robot has not left the tile and is still in a legal position
Cody was saying this in a joking manner (I assume), as the word âcouchesâ refers to a type of furniture you typically sit on. The word âcoachesâ is what is referenced in <G4>.
Weâre very excited about the fact that the sacks are gone. Spending 4 months stopping them from getting stuck in our wheel base could have been spent much more effectively, both in strategy and in driving practice.
Some people on my team are incredibly⌠prepared isnât quite the word, but I canât think of the right one. Itâs been a long four days. I have two different guys on the team with two different designs drawn and ready to be CADed out. We had been talking and thinking about robots for miscellaneous tasks for a few weeks because our Worlds robot was so simple, and it turned out two of them happened to have amazing potential in Toss Up. Both have the potential to be disastrous and if executed wrong, but weâve got a full year and they are both very sure they have a winning idea. Weâll see
I think weâre going to build an efficiency robot to qualify and have fun at the early competitions with, and build the ideas they have during the year. Something that can drive over the Bump, under the bar and fill the Cylinders, then cap them. Practicality will come before the oddball ideas this year.
Our third team is still in the phase of figuring out what they think are the most important elements of the game and which ones they need to do. Itâs also in the process of being made. Weâre losing 4/9 people with the 2013 graduating class, so recruitment is going to be a priority over the next month. Thereâs a good chance weâre going to be CADing through the end of the school year, and start building over summer.
I have a design that can do all but put the big balls on top of the stash. I shall say no more until I have actually sketched some stuff out
My Initial Reaction: âWhat the heck is this VEX?â
But after reading more about it, looking at the field, and just watching the animation multiple times, I am growing to like it. It is a very unique and challenging game that will make teams think hard on their priorities. I am looking forward to competing in the new game: VEX Toss Up.
Good luck this year all!
This game provides a very interesting challenge, and this year the meta will revolve a lot more on specialization. There might be one or two 1103-style âdo-it-allâ robots, but I think that most teams will find that a robot that can do many things wonât be as effective as robots that can do a few things really well.
One more thing:
YAY NO MORE SACKS!!!
Androidâs auto-correct has failed me.
Well then you do have a problem. -Cody
Lol. The competition has ended and now itâs time for some serious couching to begin. My auto corrupt gets me all of the time.
