Will we see any bots that are really fast whose only goal/mission is to get in front of the best shooting robot and disrupt their launching ability? A 17.5" x 17.5" wall that “rejects” any shot attempts? Maybe they specialize in lifting or being lifted, maybe they have a simple scoop they can use to dump balls into the low goal?
Well the short answer is most likely…
I am just not sure if it will be inexperienced teams who cant do anything else or good teams that put it as their strategy…
I believe that some teams will make them.
I think their usefulness will be like wallbots (or like good cube bots in Skyrise); great when their alliance is great, and subpar when their alliance is subpar.
Keep in mind that the “wall bot” will have to stay out of the other alliance’s square so it would be ineffective for most of the game.
I think that teams will find a high arc will be preferred to either get into the high goal or fall short into the low goal. Those trajectories, combined with not being able to go above 18" when outside your own climbing zone and not being able to go into the opposing alliances climbing zone and get close will make blocking shots difficult and a robot based on that strategy of limited appeal, in my opinion. I think the geometry would illustrate this but I haven’t sketched it out yet.
I could imagine several teams trying this out and not getting too far with this, but if they can manage to block most teams that will be stationed in their “climbing zone” I am sure they could be potentially looked at for later alliance selection.
I may recommend this to our new members next year that will be learning how to program and learning how the game works. I may also build my own prototype to see how it plays out against our own robots.
All it would take is a few linked standoffs (or bent plates) that are in the sizing limits and are properly spaced, but if our team were to do this they would for sure have to be able to lift other robots.
This is entirely useless.
For the hundredth time, man-to-man defence does not consistently work in VEX games. Even if you are perfect (meaning that the robot you are guarding is unable to score a single point the entire match), the game is now a 1v1. If your partner is better, fantastic. If not, you loose.
So, sure. If you get 2915A onto your alliance, you’ve probably won. But barring that, you can’t win Worlds with what you’re describing. And the chance of you making a perfect blocker is very low. As people have pointed out, you can’t block if they retreat to their corner. Meaning they are likely to score at least a few points. More, if you leave off guarding them to elevate at the end of the match.
Now, are there ways to combine this strategy with others and come up with a winning design? Absolutely. Being able to play defence well could be really useful. But you need something more here, strategy-wise. What can you be doing to shift the balance of the match in your favour after they shoot and are going off to get more balls?
If you could build a robot, that instead of trying to block shots, it would never let them happen. I believe a 8 motor x-drive with a 2 motor lift to elevate it’s ally could be very successful.
All you have to do is keep pushing the opposing robot around the field and denying the ability to sit in one spot.
However, I do agree that you would have to have an extremely efficient partner to be successful.