The VEX season is broken down into 8 phases:
1) Game reveal - From worlds reveal for about 45 days - This is the time that teams crack the game, figure out the nuance, define a strategy and set to building.
2) Coda - school closes, teams go on holiday, members are forced to go to entertainment camps like Disney, Poconos, Weird Uncle Foster’s place in Delaware (but he has a huge boat), mountains, summer fairs in Iowa where they try to kill you with corndogs and grilled butter corn, upper Michigan with Fish Boils or on the east NE Clam bakes. - It’s desolation, no metal, no robots, maybe a video game. It’s winter for the Kiwi, bundled in 100% itchy wool, too frozen to build anything without frost killing it. Total progress is 1/2 of 1%
3) Renewal - Schools in the US open, classes start, freed from the shackles of parents and siblings, reunited with their friends. Builds start, design starts again, events on the horizon. Singbots rise as a leader in early events.
4) Coda II - Christmas break - US students slump into forced family holidays - design plans and schedules fall away like crumbs from holiday Christmas cookies. Singapore has an uptick in activity as school holidays do give a chance to work. Meanwhile, Kiwi summer has started in New Zealand which means, build and BBQ is in full swing. Summer is short but the days are long, so it’s beach in the morning, wrench VEX parts in the afternoon, BBQ in the PM to chew as teams clash. Lager rinse repeat.
5) Dark January - US Schools return, teams are depressed, but have some ideas. Sadly event are picking up, so teams are taking a clawbot with some features to events. Singapore racks up scores and with no surprise since it’s still summer and fun, NZ teams strike some top scores. But all teams start to stare death in the face. January events are not kind to them and what were winning designs are overcome by the dreaded META. Death strikes a second blow, FRC started 6 Jan and shipping delays are not hours but weeks with IFI.
6) “The Push” - Events like “Last Chance Finale” and “Gotta Win here to Go” are on the horizon. They eat all of late Jan and Feb until they all slam a stop at “State and Regional Championships”
7) There is a 56 hour gap between the last State and Regional Championship. Its were teams go WE WON WE WON WON WON. It is amazing and I and other mentors cherish it for 55 hours. Two threads post at hour 56;
7.a OMG how will we pay for this, how do I find the money, can we just camp out on the street with the robot and beg for food?
7.b OMG our robot is crap, how do I pay for the parts we need, can we just camp out on the street with the robot and beg for robot parts?
8) We do both, we have a great time, we go to worlds, it’s wonderful, we meet so many great people, have so much fun. On the last night they have fireworks and the new game is revealed and we start over.
I’d like to position this as a main post with details about the 8 phases and then talk about the ways roboteers can get the most out of each phase.
So please edit this top doc first, or start fleshing out one of the 8 points (or even detail out a coda)