I think it is easier to launch the rope/silk net, and the design of the launching mechanism is not complicated, but this simple design accounts for a high proportion of the score and has a great impact on the game. This is unreasonable!
I feel like a GDC member on their alt posted this. Idk if it’s just me tho
28 Likes
i agree. so dont do it
7 Likes
Yes. I thought it was unreasonable when the season just came out, thinking the game manual updates will limit this, so didn’t seriously design the launcher until we lost the first game… Many teams win games entirely by covering…
So you didn’t want to do it because it is too easy for you?
And since it is too easy for you to bother abt it, so you feel that gdc should limit it?
Interesting train of thoughts…
22 Likes
I can see string shooters being restricted in some way in the near future, but not because they are too easy and overpowered gameplay-wise, but because they are somewhat problematic in execution. It looked like it was difficult for the referees at the moa signature to score matches when there were many lengths of string all over the field, crossing and tangling with each other, and it seems like it took a considerable amount of time to count the points and clean the robots up off the field. And this was at an event which appeared to be run as good as humanly possible. At the average local event, string shooters seem to me like they could potentially hold back the cycle time of matches, which can be a real killer for events on a tight schedule. They also had the tendency to go off early, as well as shoot out of the field, though these issues are really the fault of the teams designing them, and they were penalized quite fairly for these problems.
But in response to your complaint, if covering is truly easy, then your team should have no issue making a covering mechanism which will counteract any that your opponent would have, which would even the matches and make the other scoring methods more important. Covering does not seem to me to be the central game objective, but it does seem like you need to at least do it if you want to win competitive matches.
36 Likes
We will make a net covering the whole field. And then every race there will be machines that roll the silks into the wheels.
have fun!
17 Likes
They are legal for use to build your robot with, therefore they are legal for use to cover tiles in the endgame period. You don’t have to use string, but because of its lightweight, easily compactable and flexible nature, many teams use it in conjunction with a launching mechanism to easily cover multiple tiles during the endgame period. Some teams deploy a weight and drive away to unfurl a spool of string, and others (mainly in mainland China where I suspect you are from) use wheels like you mentioned to roll down the field extend a length of string.
But with GDC members attending the 1st Signature Event of the season (sorry APAC Minnesota is easier to travel to) and witnessing how long and tedious it takes for refs to tally up each alliance’s total covered tiles (especially if the string is thin/the same color as robots on opposing alliance, etc.), I would expect a rule change based on early season tournament play. There are many ways the GDC could go about doing this (mandating each robot to have an easily discernable endgame mech- don’t use the same colors as your opponents, making it illegal to launch endgame mechanisms, and/or outright banning the use of string for robot/endgame mech construction), but I do expect it to have some gameplay affecting change on the dynamics of covering tiles.
3 Likes
Now we hope that we can continue to use the string, we think of a device similar to “Buddha angry Tanglian” in Chinese martial arts novels, which can make the string cover the entire field in an instant.
3 Likes
But I actually think the game needs to be competitive, not just pressing a button to get a lot of points. As long as a team has a good design can get all the coverage points, it will be imitated in the end, and every team will be the same in the end，and the sense of competition lost…
I am not so sure about that honestly.
If this aspect of the game is really so easy and achievable, that means we will expect every worlds-going teams to have it?
If thats the case, it will only means the other aspects of the game will be important.
But you really can’t just remove that part of the game just because it is easy. Going by this argument, then we should remove all the low goals scores as well? coz you dont need any gadget to score any low goal, just a robot that is moving will do.
Always remember, VRC is designed and catered to a wide spectrum of teams, from beginners to world class teams.
But yes - gdc might still change the rule just before worlds though.
15 Likes
In fact we did, but didnt design it well, we could only launch two strings and cover a doze tiles.
I would be surprised if they wait that long to change it. I’m half expecting an unscheduled update for it.
Out of these, I think the most likely is prohibiting endgame mechs from being launched, but I suppose anything is possible.
The only unreasonable thing I’ve seen so far though is the complaining that it’s “too easy” for endgame points to be scored.
3 Likes
Now you’re getting it
17 Likes
The hard part about restricting endgame is that it is very hard to restrict. If you ban string, teams will make metal chain links. Chain could also work and you could even use polycarbonate. If you ban “launching”, how do you define launching? Endgame does seem to add a lot of cycle time to matches, but I don’t believe their is a viable solution.
11 Likes
Metal connectors have weight, which requires weighing the pros and cons.
I think this is a bad take.
I think that if a meta happens for expansion, who cares? If everyone can make a string shooter than good on them. That means the other 1:35 is more important, plus rollers. I’m very anti-meta and hate it when people have the same robot, but expansion is literally just an afterthought for a lot of people. Imo it shouldn’t be in the game to begin with, but if it is I think string shooters are fine. Plus not everyone wants to do one. I myself am gonna be doing a string dropper
Like that. I see it as much more controllable than a string shooter or a scissor expander (idk what else to call it), and therefore better. If you’re concerned about end game just like make a good robot for the 1:35 and then have a string shooter.
Also think you’re underestimating the difficulty to make a string shooter. I haven’t made one myself, but I really doubt that the kids following Ben Lippers guides are gonna know how to make a string shooter.
1 Like
This, 100%. One of the MOA scoring refs said it took 2 match cycles to score matches. Running an event with 3 fields this season seems like the most prudent thing to do. Cycle times are going to be slow.
On the point about the mechanisms going off early, I think that was a pretty common occurrence. I’d say at least half the matches my teams were involved with wound up with at least 1 robot being put in the corner by the refs for horizontally expanding too soon (once, someone’s battery came out, so as it dragged the battery, it exceeded the 18 inch limit and was placed in “time out”). I do think refs telling teams that have expanded too soon to go sit in the corner is reasonable. I don’t know that any official Q&A or Manual update has addressed this specifically.
I will say, from an entertainment perspective, watching all the strings pop off at the end of the match is fun.
14 Likes
I am confused. The only recourse is Disablement if the robot is a risk to others - the procedure is to put your controller down and not move the robot to a specific place.
The only place a time out is specified in the Game Manual is in between elimination matches.
I think it is important the referees apply procedures correctly with specific infractions of Game Manual rules noted.
Early season is going to be all over the place as referees are just getting certified.
The only action a referee can take is disablement if warranted, otherwise the team plays on - no time out, no go to corner. That is my read in the game manual. At the end of the match, the team / Alliance may receive a DQ if the rules specify it.
3 Likes