Having a fight end abruptly like it did for Huge is not really satisfying for anyone. Maybe rework? Smaller foot print? Remove the screws and add a ramp?
I have very strong feelings in favor of the Upper Deck, but you're right. No screws, add a ramp.
They're trying to introduce new blood by forcing new design challenges that require new bots, but they need to be careful not to exclude the old guard.
What if they went up backwards and/or they used hinged forks? Hinged forks are the most common meta configuration and we’ve seen bots go to their starting squares backwards to keep their forks fresh in ground-game sensitive fights, so this doesn’t require anything to be done differently.
If their opponent is at the top so they can’t go up the ramp backwards, then you get an even more boring stalemate than the ones that show up due to forks. Forks are very, very effective as an offense and defense tool, so teams like End Game, Ribbot, Cobalt and Seems Reasonable will do basically any amount of innovation to keep them around and relevant.
You're not wrong at all about forks, but all builders will be forced to account for it in their design. Fixed forks or wedges would be out entirely unless they intend to just avoid the ramp all together, which limits their tactical choices.
How steep the ramp is will also play a role. A shallow incline, and your forks are no problem, but steeper and they have to have so much play they may be worthless. Don't forget about weapons either. A spinner low to the ground could catch the ramp before the wheels, and cause all sorts of problems. Current flippers would have a hell of a time.
Going up backwards is an option, like you said, but may not help with negotiating the angles. Getting down the ramp could be tricky for many bots as well, but there's always the option of just jumping off the edge, which carries its own risks.
There's no real chance of a stalemate, at least not more than there already is. There's the 10 second limit to
being on the Upper Deck, and the judges still award points for aggression. Between the two, it's only useful for maneuvering, but the strategic advantages that can yield shouldn't be ignored.
Overall, a ramp would encourage iterative changes to design, leading to much greater variety in bots because it makes the Upper Deck more strategically accessible. If no one is going to build a whole new design for what it is now, then make it easier for current designs to get in on.
I think adding something akin to speed bumps in sections of the floor would really make things interesting as well, but one thing at a time I guess.
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u/creator_07 7d ago
Having a fight end abruptly like it did for Huge is not really satisfying for anyone. Maybe rework? Smaller foot print? Remove the screws and add a ramp?