FTC 2024-2025: Into the Deep
Into The Deep
What exactly are we looking at this year with ITD?
Well, lets start with the flow of the game. The match begins with a 30s auto, then 1:30 teleop, then 30 second endgame, just like normal. Gameplay at a macro level includes taking little 3.8x3.8x8.9cm “samples” from an enclosed pit called the sumbersible, placing them in baskets at the corner of the field, or taking them to the human player to be “clipped” and turn them into “specimens” that can be clipped onto the solid color bars of the submersible. In endgame, there is a 2 stage climb, where stage one must be climbed before you touch the stage 2 bar.
Samples are 3 colors: red, blue, and yellow. You may only score samples that are yellow or your own color. ONLY the aliance colored samples are able to be turned into specimens.
Points
This season, points are all the same across auto and teleop. For parks, you an park in the “Observation zones” (human player areas) for 3 points. You can also do a level one “climb” (just touching the lower climb bar) for 3 points in both teleop and endgame.
For scoring elements, you can score a sample on the floor under the baskets for 2 points. The lower basket (or “net” in the manual) grants 4 points, and the higher basket is worth 8 points. Specimines, after being clipped, are worth 6 points on the lower colored bar (“chamber”), and 10 on the upper one. These values are the same in teleop and auto, however, they are douhle counted, once at the end of auto and once at the end of the game.
Climbs are only available in endgame and are a little weird. There are 3 levels, level one is just touching the bottom climb bar. Level 2 is being completely suspended by the climb bar. Level 3 requires you to achive a level 2 hang, then transition to the higher bar. They are scored 3, 15, and 30 for level 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Whats up with auto?
You may have mentioned I did not say anything about randomization or auto specific tasks. Thats because… we dont have any. However, auto is possibly more interesting than ever before. With the current rules in the game manual, and statements made by TexasDiaz on the discord server (though he is not the qna forum and cant make rulings), the human player can turn samples into specimens during auto. That is an insane change to auto that we have never seen before. This way, before even reachign into the submersible, you can score up to 6 specimens (1 preload, 2 human player, 3 on the floor), netting you 60 auto points and 120 points across the match when scored on the high chamber.
Conclusion
This season does seem really easy and without much depth at a surface level, but, honestly, I’m quite excited for it. We get a crazy new auto element and a incredibly difficult climb, this season may be one of the best ones in recent memory. TIme will tell, and I wish all the teams luck this season.