On Tuesday, November 27, 2012 6:08:34 PM UTC-5, John Cochrane wrote:

5. *Score everything according to FAI rules.



Which feature a much more aggressive transition from speed to distance

points than US rules. If nobody makes it home, it's 1000 distance

points. Under FAI rules you make almost no points if you're the only

finisher, as it's all become distance points. You get clobbered if

you're the only landout. This is one of the big reasons that FAI rules

lead to long start gate roulette, leaving when it's hopeless, then

mass gaggles to a huge landout.



The tactical implications of the FAI scoring formula are subtle and

deep. There are several analyses of the required strategies floating

around the US team. If we go there, be prepared to play a very

different tactical game.



Advocates have a point: if you want to learn to play this game it

takes years of practice. The question for US pilots: do the 99% of you

who are not going to the worlds really want to invest a lot to

learning to play these games? You're going to be landing out a lot

more often btw.


Points to ponder. Anyone else who has flown FAI rules want to weigh in?

Evan Ludeman / T8