FAQ

The IAP guide says I have to "attend first class". What class or classes do I need to attend?

The only meeting or event that you are required to attend in person is the final tournament on Jan. 29. (The unfortunate wording in the IAP guide is automatically generated.) Attendance at the final tournament is absolutely mandatory, regardless of your team's performance.

We will be holding a couple class sessions as a chance for 6.370 contestants and developers to get together and talk about the competition, but attendance will be optional. See the calendar.

When in January do I need to be on campus?

It is possible to compete in 6.370 even if you can only be on campus for the final tournament on Jan. 29, because all announcements and information that are crucial to the competition will be available through the website. However, we expect that you will want to watch your player in action at the seeding tournament (Jan. 19) and preliminary tournament (Jan. 27), as well as see what the other teams have come up with. Finally, we encourage you to attend our "classroom sessions" (Jan. 5 and 12), where the devs can answer your questions and talk about the Robocraft game.

In the IAP guide, 6.370 is listed under 6.187. What's the course number?

The number "6.370" was actually made up as a name for the competition (only at MIT…). Because the competition is also a class taken for credit, it is listed in the catalogue with an official course number, 6.187: Special Laboratory Subject.

You'll need the number 6.187 only when you register on WebSIS. For all other purposes, the competition will be known as "6.370".

Do I have to register on WebSIS?

We recommend that you register both on WebSIS and on the 6.370 web site. Registering on the 6.370 site is mandatory, but registering on WebSIS is only required if you wish to receive credits or EDPs.

Am I guaranteed to get the 6 credits and 6 EDPs? Can I fail 6.370?

6 general elective credits are given to all participants who are part of teams that produce "something that works". The exact definition of "something that works" is decided by the 6.370 developers, but in general everyone who puts some kind of effort into their submission receives credit. A team can present what they have at any point in the competition and ask whether it warrants the 6 general credits.

6 EDPs will only be given to teams that beat the "reference player". The reference player will be a player written by the 6.370 developers that is intended to be a straightforward and uncreative approach. It should not be difficult to beat the reference player, but we are required to have such a criterion to award design points.

I have received EDPs for 6.370 in the past. Can I earn more?

Yes. The 6.370 game changes enough from year to year that writing a successful player is always considered a new design challenge.