Re: 2014 Game
 

Yeah, I don't see a projectile game because three in a row would be slightly excessive.

I can see a football style game where you carry a ball from one side to the other side with some sort of endgame similar to a field goal.

If we're going along with the game-based-on-major-events theme, then the Winter Olympics could suggest Hockey (either on Regolith or not) or something.

What I really want though is an open field without barriers so the robots are still fast and maneuverable; I think those are slightly more exciting for audiences.

Re: 2014 Game
 

i have to agree with you that the defense this year made the game more exciting:). What i had meant to say was that FIRST might try to make it difficult for teams to play defense on each other. Instead they might try to bring back an aspect of Rebound Rumble with the cooperation bridge and the opposing teams working together.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I want a sailing game. Because that would be awesome, and as a sailor I'd immediately become the most important member on the team :D

Re: 2014 Game
 

2014 is the 40th anniversary of the invention of the Rubik's Cube.

Maybe we'll have a giant Rubik's Cube in the center of each alliance zone?
that we have to solve.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Thanks for the kind words! :)

I think Pat was making a reference to the evolution of the rules. Defense is a big strategy every year. Many teams design strictly defensive robots and others defensive features like blockers most teams added them during the season but some had elegant systems from the beginning. On 3467 our number priority every year is that if our robot can't play offense it has to be able to play defense. All three years we have made two speed 6wd robots that are short to the ground and can play some solid defense. Its a design decision that always proves its worth. This year our robot wasn't what is is today and mainly played defense before evolving into a strong offensive robot at our second regional.

Back on topic, FRC has been evolving with rules limiting strong defensive play that was huge back in the earlier days of FRC. I remember games where there were defensive strategies that were extremely effective at shutting down opponents, but it doesn't lead to exciting matches.

Every game as an effective defensive strategy, you just have to find it.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Wild speculation...

Maybe the first clue is already out there. Looking closely at the picture included in Frank's blog of September 27, on the left of the three monitors and partially obstructed by Frank's arm may be a teaser for this year's field set-up. Eight (or more) 3-sided cubicles lining the side wall of the field.

Even wilder speculation...

Assume the opposite wall of the field has eight (or more) similar cubicles. Each of the eight robots (four robots per alliance in qualification rounds) starts the match in a cubicle. To earn points during the autonomous period robots must vacate their starting cubicle and move across the field to enter a cubicle on the opposite side. Hence the reference in the blog to the "Morris dance". During tele-op, robots then dart from one side of the field to the other trying to "cap" as many cubicles as possible.

End game is a tug of war between mini-bots.

Re: 2014 Game
 

24 pages and it is not even december yet.

Re: 2014 Game
 

only 4 if your posts per page is set to 100 :D

Re: 2014 Game
 

hmmmm.... I don't think so...

Re: 2014 Game
 

I had a dream last night about the 2014 game (I know, it's weird). I think that this has less than a 0.000001% chance of being a game any year and will probably be laughed at, but I'll describe it anyway.

The game's theme is football. The kickoff video started with clips from Anchorman (don't know why but it did) and only hints once or twice at football, but some how I figured it out. The field was about 5 times bigger than the normal field and there was somewhere around 11 robots to two alliances (still blue and red). The game is a mix of Logomotion, Ultimate Ascent, and football. You shoot the frisbees like Ultimate Ascent, you have to hang the Logomotion tubes up on the pegs, but there are pegs around the entire field and some are behind a layer of netting. There is some sort of way for robots to tackle each other (don't know what it was, and I remember thinking in the dream "How does that work?"). Finally, some game piece (not sure what) gets feed onto the field via slots on angled corners of the field similar to Ultimate Ascent, but there is only one slot in the middle of wall instead of three. Past the feeding slot, it goes onto a platform where it waits (not sure what for) and then lowers down to the field. This is so that alliances can take the other alliance's game pieces (not sure how they do it but they can).

Like I said, this has less than a 0.000001% chance of being a game any year and will probably more laughed at, but I figured I might as well put it down somewhere and this seems like as good of a place as any.

Re: 2014 Game
 

still not sure where you come up with all these random facts kevin.. but sounds fun

Re: 2014 Game
 

History of Invention:
2014 is also:

10 Years- Translucent Concrete, Intel Express Chipsets, Ka-on Flower Sound Plants
20 years- HIV inhibitor
30 years- Apple, CD-ROM
40 years- Post-It Notes
50 years- Computer Mouse, BASIC, Acrylic Paint,
60 years- Fortran, Geodesic Dome, Pills, Nonstick Teflon Pans, Solar Cell, McDonald's(R)
70 years- Kidney Dialysis Machine, Synthetic Cortisone
80 years- Monopoly(R), Road Reflectors, Tape Recorder
90 years- Loudspeaker, Spiral Notebooks
100 years- Gas Mask
110 years- Tea Bag, Tractor
130 years - Fountain Pen, Mechanical Cash Register, Steam Turbine

EDIT
160 years- Principles of Fiber Optics
180 years- Corn Planter, Ether Ice Machine
190 years- Toy Balloon
200 years- Steam Locomotive, Spectroscope, First Photograph
210 years- Gas Lighting
220 years- Cotton Gin, Ball Bearings
230 years- Threshing Machine, Safety Lock
250 years- Spinning Jenny
290 years- Mercury Thermometer
390 years- Slide Rule
520 years- Whiskey

Re: 2014 Game
 

The robots become progressively more difficult to control over the course of the match.
:p

Re: 2014 Game
 

Clearly, the game will be played on a smart translucent concrete field, announced by flowers, all the robots will have to find a vaccine for HIV (on an ancient computer, of course, powered by Post-Its). They will also be painting, cooking McDonald's in nonstick pans, undergoing dialysis, while also playing Monopoly on a retroreflective course. There will also be some very loud notebooks, and noxious teabags will require gas masks.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I can't wait for the Fortran themed slide rule game, using mercury thermometers, corn planters, non-stick cookware, and a cotton gin end game.

On a more serious note, balloons would make a really cool game piece. Also, trains.