2014 Game
 

I know it's very early but I wanted to start a discussion about the 2014 FRC game. I know that this year many were thinking about a stacking game but any ideas for next year's game?

Re: 2014 Game
 

This thread pops up earlier every year...

Obligatory "water game!".

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We got so close to at least making it to champs without this thread popping up.

Yeah I'll second that Water Game too! :p

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Hmm... My random guess is hockey.

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Pretty soon we'll be talking about games two years in advance.

Maybe the end game will involve racing minibots on regolith tracks. I probably shouldn't have said that. I'm gonna go hide now.

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Hm... 2015 game anybody!?

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I'll go start a thread.... on second thought, maybe not.

I'm just gonna say it. I think there is a feasible way to do a water game. Instead of a field of water, (which is unrealistic) it would simply need to be a small body of water somewhere on the field. I'm thinking something like a kiddie pool filled with water with game pieces in it. Or something.

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Rugby, all the way.

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I think the 2148 game is going to be Real Steel :yikes:

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An game involving football should be coming up soon. It would a really hard game piece to work with.

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I think we might see a move from sports game pieces next year. It will probably some stacking game or something of that nature.

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Underwater basket weaving -- it's a water game, and we can go from "STEM" to "STEAM."

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Synchronized diving.

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Somebody please destroy this thread NOW before someone in FIRST sees this!!! I have a feeling that these "Jokes" that are such torturous ideas are all put on a list created years ago that they just add to every new thread. Then whatever we DONT mention that year is put into a hat. They then grab a few ideas and mash it into a game and slap a name on it!

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Being a Minnesotan and a hockey player myself, this would be my FIRST dream come true. :)

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I am thinking it will be a hockey game with the low friction floor like Lunacy !!:ahh: That's sounds like a great game.

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If I'd had to hazard a guess, it would be a major sport. Look at the past years.

2007 - Rack 'n Roll
2008 - Overdrive (Nascar)
2009 - Lunacy
2010 - Breakaway (Soccer)
2011 - Logomotion
2012 - Rebound Rumble (Basketball)
2013 - Ultimate Ascent (Ultimate)

Following this trend, next years game should be one of the major sports.

GDC, prove me wrong! :D

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I don't see a tend. 2013 threw the trend off.

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Well, while Ultimate is a large sport with professional teams, it still falls in the range of sports like Arena Football. My point is that the next game (if it follows the trend) will be one of the more worldwide major sports (such as football, hockey, etc)...

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Volleyball.

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I'm predicting that it could be a pickup and stack : Possible pick up stick and place in bins on different height for more points;Stacking and placing different shaped polygonal of base the higher the more point and if knock down the other team scores point.

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No no no no no no FTC game...

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I LIKE that idea!!

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Curling and the endgame is stacking robots :D

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Overdrive on regolith with Hills

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All i'm going to say is if I see one more shooting game, I am going to go crazy! This year was pushing it with 2 shooting games in a row, if I see a third... This means no baseballs, no volleyballs, no footballs, no balls! I even don't want hockey!

Given that I really want Traffic Cones.

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Stacking game with traffic cones?

I wonder how far in advance the GDC starts planning games... Anyone know the answer?

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Last year at Champs they said that they started planing games 2 years in advance to insure they have enough time to get game pieces.

However, they also said because how well received Rebound Rumble was that they completely redid the 2013 game. So unless they are going to redo the 2014 game, they should be planing the 2015 game after Champs.

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Last I heard, it was two games ahead, but the issues from 2012 may have thrown them off a bit..

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That's interesting. I hadn't heard of that; where did you see it?

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It was in one of the 2012 FRC Live Rebound Rumble videos. I can't remember which one...

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Found It! 6:00 in. Beware of the buzzing noise.

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My guess is Football.

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I'm guessing that next year's game will be a hockey game. I've heard a lot of speculation on this and I think that it could be a viable option for FIRST. They could go back to using the regolith material too. Also, they could use this as teasing us with a water game because hockey is on frozen water. It's sort of close but not quite.

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The only sports FIRST hasn't really done is some fashion is football and hockey. But hockey would probably require that they bring back the floor from Lunacy. Unless they want to get into badminton, I feel like it'll be one of those. However, there is the chance they bring in a racing element like in 2008. But we all know how annoying that was to watch.

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They've done baseball?

Re: 2014 Game
 

Triple Play. Or didn't you realize that?

Just kidding. Triple Play was based on tic-tac-toe, though the clues pointed to triple plays and 3 and all that.

I would consider baseball to be a very dangerous game for spectators, drivers, and robots alike; if implemented at all there would be almost assuredly be some very strict controls on exit velocities and the like. And there would definitely be some changes to the game.


Oh, and when you say that the only sports FIRST hasn't done in some fashion are football and hockey, you KNOW someone's going to come out of the woodwork with:
--Curling
--Golf
--Rugby
--Lacrosse
--Polo
--Track and Field (particularly the Field part--Overdrive covered most of the racing sports)
--Volleyball
--Badminton
--Racquetball and Squash
--Broomball
--Swimming (had to say this one, because of the oldest joke in FRC)
--Biathalon (and other shooting sports)
--Cricket
--AMERICAN football (football was already done in 2010 :p )
--I'm sure someone can name a few more here...

Re: 2014 Game
 

I can see a water game coming soon especially with new electronics not able to be damaged by water as easily like the talons, but I don't see it being 2014. I'm guessing soccer again or some sort of stacking game.

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I can also see there being a fourth alliance member very soon in the near future as more and more teams appear in the FIRST community.

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That sounds too easy. That could possibly be the easiest FRC game ever pondered.

I can't imagine 3 shooting games in a row, but they are the most entertaining to spectators. I think a stacking game is very probable.

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If not hockey, i think something with stacking.

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I think something to think isn't three shooting games in a row. Think about this: in the last 6 years, 5 of the games have involved shooting (08, 09, 10, 12, 13). Shooting in slightly different ways, and you could make the case that 2008 wasn't really shooting, but still...

Re: 2014 Game
 

While talking to Frank (FRC Director) at MAR champs, I felt it would be almost a sin not to mention a water game.

When asked about there being a water game in 2014, he said "I would make no assumptions"

Thats as good as a yes to me! WOOOOO :yikes:

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It's simple math, (Current year)+1=Water Game

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a race or something to do with water would be pretty cool to build a robot that can manage that task

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Tiddlywinks with manhole covers

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"Welcome to the 2014 FIRST Robotics Competition, and this year's game, "Hat-trick!" Teams must hit small "hockey pucks" into their "end zone", an area near their alliance station. The pucks you need are at the bottom of a 10 foot deep "ice fishing pit". Teams will need to rappel down and retrieve pucks of their alliance colour. At the end of the game, bonus points will be given for scoring special pucks that will be found...on top of the human player's head in a white top hat. Teams must delicately lift the pucks from an opening in the top hat without "checking", or touching, the human player. Good luck and we'll see you at the competitions!"

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I thought of hockey and then immediately thought of the hockey pucks used in Face Off in FTC.

Then again, I guess you could have a large field with 6 robots, regolith material, and play Robot Hockey?

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Every time someone talks about a hockey game, I'm tempted to dig out my concept for one and revise it to be a little more realistic...

In terms of the actual 2014 game, though, I think the most important thing to consider is the "ball/not-ball/ball/etc." pattern that has held true for quite a long time, and if it holds we're due for some more balls next year...

Re: 2014 Game
 

It's late, even on the West Coast!


.... Water Balloons!!! :p

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I feel that the 2014 game may involve pool noodles in some way, shape or, form.

For our preseason project out team actually 'made' our own game in which teams had to pick up noodles and put them in sleeves on the floor over a wall. The further away they were the more points.

I also feel minibots may be brought back but probably not to climb poles like in Logomotion.

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1) It will not be a shooting game.
2) It will have terrain.
3) Balls will not be used.
4) End game involves zone scoring.

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How about FTC's Bowled Over, but with KOP crates, and all the racquetballs replaced with bowling balls!

*Runs and hides because the GDC will probably use that idea now*

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One thing that I would like to see is an end game that doesn't affect the score much, but rather affects seeding as the first tie breaker. With so few matches being played at most regionals the game should change to reflect this to allow better sorting in the standings. While more matches is the ultimate fix, if that is not possible then a change in the game could help solve some of the sorting woes. It should also be featured in the rules, not an anecdote hidden somewhere that no one pays attention to unless they are really looking.

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3 Alliances

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Hate to break it to you, but that is essentially the one thing that will never happen again. NEVER. Matter of fact, any odd number of alliances will pretty much be out (even numbers remain an option). And here's why.

Before 1999, alliances were one team apiece, three alliances on the field. Somewhere along the line, quite a number of teams used the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" strategy, and knocked some pretty good teams down the rankings a lot by essentially playing 2v1. Collusion could not be proved (and most likely there wasn't any intentional collaboration), but FIRST decided that it could also not be prevented, so therefore it must be required. Enter the alliance system, problem solved. Until...

The #1 game on the least-liked game list was one alliance of 4 teams versus the clock. Rack up the points before time runs out, multipliers for stopping really fast. No defense. This was in 2001. (OK, maybe a few teams liked it. But if it's not #1, then it's #2, right behind regolith in Lunacy.)

Now, you could have 5 alliances... or 7 alliances... but then the fields get ridiculously large, and you don't deal with any of the mismatch in number of teams. But if you had 4 alliances of 2 on the field... Maybe you end up with 2 alliances of 4, or maybe you end up with 6v2. Or maybe you get 8v0 unintentionally.

Re: 2014 Game
 

At the Dean's List Finalist Awards Ceremonies the presenter gave a hint about next years game. He said that Dean's List Winners will receive something that will be useful in next years game: A glow-in-the-dark Tape Measure.
So something to do with darkness or sensors?
Also during the Opening ceremonies and also during Dean's List Awards ceremonies Dean had said that he wants to spread FRC to be more attractive to viewers.
So something that is also pleasing and fun to watch! :D

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This is a key point we need to remember. It's become a LOT easier on the non-initiated to watch FRC and figure out what is going on without having the WHOLE game explained to them in recent years. I'd argue 2010 was the closest to this paradigm (You got it in? You get a point!).

Going back to my first event (I was on a team in 2008, but did not go the regional w/ the team), 2009, 2011 and this year were the hardest to read in terms of people watching without any knowledge of the game beforehand. 2010 passes the test due to the easy correlation to Soccer, and 2012 passes because of the automated scorer and the correlation to basketball.

That said I don't think adapting a sports game to FRC is going to always the solution. Learning from the sports games, however is the key to making solid FRC games going forward. Easy, readable scoring (My goal would be "oh look they got it in, they got X points") and ideally solid automated scoring, with subtle nuances for the FIRSTer's to beat themselves up trying to solve.

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I think it will be an offensive game. FIRST might not want to go back to something like soccer type game which was..... a boring (Borat accent).

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Maybe they are changing the size of the field? Even a little bit?

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Dang man frog force is already ahead of everyone:]

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I feel like this isn't going to happen because of the complexity they are starting to show these past years

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we have to use lasers next year

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If there are obstacles next year, it should be stairs. Yes, stairs.

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Maybe a robot version of QWOP?

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I am going to skip saying a water game but have a ice game. Just to change it up :p

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WATER GAME!
No but hockey sounds like a possibility.

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That's what we were thinking too. I would hope that they won't go away from sports game pieces because it is SOOOOO cool to see the kids' (including high schoolers) amazement and excitement from catching the basketballs and frisbees.

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It's gonna be air hockey on regolith. Only one puck is on the field and it can not come inside your bumper zone!

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I know a lot of people are saying it isn't going to be a shooting game, but I'd love to see a game involving pool noodles.

I thought of this: Pegs on a wall, and you have to place the pool noodles on the pegs? It doesn't have to be a shooting game; it could be similar to Logomotion.

But I'm not sure what the end game would be...

Re: 2014 Game
 

Here is my baseball game for next year. It was in another thread but your comment made me want to share it with you guys.

I'm holding out for a baseball game next year. Here's what I have been thinking about.

Game- First baseball

Pieces- whiffle balls (baseballs) (ideally a lot of them on the field at a time >100) and large colored cubes (players)

Field- there would be a high wall on either end acting like a fence on either side of the court which robots will have to shoot balls behind in order to score points. There would be a batters box (rectangle of tape) somewhere on the field from which teams could shoot over the fence safely (like key in 2012). The bottom of the goal behind the fence can be sloped so the balls will run off the side and be counted easily like 2010. Also, in the middle of the field, there will be 4 boxes that are something like 4-6'' (that's supposed to be inches) tall with one for each alliance and 2 neutral ones all arranged in a baseball diamond shape.

Goal of game- to score the little balls into the goal over the fence and also get points by getting your robot onto your alliance box (the bases) at the end of the game or putting the large cubes on top, or both for with increasing points for the level of difficulty. Or, the bases could be used in a manner like 08 where robots have to race around the bases. Having robots have to do all these challenges would give varied robots and not one method of winning.

Gameplay- since baseball does operate in turns with teams alternating playing offense and defence, there could be an element of strategy like Aim High with maybe only one scoring zone along the long width of the field where teams each can score during a 50 second period and then the final 20 seconds the score will go to both teams (co-operation points)


This is just an idea I have been thinking of and I think it would be a pretty cool game to play with. I also like the idea of lots of scoring pieces and also big scoring pieces, both of which this game would have.

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hmmmm..... maybe those glow-in-the-dark tape measures are for measuring in a shaded area.... multiple story field anyone?

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you are probably correct. one of the members on my team said last year during the regional that next year's theme will be frisbee (which it was), and said that next years will be something related to golf/hockey

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What do you think the rules will be like? And an end game?

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Stacking was done in 2003, though I guess it could be implemented in some other way.

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Ok had an idea for an end game.

What if they brought the minibots back but this time they have to stop in a scoring area that changes every match (or not for less complexity) and the smaller the zone the more points its worth.

This could be up poles again(boring) or at a blocked off arena in the center of the playing field.

This could be interesting as teams will have to figure out a way to get the minibots to stop at the end of the match.

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Stairs. You need to place game pieces on a flight of stairs. The higher you place the piece, the more points. If you climb up the stairs when you place the piece, you get the score multiplied. If you end on the top of the stairs, you get more points. Also, points can be scored by stacking game pieces. 28 x 38 robots with 6 CIMs and 4 mini-CIMs.

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Im thinking pick-up-sticks of some kind. Something that requires more percision. I am not leaning towards a water related game because of Sea-Perch (sorry if I spelled it wrong), and underwater robotics competition not affiliated with FIRST but a lot of FIRST kids are involved in it.

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Not necessarily gameplay, but my ideas were ultrasonic beacons for goals and RFID chips for scoring object.

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Football (QB) and the end-game can be to climb steps!

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I want to see a game when FIRST has a suggestion box and people can submit their various ideas, and they can incorporate them all together so that we would have a game created by the community.

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The problem is that they design games years in advance.

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It's the perfect time for a hockey game, seeing as there are more FRC teams in Minnesota (you know, the State of Hockey) than there are guys High School Hockey teams this year!

I'm thinking something like Break Away (floor level goals, minimal excursion beyond the frame perimeter, no game piece penetration into the frame perimeter) crossed with Overdrive (oval laps, like the zamboni's), all played on regolith!

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What, you think the GDC doesn't mine threads like this for ideas?

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I would be down with some curling. Unless I'm mistaken, wouldn't it be around the winter Olympics?

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Correct. And recently, FIRST has had a habit of using milestones and current events in the theme of the game. 2009, Lunacy, commemorated the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, 2010 with the World Cup, and 2011 as the 20th FRC game.

If it is an Olympic Winter Sport, what are the plausibilities? Hockey and Curling have already been thought of, any other ideas?

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FIRST said that they would increase matches in the championships, so what if it was 4 on 4, 2 offence 2 defence?

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Statistically it's quite likely that the game will involve some sort of balls-- even years since before 2000 have always had balls.

Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if they threw off that trend as well. In fact, while I love designing mechanisms that fling objects at high velocities, it would be refreshing to not do that one year.

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Would be nice to have a "just outside your frame perimeter" or manipulator game again after 2 straight ball games.

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Looking back at the earliest games, in 1993 there were balls filled with water...

Maybe we are wrong. Maybe the watergame already happened.

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One of our mentors and I postulated this as our theory for this year's game:

The field is split into two sides, red and blue as normal, with three zones. Strewn at some semblance to random are game pieces, probably balls about the size of a grapefruit.
Teams can accumulate pieces by taking them from the other team or shooting a piece into a target (reward of 2-5 pieces depending on preference).
The idea of the game is to keep as many game pieces in the active game zones as is possible.
In autonomous, the pieces rewarded for shooting are worth double. After the autonomous period and the first minute, a zone is declared inactive, and all of the pieces in that zone cannot legally be moved into active zones.
We figured on a hanging end game, so that would probably be different. Perhaps something like retrieving an item from the bottom of a kiddie pool would be cool.
Anyway, I thought it was worth posting here because it's a cool concept, and something like this would be an interesting game for next year.

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My team for years wanted to do a water game and I think that will be the game for the 2014 FRC Competition season!!!

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What about football
I was think how to make a football shooter it's shape make it's hard.

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I feel as though people would just take the Sparfox way out if it came to shooting footballs. Just slingshot it.

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Would love an American football as a game piece. Preferably not as a shooting game, and not this year.

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Laser Tag would be such a cool robotics game. :P

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^this would be so cool

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A game where robots interact with each other (balls being placed into trailers, hmm ^^) rather than the field itself would be a nice break.