How about a "ball pit" like you see in the kiddie playgrounds. You know a soft surface covered in a layer of hollow plastic balls. Should be interesting. We might replace the hollow balls with tennis balls or something if they prove to fragile. I can only imagine the chaos that would result from that. It'd be pretty easy to dig in and resist movement, so the game would have to be designed with to discourage that. The purpose of the game could actually have something to do with manipulating the playing feild...and yes I'm only half joking. A pit of much smaller balls could even give us the experience of water without the inevitable release of magic smoke.

Now that my insane idea is finished, I'd just like to point out that whatever you suggest, remember it has to protect the floor underneath it very well, as some first regionals are held on gymnasium floors (which are easily damage by robots).

Insane indeed. How deep were you thinking these balls would be. I see the only means of propulsion as driving on the floor beneath the balls, a walking robot, or tank treads with much surface area to "float" atop the balls.

I would like to see how far this idea gets. Does anyone have a game plan to add to this field idea.


I have always wanted to fill an empty swimming pool with those playplace balls but I'm sure it would cost a fortune.