Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Hi everyone, time for this week's question...

Question of the Week (9/19/04):

What do you think is the most important element to the creation of a successful game and why?


As always, suggestions are always welcomed. Skrach42@aol.com by e-mail, or IM at QuietRiverRage1. PM works too!

Have fun!
-Andy Grady

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

To me, the most important element to a game is having multiple ways to play it. So the robots could all look different and everyone play it differently. This years games is a good example of what I think is a good game. Hopefully, the game next year has as many ways to play as this years.

-Kyle

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Footballs!!

Not really, but they would be cool. I think the key to a successful game is making it not too complicated so that everyone can contribute. I say this also because it's very often that the less complex the game, the more unique and differing strategies that can arise as teams try to look at the challenge for the less obvious solutions.

Making a game that is simpler to contribute to (for example, getting 10 points for a robot being in the endzone in 2002 meant that even a robot that could barely more (or not move) could contribute to an alliance's score). It helps build a sense of value in alliances that is sometimes hard to remember if you have a string of partners that can't accomplish much (or you're that team!).

Short version => lots of easy ways to score points = simple & complex robots & strategies = fun!

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

I think a lot of thinking and time are important factors. You need to come up with something not too complicated, nor too easy. It has to be just right so that it will include a lot of thinking, common sense, and creativity. It has to be do-able for robots that teens can build. It has to be less complicated so it can fit into a 2 or 2 1/2 minute time frame. A lot of factors come into this kind of thing.
=)

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

My opinion was the 2000 game was the best game ever. It was challenging, yet allowed even the rookies to participate. The round balls were easy to manipulate. However, the requirement to put them into the trough made the game much more difficult. The action under the chin-up bar made the final 15 seconds very exciting.

2003 - Did not particularly like the unique boxes. Seeing a stack higher than 2 at the end of a game was a rarity due to the ease of attacking it. Not to mention, a box is a rather plain object that when hit does not have a lot of dynamic movement. (footballs would be great because of their dynamic movement)

1999 - Enjoyed this unique game. The floppies were very difficult to work with. However, once you grabbed them you usuallly had them for the match. The puck added some extra excitement. Scoring the floppies by putting them into the air proved to be very easy, but exciting to witness at the same time.

Often times I wonder when FIRST will finally deliver what everyone wants to see- footballs.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

What was so great about last year's game was there was so many ways to play it and so many different strtegies to employ. And it was very entertaining to watch as well.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Water.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Is that a hint????? :yikes:

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Surely by that he meant water for team members in the pits. (Thanks, BellSouth!)

As for a successful game, I'd say the key element is the ability for a box-on-wheels robot to play it. For some teams (through circumstances or the realization that their arm just isn't cutting it), it's all they've got. Thus, there has to be a way for a simple robot to play the game well. I'll say through personal eyewitness that it was doable in 2004.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

To reinforce what previous people have said, have a combination of simplicity and complexity. For example, the 2004 game had an excellent example of that. The less experienced teams and simple robots could make a positive contribution by corralling balls back into the player station. While the more experienced teams could focus on whether they wanted to go hang, score a capper ball or both. It added a challenge for all levels and thats what is needed year after year to make a good game.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

If you look at the question then you see why this answer. "
What do you think is the most important element to the creation of a successful game and why? " The game design people spend a lot of time thinking about the game. The best place for their relaxation and therefore creativity is the hot tub or on the beach. Therefore water is the most important element to the creation of a successful game.

Well said Dave.

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

I think one of the most important factors of a successful game is how exciting it is, not only for the participants but for the spectators too. I liked the 2004 game, but the first few actual matches I saw, it was not that exciting, there wasn't much action on the field, but once teams got used to the game, it became a very different game. Personally, I thought Stack Attack was a very exciting game, with the robots slamming into the crates in the first 15 seconds, the constant battle to get more boxes on your side and the final fight for king of the hill... it was just all around fun!

Of course, just saying "exciting" is pretty broad, but then, the question doesn't ask what makes a game exciting! But the game could be as simple as drive your robot across the field, and while everyone could probably (I say probably because I will never underestimate my team's ability to make the simplest task confusing :eek: ) succeed at that, it would be snooze city. Throw in a couple of trenches, a slippery slope and some rounded objects to move around and things start looking up!

Heidi

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Water is not an element. It is a molecular combination of 2 elements: 1 part Hydrogen, 2 parts Oxygen.

[edit: 2 parts Hydrogen, 1 part Oxygen]

Sheesh! :)


AB

Re: Question of the Week!!! (9/19/04)
 

Everyone knows that there are four elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. Once while in school I heard about a fifth element named "Pete Best," but it turned out that was something completely different.

-dave