Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Yes,
HUGE congrats to this year's game designer team. This will be a very "public" intuitive game for media, parents, guests to easily understand, which is a BIG part of the overall picture.

There will be total mayhem on the field with all the missed shot balls flying around (hopefully not outside the field) and there will be a lot more safety than last year's "flying 10lb. tetras"

I really wish that FIRST could invest in a "fly-over" field camera like the football games use, as that would give a great viewing angle. At a minimum, the video crew should have a couple of fixed overhead cameras above the end-walls.

ps: The Canadians and Brazilians will love to should out "Goooooaaaaaaalllllll"

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Yeah, but as I had to remind Andy on Saturday afternoon, during Week 1 of the season he and I both really thought that Stack Attack was going to be really great. So our judgment must be suspect! :)

I will admit that I am more nervous about this game than any other year. The Game Design Committee knowingly is taking a big risk with this game. If we are right and the shooting projectiles/clean field/basketball metaphor really does work, then this will be an awesome game when we get to March/April. If it doesn't work then it will not work in a really big way. In that case I am changing my name, wearing a disguise, and moving to an undisclosed location in a cave in New Mexico. In the mean time, my ulcers are getting ulcers.

-dave

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Hey Im a first year and it looks pretty difficult but at the same time, the finished products regaurless of what they are are definatley going to be incredibly awesome. Not to mention how much fun its gonna be to actually play the game.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!

-Matt

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Personally, as a programmer, I am happy that autonomous mode matters now. You can do all the normal things, AND you get a ten point bonus AND you get to play D first. However, there are other threads discussing the advantages of autonomous mode.

My own perception is that the game is at once simple to understand (two goals, and a platform to sit on at the end). It can be explained in about 15 minutes if you know what you're talking about.

However, that simplicity doesn't seem to come at a cost to the complex strategies available to us.

Hats off to the devs!

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

I like how the game designers took a really big hint from last year that a more strategically based game is better. Simple to understand yet strategically complex games are better for everyone. There are easy ways to approach the game for rookies and also complex ways for season veterans.

This game, in my opinion, requires the most from the software department of all the teams than any other game. To set up the camera to align a shooting mechanism sounds easy but can become hell for the programmers. Glad to see FIRST incorporate all aspects of engineering into the games. :)

The games are getting more and more intuitive to the general public. When people ask us what does your robot do, we can finally answer in a coherent sentence, "it shoots balls into a hoop," instead of "well it climbs on top of this platform and then attaches to a bar and hangs from it." A game that is easy to understand will attract more public awareness of the program and therefore, expand FIRST.

I'm really excited about this year's game. If it goes well and gains popularity, I think that it will set the tone for future FIRST games.

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

I totally agree with what you said Shu, this game is going to be very intense for the programmers :ahh:. I am glad that it is easy to explain and is something people can understand/relate to (just explaining what a "tetra" is was hard enough).

I like this game a lot more than last years game (so far) and I hope it will stay that way. We have some great new mentors and some great returning ones so it is looking to be a great year!

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Mad props to Andy Baker!

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

seriously this game is insane
it has all the same action of a sport and it has a lot of vareity
this game should be fun to watch and fun to play
the game should be very enjoyable this year

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Do I hear a new DS&TKB song? :p

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

One thing I noticed right at the beginning was there was no "what the heck?" factor after the game was released like there has been with previous games. Everyone (I think) understands what is going on. It will be fun to watch and better yet, fun to play! It's gonna be a great year!

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

This is my last year as a high school student and i think this will be the best game yet.

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

Greg, i think this can be summed up in 2 words. :ahh: TRIPLE THREAT!!!! :ahh:

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

I'm only disappointed in that in the past, explaining the basic premis of the game has always yielded a reaction from the non-FIRST person like this: "Oh, so it plays basketball?" And now, thanks to this year's game, I have to say "yes" :)

And really, that's a great thing. It's a simple game the way a sports game is simple - you have simple goals. And like sports, complex strategies evolve out of those simple goals.

I think it's bold of the GDC to have another game where everyone has to manipulate one scoring object (last time was the Tetra). You can't make a bot that just works with one part of the game and hope to be picked by a complimentry team. This isn't necessarily better, but it ads something to the design challenge: how do you make your robot better at picking up the ball/tetra and scoring it?

Re: Does anyone else think this game will be awesome?
 

This years game is going to have its ups and downs but it is going to be very competitive and interesting but it is going to be a good game.(not as exciting as the last 2-3 years) well let me stop myself and i will tell you when i see the First FIRST match of this season played i can't judge it until i see it played.