I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

Is it just me and my team who enjoyed watching Breakaway this weekend? I did not think i would like this game at all at first. I hated Lunacy.

Maybe it was just how intense matches at NJ were and the caliber of the teams in eliminations?

In our QF match 1 we lost 11-8 but the entire match was so close. The closeness of each match, battle-bot defense, and last minute hanging/goals made it a lot of fun to watch. The matches were faster than I would have ever expected.

How have you liked watching the game so far?

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

You hit the elims and the game is more intense, smart, and strategic than Lunacy ever could be. I love it.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I'm just wondering how many different strategies people can come up with.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

The same thing occurred to me. Lunacy was a completely different type of game than Breakaway. Breakaway makes drivers compete against the field, and the obstacles placed out on it. Lunacy was completely different. It made drivers compete against drivers. Far more applications for strategy existed in 2009 in my opinion. :)

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I agree with you, but also disagree. I happen to believe that once you get past the qualification matches, there's just as much strategy in the elimination matches as there has been in any other game. Last years game involved pinning...pinning...and more pinning? I would hardly consider that strategy. In this years game, you have to try and defend people in all the different zones, and try to account for your opponent being able to hang and receive almost guarenteed bonus points at the end of the match. Lets not forget the penalties either...often being the deciding factor in many matches. Once you get past the ranking system, the game becomes very strategic and fun.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

Breakaway got exciting during the Elimination rounds. It seems to be one of those games where a match is either really boring or really exciting and there's not too much in between.

(This is coming from one of the 5 or 6 people in the country that actually enjoyed watching Lunacy though.)

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

You missed our strategy binder then.

We had 6 pages for just different autonomous plays alone. There were 10 offensive plays if I recall correctly, 3 end game plays, as well as alliance plays.

The outlined above bought us a Regional win. 2009 was PACKED with strategy.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I love how this year (except for penalties), you know the score as you are watching. A few times this year, with the game tied, one team would score a last-second goal. The crowd went crazy, because they knew that it was the deciding score. Last year, it was tough to tell who was winning, so while there was more anticipation in seeing the official score, there wasn't the same in-game drama as there is in Breakaway.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I totally agree there is not near as much strategy this year it is to stop the endgame and to try and stop them from scoring the ball are the two big ones in my opinion

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

If matches where closer to 11-8, then I don't think I'd have a problem with any of it. This is about the range I was expecting it to be, jumping another maybe 5 more points for the Finals. However the average at the FLR was like 3-2 after penalties, and I'm sorry the quantity of penalties just make the game so frustrating. On top of that when the first team to play a 6v0 stradigy scores one of the first and only 12-0 scores, completely blowing the curve and jumps 10 ranks, it hurts alot too those teams who worked hard and competitively to get into the top 8.

No game in the history of FIRST has made me angry. This one does.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I have yet to see this game in person yet, but I think I like it.

One thing that is a strength of the game is that the 3rd alliance partner has a role in scoring. In the last two years, the 3rd robot was usually not invovled in scoring, as they were relegated to doing laps or trying not to be scored on. At KC, the two final alliances (and top two seeds) had the 23rd and 24th pick in the front zone actually scoring. It was a refreshing change to see the top pick (525) and 2nd alliance captain (1625) in the far zone playing defense. Maybe it will change but so far it seem that the 3rd robot isn't just along for the ride.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I agree with the penalty remark. It just isn't as fun when there are more penalties than points scored. I know this happens with every game, but not as much as this year. I personally like when the scores are 88-82, but we don't really know the real score because the real-time counting was a little inaccurate. It builds suspense. But when the score is 4-4 and each team has 3 penalties so the final score is 1-1, I found myself just shrugging at the end of each match. I lose my excitement about competing because the results seem arbitrary.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

From what I've seen, the majority of penalties were for Ball Infractions. Personally, I think FIRST should at least try to do a better job at inspects to make sure new teams are well aware of the risks involved. Also, to show case our GP, I think it will be up to us "more experienced players" to help everyone at the competition full understand this years rules (on and off the field).

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

Breakaway = Floor version of Aim High.

Only Aim High was a lot more fun, because we never had that kind of game before...we've done a lot of what's in Breakaway already.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

Not to mention Aim High had multiple ways of scoring (pushing or shooting). And an actual bonus for doing well in autonomous (10 points + determining the order of offence/defence). And a better end game bonus (some teams this year didn't even *try* to go for a hang, while nearly everyone in 06 was dashing for the ramps at the last few seconds). And a variety of robot designs (tons of different shooters/dumpers, as opposed to either a roller or a kicker and an arm or a hanging mechanism like we have). And it had the A-Bomb.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I'd Like to think that during some point this season we'll see the return of the a-bomb.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I think the off season events will easily surpass the regular season event due to many(if not all) of the off season events passing on the ultra lame ranking system.
I truly would not be surprised if we were witness to the most exciting IRI of all.
That is somethng to truly look forward to.

Re: I actually enjoy watching Breakaway
 

I really enjoy the game from what I've seen via webcast.

Update 16 makes the competitive aspects of the game better as well. I was not a fan of the ranking system, but it has been improved, and regardless of the ranking system, the game is exciting to watch. I can't wait to participate.