Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

PVC batons are the FTC game piece this year, I doubt that they would make similar games for FRC and FTC in the same year.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Google SketchUp is the program I use.

Hmm, I like. Short Green pieces for 1 point maybe 3 inch PVC in 2' 6" lengths and longer yellow 3 inch PVC in 4' lengths, each with a PVC cap. Maybe short pieces are given to robots via the human player and the longer pieces are in smaller and more specific supply.

OR What if the game pieces are on the trains to start, and the object is to take them out of the trans and put them into specific locations? Like lets say there are five scoring zones. Each game the "required building materials" for each scoring zone changes (Zone 1 needs 3 short pieces, 2 long pieces and 2 yellow balls.) Each object scores points based on if the order has been filled or not. - For instance in the Zone 1 example, alliances could give as many short pieces to the Zone 1, but only the first three will score for points. Once the order is filled, the alliance that gave the most to the Zone gets a small bonus, ties don't offer a bonus. Maybe the balls and short pieces are the only elements that are allowed to get sent back to the field, making them something for a robot to want to control.

So in this way, you can control where you place your trains on the track, making it less of a drive to gather parts and getting to the right zone, and getting more points! It's a game about getting product to locations in the quickest way possible. That would be a fast paced game! The best defense might not be pinning a robot, but instead moving a boxcar!

LOVE THIS I'm working on it!

I agree. They won't make similar games, but using similar elements is a possibility.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Game pieces for trains? I know you guys have seen trains, even if in between PSP/Xbox/Nintentdo hibernations.

Ever hear/see intermodal transport containers? Cattle? Cars? Doubtful it would be bulk items like coal or grain. Lumber? There are even people on some trains. Maybe the game pieces are Barbie and Ken?

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

:D

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

You're really good with SketchUp, I could never get a hang of it. :<

But yeah, I kinda hope it isn't a competition like this because I think the more...competitive(?) competitions are more fun to watch and to build for. What I mean is that the last couple of years the games have been more like soccer or basketball as opposed to lets say, golf, where you're essentially trying to put up a high (or low, in this case) score.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

I really don't this game has anything to do with trains, I really think the game is more towards navigation. More Lunacy, maybe the surface of the playing field is a different material causing the robots to move crazy (this may have been mentioned before). Also, FIRST will most likely take elements from the first First game and other games.

As for the game play:
- Stacking game pieces might be a possibility, cubes, hoops, cylinders, etc.
- Possibility angled areas on the field.
- Short Movable goals, High movable goals or both.
- Large stationary goals on angled platforms

Loco-Motion and Back on track do sound like a Xcellent name for a game as mentioned early in the thread. Being this is the only hint we are going to get, trying to figure out up until kick off will not hurt.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Instead of a large yellow ball, what IF it was a tennis ball that went into the smokestack?

Maybe add a train carload of tennis balls to go with the 'logs'.

But I feel there's something missing. Two trains like that would be difficult to maneuver past, and I'd like to see a structure by which robots receive playing pieces somehow.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Taking this idea and rolling with it:

I bet that if there were three carts for each alliance, and there were 9 possible obtainable crates (with two of each alliance's cart starts with a crate) and you have robots try and get the crates on...THEN you could have soccer balls or something similar that can be put into the carts. The more crates on your cart, the more soccer balls you can hold, the more points you can gain.

Tonight I'll come up with some more ideas on receiving game pieces and opening the space for robots, yet after last year I don't think having massive game elements on the floor to be that much of an issue.

Maybe after this season of FIRST, I should make a "let's design a FIRST game" game thread, having everyone input and vote on ideas, get Dave Lavery to tell us how well we did. haha.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Yeah....... I love Google SketchUp :) .
Excellent drawings by the way.........
Just needed to say that........

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

One thing I think we need to consider in ideas for game possibilities is the use of cameras. In the last 2 years, FIRST has tried to implement camera use into each game, like the targets for the goals in Breakaway and the top of the cart things in Lunacy. That is probably one of the most essential things that need to be considered in ideas, as how cameras can be used with the game. Look at modern day robots that are used by militaries, police, etc., most of them have cameras, and I think that FIRST is trying to get them well implemented into the games. Just something I thought that might need to be considered.

-Tom H

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Eva? :rolleyes:

I agree that Locomotion sounds like the hint, but I'd argue that it's more likely to be the name than a reveal about the actual gameplay.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

On the other hand, they also try to make it possible to play the game without any camera control whatsoever. I could see them somehow making the pieces hard to place in the train without a camera or something, but I'm not sure how vital that would be, the GDC will figure something out.

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Something i noticed as i was reading some of the older posts was that Dave Lavery's profile had a picture of a locomotive in it... has that always been there or is this important or is this him just messing with (my) our heads?

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

That has been there for a few days now. If you read the whole thread I believe someone brings it up. It is a CCR album cover or something like that. But nice try! :)

Re: 2011 Game Hint #1
 

Changed a couple days after the hint came out. Might be important, but I think I'll take the default fallback: