Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

BEST game piece ever. And teams can build them!

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

What about a game that has two different game pieces that you have to put together. Maybe PVC pipes with magnets on the end that you have to slide into a hole and attach it to a piece that has another magnet that is in the hole. Then pull it back out and place it somewhere else, maybe on a steel scoring plate. Each PVC pipe is a point, but if it has the second piece on it it is worth 3 points.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

'nuff said. '10 spin off. Sorta.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

How about one of you brainiacs out there design a game based on Lacrosse? Nerf balls as game pieces with passing and scoring? Maybe 5 on 5 with smaller bots? I would be interested in what you all come up with. :cool:

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

Ok.

FIRST-LAX

The game is played on a 27'x54' field. Two alliances with five robotics teams each face off in each match. Each robot must start the game within a 2'x2'x3' starting position. Once the game begins, robots may extend outward to any length and size, but at no time may a robot or its mechanisms rise higher than 3'.

Here is a view of the game field:


Two GOALS sit within the playing field, and are marked red and blue by their bumpers. Red alliance will attempt to score in the Red bumper GOAL and Blue alliance in the Blue bumper GOAL.

In the corners of the field are ALLIANCE ZONES, two for each alliance. Only Red Alliance robots are allowed to move within the Red ALLIANCE ZONES, and only Blue alliance robots are allowed to move within the Blue ALLIANCE ZONES.

When ready to play the match, alliances may set their robot anywhere on their ALLIANCE ZONE side of the field, but can not have their robot move past the white line splitting the field in half, or the center circle. At least one robot of each alliance must be standing over the back white line of their half of the field.

Pictures:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...r/Field2-1.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...her/Field6.jpg

Five yellow POWER BALLS are set in the field on their specific spots. When Autonomous mode begins, teams will attempt to grab and score the POWER BALLS into their GOAL.

The match begins with a 15 second autonomous mode. After the autonomous mode, teams are awarded points and the two minute tele-operated mode begins.

Every 15 seconds pf the 2 minute match, four white NORMAL BALLS enter the field by the Field Crew - one in each ALLIANCE ZONE.

Picture:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...her/Field7.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...her/Field8.jpg

In the last few seconds, alliance robots may run their robots into the Alliance Zones for bonus points. Each robot touching only the colored carpet and/or white line and not the green field carpet, will earn the alliance bonus points.

After the match, teams are awarded points for their goals they made.


-> 3 points for each scored POWER BALL in autonomous mode.
-> Bonus 3 points for scoring more POWER BALLS than the opponent in Autonomous mode. If both teams tie, neither get the bonus.

-> 2 points for each scored NORMAL BALL.
-> 2 points for each scored POWER BALL in Tele-operated mode.
-> Bonus 2 points for having one or two robots in the alliance zone at the end of the match, 6 points for having three or four robots, and 12 points for having all five robots.


Enjoy. Discuss.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

I'm not sure if this would count as a "Game-play idea", but I had an idea earlier about a possible rule during build season.

We as FIRSTers are supposed to work together and help each other, yet I've seen a lot of secrecy in my years. Now while I understand when you have that one awesome original idea that will win you Einstein that you don't want to share, that doesn't mean that outside of competition days and during build season you stick to yourselves and stay away from other teams as if they're enemies. Look at Chief Delphi here. A lot of people start openly discussing their ideas and giving out ideas and helping other teams the minute after the kick-off video is shown. Now luckily for me, there are some teams in California who are open and helpful to other teams, and even let them use their facilities. Aside from them, there is little to no collaboration between teams during build season.

So, long piece of text aside, my idea is that during build season, there could be a rule that dictates that each team collaborates with another team every 2 weeks of the 6 week build season. I think that this will not only bring great teams and great minds together, but also make us better people.

Just one of my many thoughts.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

Granted that it would help teams, there are some that it would be impractable. I am thinking of, among others, Team 935 in Newton, KS or 3284 in Camdenton, MO. There are no nearby teams for hands on collaboration, although online collaboration would be a possiblity. Just a point, keep in mind all of the teams in FIRST when thinking of an idea. What would seem like a wonderful idea for one team or an area might not work for the rest. Another point is something that would seem to be great for a regional may not work at all for the Michigan district competitions. Just a thought. I did like your idea, though. I might try to do something like that with our team and a couple of locals this year.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

Inspired by this: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...&postcount=165

Sadly, I do not possess the game-design style of Tetraman, so text will have to do...

Presenting...

FIRSTAMARI DAMACY

THE BASICS:
* 3 vs. 3
* Robot starting dimensions of 28x38x60, expansion allowed
* 100% bumper coverage required (for this game, you actually need it)
* The goal is to accumulate as much TRASH onto your robot as possible and then return to a WEIGH STATION in order to have the highest total alliance weight at the end of the round. TRASH can be accumulated by picking up, sticking on to, or otherwise acquiring TRASH game pieces that have been littered on the floor by human players. At the end of the round, additional bonus points are given to the team which has forced the TRASH RAMP at the middle of the field to tip towards their alliance's player station.

THE ARENA:
* 54' x 27' field
* Flat field
* In the middle of the field is a teeter-totter called a TRASH RAMP. There is a 3'x3'x3' open-topped cube on each side of the trash ramp (so you can put trash into your teams' cube and cause the ramp to fall your way).
* Robots must start on a WEIGH STATION, a 40"x40" pressure-sensitive pad that weighs whatever is on it. There are three red and three blue WEIGH STATIONS in front of the corresponding alliance player stations.
* There is a solid middle line and two other lines 1/4 and 3/4 of the way across the field, respectively.
* On the field scoring display are six numbers: the current weights on each one of the six pressure pads.

GAME PIECES:
* TRASH. The field is littered with all manner of small objects. Think balls, cubes, cones, smoked Tetrix motors, whatever. For the purposes of this thought experiment, the exact nature of the TRASH doesn't really matter. Just assume there is a lot of it. Ideally, there are ~80 pieces of trash, each weighing around .5-1.0 lbs.
* Each HUMAN PLAYER (3 per alliance) begins with an armful of TRASH. In addition, there is an equivalent amount of TRASH scattered randomly around the middle two quadrants of the field by field staff.

MATCH PLAY:
* The match begins with a 10 second HUMAN PLAYER LITTERING period. Human players from each alliance grab trash from their player stations and place it on their OPPONENTS' side in the quarter furthest from the center (e.g. the 1st or 4th quadrant). All trash must be placed on the field, and none of it can touch a robot.
* Next comes a 10 second AUTONOMOUS PERIOD. Robots use on-board sensors to acquire TRASH and return to their WEIGH STATIONS for bonus points.
* Lastly is a 2:00 TELEOPERATED PERIOD. Teams drive their robots around the field, collecting, sucking up, picking up, or otherwise "acquiring" TRASH in order to get as heavy as possible. But it isn't that simple! Teams ALSO get bonus points by forcing the ramp at the center of the field to fall their way at the end. This forces teams to quickly think - am I better off loading my bot up with trash, or should I focus on placing trash onto the ramp?
* In the last 10 seconds, no opposing robot may enter the quadrant containing the opposite alliance's WEIGH STATIONS.

SCORING:
* The current weights of each WEIGH STATION are constantly displayed on the arena screen.
* At the beginning of the round, each WEIGH STATION automatically computes the starting weight of each robot.
* At the end of the round, each WEIGH STATION displays the ENDING weight DIFFERENTIAL on each WEIGH STATION. For example, if a robot started at 119 lbs and at the end of the match, there are 128 lbs on the scale, the DIFFERENTIAL is 9 lbs.
* Teams earn one point for every pound of their total DIFFERENTIAL (sum of 3 weights at the end - sum of 3 weights at beginning). Minimum DIFFERENTIAL for each WEIGH STATION is 0, but only one robot may touch each WEIGH STATION at the end (e.g. you can't all three get on one pad). Each WEIGH STATION only gets points if the original robot that started there returns there (this prevents a 120 lb robot and a 40 lb robot from trading places for crazy points).
* If, at the end of the round, the TRASH RAMP (which starts at a somewhat unstable equilibrium at the beginning of the round) is touching the ground on one alliance's side of the field, then that alliance has TIPPED THE SCALES. By doing this, that alliance gets to add the TWICE the weight all of the TRASH on BOTH sides of the TRASH RAMP onto its total score.

In summary:
Score* = Final Weight - Start Weight - Penalties + BONUS
BONUS (if ramp is on your side) = 2*(Red weight + Blue weight)

* Keeping in mind minimum DIFFERENTIAL of each WEIGH STATION is 0

PENALTIES/DETAILS:
* Biggest no-no: No robot may be touching any part of the TRASH RAMP (including TRASH possessed by a given robot) at the end of the match. Penalty: The other alliance gets to TIP THE SCALES. If both alliances do this, nobody TIPS THE SCALES.
* No TRASH can be removed from the TRASH RAMP once placed there.
* Violating the line during the last 10 seconds (there is a warning claxon at 15 seconds): DQ
* More than one robot ending touching the same WEIGH STATION = that WEIGH STATION is disabled
* A robot touching a WEIGH STATION other than the one it started on during the end game = WEIGH STATION disabled
* Standard 5 second/5 feet pinning rules.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

It's a very difficult to enforce rule. Those eventually work their way out of the rulebook (anybody remember the FIX-IT windows?). I don't think it'll catch on.

Are we supposed to help each other and work together? Yes. That's the Gracious part of Gracious Professionalism. BUT! The Professional part could easily be seen as including not revealing company secrets to rival companies, and collaborating could be seen as doing just that. Or, it might not be. Be that as it may, collaboration is always an option, and FIRST made that clear years ago. If, however, it is forced by anything other than extremely good game design by FIRST, I don't think it will be a good thing in the long run.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

i am going with end of the world theme mayan architecture game would be you and alliance build mayan pyramid in middle of field to make it interesting only one pyramid can be made between the two alliances and each block will be either blue or red and whoever has the top tier of the pyramid in there color gets an extra bonus
another would be a pyramid is in the center of the field and u have to climb it and bring down scoring bins kinda and take it to your side fill it up and empty it on opposing alliance side for points

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

Something I've always thought would be an interesting game rule is switching robots. Like, there would be a rule saying that you must drive one of your alliance team's robots instead of your own.

Though matches would be harder, it would be fun to watch!

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

2003: Stack Attack.

OK, so the bins didn't have to be filled... they had to be stacked. And the easiest way to take a stack down was to hit it with a robot.

Re: Game Elements and Game-play Ideas Thread
 

That would be Awesome