[Bryany]

Laser tag. Minibots could be deployed at any time onto an elevated plane that rims the field, and would autonomously drive around and shoot at opponents and/or other minibots. Robots could maybe place rods into a grid on the field (between various poles on the field?) to make fiberoptic connections. (or something like that) If a robot drives into or is caught by the opposing alliance's fiberoptic 'net' then that net's alliance gains points. If a robot was too tall, they might also be literally 'caught', and unable to drive underneath the rods. Each alliance would have a limited number of rods, not enough to fill the entire grid, that they could rearrange whenever they like (but only their own rods). During the endgame they could try to place a special rod that, if hung, grants bonus points proportional to the number of consecutive rods that form a single chain through that rod. At the end of the game each alliance gains points for the number of grid spaces that are completely bordered by their own rods.

Kind of like that old paper game where you take turns drawing lines in a grid of dots trying to be the one who completes each square.

That was probably clear as mud.

How much in advance to they plan each year's game?