[JaneYoung]

This has been an interesting thread to follow. Ever since the game was revealed, I've been thinking about some of the threads here in CD that have been written over the years. The threads that consisted of game designs and suggestions, involving game elements and game pieces.

I've gone back and read a few and I haven't come across much regarding safety. Lots of ideas tossed around about how much fun it would be for the teams but not much about how to create those games with safety as a strong consideration.

This is an opportunity for people who ordinarily don't think about the aspects of safety, and its impact - to create discussions within their teams.

Edit: I'll add this here instead of creating another post.
Practice fields always seem like an afterthought. They are provided for the teams and they are manned by volunteers. In my opinion, training for the volunteers has to be involved with managing the field and allowing teams access to it to work on different aspects of their robot or the game. I also think the human player is given very little consideration on the practice field and it is important to provide an appropriate area where the game piece can be handled by the human player.

In discussing this with different people and at different events, I have been told that space is always a problem. If it is a problem, then work to find a solution. I'm not big on ignoring the value of the human player or the game piece in the human player's possession.

My final thought on the practice field: you have to be able to say no and not be afraid to be the bad guy if you are going to be a volunteer on the practice field. When I've worked with teams that included students and mentors talking with me, they have been helpful, attentive, and cooperative - even while having to wait for a long time in line for just a few minutes on the practice field that has been provided as an afterthought, more or less. That has been my experience.

There's always room for improvement.

Jane