View Single Post
  #37   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 28-04-2014, 11:13
Andrew Lawrence
 
Posts: n/a
Re: Was Aerial Assist Better than Ultimate Ascent?

We have been playing in three team alliances for 12 years now, and Aerial Assist is the first game to even come close to a traditional "team sport", which explains all of the problems not related to rules or the game field. The game itself can very much be modeled like a team sport because you need everyone playing amazingly to succeed, which isn't a very far fetched idea since that's kinda how the best sports teams are as successful as they are. Surprise, the most sport-like game we've had in the history of FIRST plays like an actual sport! Nobody saw that coming. And that's the truth - nobody was prepared for this kind of game. Every game we've played in the past was all solo missions. It was like being back in FLL where the two robots are on separate tables doing their own things independently of each other. This is the first game that actually required coordination and teamwork. Just like a real sport, this game was absolutely amazing when everyone playing was a professional who knew what they were doing. But this wasn't always the case with Aerial Assist. Because you could be the leading team in March Madness and then be paired up with Hertz Middle School P.E class recreational basketball team. Imagine Jordan trying a last second pass to a 13 year old in the NBA finals. Aerial Assist, like any team sport, had high potential to be great when played by great teams, and it showed. The elims at champs were hands down the most exciting matches I have ever experienced in my lifetime. However it also had potential to suck completely, and because it is a "team sport", the team is only as strong as its weakest link, and the numbers show that even great teams lost because of partners who just couldn't play at their level.

I think Aerial Assist is a step in the right direction. We went from a game that you could play successfuly without even talking to your alliance partners (Ultimate Ascent) to a game that required complete team cooperation to win (Aerial Assist). We've found our two extremes - now to find a happy middle ground where actually playing with your partners can benefit you as an option, but is not required to win a match. You can't compare Aerial Assist and Ultimate Ascent, because they are two opposite extremes on different sides of the spectrum.
Reply With Quote