[SuperJake]

I think those options are cool and all, but not practical (as discussed in other theads. I like obsticals on the field that make things more interesting. Like in 2000, there was that large goal/ramp/bar structure in the middle of the field. you could go under the goals and over the ramp - lots of fun. The teeter-totter bridge in 2001 was alright with the bar you could go over/under. I wasn't a big fan of the platform in 2003 - there was too much falling off the steps.

I think it would rock if there was some sort of elaborate obstical course on the field. Something other than flat ground. Ramps are deffinetly the way to go so everyone can play without giving much thought to field mobility. having ramps or other barriers on the field make it really interresting to watch. If the scoring or robot interaction isn't exciting, or is too complex for a person off the street to understand, it is still fun to watch robots traverse different terrains.

I think the 2001 game with the bridge in the field was the most fun. Even if you had no idea what was going on, it was fun to watch how different teams would get their alliance across the field. All 4 'bots can't fit on the bridge at the same time, so someone has to reset the bridge for someone else... really fun stuff to watch even if you didn't understand the scoring of the game.

It also gave a good mix of complexity for the more advanced teams. If you want to get everyone over to the other side of the field as efficiently as possible, the more advanced teams learned to do things without the ramp (Robocong from 25 was the coolest in my mind). Also, Wildstang (111) became the ramp moderator to ensure efficient use of the ramp. Lots of roles for everyone!