five 'bots tangling with pasta
a game piece obsessed with a shovel's show
and seeing Montana's green heights
Art04 and I kicked this one around quite a bit and I agree with most of his points. What most people are missing in the game clue is that last year's clue was hinting at the GAME NAME. Montana's "Big Sky" country. So "Sky High" is right on for a game name.
"Five 'bots" I'll stick with 3v3. FIRST is always trying to get as many teams into the finals as possible. 1v1v1v1v1 would be reducing potential finalists by 1 robot possibly, and 1v1v1v1v1 games are not TV friendly. Viewers who aren't into FIRST wouldn't understand the game easily. Two teams of bots squaring off, that's easy to understand. If FIRST is to grow, they'll need to get more and more bots involved in games for the action and TV viewability. A third alliance, green? No, FIRST's colors are red white and blue, not green.
"pasta" Again, why is everyone assuming pasta is refering to spaghetti. Shells are shaped very much like footballs. Tieing in with the Joe Montana thought and JVN's gridiron vex bot. Those who look for trends in FIRST games thought this year would be a ball game again. Well what are footballs? Besides, has anyone thought about how the Human Player would interact with the bots? Noodles and pipes don't offer too many options that would be safe (javelin throw anyone?) or TV friendly. Footballs would again bring the athletic side to the HP position.
But if you really want to confuse yourself, just check out all the weird shapes of pasta. Spirals anyone (hmmm, Archemedes screws) or wagon wheels (Westward Ho..... to Montana!)
"a game piece obsessed with a shovel's show" Can you think of a better way to pick up footballs? or see below on the shovel's show = dig hole thought.
"and seeing Montana's green heights" seeing = CMU2 cam. I think its here to stay. Afterall, it is prominently displayed on the IFI page on robotics. "green heights" the vision target will be elevated. Tie this with the five bots and the new KOP
high traction wheels and its a center raised platform with the target on top. Possibly five sided slope or five goal pits set into the platform (there's your holes gang). Make the ramps out of lexan and viewers can see what's in the goals
. Low cost fields don't need this viewability so plywood would work. Goals being owned by which alliance has the most balls in the goal. (Similar to this year's FVC game) By having a center raised platform it keeps most of a TV camera's focus on mid-field (TV friendly viewing).
With the vision target at the top of a midfield ramp(s), the only question is what's the goal of autonomous this year and what happens when a team acheives autonomous success?
More fuel for your thoughts. Anyone want to pick up this (foot)ball and run with it?