[Ryan Meador]

Wow, I'm totally shocked to see so many people who support this game. I don't like this year's game for the same reasons I didn't like last year's game. At both kickoffs, I remember sitting there thinking "there's only one way to score". The hallmark of nearly all FIRST games except the past two has been multiple ways to score - not just multiple places, but multiple objects or tasks. Also, having robots unfold to more than their starting height has always been a key feature of every game, including last year. I believe that games that virtually require teams to make robots that get taller incite a lot more clever engineering than one where the robot not only is the height it starts at, but also can't tip over on its side to drive. Another thing FIRST has done well in the past but seems to be lacking this year is autonomous tasks. There's really only one autonomous goal this year: score the most points. Also, it strikes me as very much not in the spirit of FIRST to limit what tasks (offense vs defense) a robot can do and which robots can perform them (only two over the line) basically at random points during the game. It seems to play like the ball changing possession in a "standard sport", yet nothing like that happens in this game.

This is just my take based on my first read-through of the rules. Maybe when we start brainstorming my opinion will change.

On the upside, I'm really looking forward to making an autonomous ball shooter...