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Originally Posted by Hachiban VIII
"Last year we tried building something that was beyond our means. We didn't poses the resources or the know-how to achieve what it was we wanted to build. As a result, the end-result was a disaster."
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The primary component of engineering is the engineering design cycle. The first step is to clearly identify the problem you are going to solve (in our case, understanding how to play the game)
the second step is brainstorming ways to solve that problem. you come up with a big picture solution, then you break that down into smaller parts (subsystems)
this should all be done within the first week after the kickoff. Working out the details of the subsystems might run into the second week.
If you are sitting there at the end of the first week and you dont have a clear plan (a design goal, a schedule, manning and resources, and something like an overall block diagram) then you have walked your team into a project with a task right in the middle called "A miracle happens here".
There is no time for research in the 6 week FIRST design cycle. If you dont know how you will implement (design and build) something at the end of the first week, you still wont know how to do it at the end of the 6th week.
Serious research and invention heavy designs should be done in the off season.
What you went through is exactly why the engineering design cycle exists - you cant wing it - you have to follow a clear process with well defined steps.
Risk assessment is crucial in this program. If you have a great idea but have no idea how to build it, then your risk is 100% - you could get halfway through the 4th week and discover its impossible to do what you wanted - then you have to start over. There is no time for that.