[Kyle Fenton]

Originally Posted by Joe Johnson

Okay okay, I will concede that I made too strong a statement by using the term "direct result" But I stand by the statement, in general and I totally reject the label of "little urban myth" in this case.

Yes, there were other teams that had flippers BUT Team 121 that had one of the best flippers if not THE best and they had drivers that were very effective at using it. Even more, they were clearly the most famous team employing the strategy. Other teams (myself included) dreaded the day that we might come up against them. It was a legal strategy and but we lived in fear of it.

While the Game Design Committee may not have made the rule directly in response to this one team, clearly the success that the Rhode Warriors had in using this strategy generated the atmosphere where the GDC had to fish or cut bait. In fact, I recall posts on this very forum where I put it plainly: If this is how the game is going to be played, fine, let's just wait and see the havoc that will be unleashed when Bill, Joe, Raul* and the rest of the great engineers in FIRST shift their focus from playing the game to designing the best flippers in 1998.

The GDC wisely made a rule against intentional flippers in 1998 and the rest is history. Perhaps they would have even without Team #121's excellent robot, strategy & tactics in 1997, but I doubt it.

Joe,
Thanks for your kind words. I am actually glad that your prediction did not come true (for the most part). As you can see from the webstream the finals were very good, and exciting to watch.


BTW
http://www.rhodewarrior.org/video/1997/ratr_tent.mov