No really, what do you think the game will be like?

[Joe Matt]

We've had the silly threads, the jokes, the clowns, and dlavery, but now I'm serious. Dead serious. We have 5 days to go and now I'm really asking for your real opinions here, what do you think the game will be like? 2 vs 2? Balls, bins, floppies? Autonomous? Just list it out.

2 vs. 2
Autonomous at end
Oil Drums
Weights
Two small ramps where the robots start on.

[Gui Cavalcanti]

Originally Posted by JosephM

We've had the silly threads, the jokes, the clowns, and dlavery, but now I'm serious. Dead serious. We have 5 days to go and now I'm really asking for your real opinions here, what do you think the game will be like? 2 vs 2? Balls, bins, floppies? Autonomous? Just list it out.

2 vs. 2
Autonomous at end
Oil Drums
Weights
Two small ramps where the robots start on.

I'm thinking stairs and giant balls. We haven't had to pick up anything singularly massive recently, unless you count stacking the bins. Robots will not be touching the ground at the end of a match.

[KenWittlief]

one twist to the game I have been expecting for a while is

scoring during the game - teams will score points while the game is in action, instead of determine the score after its all over based on where everything is.

for example, something like robot soccer? one ball, goal posts...

[MichalSkiba]

I agree with Ken, although I think that you will be awarded points for completing something quickly. For example, if the game lasts 2 minutes (120 seconds) then you will get points for [dropping an object into a bin] after a certain amount of time. If you droped it in 30 seconds into the game, you'd get 90 points (120 - time it took you in seconds). Although I think that it'll be more like constrcuting something rather then dropping a ball into a bin.

Stairs would be a really neat twist. It would require all teams to develop some kind of neat stair climber, since all of the previous games have been on flat planes that required conventional drivesystems. FIRST would factor that in and make the game easier.

Autonomous was a smash success, so it'll probobly be lengthened to 30 seconds+. Perhaps the robots will have to climb a stair case during autonomous.

Judging by previous years, FIRST will want a quick paced game, so obsticles like stairs and [many] oil drums probobly won't be in this year's game.

[Rob Colatutto]

I think we will get some task that will be worth more points if done in automode than if you do it in normal driver mode, such as drive over here, pick up object, drive over here and place object in container off the ground. That would give a nice challange to programmers, but wouldn't make a huge differance for younger teams if they can't do it in auto, unlike the huge disadvantage you got last year if you didn't make it over the ramp in auto.

I believe the game will be on the same size field, 2vs2 again, and hopefully with a lot of uniformly shapped objects. One feature I think will come back soon is something similar to the 99' puck. For those unfamiliar, it was a large ocotgon platform on casters, with 8 metal posts sticking up in each corner. You got points for having the puck in your end of the field when the match was over, and then for having your robot either on top of the puck or hanging from one of the posts not touching the ground. Whatever we get I'm sure if will be fun to design for as always.

[caffel]

I agree that running scoring during the 2 minutes is appealing. I wonder how it will be practical electronically, however.
My vote is for a maze of some sort with points for making it through and across the back line during the autonomous period.
Another possibility is pre-loading the robot with one or more 'balls' then allowing for scoring a goal during the autonomous period.
Finally, don't overlook the obvious: points for where the machine winds up at the very end. (maybe some autonoumous time at the end?)

CA

[shyra1353]

i think that there will be an autonomous .. and stairs ... and im not really sure what else to expect ... i like the idea about scoring through the game ... other than that ... i guess well find out on saturday !!!

[JP_1163]

1. Goals with moveable castors.
2. Balls
3. Bins
4. Ramps
5. Railings
6. Carpeted field
7. Autonomous mode
8. Timers
9. Human players
10. Mesh wire and slippery plastic

My guess is a "game" similar to ice hockey. Played on a surface similar to the slippery surface at the top of the ramp last year. In this game the "autonobots" battle the human players for the giant puck. The humans are on small, wheeled carts similar to gym scooters (every school PE dept. has 2 dozen of these handy) and the 'bots scoot around using sensors. The humans are "steered" by commands generated over handheld devices (PalmPilot or Handspring). The "autonobots" see the pucks which are held in bins at the top of ramps. the idea is that within the 30 seconds the humans set out the bins, mount their scooters and whiz around the plastic suface dodging the bots and trying to stuff the scooters and the bins into the goals while the bots attempt to circumvent them. At the end the alliance with the greatest number of bins and scooters stashed in the goals wins. The remaining alliance must then play a winner-take-all match of either Chutes and Ladders or Yahtze to see who wins! That way there is always something going on for the crowd and your alliance is never out of contention.

Go Figure and see you Saturday!

[IMDWalrus]

Originally Posted by caffel

I agree that running scoring during the 2 minutes is appealing. I wonder how it will be practical electronically, however.

This should definitely be possible...just add a few sensors to whatever the scoring device is, or possibly have a "goal judge" to watch and add points. Hopefully, the scoring will be less complex than it was last year...those bins were confusing.

3 times 18 is...wait, now it's two times 17...no, one times 10...

[Ted Boucher]

I think that at the very begining of the game there will be a long Autonomous time period , which will eliminate the human player time period, when your robot can score points which will end up as your multiplier. Then the robots will be under human control were the robot will have to collect round balls and use some kind of throwing mechinisum to throw balls into a elevated and secluded location on the field.

[RoboCoder]

autonomous I think is a definate......I'd like to see a system where ther longer you stay in autonomous the more points you get for what you accomplish in autonomous......which I think is doable....(not to mention that it would be easy for the rookies, they wouldnt have to do too much in autonomous, while the experienced teams can take it as far as they'd like)

hmmm My preditions......
1) Same size field
2) 2v2
3) mainly carpet, but some other type of surface in there, nothing too expensive like HDPE or something like that

4) Teams must move a scoring object into a scoring area or goal (whether an area on the field or an actual goal.

5) roughly 2 minute round, possibly some human player time on top of that

6) autonomous will be extended in some fashion, if not what is described above then simply more time (20-30 seconds)

7) extended electonics budget again, to allow for using the extra power of the new controller.

8) Some catch, whether it be movable goals, goals being game objects, ramps, stairs, pits of inflatable clowns, but most likely something new that we havent thought of yet.

Ok, sorry its kind of general, but just a few trends I've been noticing in the past few years. Hopefully a clearer scoring system, probably something that it is easier for the audience to tell who is in the lead. *shrugs* we will see Saturday *giddy*

[Matt_Kaplan1902]

Here are my thoughts:

1) Autonamous will back (not sure when)

2) 2 vs. 2

3) There will be some sort of movable goal/step up

4) I think the multi-level stairs isnt possible because of the risk of falling off

5) 2 min matches

6) Human Players will have more of an impact on the score than last year
- In otherwards they will take part in more than just the first 10 secs

Just what I came up with now. I plan to think about if intensly over the next 5 days

[MichalSkiba]

Bill of materials for this years playing field are here:

http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/2004...wcostfield.htm

[catlin101]

I've always thought that real time scoring like you said would be a really neat idea, but that doesn't nececarrily mean that they will have it. I think that the administration likes how, at the end of a match, they can take as much time as they want to argue about the score.

Also, I think it's not very likely that human players will be on the field directly battling robots. They've always been on the sidelines.

[Will Hanashiro]

i believe that there will be stairs, but not all teams will be required to use them. instead, the stairs would be more of a bonus. two years ago we had a "home" zone, where if you were there at the end of the match, extra points were awarded. this year i believe that you will be awarded extra pts if you are at the top of the stairs at the end of the match (maybe autonomous).

i would also like to see more of a role given to human players. in previous years, the human player element leveled out the playing field a little more. a good human player meant more points, and the unfortunate teams who couldnt move, or had trouble still had a way to score points. i like the idea of the human player shooting balls at goals.

other probables for this years game:
1) autonomous will remain
2) 2 vs 2
3) elimination matches will go back to best of 3
4) bigger human player impact
5) there will be a need for robots to be able to reach higher. (maybe to get things from high shelves, score balls in a tall goal, maybe to grab onto a bar and hang). in previous years, robots had to be able to go vertical, the the past two years FIRST has gotten away from that.

-just my thoughts-