which teams made first change the game

[nuggetsyl]

Which Teams made first change the way games are played so the first do not become redundant like battle bots. I say one was betty team 71 with that crawling devise on it. First probally saw that and changed this years game so pushing is not the main goal this year.

[Andy Grady]

Oh I love this question so I'm actually gonna put in on this one...

I think the perfect example of a robot that changed the game forever dates all the way back to 1997. Back in 1997 our good friends at Navel Undersea Warfare center and Middletown High had probably the most debated and contraversial device on their robot...a tipping mechanism. It was very sobering to see your robot hauling a large load of tubes for big points at the top of the goal, suddenly toppled over by the Rhode Warriors and their tipping mechanism. I think anyone from TJ2 will tell you what kinda havoc that mechanism caused (their machine litterally busted in half). After that year there was a huuuuge debate on tipping vs. no tipping which ultimately led to the elimination of tipping devices and tougher restrictions on physical play.

As for Beatty and Hammond...well I know FIRST says that there is no "solution" to the game every year, but Beatty has come pretty darn close sometimes, especially in the last two years. There is no doubt that the walking mechanism may force a change in the game this year, in the same way that the robot they had the year before which I felt was pretty much as close as you could get to a solution to any game, kinda proved the point on why there needed to be competition between robots in a match. Oh, and for the record, Beatty still holds in my mind what was the most dominating robot ever created, back in 1997...I still get nervous just thinking about that robot popping a cap full of tubes on the goal in about 6 seconds...for everyone who wasn't around back then, that basically meant that the match was over in 6 seconds!

Have a good one!
-Andy Grady

[sidewinder]

First didn;t change the game to be more redundant like battle bots, first had to make it easier for all the rookie teams last year, so they made a game that could make rookies and veterans equals with last years more powerful kit.

And for you who think beatty was unstopable, we did it and others as well, there will never be a perfect robot. Well actually i strike that there can never be a perfect robot in a game where there are oposing sides on the field at the same time. Beatty proved in 2001 that it could build an unbeatable bot when you don;t have to go head to head with anything, so i doubt we will ever se a game like 2001 again.

[P.J. Baker]

With the exception of the '97 Undersea Warfare machine, I can't think of any others that have obviously caused specific changes in the game design. However...

I'm hoping that FIRST considered the 2002 Beatty machine when this year's game was designed. Although it wasn't unbeatable, I felt it was the best machine for the game last year. Sadly, when it worked properly, it made the game about as interesting as watching paint dry.

I really don't care if one team is clearly better than all of the others, as long as it's still interesting to watch that team beat the snot out of the rest of us. Hopefully, the folks at FIRST feel the same way and designed this year's game accordingly.

Andy B could probably elaberate more on this and confirm this, but back in the early early days of FIRST (1992), our team had a projectile cannon that shot corn at our opponents while driving around the table...


Yah, so the no projectile rule was made in 1993 (im fairly sure)

[Kyle Fenton]

Originally posted by P.J. Baker
With the exception of the '97 Undersea Warfare machine, I can't think of any others that have obviously caused specific changes in the game design. However...

I'm hoping that FIRST considered the 2002 Beatty machine when this year's game was designed. Although it wasn't unbeatable, I felt it was the best machine for the game last year. Sadly, when it worked properly, it made the game about as interesting as watching paint dry.

I really don't care if one team is clearly better than all of the others, as long as it's still interesting to watch that team beat the snot out of the rest of us. Hopefully, the folks at FIRST feel the same way and designed this year's game accordingly.

The use of file cards absolutely shocked me this year. We were going to have a device like a file card that would make us hard to move when activated. But if you listen the 2002 kick-off Dean specially said "you robot cannot attach to any part of the field on purpose (except the metal pipes on the goal), including the carpet." The file card basically latches onto the carpet. Even though it was FIRST’s goal to prevent field damage, and file cards proved very effective in not doing this, they should of stick by their rules and said nothing can be latching to the ground.

At the same token FIRST ignored some of its rules, like the tape measure controversy.

[Clark Gilbert]

DJ: In 1992 it was actually a cannon that shot a projectile (that wood/wire/metal thingy at the "high scoring ball" for that game (i think the ball was purched up high). Supposidly the cannon was pretty powerful for those times, and it shot the projectile into the crowd. I'm pretty sure this is what i've heard before.

[Adam Y.]

Yah, so the no projectile rule was made in 1993 (im fairly sure]

Ummm this rule is a little vague because a flying soccer ball could be considered a flying projectile.

[Clark Gilbert]

I'm pretty sure the rule is more defined where it says you cant have projectiles that are powered from pneumatics or anything shot from a sling shot type method.