Modern Upgrrade

[Koko Ed]

Which Pre 2005 game would you think do best as a reboot for the three robot alliance era?

[Walter Deitzler]

PLAYING ON CORN!!! ON A HEXAGONAL FIELD*!!!

Other than that I think that The huge PVC goals used in '94 as a central scoring position would be fun. Maybe add some addition on to them, such as in '96 (but not the same addition) and I think we could have a pretty fun game.


*yes it would be harder to accommodate at modern venues, but still, I can dream!

edit: oops I read it wrong. I thought you asked which game piece...

[Billfred]

2003, further modified to give protection to stacking. Imagine the chaos of six robots charging the ramp (with bumpers, natch) going for the bins--and how a third robot could open up a number of widget robot options (bin thievery, stacking, ramp control). Lots of potential.

[O'Sancheski]

I would have to go with 2004. Might have to make the platform smaller to accommodate the two extra robots on the field but I think adding two more robots would make the hanging unbelievable.

[Koko Ed]

While I absolutely love the 2004 game the field was crowded with four robots. It would look like an LA freeway at Rush hour with six robots out there. That platform took up the whole field area.
The 2003 game suffers from the same problem with the massive field element.
Nothing will ever make the 2001 or 2002 game better.
I have to read up more on the games back in the "good old days ( we have some of the old game pieces laying around the shop. The floppies from 1999 make decent pillows for those long nights at the shop). Retooling the games to a more modern upgrade means changing the field to the 27 x 54 shape that things are today by the way.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Nothing will ever make the 2001 or 2002 game better.

You sure? Imagine if 2001 were played 3v0-plus-3v0, the field split long-ways with no crossover unless a ball bounces across of its own accord. I think the close quarters and drag-race concept (balls, balance, end zone) might work.

[Brandon Zalinsky]

I said stack attack purely for the awesomeness of knocking over a tower of crates.

[Michael Hill]

Please no reboots. I'm so sick of reboots. Hollywood has ruined them for me. I don't even reboot my computer anymore.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

Please no reboots. I'm so sick of reboots. Hollywood has ruined them for me. I don't even reboot my computer anymore.

killjoy.;P

[dk5sm5luigi]

Toroid Terror has already had a reboot. The 2007 game Rack 'n' Roll had almost all the same elements except the multiplier by capping the top. Granted the tubes back then were much heavier and the paint had a hard time sticking to the tube.

[Peyton Yeung]

I would say 2004. From what I've seen the robots were diverse. I think since there were so many things to do at the same time if the 2004 game was 3v3 the 3rd bot on each alliance could really help. From what I can gather there were 3 major things to do: hanging, collecting and depositing 5pt balls, capping goals. I think given a 3 robot alliance, all three roles could be done without any one robot having to do more than one task. Plus the fight for a spot on the hanging bar could be more fierce with 6 bots.

[Ekcrbe]

Originally Posted by Tubatroopa

I would say 2004. From what I've seen the robots were diverse.

I think the game designs are much more polished nowadays, but I would love to go back to the games pre-modern games, when some of the robots of FIRST lore were born, permitted under looser construction rules. That's what I really want to see return from the older games, and that's why I want to be a part of one of those games.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Tubatroopa

I would say 2004. From what I've seen the robots were diverse. I think since there were so many things to do at the same time if the 2004 game was 3v3 the 3rd bot on each alliance could really help. From what I can gather there were 3 major things to do: hanging, collecting and depositing 5pt balls, capping goals. I think given a 3 robot alliance, all three roles could be done without any one robot having to do more than one task. Plus the fight for a spot on the hanging bar could be more fierce with 6 bots.

That's exactly why I wouldn't want 2004 rebooted in 3v3. Teams doing multiple, diverse tasks in the same game was one of the best elements of 2004. I loved seeing the ridiculous ways teams like 71 and 190 figured out how to cap while hanging or the awesome multi-purpose drive mechanisms. Having more tasks than robots to fill them was what made that game so special.

[AllenGregoryIV]

Maybe I'm just nostalgic for my rookie year but having to fight for the end game bonus was amazing in 2003. Similar in 2004 as well where you could score the end game and block someone else at the same time. That hasn't been possible since then.

Most of the recent rules have protected the end game from direct defense and confrontation. The huge penalties for interfering with the mini bot or bridge balance for example. Watching Wildstang flip people back down the ramp at the 2003 Championship is still one of my clearest memories in FRC. (FYI, if you have never seen that robot view their award submission here.) However 2003 was plagued with a horrendous elimination round scoring system. My team won our regional only because we allowed our opponent to score enough points and that shouldn't happen.

However the ramp would never work in 3v3 but I think getting back to head to head end games could be interesting. Although, that would put a bigger emphasis back on drive trains; which FRC has tried to move away from in recent years.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I had to vote for Stack Attack since that was our first Champs win. However, in terms of rules, I disliked some of the rules. We took our stacker off early in the season although it seemed from a strategy standpoint to be a game winner except the stacks could not be protected and that basically negated any work done by the human player. We could get 8-10 high in practice. Bomb Squad was ridiculously fast that year, about twice as fast as us.
I have stated many times that I believe games in which the human player can make a difference are some of my favorites.
Toroid Terror and Ramp Riot are two of those that I think excelled at human player interactions.