Was Rebound Rumble the Best Game Yet?

[AmoryG]

I have only watched FRC since 2008, so I will only list the 2008-2012 competitions:

1. Breakaway: It may not have had the best seeding system, but it was by far the easiest to understand, and the most fun for both competitors and spectators. Even bad robots could perform, but the best clearly played at a much higher level.

2. Rebound Rumble: At the highest level, this was the most competitive FRC game. This is ranked #2 for one reason alone: The division elimination rounds. Spectacular and completely unexpected.

3. Overdrive: Simple, fun for audiences and players, this was probably one of the more competitive and balanced games. Although there weren't many tasks a robot could accomplish, there was a lot of different and interesting robots.

4. Logomotion: Sometimes not very competitive, and a little boring. It was a bit hard to watch, although I thought it was creative, especially the end game. It was definitely more fun at a higher level.

5. Lunacy: Boring and hard to understand. It did not draw in audiences, and it was probably the least fun game to play.

[meaubry]

Rating FIRST games gets a bit difficult because as the years roll by, some elements from an earlier game got included in the newer games. That isn't a bad thing either. Rebound Rumble looked to be a very fun and exciting game, but my favorite will always be Ladder Logic (1998?). If I recall correctly, it was a 1v1v1 game, before alliances came on the scene.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by meaubry

Rating FIRST games gets a bit difficult because as the years roll by, some elements from an earlier game got included in the newer games. That isn't a bad thing either. Rebound Rumble looked to be a very fun and exciting game, but my favorite will always be Ladder Logic (1998?). If I recall correctly, it was a 1v1v1 game, before alliances came on the scene.

Your memory is excellent. Either that or both of our memories are faulty--it was the last game to be 1v1v1, and the reason for the alliances starting the next year was a de facto 2v1 tended to result if there was a highly-ranked team in the arena. At least, if my memory is also correct.

[Jon Stratis]

My list so far...

1. 2008 - Overdrive
2. 2011 - Logomotion
3. 2007 - Rack'N'Roll
4. 2010 - Breakaway
5. 2012 - Rebound Rumble
6. 2009 - Lunacy

My thoughts in making the list...
1. Overdrive was by far my favorite, and it also was a game that was extremely easy to explain to others.
2/3. Logomotion and Rack'N'Roll were both awesome, incorporating much the same elements. A period of hanging tubes, followed by an end game that could be extremely exciting. I give the node to Logomotion, however, since we managed to make it to champs that year.
4. Breakaway was a great game all around. However, the separation of the field into 3 zones tended to result in less robot-robot interaction, which makes things a little less fun.
5. This year was great, however I really didn't like the way the field was split. Basic kit bots had a hard time being useful to their team. They relied on someone else lowering the bridge in order to help earn points, and if they couldn't get to the other side, they also couldn't play defense. Further, I personally didn't like the way coopertition points affected rankings.
6. I can't count the number of matches I saw where the human players outscored the robots. Add to that the complications with getting game pieces to practice with, and this one rates as my all-time low.

[toastnbacon]

I've only played the past three games, but I did study Lunacy a bit. I'm not a huge fan of the games based on other sports, partially because it's hard to explain something like "It's like basketball, but with more balls and eight goals.", and partially because I think FIRST goes beyond that. Robotics is just way cooler than basketball or soccer or other "athletics". I'm not sure it sends the message of wanting to change culture when we have ended up conforming to it.

This is probably a bit more blunt than I intended it, all those athletics do have value, but it's independent of robotics and vice-versa. Once more people come to our regional competition with 55 teams than go to a football game with only two, I'll stand down. But dealing with challenges that we hadn't even thought of dealing with is (I think) more impressive than these imitation athletics. I would be willing to bet there are several FIRSTers who have looked at a basketball game and thought about how to build a robot to do it, but I get more of a kick thinking of ways to drive on a low friction surface or suspend an inner tube than something people watch other people do as a mater of course.

*I liked the co-op thing though. That was cool, and totally what FIRST is about. You don't see much of that on a basketball court.

**I am going to keep referring to Curiosity's landing as an interplanetary field goal, however.

[Zebra_Fact_Man]

I have personally experienced the 2006 game and after, so I can't say much about before that other than what recorded matches I've seen on the internets.

2007 - My absolute favorite all-time has always been Rack'n'Roll, not just because of how simple the game seemed (score tubes), but how the game allowed different skill-level teams to have different but equally important impact on the game. And the post-game mandated teamwork to work. Plus, I still feel like that was the last true year of defense.

2009 - I love Lunacy because your robot WAS the scoring device. You had to protect yourself, as well as you teammates. Also, the Regolith made driving particularly fun that year.

Honorable Mentions
2005 - Love watching youtube videos of this game. Am completely disappointed I missed this entire season. Robots playing contact Tic-Tac-Toe is awesome!

2003 - Something about knocking down a giant wall never gets old. This was still in the more "rockem sockem robots"-esk era of FIRST, in my opinion.

2001 - Get the highest score possible and stop the time. I also kind of like how there was no opponent except the clock.


The Bad
2011 - still dislike the minibots. Also hated how almost half the field was restricted to one alliance or the other. WAAAY too many driving rules.
2010 - didn't like the zone restrictions. And even what rules didn't restrict, gameplay still seemed very isolated. An open field would have made the game MUCH better.
2008 - Defense (for all intensive purposes) was illegal this year. I was excited when it sounded like it was going to be like NASCAR, but my excitement didn't last long.
2002 - Became a giant pushing match of who had the best tred. Not much fun to watch.

Really hate to complain on fav boards, but FIRST's recent games just don't live up to their predecessors. If you go back and watch '99, '02, '03, '04, '07, so much was left to grit and determination. Now it's all about skill and team talent. Not saying that's bad at all, just different. '12 was no different than '11 or '10; the teams that could score the most (with a few exceptions) were going to win.
Since the beginning of autonomous ('03), I'd rank Rebound Rumble 6th; '07, '05, '03, '09, '06, '12, '04, '11, '10, '08.

[Gregor]

Originally Posted by Zebra_Fact_Man

The teams that could score the most (with a few exceptions) were going to win.

I'm not quite sure I understand why that's a bad thing.

[androb4]

I think it may be the best so far because the game is just, FULL of excitement. Especially when it comes to the bridges. That last minute balance is sure to make the adrenalin kick in! I've been competing since Aim High and I certainly think this is the best one. Maybe fighting with Lunacy for its spot at #1.

[waialua359]

Rebound Rumble is top 5 for me after experiencing 12 different games in 13 years.
Personal opinions are often times based on your experience/successes during that season, and this is definitely one of them for me personally.

The only thing I would like to see changed in the future is a bonus/end game that is more closely related to the game itself. However, having different tasks are good engineering/design exercises that forces teams to integrate multiple functions on the same robot.

Ex. Logomotion was about putting up tubes, but end game had minibots racing up a pole. No relation.
Rebound Rumble had ramps but nothing to do with scoring baskets.
What if instead there was an endgame at the free throw line where each consecutive basket made scored exponentially like Rack N Roll? Teams would be forced to minimize missed shots.

[CalTran]

Originally Posted by waialua359

Rebound Rumble had ramps but nothing to do with scoring baskets.
What if instead there was an endgame at the free throw line where each consecutive basket made scored exponentially like Rack N Roll? Teams would be forced to minimize missed shots.

Somewhere in Goleta CA there is a robot that just shed a tear because it's incredible accuracy could have scored even more points then it already did...

[avanboekel]

Of my 3 years I would have to say

1) Rebound Rumble
2) Logomotion
3) Breakaway

But going back a few more years, I like watching '04 and '06 matches better.

[JackN]

In the past eight years that I have done FIRST, I would rank this years game fourth. My personal favorite is Aim High, I think it is a more well done version of this game. The scoring and pace at which the game was played was much higher than any other game I have seen, with full court plays being made at all times. The two greatest plays I have ever seen in FIRST history occurred in 2006, one featuring Team 25 and the other featuring Team 71.

I have never been a fan of games that are defined by the end game. Games like 2007, 2011 and 2012 were so heavily influenced by the final 15-20 seconds that they rendered the other 100 seconds mostly useless. Ranking the eight games I have seen I would say it is 06>10>08>12>05>07>11>09

[dodar]

Originally Posted by JackN

In the past eight years that I have done FIRST, I would rank this years game fourth. My personal favorite is Aim High, I think it is a more well done version of this game. The scoring and pace at which the game was played was much higher than any other game I have seen, with full court plays being made at all times. The two greatest plays I have ever seen in FIRST history occurred in 2006, one featuring Team 25 and the other featuring Team 71.

I have never been a fan of games that are defined by the end game. Games like 2007, 2011 and 2012 were so heavily influenced by the final 15-20 seconds that they rendered the other 100 seconds mostly useless. Ranking the eight games I have seen I would say it is 06>10>08>12>05>07>11>09

2007 was not highly influenced by the end game like 2011 or 2012. In 2007 if you were good at placing tubes, the end game was absurdly meaningless. If you were able to get 5 tubes in a row you were already +2 on the maximum your opponent could get in the endgame. I would classify 2007's endgame as a cherry on the top of an amazing game. The chess battle that would take place between alliances of where they were placing tubes was exhilarating and then to see the teams rush last second to place that last tube or place that spoiler and then dart for their alliance's ramps and lift 12 inches all within the last 10-15 seconds was unbelievable.

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by dodar

2007 was not highly influenced by the end game like 2011 or 2012. In 2007 if you were good at placing tubes, the end game was absurdly meaningless. If you were able to get 5 tubes in a row you were already +2 on the maximum your opponent could get in the endgame. I would classify 2007's endgame as a cherry on the top of an amazing game. The chess battle that would take place between alliances of where they were placing tubes was exhilarating and then to see the teams rush last second to place that last tube or place that spoiler and then dart for their alliance's ramps and lift 12 inches all within the last 10-15 seconds was unbelievable.

I actually thought 2007's end game was a game breaker in many elimination matches over various regionals. 60 points vs none was huge.
Wasnt that the year that a lot of lower seeds won regionals?
I also cant recall any other year that an 8th seed won CMP.
**High Rollers fan**

[dodar]

Originally Posted by waialua359

I actually thought 2007's end game was a game breaker in many elimination matches over various regionals. 60 points vs none was huge.
Wasnt that the year that a lot of lower seeds won regionals?
I also cant recall any other year that an 8th seed won CMP.
**High Rollers fan**

Oh ya thats right it was 30 points each. IM sorry, IDK why I thought it was 30 total for 2 bots. And championship that year stung a little bit or a very sketchy red card call that ended our run in the Newton finals.