Ultimate Assent - Best game for teaching and team development?

[Garrett.d.w]

Originally Posted by Bill_B

Every once in a while a malapropism sneaks into the topic titling here on CD. I leave it to the reader to contemplate the difference between the games:
Ultimate Ascent
and
Ultimate Assent

We have extensive rules about how the first is to be played.

This made me laugh way too hard.

Back onto the topic. The game is difficult. There are several obvious solutions, but making them actually work is not quite so obvious. Unlike previous years, where our robot was the brainchild of one person, we have had to pull everyone together to get something to work. This process is messy, takes more time, hurts more feelings, but it produces a better product.

At least for me it has taught me how to design as a team. It has shown me the difference between brainstorming as a team (which we have always done) and an inclusive design process (something new this year).

Thanks GDC for opening a can of Chuck Norris Brain Hurt

[tsaksa]

Originally Posted by Garrett.d.w

This made me laugh way too hard.

Back onto the topic. The game is difficult. There are several obvious solutions, but making them actually work is not quite so obvious. Unlike previous years, where our robot was the brainchild of one person, we have had to pull everyone together to get something to work. This process is messy, takes more time, hurts more feelings, but it produces a better product.

At least for me it has taught me how to design as a team. It has shown me the difference between brainstorming as a team (which we have always done) and an inclusive design process (something new this year).

Thanks GDC for opening a can of Chuck Norris Brain Hurt

That is exactly what I meant. You can use almost anything to teach the basics. And you are better off doing that in the off season anyway. It takes a tough challenge to learn teamwork, design trade-offs, and the need to design with contingencies and fall back strategies. It also takes an occational departure form traditional challenges to promote more innovative design approaches. I know we will see some very interesting robots this year.