If YOU were the GDC...

[aldaeron]

I feel like there was not enough of an incentive to be a tall bot or to do all 5 defenses. Not exactly sure how to fix that.

General suggestion for most games: Change how elims work compared with quals. Make the match 30-60 seconds longer and up the difficulty of the game (i.e. up starting tower strength to 12, but give 45 more seconds). Maybe it inches up as you go into semis and then into finals. The alliances in elims are a different than quals since they were chosen to be cohesive teams. Throw them a little more of a curve ball.

Specific to Stronghold

I would add a 10 point bonus for damaging all 5 defenses in quals and up it to 20 in elims (keep the 1 RP and 20 point bonuses as is). This gives an incentive to do the Category C defenses in elims while you are scrambling to get around the defender to get balls in to weaken the tower. It also may make you choose between getting all 5 defenses and playing active defense in your courtyard. Being a taller bot helps with the Category C defenses so maybe this helps that angle.


I would also allow two balls to be carried instead of one with the starting tower strength doubled to 16. Robots could start with 2 balls. This would allow for some correction if you shoot one ball and miss. It seemed like a lot of robots spent a lot of time lining up only to miss then go chase the ball. This might require changing point values a little so that breaching points and shooting points are more in line (I liked seeing these two activities worth similar points). I think there should also be a way for defenders to "clear" balls from their court yard. Perhaps allow a defender to control as many balls as they want (i.e. push all missed shots into their own secret passage or carry 4 balls or something)


Color the dividers on the batter so they are easier to see. Maybe tape on the outer edges or something. Lots of unnecessary collisions with those clear shields.

Make the tall defenses clear wherever possible (especially the drawbridge)

No more camera poles

Allow driver station to be clamped down (C clamp should be built into driver station IMO).

Overall a very good game.

Big tangent (maybe should be separate thread): If FIRST worked out a Stronghold like game with a set of obstacles and a game piece shot into a goal and changed the details of the defenses and the game pieces and goals every year, could FIRST become more of a traditional spectator sport?

-matto-