No really, what do you think the game will be like?

[David Hoff]

1) Autonomous will be at the end of the match
2) Goals will be stationary and require robots to go vertical
3) Teams will receive extra points for being at the top of a flight of stairs when the match ends
4) No idea what the scoring objects are going to be, maybe footballs though
5) There will be other types of field materials than just carpet, perhaps HDPE again

[DaBruteForceGuy]

For the last two years, befor kick-off i have always said *i know it there are gonna be stairs this year*... and well we all know it hasn;t happened.... but hey third times a charm right? So i am going tosay that there will be some sort of, atleast step up (like the puck a few years ago) that we can get creative with the drive design with...... so come on STAIRS!
.... and if that's the case and there is some sort of step=up the game should be called *You Be Steppin?*

[IMDWalrus]

Originally Posted by caffel

I agree that running scoring during the 2 minutes is appealing. I wonder how it will be practical electronically, however.

This should definitely be possible...just add a few sensors to whatever the scoring device is, or possibly have a "goal judge" to watch and add points. Hopefully, the scoring will be less complex than it was last year...those bins were confusing.

3 times 18 is...wait, now it's two times 17...no, one times 10...

[Ted Boucher]

I think that at the very begining of the game there will be a long Autonomous time period , which will eliminate the human player time period, when your robot can score points which will end up as your multiplier. Then the robots will be under human control were the robot will have to collect round balls and use some kind of throwing mechinisum to throw balls into a elevated and secluded location on the field.

[RoboCoder]

autonomous I think is a definate......I'd like to see a system where ther longer you stay in autonomous the more points you get for what you accomplish in autonomous......which I think is doable....(not to mention that it would be easy for the rookies, they wouldnt have to do too much in autonomous, while the experienced teams can take it as far as they'd like)

hmmm My preditions......
1) Same size field
2) 2v2
3) mainly carpet, but some other type of surface in there, nothing too expensive like HDPE or something like that

4) Teams must move a scoring object into a scoring area or goal (whether an area on the field or an actual goal.

5) roughly 2 minute round, possibly some human player time on top of that

6) autonomous will be extended in some fashion, if not what is described above then simply more time (20-30 seconds)

7) extended electonics budget again, to allow for using the extra power of the new controller.

8) Some catch, whether it be movable goals, goals being game objects, ramps, stairs, pits of inflatable clowns, but most likely something new that we havent thought of yet.

Ok, sorry its kind of general, but just a few trends I've been noticing in the past few years. Hopefully a clearer scoring system, probably something that it is easier for the audience to tell who is in the lead. *shrugs* we will see Saturday *giddy*

[Matt_Kaplan1902]

Here are my thoughts:

1) Autonamous will back (not sure when)

2) 2 vs. 2

3) There will be some sort of movable goal/step up

4) I think the multi-level stairs isnt possible because of the risk of falling off

5) 2 min matches

6) Human Players will have more of an impact on the score than last year
- In otherwards they will take part in more than just the first 10 secs

Just what I came up with now. I plan to think about if intensly over the next 5 days

[MichalSkiba]

Bill of materials for this years playing field are here:

http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/2004...wcostfield.htm

[Suneet]

These playing fields have been rectangular for quite a while now... it'd be interesting to have a non-rectangular feild for once. FIRST might go for it...

[UngsFree]

My Predictions for 2004:

1. 2 vs 2 again
2. Extended Autonomous Mode (At the end of match and at the beginning)
3. Two Movable Goals (1 Per Alliance)
4. Scoring platform in the middle of the player field.
5. Different Layered Surface Heights.
6. New Scoring System.

7. Points for pushing "enemy" robots out of the field.
8. There will be a playing field height that after you climb up there will be a risk of falling off, like a giant cliff, on this at the end of match = more points. (Stairs and a steep inclined ramp will lead up to this. Gaining more points for stairs.)
9. Scoring Devices (hopefully footballs, hahaha i like footballs and no its not because I play football.) that will have to be picked up and put in a scoring bin.

thats all for now, saturday is oh so close

regards
UngsFree (Mike Unger 272)

[Adam Collet]

My speculation is just a conglomerate of other peoples' with one exception. I think that autonomous mode can turn on and off at any time in the game. I think this will happen either at random, or when a robot/s complete (a) certain task/s. Other than that, I figure that there will be (a) ramp/s of some sort, and something that revolves - perhaps the ramp/s. I also think that maybe robots will have some means of blocking certains ways of passage for other robots, limiting opponents to certain areas of traffic - but that, like the balancing ramp in 2001 (? - can't seem to think straight right now, is this the right year?) such blocking of traffic can be undone (like as in an arm that could tip the ramp back the other way). That's about all I've got to thinking, other than that I am highly curious about the incredibly amounts of wood and screws on the BOM for the cheap field.

[dlavery]

A few suggestions:

- don't over analyze every possibility. Studying a problem too much doesn't help any more than not studying it enough.

- don't try too hard at this, the incessant guessing doesn't get any where and doesn't help get you ready for the competition.

- just relax and enjoy the calm before the storm. Soak in the experience, enjoy it and don't get too spun up too early. You will live a lot longer (and like it more)

-dave

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Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by Suneet

These playing fields have been rectangular for quite a while now... it'd be interesting to have a non-rectangular feild for once. FIRST might go for it...

not going to happen this year....in the middle of the season first was building 3 more feild units to account for the increased number of regionals...each one feild costs tons of money to make and i doubt they would dispose of them right after being made....my .02

[Madison]

They don't need to be thrown away, just mothballed. Besides, because of their modular construction, it may be possibly to use the player station bits in whole or in part and modify the field shape.