[Official 2005 Game Design] Game Elements and Subtasks

[Adam Y.]

Omg I am pathetic. I had a dream where the robots started on top of ramps. These ramps would be located on each alliance side. Inbetween the robots would be a pole. There would be giant inflatable innertubes that would have to be placed on the pole.

[Tom Schindler]

Realizing this is a REALLY old idea, i would love to see bowling pins be in the game at one point or another.

People recognize bowling pins, which would make the game a lot easier to explain to people new to FIRST. Robots could have to set up certain pins in certain areas, while knocking down certain pins in other areas...

Also,

Bring back the torroids! Anyone around in '97 remembers these awesome game elements, we had way too much fun practicing for human player that year...

Enough about game elements,

an ideal game to me, would be one where the members of an alliance are FORCED to work with eachother. Such as having a barrier that teams are not allowed to cross, and moving game elements (Bowling pins, torroids, balls etc) from one side of this barrier to another will score points. This could allow for completely defensive, completely offensive, or mixed matches. Many gameplay strategies...

And my final thought is, as a game element, use dippin dots! they are readily available at many of the competition venues, especially the nationals! When the match is over, the field reset people get a treat!

--Tom "where's my dippin' dots" Schindler

[Stephen Kowski]

I've always been partial to the idea of footballs as game objects. I always like hanging, but I doubt I will see that again next year since i saw it this year. I also like the idea of having zones on the field (2002) where you score by being in....

[Andrew Rudolph]

I would like to see somthing thats Not inflatable. It seems that the inflatable things we get are too inconsistant and pop often. The Floppies from 1999 are a great example.

I like how this year involved more human input into the score.

I think when we had robots Limbo and Robots Climbing over things it was fun to watch, nothing like seeing a arm that folds under 18 inches reach 10 feet. It also made a nice challenge.

I would like to see somthing that would involve a creative drivetrain. Suspension, Extendy Bits, Retracty mabumgles, things like that.

Finally i would Liked how this year the field was interactive in a motorized way. If you ever watched Robot Wars (**GASP**) Then you saw how they had elements that a bot could run into that would activate somthing somewhere else on the field. Just like this year it might be good for autonomous.

[Ryan F.]

An idea I really liked is a sort of "capture the flag" element. It would be something that you had to trigger, and exists on both sides of the field (one per alliance). Robots would have to manipulate or trigger these, which would either be a bonus to them, or a penalty to the other team. This would cause teams to have to think much more about defense, and strategy would be a must to protect your undecided trigger thing . This would also cause much more exciting matches.

[Joe Matt]

You know, that brings up a cool idea, remember at the team party this year, there was a game where there was a large wall, and the people had to work together to get things at the end, and the people were attached together. That's a cool idea.

[Ken Loyd]

I like multiple tasks in the game.

I like the idea of scoring zones.

I like two robots against two robots.

I am waiting for the auto mode to be at the end of the game.

I like the multiple levels for the playing field.

I have often thought of huge popsickle sticks (both ends rounded) that both robots would need to work together to make the sticks stand up (by leaning against each other.)

[minic@HYPER69]

I think next years game should be another co-op game. It would have a twist though... "movable" field barriers. Here is how i see it working bring back the human player pressure pads from stack attack and put a wall in the center of the field that would open when a robot was on the mat and close once the robot had left. Of course there would have to be a way othe then that moveable wall but it must be extreamly complicated! See attachment for proposed field. The idea is to get the 50gallon drums to the correct side by color.(SEE NEXT POST TO DOWNLOAD LEDGEND)

[minic@HYPER69]

here is the ledgend

[Ted Boucher]

For the game piece I would like to see something flexable like the floppy in 1999, but not inflatable like the balls this year.

For a twist, I would like to see a active field element controlled by the field. As an example, take the movable goals from this year and attach them to a track and have them move side to side from one side of the field to the other.
This would challange a robot to be able to do the task.

[Marc P.]

I wasn't around in '99, but I've seen and heard many stories about the Puck. I'm intruiged by the idea of a mobile object robots can climb on and score. It would only be worth 10 points with a robot on top on the edge of the field, but worth 50 if in the center of the field. Would make for some good pushing matches, and all the more challenging if the thing can move.

I'd also like to see some odd game object, like orange safety cones. Cones are worth 5 points only if standing up, and worth 15 points when stacked on top of each other. I know I'll get lynched for this, but I liked the time multipliers of 2001. Adds a very interesting element to strategy

[Nate Edwards]

I would like to see something with multiple shaped balls and objects (like the bowling pins, footballs, tennis balls, and roadcones.) Each one has different point values and certain ones have to be done by the robot and certain ones by the human player... It would all be on a revolving field. The drivers stations stay in the same spot but the field revolves. Maybe it makes 4 rotations and the balls possibly would be color coded or something and there are different goals etc... It would make the game intresting I think.. how about a huge road cone that you have to cap the goals with and you have to capture it from your opponent. I read some of the posts and really liked them so incorparated them into mine. Any of these ideas sound really cool.

Nate

[Joe Reel]

I agree with the ideas:
1. multiple level playing field
2. 2 vs 2 robots
3. scoring zones
4. multiple shaped objects varying in size (ie. soft balls and 30" balls )

I would add an element of the game that would be a lever type assembly that has a bucket attached to it so that when enough small objects were in it it would lift a barrier that covers a larger goal for the larger size objects. The bucket could be removable thus introducing a defensive side to the game. It would also add another task of picking the bucket up and placing it back on the lever arm.

[MattK]

I would love to see various terrains (maybe a pit of packing pop-peanuts or something like that)... that would emulate real terrain much better.

[Team311]

corn cernals