Basic Game Breakdown

[Levin571]

All information obtained through the game manual and the introduction video and put together in the noggin of Adam Levin

Game Elements and field design and robot design-

-Match is now 2 minutes 15 seconds long

-Tetrahedron shaped goals are placed around the field in 3 rows of 3 like a tic-tac-toe board

-Teams are now 3 VS 3

-field is 27ft by 54 ft

-scoring objects are smaller tetrahedrons called tetras (regular tetras are about 8 1/2 pounds and vision tetras are 12 1/2 pounds)

-there are 8 lower tetras that stand at about 5 1/4 ft tall

-one center tetra goal is elevated on a 43 inch tall base and will be about 7 feet from top of the tetrahedron to the bottom of the base

-there are also 2 attendent tetra loading stations placed around the field

-there are 2 manual (human player controled) loading stations on the other side of the field

-there are 2 special Vision Tertas placed randomly on the field just before autonomous starts

-robots must not exceed 28x38x60 in tall

Autonomous Mode-

-During Autonomous your robot can pick up a special vision tetra and place it on a goal for bonus points

-another option is the there are 2 hanging tetras on either corner goal that the robot can know down for extra points

-bonus points are added to your corner goals between end of autonomous time and human controled time

-for extra points during autonomous vision tetras mustbe placed on any of the 3 center goal or the 2 corner ones on your side of the field

Human Player Element-

-Human players (1 from each alliance) are standing on pressure pad "mats" on the side of the field

-If human steps off this pad any time during the match, your robot is disabled until the human goes back on the mat.

-with the 2 manual (human player controled) loading stations, when a robot goes onto the loading symbol the human can step off the mat and place a tetra manually on the robot and then return to the mat to reativate the robot once again

-when loading a tetra, the human may have no contact with the robot

Game Play-

-Robots must place the tetras on top of the goals

-The loading stations will be opperated by a field attendant and when a robot takes a tetra from this station it will be replaced with another by the field attendant but they may be oriented differently each time

-

your robot cannot interfere with opposing robot while ANY part of it is touching the loading zone

-

you may only be given 1 terra at a time by the human player (though it looks like you can just go back on and off the loading zone repeatedly and keep collecting tetras)

-

robots cannot "grab, grasp, grapple, or attach to the GOALS or any other field structure"

-

after autonomous robots can place tetras on any goal on the field

-

to make a row your colored tetra must be the top tetra on the stack or every goal in that specific goal

-

opponents may counter a row by placing one of their colored tetras on top of yours

Scoring-

3

points for each tetra stacked on top of a goal (in order to be concidered stacked one must ask that if the supporting objec is removed will the tetra still remain on the goal)

1

point for each tetre placed on floor in base of the goal (tetras must not be touching any area outside the containment area under the goal)

10

points for each row of tetras you make when you colored one is the top one on the stack

10

points if all 3 robots in your alliance are behind the starting line at the end of the match

This is just the bear bones but this can be a huge help for the time being.

[Avarik]

Can you make a stack of tetras, or carry around more then one at a time? What about grabbing one from the attendent loading zones (not the human player ones) and waiting for them to reload to grab another?

[Levin571]

"A field attendant will be positioned behind the Tetra Loading Station, and will place a Tetra on the loading station each time one is removed by a Robot. Minor variations in the precise position and orientation of the Tetra on the Tetra Loading Station are to be expected, and are considered part of the challenge of the competition."

So from what i can interpret you can just keep going back on and off the loading area and keep collecting those terra's and i would expect you to be able to carry more than one at once since i'm looking through the rule and see nothing contrary to that

[MisterX]

Originally Posted by Avarik

Can you make a stack of tetras, or carry around more then one at a time? What about grabbing one from the attendent loading zones (not the human player ones) and waiting for them to reload to grab another?

As far as waiting, G17 states that the robot must leave the loading zone and return beforebeing allowed to grab another tetra

[anna~marie]

is there a limit to the number of tetras allowed on the field?

[Levin571]

considering the idea that every tetra could theoretically be used to score it seems that there is no limit to the amount that can be in play at once. it mostly depends on how quick you are and if you want a whole lot of tetras on the field

[kevin.fort]

Originally Posted by anna~marie

is there a limit to the number of tetras allowed on the field?

well there is a total of 40 tetras at each game but i am fairly sure that you can have all of them on the field at once. at least i have read the rules and it doesnt say anything about haveing a limit

[Christine G.]

Originally Posted by kevin.fort

well there is a total of 40 tetras at each game but i am fairly sure that you can have all of them on the field at once. at least i have read the rules and it doesnt say anything about haveing a limit

What is the starting position of the 40 tetras? How many do the human players start with and how many are there for the Auto Loading station?

[Levin571]

from what i've read so far 4 start on field, and the rest are split between human and auto loading station
remember that if you get a bonus during autonomous, some more are added automatically to your corner goals

[Adam Richards]

Originally Posted by Levin571

from what i've read so far 4 start on field, and the rest are split between human and auto loading station
remember that if you get a bonus during autonomous, some more are added automatically to your corner goals

Actually, four vision tetras (the ones with neon green for sensors) are on the field (two red, two blue), and four tetras are hanging from the exterior goals (two red, two blue).

[phrontist]

Do you actually have to CAP the vision tetras, or can you put them in the goal to get the bonus tetras?

[663.keith]

don't forget about the tetra that one robot can start with

my interpretation is that you need to cap the goal with the vision tetra

[Levin571]

<G10> If during the AUTONOMOUS PERIOD a VISION TETRA is STACKED on a GOAL located on the edge of the field, a bonus TETRA will be STACKED on the nearest corner GOAL in the alliance END ZONE. If during the AUTONOMOUS PERIOD a VISION TETRA is STACKED on the CENTER GOAL, a bonus TETRA will be placed on both corner GOALS in the alliance END ZONE. All bonus TETRAS will be STACKED on the GOALS by field attendants at the earliest safe opportunity after the end of the AUTONOMOUS PERIOD. Once the AUTONOMOUS PERIOD ends, all VISION TETRAS are treated and SCORED as regular TETRAS for the remainder of the match.

[Ken Loyd]

Does Rule G15 mean that if my robot bumps a robot in a loading zone during auto mode, I will be punished?

Ken

[Adam Richards]

No, the LOADING ZONEs are the areas for the robot to pick up tetras, either handed from the players at the "manual" loading zone, at which point it's disabled due to pressure pads, or for the robot to pick up tetras itself at the "automatic" loading zone. The autonomous period is for the robot to pick up vision tetras by itself, or position itself near or on one of the pressure pads for you to hand one to it after the autonomous period once it switches into the driver period, if you can't get the camera to work properly for you.

Because of this, it is very doubtful that you'll actually bump a robot during the autonomous period unless the robot color is the same blue, red, or green that the tetras are, in which case, it'll probably be up to the judges as to whose fault it is.