Ok, so YOU design the 2003 game...

[Kyle Hill]

Here's my idea for a game. I certainly hope I'm not too late, but if I am, oh well... my fault for taking song long.

FIRST Robotics Game Proposal: "REVENGE OF THE ZONE ZEAL"

This game resembles Zone Zeal a lot, but it gets rid of some of the flaws that made it the game somewhat "broken," to use a Magic:The Gathering term, for a few smart teams.

The game consists of two opposing alliances of two (three?) robots each. (As was done this year, I think it's probably best to inform the teams at the beginning of the competition exactly when they're playing and with whom they're playing with and against.) The field is the same size as this year's game, and is broken horizontally into two equal zones - the red zone and the blue zone.

Robots start the game in alternate corners (like this year). There are twenty balls along each side of the field, with each side having ten red and ten blue soccer balls. (The balls are positioned back to back as this year's game was, but the balls on each side are in two lines of ten of opposite colors, red balls are in the blue zone, blue balls are in red.)

In the center of the field are two goals (one in each zone). The cylindrical goals are moveable {try to feign enthusiasm, guys} and are approximately 6' tall and 8' in diameter. The goals are made of plexiglass (or something else transparent for the audience's sake) and have a completely smooth exterior, which makes it very hard grab to the goals since there is nowhere to. So the predominant force for moving goals is by pushing on them. Each goal has a band of blue or red around the top denoting it as that alliance's goal.

Scoring is as follows (for this, assume you're the red team)

1 point = each red ball in the red goal at the end of the game, regardless of the goal's position
5 points = each robot in the blue zone at the end of the game
10 points = having the red goal in the red zone at the end of the game.

A blue ball in the red goal, or the red goal in the blue zone, counts for nothing.

Edit: Forgot to mention... this game would go back to the "evil cruel and nasty" FIRST, so that an object would have to be entirely over the line to count as being in either zone.

There are three black "power balls" on the field - one in each player station and one in the center of the field between the two goals. For each power ball in a goal, the goal's score and all of the balls in it double.

(So if the red goal has five red balls and two power balls in it and is in the red zone at the end of the game...

5 + 10 = 15
15 * 2 * 2 = 60.)

However, if an alliance has all three power balls in it's player station at the end of the game (meaning the blue alliance shoots the power ball to a goal, misses, and the red alliance picks up both power balls on the field and brings them over to the red player station), then they win and the opposing alliance's score for the match will be zero.

The losing team in each match gains 0 qualifying points, while the winning team earns qualifying points equal to the square root of the margin of victory. (Red wins 22-13, 9^ (1/2) = 3.00 QP)


I dunno, just some concept ideas that have been floating around in my head for a while. As I said, I do hope it's not too late .