What If...

[Andy Grady]

Here is an interesting question I pose to you...

Here is an observation I have made in reguards to this years game design (post build period). It seems like FIRST went into this game trying to steer designs into a preferential base. In other words...they created rules essentially preventing extention of a robot to the 3 point goal so that they could see robots shoot. The result...many designs with very similar structures and setups. There are essentially two types of robots...

1. The shooter, for the most part flywheel designs.
2. The 1 point bot with a ramp or roller to unload into the 1 point goal.

Sure there are some robots with some creative designs, as is to be expected, but overall, most of the robots are the same. Just look at pictures of the robots and look at the shooters. I would hazard a guess and say that 75 percent of them have the ol' "Neverending Story statue with the shooting eyes" complex. (For those who have seen the movie, you will understand very quickly...just look at the wings of the statue.)

Anyhow...I pose this question...

Designwise and strategywise...how much would designs change if...

1. The expansion rule was lifted.

and

2. For each opponent robot on your ramp, you get 25 points.

What do you think?

Disclaimer: This is not a thread to blast the design of the game, just a rhetorical question.