[Official 2007 Game Design] Game Elements and Subtasks

[Jherbie53]

Originally Posted by Hachiban VIII

Another cool game element would be a marry-go-round, or spinning platform.


(imagine this without handle bars)

Robots would have to cross this powered hazard to score or to reach the other side of the field. This would be particularly spectacular if next year's game involved balls. Imagine the chaos of balls being spun off of the field!

I would also like to see something like a marry-go-round on the field. It could be powered and could not, the only problem with it being powered is, how do you get power to it? It either has to be large enough where there is no room on the sides or needs some walls or "speed bumps" covering the power cables. You could also put some gold rings around the marry-go-round to grab, bonus points for grabbing the rings, or a free ride.

I think the game needs a movable field element, like movable goals in First Frenzy or a movable platform. In the Autonomous thread like this one, someone mentioned a "house robot" that would just keep moving around the field and sometimes play defense. This can also be done with a part of the field. Have something that moves, like two gates that open for a set number of seconds at different times in the match.

[Peter Matteson]

I would love to see goals that drive themselves around the field using a kop tranny and cim. Maybe they could line follow a pattern to make scoring more challenging.

[mjbrauck]

What about a moveable object that teams try to get on their side? Like instead of trying to get your robots up a ramp at the end there is one large object that you have to pull, push and/or lift onto your side or onto your platform, and stop the other team from getting it to theirs.

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by mjbrauck

What about a moveable object that teams try to get on their side? Like instead of trying to get your robots up a ramp at the end there is one large object that you have to pull, push and/or lift onto your side or onto your platform, and stop the other team from getting it to theirs.

How about a "hoverpuck", which becomes active for the final 30 seconds of the match. The robots could not grasp or push it, but could only hit it with a flat bumper/plate on the side of the robot. Something that will have the robots applying vectors and aiming ricochets toward a goal. (Maybe have a big "Easy" button on the bumper/plate that disables the robot for 5 seconds after it applies a force to the object.)

[artdutra04]

I think the game this year was good except for one thing. In 2005, you had to have all three robots on the alliance work together to win. If you only had one robot that could score tetras, you would almost never win. But this year, in most of the elimination matches if you had just one good shooting robot, that is more or less all you needed to win. The other two robots would more or less do nothing on the field, why the one main offensive robot scored.

I think in a way this actually set the bar lower for many teams, as they figured that they did not need to do much during the match except stay out of the way of the main offensive robot. Another game similar to 2005, where all of the robots on an alliance need to work together and score in order to win would be nice again.

As for a game concept, I think a game similar to one of the ones in the middle of the 1990s would be fun. Many of them had a big structure in the middle of the field, which could keep the audience looking at one area instead of constantly having to scan back and forth from one end of the field to the other.

[Jeff Waegelin]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

As for a game concept, I think a game similar to one of the ones in the middle of the 1990s would be fun. Many of them had a big structure in the middle of the field, which could keep the audience looking at one area instead of constantly having to scan back and forth from one end of the field to the other.

Yes! Bring back the structures! We've had two years of open-field (well, if you don't count the tetra goals) games... I think it's time we had one with a big field structure again.

[Jherbie53]

Originally Posted by Bill Moore

How about a "hoverpuck", which becomes active for the final 30 seconds of the match. The robots could not grasp or push it, but could only hit it with a flat bumper/plate on the side of the robot. Something that will have the robots applying vectors and aiming ricochets toward a goal. (Maybe have a big "Easy" button on the bumper/plate that disables the robot for 5 seconds after it applies a force to the object.)

What about a giant game of air hockey. The surface would be hard to get traction on and there would be a lot of action. If the field were designed just right, you could have multiple alliances with goals for each one. You could also have the big "hoverpuck' for bonus points. The down side is trying to have enough "air" moving on the field, and the noise might get a little loud from whatever's powering the "air."

[mjbrauck]

Originally Posted by Jherbie53

What about a giant game of air hockey. The surface would be hard to get traction on and there would be a lot of action. If the field were designed just right, you could have multiple alliances with goals for each one. You could also have the big "hoverpuck' for bonus points. The down side is trying to have enough "air" moving on the field, and the noise might get a little loud from whatever's powering the "air."

It would most likely be to expansive for FIRST to make a huge air hockey table and to hard to transport from place to place. Not to mention a team version of something like that. But it would be awesome if they could make it work.

[mjbrauck]

How about the ramp/platform you need to be on at the end of a match is on some kinda wheels, and you can push it around during the match. Maybe even try to use it to block a goal or just push it to the other side so you don't have so far to go at the end.

[=Martin=Taylor=]

Originally Posted by Jherbie53

The down side is trying to have enough "air" moving on the field, and the noise might get a little loud from whatever's powering the "air."

Realize that the field itself doesn't have to supply the air power. The puck could have a motor/fan in it that allows it to float.

I believe there is a toy like this. It is however slightly on the small side for FRC. (I picture a giant puck!)

The carpet would have to go, and something would have to be put in its place to protect the playing surface.

All the same, using a floating puck would result in some awesome trajectories!

[Donut]

I think game pieces without a guranteed or changable shape would be interesting to use. Like large bean bags! Imagine teams testing out an arm to pick up a bean bag, only to have it squish different directions and fall out. It would be quite a challenge to use.

And as a spinoff of the game I've suggested and the 2001 teeter-totter, I want to see a large teeter-totter appear as the "center piece" everyone scrambles for at the end. One teeter-totter in the center of the field, with or without goals attached to it, and robots are allowed to climb on it. A bonus is awarded to the alliance which tips the thing in their direction. I could just see 6 robots clambering all over a large moving piece of metal and it swinging back and forth and probably knocking a few robots over.

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Hachiban VIII

Realize that the field itself doesn't have to supply the air power. The puck could have a motor/fan in it that allows it to float.

I believe there is a toy like this. It is however slightly on the small side for FRC. (I picture a giant puck!)

The carpet would have to go, and something would have to be put in its place to protect the playing surface.

All the same, using a floating puck would result in some awesome trajectories!

Oh, do you mean one of these?


It can float over just about any surface, and could even work with the currented carpeted floor.

[mjbrauck]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Oh, do you mean one of these?


It can float over just about any surface, and could even work with the currented carpeted floor.

do you know the company or product website for those? What do they run on, and how long can it run without recharging? Would it be possible to use something like that without having to replace batteries between ever match?

oh and can it float over water??? not sure why it would need to but there seems to be alot of talk about water in the 07 game.

[Koko Ed]

For my game idea "Bumble Rumble" I thought of using Bumble Balls

that have to be scooped up and placed into robotic goals driven by the human players on the opposing alliance trying to evade the robots not only from scoring in them but from being captured and dragged back to the alliance zone for bonus points at the end of the match.

[Jherbie53]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

For my game idea "Bumble Rumble" I thought of using Bumble Balls
that have to be scooped up and placed into robotic goals driven by the human players on the opposing alliance trying to evade the robots not only from scoring in them but from being captured and dragged back to the alliance zone for bonus points at the end of the match.

What if your robot had to hold the goal in the air for more points? This would create a very hard problem, trying to keep your balance with a goal thats shaking. It doesn't have to be very high in the air, maybe 4-5 Ft. It would be weird and cool watching robots going after the "Bumble Rumbles" on the field.