[Official 2007 Game Design] Game Elements and Subtasks

[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.

[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.

[Lil' Lavery]

How about having big street hockey pucks instead of air hockey. Pucks are fun to manipulate, and you could give bonuses for having them stacked at the end of the game or scoring stacked pucks (makes for some cool manipulators).
One thing I loved this year is the wide-open field. I enjoyed the lack of bottlenecks at the middle of the field. I'm not against large field elements, but I like them where they don't impede travel too much (like the ramps this year). I wouldn't mind something like the see-saw in 2001, because a short robot could go around it easily. Speed bumps or something in the middle would be fine too. The thing I didn't like about 2004 is that a strong robot could often trap a robot that wasn't meant to go on the ramp on the other side of the field, eliminating them for most of the match from scoring. You could also stop people under the bar as well. Instead of allowing you to move around and escape the defense, it just gave them other places to bottleneck you.
I <3 Real time scoring. It made the strategy so much more intense because every point you scored, they could score right back on you. So this year, more than any other, it mattered alot WHEN you scored, not just THAT you scored. It also allowed for great late game come-backs and finishes without involving any sort of "king of the hill" points (which I do like though). Real-time also made the game more audience-friendly and sports-like, which tends to be better for publicity and generating excitement. I even remembering hearing a spectator sitting behind me saying during the VCU finals "this is better than the basketball here!" (or something along those lines).

[=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.

[Billfred]

Just as a thought, what about some sort of tricky-to-score-in goal?

Consider the field in Dave's infamous curling teaser:

http://www.team116.org/Images/CurlingBots.jpg

Now add a bar that scoring objects can go under (but robots can't) just before the banked curves, and delete the middle row, putting some sort of goal basket in its place. Robots get a small amount of points for getting it past the bar, but the big points are earned by getting the objects around the bend and into the goal.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by Billfred

Just as a thought, what about some sort of tricky-to-score-in goal?

Consider the field in Dave's infamous curling teaser:

http://www.team116.org/Images/CurlingBots.jpg

Now add a bar that scoring objects can go under (but robots can't) just before the banked curves, and delete the middle row, putting some sort of goal basket in its place. Robots get a small amount of points for getting it past the bar, but the big points are earned by getting the objects around the bend and into the goal.

I like it! Put the whole arrangement out in the open so the audience sees both sides, and robots are far from humans while they go after it.

The last thing any of us wants is another easy-to-get-DQed-in goal.

[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.

[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.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Jherbie53

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.

I think it would be hard enough chasing down the Bumble balls and catching the robotic "chicken" goals. Picking them up might be asking a little too much.