[Official 2008 Game Design] Game Elements and Subtasks

[SteveJanesch]

I had a general idea for a game piece which requires two or more 'bots working cooperatively to score it. I was originally thinking of something like a long bar that had to be lifted or pushed to have its ends supported by two narrow platforms or posts or something. The bar would be structured and the size of the 'bot restricted that it would be nearly impossible for a single team to score the piece. (I'm thinking as I type here, so forgive me as I bounce around.) Maybe something like a sealed length of PVC pipe with weighted balls inside, so the center of gravity changes wildly as you handle it - if you grab one end and lift it, the balls roll away from you. Limiting the width of the gripper/mechanism on the robots could ensure that you'd need a 'bot at each end to manipulate the thing.

After reading the other posts here, it struck me that another possibility is that a bar (no longer loaded with weights, necessarily) could be assembled first and then placed in scoring position, with scores increasing with the length of the bar - maybe up to four or five segments - and/or the height of placement.

Another scenario is to use a flexible game piece, like a rope or hose, having to be supported in multiple places (got this idea from the post with light ropes). This could be multiple robots or a single one doing a segment at a time. Points could be scored for number of places suspended, height, or floor area enclosed; penalties for interfering with the opponents rope. That'd benefit a short 'bot which could still travel beneath the ropes.

- Steve