Orbit balls breaking

[Joe J.]

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

Possibly FIRST has them already?

I would have to agree I don't see them running a game with out already having their stockpile of game pieces built up.

[McGurky]

possibility that blip discontinued them to keep up with the demand from FIRST?

[legotech25]

Originally Posted by Joe J.

I would have to agree I don't see them running a game with out already having their stockpile of game pieces built up.

Unfortunately, I could see them doing it.

My theory is that FIRST needed so many of these things that they just bought Blip outright.

[JohnBoucher]

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

Makes you wonder how much storage 200+ Orbit balls will take up for one competition and the field travels to multiple, so there has to be about 800+ in the crates for week 1. wow.

Only 200 for a regional? 60 on the field at a time. I bet they need more than 200 to supply a regional.

[LoganAdams]

120 on the field at a time

[cbudrecki]

Originally Posted by LoganAdams

120 on the field at a time

actually 136 would be used each match: 120 moon rocks, 8 empty cells, and 8 super cells. Only 128 would be on the field at any given time, but there are 136 in use per match

[colin340]

from the TBA pictures if one of these break it could be quite mean to your skin
well atleast for a toy

first should ask them to change the glue for there products that are being sold right to FIRST

[Bryan Herbst]

Most of our team thought they were rubber upon first seeing them in the animation. That probably would have been better.

Sadly, yes, we have broken ours. Of course, we can't really blame it on anyone, as it was broken when some members of the team were playing soccer with it.

It actually still retains its shape with two bars broken. Although not nearly as nice, it is still mostly usable.

[Akash Rastogi]

Curious to find out if FIRST got a deal with the company after they discontinued this product. May explain the 10$ price at the stores yet FIRST having so many. The company may just want to get rid of them. Discontinuation could be explained by the lack of robust production.

Even still....10 bucks per orbit ball....that's pretty nuts

[Thermal]

Yeah really, I miss those cheapo poofballs...

Then again we have like 30 of them lying around...

[JamesByrne]

When we got to walmart to buy them there were quite a few broken in the store. But most of them did not have boxes or price tags either. I was thinking they were probably returns. That just got thrown back out on the shelf. I agree I think we will be going through alot of game pieces this year.

Them being so hard to find is a typical problem with FIRST teams though. Unless the manufacturer is ready for the rush they will be out for a long time. I have heard that they are not making them anymore also. First most likely made the game before the manufacture stoped production.

But to be honest there is alot of first teams. it is hard for a manufacture to figure out hos much to make of an item. Because I do not think that other people really understand the quanitity that is needed.

[sanddrag]

All 3 balls we played with today broke in more ways than one. These things don't stand a chance.

[professorX]

Just a quick question; Are there going to be a total of 136 orbit balls in one round?

[taylort]

Originally Posted by professorX

Just a quick question; Are there going to be a total of 136 orbit balls in one round?

Total for the entire match, you're going to have a maximum of 136, yes, though not all 136 will be in play at one time.

Each team has 20 moon rocks total for the match (rule<G11>), so that's 6x20 moon rocks for a total of 120 moon rocks.

Furthermore, there are (a maximum of, providing there is no restriction due to previous matches) 4 empty cells in each outpost. 4 empty cells * 2 outposts, that's 128 empty cells. (rule <g12>)

Each of these empty cells can be exchanged for a super cell (2 located in each fueling station, rule <g13>), for a total maximum of 136 orbit balls.

[professorX]

Originally Posted by taylort

Total for the entire match, you're going to have a maximum of 136, yes, though not all 136 will be in play at one time.

Each team has 20 moon rocks total for the match (rule<G11>), so that's 6x20 moon rocks for a total of 120 moon rocks.

Furthermore, there are (a maximum of, providing there is no restriction due to previous matches) 4 empty cells in each outpost. 4 empty cells * 2 outposts, that's 128 empty cells. (rule <g12>)

Each of these empty cells can be exchanged for a super cell (2 located in each fueling station, rule <g13>), for a total maximum of 136 orbit balls.

I forgot but don't all the robots start with 7 moon rocks also?

So I think the total is 178.

136+(7*6)=178