[FTC]: 2009/2010 FTC game design

[dooey100]

I know this should probably wait until after world championships, but on the FTC blog Ken said that they are already brainstorming for next years game, so if we want our ideas considered we should post them now!


Personally I would like to see a random distribution of scoring pieces, I think that would make especially the autonomous very interesting. This could be accomplished but putting them in a box above the field and dropping them all at once, or something like that.

I liked the idea of the bonus balls from bridge battle! Something like that should make a comeback.

It seems like all the games are some variant of "Lift object and put it on/in/over goal" so I think a change from that would be neat. I was thinking of having a large goal (4 foot radius) and a piece earns more points for how close to the center it is. Obviously that would take up a lot of space, so it could be 1/4 of a circle in the corner.

[ttldomination]

1. I would like to see a uniform scoring piece, like FRC. Basically we don't have to hunt down playing pieces, but they're the same for everyone.

2. Honestly, I don't feel like there's any other way to handle pieces. They need to be lifted, or brought down, There's really no other way.

3. One interest game variation I would like is that the field is actually 2 small fields, but there is a bridge between the two fields. The bridge and the bridge mouth can be like a "no clog" zone and can be a penalty to ensure that robots get across, but the pieces are scattered around, but you can to put them in other side of the field.

Idk. We never really guess it.

This year, the platform was not a HUGE part, and the terrain didn't TOTALLY change the game, but I would like to see something different going on.

But I would LOVE to see more parts for the FTC kit as well.

[basicxman]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

and the terrain didn't TOTALLY change the game, but I would like to see something different going on.

.

I was shocked at this, it was so easy to go over or around it. My bot was geared 3:1 for speed, made it across no problemo

[gblake]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

2. Honestly, I don't feel like there's any other way to handle pieces. They need to be lifted, or brought down, There's really no other way.

How about Twisting/Rotating, Assembling/Stacking, Aligning/Placing accurately, Shooting, Storing, Measuring (Mass/Density, Color, Shape/Size, Brightness), Bending, etc; or doing any two of these things at once.

[dooey100]

Originally Posted by basicxman

I was shocked at this, it was so easy to go over or around it. My bot was geared 3:1 for speed, made it across no problemo

We actually did have a problem getting across, using 4 small wheels (I think that was a mistake) and 1:1 ratio. But it was still laughably easy to just go around. If the terrain is done again, it should have some reward for using it (IE you need to go across it to get to the highest scoring goal/piece or to get to a bonus area)

[ttldomination]

Well, I meant that there's nothing you can do in a competition way. Honestly, I wouldn't be too excited if my robot had to bend pieces of metal on the field all while calculating the radius of a ring.

Shooting I believe falls in a similar aspect of lifting things...but idk. . It would be nice to see a ball game. I know that the 2007 game included balls, but FTC has expanded a lot since then, not to mention the new kit.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

Well, I meant that there's nothing you can do in a competition way. Honestly, I wouldn't be too excited if my robot had to bend pieces of metal on the field all while calculating the radius of a ring.

Shooting I believe falls in a similar aspect of lifting things...but idk. . It would be nice to see a ball game. I know that the 2007 game included balls, but FTC has expanded a lot since then, not to mention the new kit.

All of the motions I mentioned below can be done on a competition field.

Twisting/Rotating - Twist one part inside another to align holes and then stick a scoring object into the hole. Correlate the point value with the difficulty of the twist (torque required, number of things that must twisted to open up the scoring opportunity, knob/keyhole shape, scoring object shape/weight, distance from the bot(s) to the knob/keyhole and the scoring hole, etc.), or

Placing carefully - Dumping stuff into a small goal, or putting odd shapes into matching oddly shaped holes, or shooting/placing Velcro objects onto Velcro targets (Jim Koca's idea), or building a structure out of loosely-fitting pipes/rods and couplers, or putting balls into small/shallow depressions, or placing mirrors/lenses to get a spot of light onto a photocell, or

Bending - Bend a flexible hose/pipe to point it at a target, then drop a ball into the hose (mini-golf), or bend coat-hanger wire to make hooks and create a chain-of-hooks, or bend stiff wire into a hook and use the hook to lift up or pull down something, or straighten a bent item(s) to connect two points and thereby release scoring objects or enable some other scoring opportunity, or bend stiff wire into a shapes that must fall/fit into specifically shaped grooves, or

Measuring (Mass/Density, Color, Shape/Size, Brightness) - Find a special object (one that had a an extra 10% weight added to it) and put it in a special goal for bonus points. Pile up a variety of differently weighted objects on a scale to earn a bonus for coming closest to a certain weight (in addition to getting points for putting each thing on the scale) or for having the most weight, or use slightly differently-sized objects to reach a specific height, or

or ...

Don't give up. Instead, help me out here by coming up with some free-association thoughts of your own. If you are stuck/blocked then do something completely different for a while (play Monopoly, watch Animal Planet or the Food Network, cut the grass, etc.); and then force yourself to find a connection between that activity and this discussion.

Blake

[595294001]

It would be cool if you could sacrifice some of your own scoring pieces to challenge your opponents. e.g. if you had rods for scoring objects and a platform that slid up and down in front of each teams goal (or something), you could raise the platform and stick a rod underneath, to make moving over it harder for the opposition.

Or make a game where building small counted. e.g. have a pole you can go under to get to a bonus area, or shoot objects over a pole to score, and then have to go under it to retry them, if you couldn't it there might be a penalty.

Make a game where autonomous forced the robots to get in each others way, (this would make it much more exciting.)

As an aside, I think we should get CMU cams in the FTC kit.

[basicxman]

I'd like to start seeing unique games besides just picking up and dropping off an object from point A to point B. How about rock climbing or some sort of obstacle course?

[595294001]

Ya, an obstacle course would be really cool. Or maybe moving targets, like in lunacy.

[Lowfategg]

I think they should cover the field with corn.

I have always wanted to see a FTC game with more ramps in a game styled like the 2003 FRC game. I would be a prefect fit for the new platform in my mind.

[basicxman]

Originally Posted by Lowfategg

I think they should cover the field with corn.

I have always wanted to see a FTC game with more ramps in a game styled like the 2003 FRC game. I would be a prefect fit for the new platform in my mind.

If we do have an object grabbing game again, how about a game object larger than the robot (like the 2005 bonus game piece big ball) that rather than the top teams just gathering up a ton of small objects and unloading them for massive points, teams would have to think of unique ways to pick up the large object to score one at a time.

[595294001]

You could put enough large scoring objects, that it would be worthwhile for teams to try and grab 2 simultaneously, that would be cool!

[dooey100]

Originally Posted by basicxman

I'd like to start seeing unique games besides just picking up and dropping off an object from point A to point B. How about rock climbing or some sort of obstacle course?

I thought the bonus cube from VEX elevation was a good change from Pick up A, put it on B. Something similar (not exactly the same) would be pretty sweet.

Mabey have largeish flat discs, one side red and the other blue, and half start red up and half blue up, and then at the end of the match the team with the most of their color up would win. The discs could possibly be tapered at the edges to make for slightly easier gripping.

[ttldomination]

Going of the large scoring object, I'd like to see the game change to 3 robots an alliance, and in this game, robots would have to work together to carry an object. .

One one side, it promotes team work, on the other side, I guess a robot which can carry the object is paired with two other objects which cannot carry the object...I guess.

It'll be interesting none the less.