FRC Kickoff

[NickE]

1. I try not to start guessing until after the school semester is over. Its not very good for my grades.
2. After our delegates return from the local kickoff, we host a whole-team brainstorming session in the theater at our school with all team members and many parents working together to come up with potential robot concepts and strategies. After this is over, many members will go to our lab at NASA and start work on constructing field elements and designing/prototyping robot ideas.

[EricH]

1) Search the forum for "game hint". "Game" may work also.
2) Go to the local kickoff, then read the rules and start figuring out how the game will be played using materials on hand and an open area. Proceed to strategy and the build season.

[JackG]

1. The game this year is a water game. Dave just won't admit it.*
2. To start the kickoff, we normally eat donuts and while our computer guys complain about technical difficulties getting the webcast working. All while yawning and wishing we didn't have to get up so early on a Saturday.*

*(Answer quality may reflect original question quality.)

[Phoenix Spud]

The way my old team (2342) did it was we would all watch the webcast except for 2 of our team members--who would go to kick-off in Manchester. Once they got back one person would upload all the photos onto CD or our website. We would then start our three-day brainstorming process based on that of MOE. I can highly recommend it. Both years we were able to have our robot design by Monday night. If you want the Power Point presentation that we based it on, you should go to Team Phoenix's website and contact them.

Hope that helps!

[Al Skierkiewicz]

1. I stopped trying to guess years ago even though I sometimes finding myself trying to guess at the hints.
2. We take a short break after NASA signs off and then we start to brainstorm. Take a lunch break where we brainstorm, then we brainstorm some more. Then we break into small groups to brainstorm and then we get back into the big group to talk about the brainstorming we did in little groups. We repeat these steps for several days while building parts of the field to help us brainstorm. Then we play the game with students robot substitutes and we brainstorm some more. We do this until we have convinced ourselves what it will take to play the game, what the drive system should be and what the robot will need to do and how. We then brainstorm about what other teams might do and what strategy will be needed. Then every once in a while we will fall back to brainstorming while we design, build and practice.

[Tetraman]

1 - I already know the game. I got it though countless hours and study of the ancient FIRST texts and prophesies.
2 - I go to the RIT game reveal with whatever team will let me assimulate myself in them.

[flyingcrayons]

Originally Posted by Phoenix Spud

The way my old team (2342) did it was we would all watch the webcast except for 2 of our team members--who would go to kick-off in Manchester. Once they got back one person would upload all the photos onto CD or our website. We would then start our three-day brainstorming process based on that of MOE. I can highly recommend it. Both years we were able to have our robot design by Monday night. If you want the Power Point presentation that we based it on, you should go to Team Phoenix's website and contact them.

Hope that helps!

I hope you dont send 2 members of your current team to NH and wait for them! lol

and....

1. I will let you know on January 9th, 2009.
2. we come back to the school, go through the rules, and have a little brainstorming session at our school.

[demosthenes2k8]

Hmm...recycling?
Crap, we named THIS year's robot "Recyclable". Now we're going to have to be creative!

1. Hovercraft game.
With autonomous only.
2. We watch the cast, then go back to the robolair and plot.

Game manual? Not a bad idea...when does it get released? (Not the password, the actual manual)

[EricH]

Originally Posted by demosthenes2k8

Game manual? Not a bad idea...when does it get released? (Not the password, the actual manual)

The first three sections are available now. Section 4 should be coming soon, with the encrypted sections coming out a couple of days before Kickoff. Password released at Kickoff, with the non-encrypted versions later that day.

[delsaner]

1) I hazarding a guess that its going to be a game. I'M NOT SURE, but that's what I think.

2) When we get home from Kickoff, we watch the game video some 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 33 times. We then ask question to each other to help understand the game more. After a we watch a few times, we go into a larger space and we set up the game and we play the game, where students are actually the robots so they get a hands-on experience and interpretation of what the best method of scoring is. Then begins build-season.

[ttldomination]

Last year, we went to the Georgia Institute of Technology for the local kick-off. From there, we pick up our stuff, read the rules in the car on iphones, and make a bee line back to the school.

This year, the county school board is taking a greater interest in robotics. Along with doubling their current donations, they would like the teams in the area to get together and host a local kick-off. We will still have roughly 3 representatives present at GA Tech to pick up the parts.

- Sunny

[chris 545]

1. Not even worth guessing without hint.
2. The small section of our team willing to get up early will go to the local kickoff. On monday, we all start yelling ideas and rough concepts for 10 minutes, then watch the video several times for anyone who hasn't seen it, then go back to blurting out ideas.

[Suspect_Deezy]

1.) The game was brought to me in a dream,... so i just ran with it,. lol

2.) countless hours of brainstorming and vicious prototyping

[maltz1881]

Our team goes to Kettering to watch the feed. We usually get a room their and brainstorm, take measurements and eat pizza. We then usually go either home or back to my house to go at it again. We have everybody keep a small journal of thoughts that pop into their heads until Monday.

Things are going to be a little different this year. I graduate that day. So who knows what we will do.

As far as the game goes, not even going to try and guess because every year i am way off

[Phoenix Spud]

Originally Posted by flyingcrayons

I hope you dont send 2 members of your current team to NH and wait for them! lol

Yeah, that would take awhile. (about 24 hours ) I think we will just use CD to get some pictures.