anyone have any ideas about next years game?

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by kenavt

I just can't imagine them being able to realistically translate the oil spill to a FRC field.

I think they already have. Maize Craze.

A field covered in ball bearings/marbles/corn kernels would absolutely be analogous to oil. Unfortunately, if there were a corn game now, the teams would go crazy(ier?) trying to find the absolute correct hybrid the GDC used.

[Siri]

Originally Posted by Taylor

I think they already have. Maize Craze.

A field covered in ball bearings/marbles/corn kernels would absolutely be analogous to oil. Unfortunately, if there were a corn game now, the teams would go crazy(ier?) trying to find the absolute correct hybrid the GDC used.

I think the bigger craze-inducing factor would be finding enough of it to cover the current field, since the Maize Craze tabletop was more than 5.5 times smaller.

[PAR_WIG1350]

The game should be such that the robots can more freely expand, the bumper rules have become very rigid. I hope they allow a little more freedom with whatever new game they come up with.

[zachmartin1806]

Looking around i saw something that said 2011 is the 2,500th anniversary of the first ever marathon, and MIT's 150th anniversary. Could anything be pulled from this?

[EricH]

5-minute matches, and the maximum size limit goes to one smoot in any direction. (Starting size remains unchanged.)

Oh, and the game will be a measuring race; the alliance to measure the farthest wins. Tape measures are specifically disallowed, however (until reallowed when implemented by a team that didn't read the rules at a Week 1 event).

[SteveGPage]

Since this is the first year in St. Louis, how about a game with arches and bridges. FTC hints indicate that is what this year's FTC game will be. I could see a game where we have to climb ramps, maybe elevate team members again, cross gaps, etc... Make it a 3D game, so not a level 2D field, but multiple levels.

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by SteveGPage

Make it a 3D game, so not a level 2D field, but multiple levels.

The issue with a 3D game is the visual aspect of things. In Lunacy, it was so hard to see what was going on over tall robots and trailers, and this year, there were large blind spots behind the bumps.

So you really have to wonder how much 3D there can be before drivers can't see what they're doing/the game play degrades.

- Sunny

[SteveGPage]

Originally Posted by ttldomination

The issue with a 3D game is the visual aspect of things. In Lunacy, it was so hard to see what was going on over tall robots and trailers, and this year, there were large blind spots behind the bumps.

So you really have to wonder how much 3D there can be before drivers can't see what they're doing/the game play degrades.

- Sunny

Good point. I think a couple of bridges and/or ramps, however, could still be used, much like the bumps and towers were used as field obstacles last season.

[demosthenes2k8]

It might also make for strategic use of the cameras

[PAR_WIG1350]

Originally Posted by demosthenes2k8

It might also make for strategic use of the cameras

But then it becomes harder for the rookie teams to play

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by PAR_WIG1350

But then it becomes harder for the rookie teams to play

This applies to literally any aspect of the game challenge.

[PAR_WIG1350]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This applies to literally any aspect of the game challenge.

Harder is the key word, it is already hard enough for rookie teams without forcing them to incorporate live feed from the camera or image processing.