FRC 2011: Logomotion [Initial Impressions]

[216Robochick288]

We need to make sure the drivers can see through or around the tubes! I think it was a bad idea to have the game pieces blocking the drivers views, as well as being slightly dangerous! Not so sure about this year, doesn't sound as fun as Breakaway or Lunacy.... -.-

Just my $.02, maybe I'm wrong...

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by 216Robochick288

We need to make sure the drivers can see through or around the tubes! I think it was a bad idea to have the game pieces blocking the drivers views, as well as being slightly dangerous!

Perhaps that's why there's so many vision targets and tracking lines on the field?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Perhaps that's why there's so many vision targets and tracking lines on the field?

Maybe teams could use a camera from previous years to assist with seeing what they're doing on the field.

[Radical Pi]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Maybe teams could use a camera from previous years to assist with seeing what they're doing on the field.

The first thing my team asked me relating to the control system was whether it would be possible to devote an entire screen to the camera feed. Sounds like the camera will be a major tool this year

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Perhaps that's why there's so many vision targets and tracking lines on the field?

My thought as well. They're forcing us to use the camera this year, for the most part (and no complaining about how it's unfair: if the younger FLL kids can track lines easily, so can you).

[Dustin Shadbolt]

Originally Posted by kws4000

One thing the manual does not say is how high the scoring rods are above the ground. I got the "middle being 8" above the others", but the avg height? That info would be good for an automatically adjusting height-based lifter.

agreed

[Steve-Man]

Well, this event certainly seems to have a bit more challange then Breakaway; and as for the camera discussion you could always start with the top row, then go to the bottom row, and then finish with the middle row.

But yeah, overall this should prove to be fun. Minibots made me immediately think of Transformers which automatically makes them great in my book...but from a design perspective they could prove to be more than a little annoying to work with.

[synth3tk]

Can I just make a statement?

Please don't compare this game to previous games, or claim how "lame" it IS, especially without having played it yet. If you think it sounds boring, that's OK. But even at that, every year, groups of people cry "OMG THIS GAME WILL BE SO BORE! DO NOT WANT!" immediately after Kick-Off. Just chill out. If you're tired, or lacking sleep, please, go get some.

[GCentola]

Originally Posted by Steve-Man

and as for the camera discussion you could always start with the top row, then go to the bottom row, and then finish with the middle row.

Yeah, I think some of it can be solved with the camera, and part of it with strategy. It depends on how you fill the pegs.

Also, as far as how i feel about the game: 2007 but with a different location for the pegs. I think it will be a challenge, and the mini bots seem critical to success, but im not a huge fan of the game. I hope it grows on me though, it just doesnt seem like theres much variety in design or strategy. Hust my intitial thoughts though, which will probably change.

[GCentola]

Actually, when i first saw the towers, and the tubes, I thought we were going to have to stack them....but I was wrong. Later in the animation, there was a collective noise that cant really described, it was kind of a groan, part surprise, part ...ohhh crap..., when we found out about the deployable mini bots

[ICntIHaveRbtics]

Originally Posted by pacoliketaco

anyone else saying thank you that team 25 was featured in the 2007 behind the design book? i sure know thats what i first thought of when i saw this. I dont see much reason to do anything but that, have a lift on the front and the minibot deployment on the back.

I thought the same thing about how the whole taking and placing the tubes was quite similar to 2007. I immediately started to think about how my hometown team's robot from that year could be easily re-made to adapt to this challenge. But while the tubes feel like deja vu, I love the minibots because I never have seen or would have thought of introducing a game aspect like that.

I can just imagine little kids watching the game for the first time and their eyes going wide when towards the end of the match the minibots deploy... "Woahhh!" Wouldn't be surprised if it causes an increase in Jr./FLL students next year!

[Cyberphil]

Initial impression of the game: Awesome, fast paced, intense game. After reading the manual and finding out that defense is futile in qualification matches I was even more excited!

We were trying to figure out what is optimal, so our programmer created a score calculator for the 2011 game. You can find it here:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...threadid=88417

[Alex Cormier]

Horrible move on FIRST part that teams are close to required to purchase and acquire FTC parts to have a good shot at winning matches...

The programs should never mix and match again.

[indubitably]

I feel they have taken indescision out of the question, "Should we have an endgame?"

The fact that finishing 1st during endgame (30 pts) is worth almost as many points as 2 rows of FIRST logos on the top row (36 pts) and more than 2 rows of FIRST logos on the middle row (24 pts) is rediculous. That is easily enough to shift the momentum of any game.

[SashaKuznetsov]

I really like the game this year, I didn't like last year's game, but that's probably cause I'm not a sports person.

I really like hearing that coopertition has reverted because remembering all those teams who would score for their opponents is rather painful. Not because they did it, but because they had to.

I also like how this game is looking on the whole, not a defense game, front. I mean, if you're not scoring for your team, you're doing something wrong. But I do like the fact that if, say, your mechanism for scoring breaks, you're not useless like previous years, you can just go throw yourself at the enemy team.

I personally like the Analyst because that's basically the job I've been looking for for a while. I'm the drive team captain, but I've never actually liked driving, and we have a mentor for coach, so I've never actually been on the drive team, I just trained them and worked over-all strategy before matches and managed scouting data. Now I can actually have a position on the field.

Over-all, I think we have a good game this year, my senior year, and I'm looking forward to every second of the next six weeks, especially.

Good luck everyone and Logomotion!