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Unread 07-05-2009, 15:56
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Re: Next Year's Game?

I love this thread. You never know which direction its going next. The reason I started this thread so soon after Atlanta is that:
1. I enjoy seeing all of the ideas and, although some may be worn, some are fresh and I do love those.
2. I decided that the quicker I started it, the more avid the response would be because even though some want to get away from the fast pace for a while, others are even more enthused at this time.
3. Its never too early to start dreaming.

Keep the ideas flowing. You never know, someone on the GDC may be watching!
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Unread 07-05-2009, 16:32
Andrew Schreiber Andrew Schreiber is offline
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fe_Will View Post
  • No more kitbots (If your robot came from a box and assembly was measured in hours maybe FTC or VRC is for you.)
  • Additional weight to compensate for the new control system
I agree with everything other than these two points, the kitbot allows you to at least meet the bare minimum requirement for competition. All teams HAVE to move in order to compete. Remember, the competitions is the means to an end. While I agree with the thought that some FRC teams would be better off competing in FTC and VRC I have come to accept that the vision of FIRST is that all students have access to this program.


The low weight limit is to force us into creative thinking. Though, I was a fan of 2007 with the multiple weight classes. Perhaps make weight a function of initial volume.

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Originally Posted by Robert Cawthon View Post
Keep the ideas flowing. You never know, someone on the GDC may be watching!
Actually, yeah we do, see that nice box down at the bottom that tells us who is reading here? (Yes Im just giving you a hard time)
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Unread 07-05-2009, 16:43
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Re: Next Year's Game?

an ovoid game piece.


they would be hard to throw and pick up. maybe nerf footballs. this would really make for some interesting shooting mechanisms and/or a lot of dumpers.

also another good game piece would be something akin to a cube (no square game piece since '03)
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Unread 10-05-2009, 14:54
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fe_Will View Post
Personally, I think that any game challenge that provides students with an opportunity to learn and demonstrate problem solving skills on multiple levels is more important than selecting a single issue to focus on. Not to down play the auto industry but there are other sectors of the economy that are hit just as hard or harder. I'd prefer if the FIRST Robotics Competition stuck with helping people recognize that science, math, engineering and technology are viable options and inspiring them to follow those pursuits.

Game Suggestions:
  • 1.A fun, fast paced game
  • 2.A meaningful autonomous that has an impact on the outcome of the game (either by awarding points, triggering an event or both)
  • 3.At least 2 different types of surfaces for the robot to interact with besides the driving surface (different size/shape game pieces, goals, pull up bars, etc.)
  • 4.Multiple ways to earn points (to the degree that an average team would have to choose which way they would score)
  • 5.A dramatic end game event (pull up bar in '04/ ramps in '06... needs to be a "Are they going to make it?" feeling)

Robot Suggestions:
  • 6.No more kitbots (If your robot came from a box and assembly was measured in hours maybe FTC or VRC is for you.)
  • 7.No more bumpers (Bring back the days when winning the Motorola Quality Award meant something...)
  • 8.Unfolding robots
  • 9.Additional weight to compensate for the new control system
1. I think Lunacy was pretty fast paced, so was Overdrive. I hope they can do it again.
2. While I would like to see auton have an actual difference in the game's outcome, I didn't mind it this year. Maybe that's due to our ability to actually make a good auton program.
3. Yes! That would be awesome! I joined in 2007, I wish I could have played 2004 with the stairs and the pull-up bar.
4. I think that would be cool too. I liked the scoring in 2007 and 2008. Hope they come up with something like that again.
5. I liked the end game this year. Waiting for the supercells to be thrown in was really cool. Plus, if it missed, you had less than 15 seconds for the robot to pick it up and get it in a trailer.
6. NO! As a team who has used a kitbot for god knows how many years, I actually find this post offensive. While we generally use our own wheels and manipulator parts, we have always made a kit-chassis simply because we can't afford a custom one. However, I can always design something good from it, even though it might not be "original". Were they to take away the kit, that would really discriminate against the poorer teams and almost guarantee that only well funded, veteran teams win.
7. Again, I heartily disagree. Bumpers allow robots to run into each other without too much damage. It makes for a better game when they can ram each other without penalties of almost un-reparable damage. I feel that a lack of bumpers would again discriminate against poorer teams who can't afford to build something quite so robust.
8. That, however, would be awesome if we could do that again. I do think that this year's bots looked pretty cool; also, there was less chance of total robot destruction (he said from experience).
9. I kind of agree, but I also understand where they're coming from with the same weight limit. It makes us think outside the box, even though it might be difficult. This is FIRST, after all.

Quote:
Originally Posted by qwertyuiop[]\ View Post
an ovoid game piece.


they would be hard to throw and pick up. maybe nerf footballs. this would really make for some interesting shooting mechanisms and/or a lot of dumpers.

also another good game piece would be something akin to a cube (no square game piece since '03)
I would love a weird shaped game piece. It would make designs so much more innovative, instead of seeing the same basic thing over and over again.

Now as for me, all I really want is a game where good defense is a must. My team can build an awesome defensive bot, but rarely are we ever awarded for it. Even this year, when defense was key, we didn't get picked in Philly, even after proving our excellent defensive capabilities. Next year, I hope that the GDC offers more of a benefit for teams who want to make more defensive bots.
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Unread 10-05-2009, 18:17
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Re: Next Year's Game?

I think a Capture-The-Flag style game would be kind of neat, teams that played on the defensive could be rewarded just as much as the teams that played offense, plus it would make working together in an alliance that much more critical
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Unread 10-05-2009, 19:52
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Re: Next Year's Game?

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Originally Posted by Doctorwho View Post
I think a Capture-The-Flag style game would be kind of neat, teams that played on the defensive could be rewarded just as much as the teams that played offense, plus it would make working together in an alliance that much more critical
Ooh, that would be cool. I think it could offer some really intense gameplay as well. Also, it would be really easy to explain capture the flag style games to those outside of FIRST.
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Unread 10-05-2009, 20:49
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmittins View Post
Now as for me, all I really want is a game where good defense is a must. My team can build an awesome defensive bot, but rarely are we ever awarded for it. Even this year, when defense was key, we didn't get picked in Philly, even after proving our excellent defensive capabilities. Next year, I hope that the GDC offers more of a benefit for teams who want to make more defensive bots.
All I'm going to say to this is, defense wasn't necessarily key this year; it was the combination of offense and defense. Also, as soon as the GDC makes a highly defensive game, the offensive specialists will start complaining about "brickbots" damaging them and winning just by driving around. (Or you get the team that thinks this is Battlebots--but a few penalties will often keep them in line.)

You have to have a balance of offense and defense, or the game is going to be really annoying to a lot of people. See 2001's 4v0 game or 2003's king-of-the-hill game. (Granted, 2003 wasn't all defense, but a defensive robot could sure beat an offensive robot with great ease!)
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Unread 10-05-2009, 21:34
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Whatever the game is I think it should be easily engaging for the person who hasn't seen a FRC game before, For example, Aim High, Rack and Roll, and Overdrive all were action-packed and entertaining to watch. Lunacy was in my opinion, a bit dull compared to previous challenges, in Overdrive the audience could easily tell when an alliance scored and who had won at the end. The outcome of a Lunacy match doesn't have that same effect.
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Unread 10-05-2009, 22:07
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH View Post
All I'm going to say to this is, defense wasn't necessarily key this year; it was the combination of offense and defense. Also, as soon as the GDC makes a highly defensive game, the offensive specialists will start complaining about "brickbots" damaging them and winning just by driving around. (Or you get the team that thinks this is Battlebots--but a few penalties will often keep them in line.)

You have to have a balance of offense and defense, or the game is going to be really annoying to a lot of people. See 2001's 4v0 game or 2003's king-of-the-hill game. (Granted, 2003 wasn't all defense, but a defensive robot could sure beat an offensive robot with great ease!)
Well, of course defense shouldn't be the only factor in a game, but I really think it should be important. Some teams just don't realize that the ability to take a robot out for the entirety of a match is important, which I think is silly.

What exactly do you mean when you say this year defense wasn't key? I think it was the most important this year than is has been in the past three. When 423 started playing defense in Philly, we won all of our matches hands-down.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctorwho View Post
Whatever the game is I think it should be easily engaging for the person who hasn't seen a FRC game before, For example, Aim High, Rack and Roll, and Overdrive all were action-packed and entertaining to watch. Lunacy was in my opinion, a bit dull compared to previous challenges, in Overdrive the audience could easily tell when an alliance scored and who had won at the end. The outcome of a Lunacy match doesn't have that same effect.
I really liked Lunacy, since watching the mega-dumps was really fun. I don't understand what people mean when they say that it was hard to explain the game this year; have more balls in your opponents' trailers than yours at the end of the game; also, green balls are worth more than the purple ones. Also, how was it easier to tell who had won an Overdrive match versus who had won a Lunacy match? Sure, you could keep count better in Overdrive, but you could easily see the score for yourself on the field in Lunacy.
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Unread 10-05-2009, 22:49
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmittins View Post
Well, of course defense shouldn't be the only factor in a game, but I really think it should be important. Some teams just don't realize that the ability to take a robot out for the entirety of a match is important, which I think is silly.

What exactly do you mean when you say this year defense wasn't key? I think it was the most important this year than is has been in the past three. When 423 started playing defense in Philly, we won all of our matches hands-down.
Simple, really. You HAD to score to win. Even playing defense, you had to score to win. Scoring is offense, at least in this game. (It isn't always; 2005 is a prime example of defensive scoring...) So if you're playing defense most of the time, you have to be a) pinning, b) hoarding, c) harassing, or d) blocking most of the time, not scoring or loading, which the offensive robots did a lot. This takes you away from scoring-type things and may make you an easier target, depending on conditions.

Or, as an example of how defense doesn't win matches, 330. They played defense most of the time in many of their matches. But, they spent automode loading up, and gulped down any ball they happened to drive over. Once or twice a match, they stopped playing defense (or delayed starting) and SCORED. Scoring is offensive, remember?

Defense was also important in 2007. Keeping opponents from scoring, blocking them from doing the same to you, that's defense. Lots of it happened in 2007.

And, one final note: When a great offensive machine meets a defender, the defender merely slows the pace of the offensive machine. It cannot stop the offense, unless it is a truly great defender. There are still a few offensive machines that WILL BEAT A DEFENDER. Lots of teams played defense against 330 in 2007. Lots of teams also lost to said team, even 3 vs 1 against 330. Same with 1114 in 2007. Same with 67 this year. Same with 25 in 2006. The thing that most scares me is an offensive machine those drivers know when to play defense.
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Unread 11-05-2009, 10:18
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Re: Next Year's Game?

I'd like to see the return of the Robocoach function, for instance you could receive bonus points during teleoperated mode for having the robot perform functions by itself, like picking up a game piece or scoring could count for 1-2 points extra.
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Unread 12-05-2009, 13:44
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctorwho View Post
I'd like to see the return of the Robocoach function, for instance you could receive bonus points during teleoperated mode for having the robot perform functions by itself, like picking up a game piece or scoring could count for 1-2 points extra.
we tried to have our robot do that in Lunacy, with function of the camera, to drive up to an opponent's trailer when it was locked on. the one problem from that problem was when we were told that we could not receive data from the robot. so that function was never used.
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Unread 12-05-2009, 14:52
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Re: Next Year's Game?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmittins View Post
Now as for me, all I really want is a game where good defense is a must. My team can build an awesome defensive bot, but rarely are we ever awarded for it. Even this year, when defense was key, we didn't get picked in Philly, even after proving our excellent defensive capabilities. Next year, I hope that the GDC offers more of a benefit for teams who want to make more defensive bots.
I think that this years' game proved to be one of the most defensively-minded yet! Many games have offered the decision between scoring points vs. preventing the opponent from scoring. Every ball you prevent your opponent from scoring in Lunacy is exactly worth the value of one ball scored yourself (as was the case in 2008, 2006, and others...the nonlinear scoring in 2005 and 2007 made this a bit more complicated).

But this was the first game where defense ALSO contributed to scoring in a pretty direct way. Pinning an opponent to the corner not only prevented him from gathering and scoring balls, it also made for an easy scoring opportunity for human players and friendly robots. (Granted the pinning robot was therefore also a target, but a good defensive bot could make sure the pin was happening in a favorable spot on the field)

At the regional (and even Nationals) level scouting can be hit or miss, so sometimes the non-"flashy" machines are unfortunately overlooked. It's happened to us before, too. And many folks tend to think of defense as something that "anyone" can do, so they pick somebody who is above average offensively and try to force-fit them to that role. But that is simply not true, and I have many friends with medals who can tell them otherwise.
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Unread 12-05-2009, 15:10
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Re: Next Year's Game?

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Originally Posted by Jared341 View Post
And many folks tend to think of defense as something that "anyone" can do, so they pick somebody who is above average offensively and try to force-fit them to that role. But that is simply not true, and I have many friends with medals who can tell them otherwise.
Our rookie year it came home to haunt us. We were the third seeded team at Denver and could choose our alliance. Unfortunately, we chose bots that were similar to ours. Any veteran team will tell you the key to winning is to select a complimentary team. This will usually include one bot that is good at defense (Though not necessarily a bot designed entirely for defense) and two good offensive bots.
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Unread 12-05-2009, 22:56
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Re: Next Year's Game?

I was wondering, if there is a mass amount of robotics teams in the near future, will alliances in future games be four robots instead of three? It was just a thought.

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