now if I would have to pick my favorite game, I would say 1999. That was my freshman year, and I wasnt very involved, but hanging from the bar was a sweet play mechanic which really added variety.
Out of the last two, 2003 definately takes it. My main gripe with 2002 was the fact that there could be a bot like 71. Nothing wrong with 71, mind you, they are geniuses for having dominated so totally. But the fact that one bot could dominate the main play mechanic was kind of boring and made the game one sided. This year, anyone can be beat by the correct alliance. I havent seen anyone with one dominating idea which is thouroughly unstoppable. We have variety, action, and a game which requires a new depth of strategy. I say bravo to FIRST for this years game.
Oh yeah,autonomous rocked.
Both games were good in my opinion. They both had strengths and weaknesses that added to the exictement of the games. If i was a viewer, i would have to like this years game better because it had more complications in it, such as the ramp and the wall. If I was a competitor (which I am), I like last years better because the creativity factor was so much higher. Last year was my rookie year and we had a bot that was made mostly out of wood, and one very large steel plate that dominated most of the matches. This years game was too much alliance weighted. A #1 team in QP matches could lose if they were with a bad alliance partner. Last year, out team almost beat the #3 and #6 seeds single handedly after their bot died. The factor that your bot didnt have to be great was a drag this year. I know that ours wasnt (we blew our transmission 4 of the 6 rounds we competed in) but at the end of day 1 we were #13 out of 58. That was unbelieveable, although we did finish in 29 (we still took the crown of North Hollywood though). Last years game, while plain on the visual aspect, was a much better game if you were a competitor. So overall I give last years game an A- and this years game a C+. Thats my opinion. Hopefully next year there will be a three person alliance involved. That would make the game so much more exciting for spectators and fun for teams. My $0.02.
I much prefer this year’s game over 2002.
Good things:
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Autonomous mode is a great addition. It adds programming to the essential elements of robot design. I’d like to see autonomous function play a bigger part in future games.
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This game makes teamwork necessary. It would be very hard for one robot to win the match alone, unlike last year where a robot could grab three goals and dominate the match. While your machine is being king of the hill, the other side has a two to one advantage among the boxes.
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On-field strategy is very important. The best strategy changes in response to actions by the other team. This makes it essential that the rest of the field team help the driver respond to changes on the field.
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Multiple field surfaces and the ramp make drive design more complex.
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Visual appeal. I really enjoyed watching a whole wall of boxes crash down onto the ramp. The battles for the top of the hill were also fun to watch.
Bad things:
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Visibility. It’s hard to change strategies in response to something you can’t see. I don’t see how this could be avoided though.
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Elimination scoring. The descoring matches were very dull to watch. Best two out of three would be better.
Greg
ranked in order of appeal to me
2000 great game of both offense and defense Best that I have competed in.
2001 I liked the strategy of this game and the robots where not simply rolling boxes, required teamwork and communication. Remember all of the inflated abilities of some robots.
2002 Too many rolling boxes that do well do to good alliance partners
2003 Too many rolling boxes that do well do to good alliance partners
I want to see our robots have to perform a skill and get rewarded for good designs ie stacking in a protected area where you don’t lose points.
of the 2, i liked '02 better.
my fav year had to be '99. it was so exciting. having to raise the floppies in the air was a cool challenge, and if anyone raised their floppies too soon or too late… ooh… the tension!