I thought that Idea would had been strange but interested to see but I see now why they didn’t do it because of the same reason lots of teams decided against the end game to easy to overset the points with scoring. I would like to see a game like 2008 it was fun! but I think that games with high point values and robots only doing offense is what they want. Hockey would be out of the box with end game being 5 on 4 lol.
Maybe minibots have to do something (like a maze/corn-filled obstacle course) during the match (before the end game) for a special scoring object (multiplier, etc) to be released for that team or alliance (Like the super cell in Lunacy which could only be used if an empty cell was delivered to the refueling station). The minibots would be on the field borders and off of the actual field, and the scoring would still have to be done by the full-sized robots/human players so matches won’t be decided by minibots alone.
I have no idea what the 2012 game will be, but all I can say is I want an original game. Logomotion was somewhat a copy of Rack ‘N’ Roll, and though it was fun, it wasn’t very fun seeing all of the good robots with the same elevators and roller claws. Every team already knew what worked for Rack ‘N’ Roll, so all they had to do is copy the designs of the best robots from Rack ‘N’ Roll. Speaking of copying, the endgame for the minibots wasn’t very exciting in the end. All minibots were essentially the same, and all went up around the same time. So, GDC, if by some random and crazy chance you’re reading this, please have the 2012 FRC game be original! Also, make there be less penalties.
And with all the talk of a sports-themed game, I think it would be interesting to see a game similar to Lacrosse. Like, the whole idea of passing a game piece to an alliance member via throwing it, without having the pass intercepted by an opponent. Just an idea, seeing as no-one has mentioned Lacrosse yet. Also, I’m rooting for a Parkour game!
Laser tag. Minibots could be deployed at any time onto an elevated plane that rims the field, and would autonomously drive around and shoot at opponents and/or other minibots. Robots could maybe place rods into a grid on the field (between various poles on the field?) to make fiberoptic connections. (or something like that) If a robot drives into or is caught by the opposing alliance’s fiberoptic ‘net’ then that net’s alliance gains points. If a robot was too tall, they might also be literally ‘caught’, and unable to drive underneath the rods. Each alliance would have a limited number of rods, not enough to fill the entire grid, that they could rearrange whenever they like (but only their own rods). During the endgame they could try to place a special rod that, if hung, grants bonus points proportional to the number of consecutive rods that form a single chain through that rod. At the end of the game each alliance gains points for the number of grid spaces that are completely bordered by their own rods.
Kind of like that old paper game where you take turns drawing lines in a grid of dots trying to be the one who completes each square.
That was probably clear as mud.
How much in advance to they plan each year’s game?
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned an “end of the world” theme yet :rolleyes:
I would like to see a game that involves robots working together more. Such as requiring two robots to do a specific task (like picking up a box).
Most games they always have one type of game piece (ex: 2011 - tubes, 2010 - balls), so maybe next year…they will have a variety?
The GDC has a very nice tradition of game pieces. Every second year is a balls year:
(I don’t remember the game before off the top of my head)
2004-balls
2005-tetras
2006-balls
2007-tubes
2008-balls
2009-orbit balls (Although they weren’t ballish exactly because they deformed a lot)
2010-balls
2011-tubes
2012-balls?
do you remember some sort of test tube which kids used to have ants in it?
I don’t remember its name but it would be great to have a bigger size of this in the field and the minibots are in it like ants. there will be a driver to the minibots and all what the minibots will do is to launch game pieces into the game (to their alliance).
That comes up every year, and every year we’ve counted 2009 as balls (I agree with you, most of the rest of the community doesn’t), disproving that. Just saying.
Why is everyone saying there will be minibots in next year’s game?
Football?
Chexposito posted a re-link to bills blog making references to them liking it. they also seem to like the tubes shape tubes shape idea I wouldn’t mind it switching as long as its something that’s extremely similar but after teams doing this for 20 years they always will be able to make reference to games. ie 2011 to 2007s game. I would love a game like 08 or 06 it would be fun.
As mentioned in previous posts, I would like to see hockey or football if it is a sport. However, both games would be similar to breakaway…at least in my mind…
Until they actually use them, I’m sticking with Cones as the game piece. They’re cheap, durable, come in a WIDE VARIETY, and darn hard to manipulate in some cases.
Cones that float on water, used for water polo.
I think a game that involves the field shooting balls out, and the robots hitting them them into long bins across the field without the other alliance catching them, just like baseball. Frisbees would also be pretty cool game pieces.
Nobody has mentioned baseball I don’t think, Football is another type of ball game, and i have noticed the games have been getting a lot less rough. I would be all for a Parkour game hahaha, that would be both exciting and fun to play since it would involve many obstacles. Isn’t 2012 the year of the summer Olympic games? They may also try to base it off of something like that? Who knows. I also noticed Dean hinted in on Logomotion last year in ATL with the description of the FIRST logo, so if anyone else caught any hints this year, that would be great to know
If I remember correctly I think it is, from Dean saying they are trying to integrate the FIRST programs (FRC, FTC, FLL, etc.). At least get them to work together more. Plus the Minibots did add an interesting element to gameplay
A maze game would be interesting, where a host bot(FRC) releases a minibot(FTC) into a maze that sits above or next to the main playing field. All along the way knocking something off of a ledge to the host bot which is then used to score.
Dean also put a lot of emphasis on how boeing had an unlimited KOP, no restrictions to what a minibot can be made out of next year?
Everyone seems to have forgot the last 3 years themes…
2009 Moon landing anniversary
2010 World Cup
2011 First 20th anniversary
Whats happening in 2012?
-Leap year
-Destruction of Earth
-Summer Olympics in London
-any others?
personally i would like to see a game that somewhat resembles Breakaway, especially since FIRST is trying to show that robotics is a sport too. Breakaway, I thought, simplified the entire aspect of robotics. Breakaway made the game more of a sport rather than a task that was done by robots. It had easy to follow scoring, a simple, exciting endgame, and allowed for simple robots to be useful which created more successful teams. (ex. a kit bot in 2011 couldn’t do anything in the game resulting in a 2v3 match while in 2010 a kit bot could be a great defensive robot to the alliance)
So I’m in favor of a sport-like game for next year 
Summer Olympics => water sports => WATER GAME!