I’ll take '03-'07-- oh, wait, that’s my years. I actually think '08 was better than '03, so '04-'08. ('03 brings back memories of the STACKS of boxes waiting to get their lids pop-riveted on and stickers applied…)
2015 - 2018
Let’s just say I’m an optimist 
i did 2011-2015 and i’d choose recycle rush over logomotion anytime…
I don’t know, 2016-2018 will have to be pretty good to make up for last year…
on a positive note, I feel like 2011-2014 were the best years.
To me, it seems like 2011 - 2014 was the Golden Age.
I think you’re missing the point. Going through Recycle Rush makes all subsequent games a million times better in comparison. 
This implies that you think 2019 will be worse than 2015.
2017 and beyond will have twice as many Championships, so they’ll be twice as good…
So, I have a question about this for everyone. Do you think the best era of FIRST has passed, is passing, or has already passed? Or is it too hard to tell right now. With the creation of two championships a lot of people have been extremely upset about the new change to an extent that seems could be lasting.
I hope I’m wrong, but if current trends continue the best era has already happened.
What he said.
I’m hopeful that FIRST, after getting a lot feedback from the community this past year, will get back on the right path. I think we will have a much better idea of the path they are taking by the end of next season. FIRST needs to realize that teams building really cool robots, competiting with them, and showing them off is what made it such a success in the first place. If they continue trying to push the idea that the robots and the competition aren’t very important, then things are looking grim for FIRST’s future.
I’ll say 2011-2014 were some very fun games to play
Rose tinted safety goggles.
In 3-4 years there will be a completely new crop of students, and dual championship events will be their norm.
With regards to best era, I would leave out 2008. I didn’t appreciate the scarcity of game objects, nor the struggles certain teams had in testing their robots on the practice field (no catapults allowed!)
Maybe 2004-2007.
most of u say 2011-2014, but wasn’t 2010 > 2014? i haven’t played it but breakaway seems pretty nice. Though, 2014 wasn’t too bad either.
I never personally experienced Breakaway, but from some videos I have watched I personally feel Aerial Assist was better. In 2010, At the regional level of play, matches looked fairly boring with some matches ending in a score of 1-0 or similar. This is not because of good defense, it was because only 2 robots would move on the field, and many had trouble moving the balls into scoring position. This is just what I saw, though. 2014 had robots scoring all over the place and super exciting matches even at the regional level.
Not to mention, many of the robots in 2010 were almost identical on the field, whereas 2014 had more design variance.
I was just making a joke. In all seriousness I don’t think the two championships plan will affect game design in any noticeable way. As for other impacts, time will tell.
2014 has become a very divisive game. Many (myself included) consider it one of the all time greats, especially when its tactical, teamwork-heavy, and interaction-heavy nature is directly contrasted with 2015. Many others consider it a horrible game, due to penalties, subjectivity of scoring, extreme defense, and other factors. I think the overall opinion of 2014 has gone up over time – I’m guessing that if you asked this question a year ago, many more would say 2010-2013.
2010 is more generally considered “alright” by most everybody. I don’t know anyone who would put it in the company of 2012/2013 as great games, but I don’t know many who despise it either.
My first ever experience with a FIRST competition was 2010 at the River Rage off-season competition. It was cool and a blast and my team won, so I thought we were the best. Then 2011 came and I got a far more mediocre game than 2010 and I was kinda disappointed.
My senior year was 2014, and I was our human player. 2014 was a year of crazy highs (winning two regionals), awesome strategy (the under-rated low goal plays, death cycles, trusses to catches, insane defense), and crazy lows (losing in quarterfinals at championships on foul points, fouls that cost us matches, over-reliance on alliance partners, robot parts breaking at inopportune times).
I don’t know which one was better. I think I’d have to say 2014, but 2010 was pretty cool too. Either way, I think we can all agree 2015, 2009, 2003 were terrible, and no one was particularly fond of 2011, 2008, 2002 either.
I think the only people who liked 2001’s game was the people on 71.
Those are just the 4 years I’ll be on my team, I couldn’t care if 2016’s game is can opening as long as I’m with my team, every year is the best year.