Did you think that FIRST thought that last year’s game was too hard, or was it that it wasn’t “spectator and family” friendly? It seems like they are giving us a lot of room to be creative and expand the way we play and interact with other teams and robots. But that is just my opinion, others are welcome.
I think you’re right, the game definitely has a quicker learning curve than last year. The reintroduction of 2 v 2 does add a level of excitement which was missesd last year. Also, by removing the midfield obstacle of the last 2 years and removing multipliers they’ve made it somewhat easier for teams that don’t have the most technically advanced robot a chance to do well in the qualifying rounds. I predict a lot, if not all, robots will be capable of placing balls and moving the bins. So I think the hidden beauty of the game is that success will really come down to who has the best defensive strategy.
-Mike 375
I really like the fact that the 2v2 was reintroduced. I was kind of disappointed that there weren’t as many things to “do” as last year. Like last year… you could grab goals, balance on the bridge, cross the bridge, go over/under the bar, grab the big ball, pull the stretcher… though having this many things to do did complicate things (our team learned last year that it is better to be able to do a few things really well, than to be able to do a couple of things “ok”!) Then in 2000 you could go under the bar, hang on the bar, collect/distribute balls into the trough. Yea. I guess my point is that I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of things there are to make your robot ‘do’. I also thought it strange that the field is flat! No ramps!? No pucks!? No bridges!? Weird. Don’t get me wrong though - I think this year will be great and a lot of fun! I can’t wait til the competition! 
- Katie
*Originally posted by FIRSTAE2004 *
**I really like the fact that the 2v2 was reintroduced. I was kind of disappointed that there weren’t as many things to “do” as last year. Like last year… you could grab goals, balance on the bridge, cross the bridge, go over/under the bar, grab the big ball, pull the stretcher…
- Katie **
I totally agree, this year seems too simple in comparison to last year 
But I think the 2v2 element will help to even that out, because we have to take into account when building that there will be opposition on the field.
This games year is gonna be pretty sweet once we start playing it I think…its simple yet complex at the same time since there are so many ways to go about tackling the game…
Looking forward to seeing some cool robots and awesome competitions…
(also looking forward to that made for TV disney/abc movie)
I think that last year’s game was SO complex, anything less complex would seem simple by comparison.
I think that the game is much more simplified true…but strategy and the way the game can be played is much more intense
The list of thigs to do this year isn’t that short… With the head to head competiton, you might want to immobalize other bots, you have three goals to manipulate, you might want to block the other from entering parts of the field, if you think about it you can come with plenty of indirect tasks, just like 2001.
~Suneet who’s in the middle of a full team brainstorming session.
Simplicity doesn’t mean that gameplay can’t be expanded on. Look at sports (yes, those nasty nasty things that Kamen is always talking about). In soccer all you have to do is kick a ball into a net. Golf is the same, expect with a whole in the ground and a club. Football requires holding the ball in a certain spot. All of these are very simple concepts but have been expanded on incredibbly.
~Tom Fairchild~, who’s really looking forward to this year’s game.
this year a lot of veteran teams have an advantage over some second year and rookie teams. i believe this is so because many teams may choose to use an update of their 2000 or 2001 robots but that’s just me.
I expect this year’s game to have a lot of fast, exciting matches with last second sprints to the end zone, good pushing matches, etc. With all those balls and only one coach to help count them, it may be a lot more difficult to try to “win by one point” than it was in 2000, though.
Overall, I think it will be a good game. I’m glad “2 on 2” is back.
Just because the game is simple, doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy or have obvious strategies. To expand on what Tom said, many sports are easy in concept, but difficult in practice and nearly impossible to master (which is what makes them great). I believe competition will be fierce this year, for the sole reason that the major actions each team can perform are limited: pick up & score balls, move goals, play defense. There will be a lot of evenly matched teams near the top, and strategy (both pre-game and in-game) will be key. I look forward to some great competitions this year.
Mike
I can see teams who know they are going to lose a match deliberately reducing their score at the end of the match in order to decrease the qualifiying score of the opposing alliance, thus helping improve their own ranking. Strategy will be a many-facited thing in this game.