I did hear that it would be to every teams advantage to learn how to use the IR sensors that were on this years game. Apparently it is going to be much more important than this year. I don’t think a lot of teams used the IR sensors. Most appeared to be dead reckoning or line following. Not all but I think most.
Great idea…us Iowans would dominate 
Footballs, moving targets, humans and robots score points
Somthing underwater would be insanely different! And if there was a way to use inertubes filled with metal or somthing, that would be great.
Footballs would be genius. They’re available, yet harder to grip from an unknown direction.
The only hard thing about moving targets is making it so that teams can replicate it. But a suspended bag would be pretty neat–just attach some braces that go outside of the field.
Or, if we were feeling especially devilish…good ol’ play sand? That’d be a real test of drivetrains.
Personally, I hope that next years game will be a test for the drivetrains in some way. That was something that was really neglected this year. Some teams built complex gearboxes etc., but in the end, they weren’t that crucial. Though, I have a feeling a match like this would be very high contact, so people would also have to build very sturdy robots, something I was surprised at the lack of.
-But then, I may be a little bias
Having attended the past five FIRST National Competitions, I think that the most exciting games (to watch as well as to compete in) have been fast-paced. I recognize, of course, that not every second of every match has been fast-paced. However, I would suggest to anyone thinking up a new game idea to make sure that they allow for the game to be fairly fast-paced. After all, speed and excitement are two of the many aspects of robotics that inspire young people to become involved in FIRST.
I think you are on to something. Water would be interesting. Just imagine.
This has been discussed many times. Just run a search for the thread.
i was talking to a few friends at nationals and we came up with a solution to save first money and keep things very interesting…i think that they should keep the field the same but just change the rules
things like the doubler ball would half the points in the goal
robots can score balls in the goals
balls start on the field and are worth twice as much if they are scored in the ball drop bins and the balls on the tees can be knocked off at any time to descore those balls
the field would be set up that the mobile goals are sitting infront of the stairs on the opposite side of the field.
human players serve the same pupose as this year
and the bar will be broken in to sections painted red and blue and depending on where you are hanging depends on what team gets the points…
these are just a few of my ideas…
For anyone who does not know what a floppie looks like, and i have to say i thought the manipulation of the sterilite, not to be confused with rubbermade the quality is just not as good, was the most worldly practical.
These are pillows on my bed, beat that first addicts.
What about a game with a verticle pole? That would be challenging. Use bean-bag chairs for scoring objects. Have the goals for the bean bag-chairs be closed unless opened during autonomus mode. That all would be cool.
I would love to see bot’s climb vertical things, such as a vertical pole or wall. A pole is a bit more reasonable though, simple scoring too. A bot that has climbed the pole gets the number of points equal to the number of inches the lowest part of the robot is above the floor.
heres a cool midfield barrier, 2ft high vertical poles, spaced 1.5ft apart.
footballs or frisbees would make great scoring objects, easy to get from stores, and hard for robot’s to pick up.
I like the idea of very small scoring items, like tennis balls that someone else suggested.
Heres a few ideas!
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All scoring objects will get the value of what there worth only if it fits in the correct keyed space. No 2 scoring objects will be keyed the same way.
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Autonmous yes many teams like Auton but I would prefer to see it at the end of the match to see if the built robots can score anything by themselves that could change the outcome of a match - difficult yes but i’m sure its dooable!
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it would be nice to see another combination of games brought together like this years game
I always thought it would be cool to see a giant pyramid in the middle of the field and whoever is on the sides at the end of the match gets some points but whoever is on top gets more points. Or maybe the pyramid covers the whole playing field and the scoring objects would have to be passed over it; also, the robots would never be driving level. Or what if it was a stepped pyrimid, with different tiered levels that have to do with scoring. Or what about an inverted pyramid - like the sides of the field are higher than the center and it all goes down into one point - and it is stepped! Or what if each corner of the field was a different level. Or what if the field was like you were inside half of a sphere, like a totally rounded swimming pool (but empty).
What about something like an elevator or a big conveyor belt or a turntable. Now that would be cool. I’ve always wanted so see powered elements of the field but the cost would never allow it. Come to think of it, the cost would never allow any of my ideas. 
just FYI on this comment the center field structure this year cost upwards of 20,000
My wife and I thought FIRST should come up with a game about folding laundry. 
I can see it now: They’ll be a big to do on Chiefdelphi about teams illegally using cans of starch on the clothes and there will be a bonus 100 points for teams that can make wet clothes dry within two minutes. 
Easy, just run the drill motors without heatsinks or fans
50 point penalty for burning the clothes.
Then the robot will still be in competition even after the season is over.
Heck, I’d keep it to do my laundry, but I would have to fight over it with 80 students (luckily I’m a senior next year )
Great Idea!! Let the robots that we build do the work that we FIRST-ers don’t have the time to do.