Posted by Mike Kulibaba. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Student on team #88, TJ², from Bridgewater-Raynham Regional and Johnson and Johnson.
Posted on 10/28/99 11:30 AM MST
I was just wondering if anyone knows when FIRST comes up with the idea for the game. Do they wait to see what parts they get, how many motors etc. Do they pick it in june and then make some robots to see how it would work? Or do they wait for December and at the last second come up with a game? Does FIRST have like 6 games to choose from then picks one after a lengthy debate. I was just wondering what every thinks. Good luck to everyone this year
Kuli Team 88 TJ²
Posted by Andy Grady. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #42, P.A.R.T.S, from Alvirne High School and Daniel Webster College.
Posted on 10/28/99 4:38 PM MST
In Reply to: When does FIRST pick the game? posted by Mike Kulibaba on 10/28/99 11:30 AM MST:
This i do know, FIRST has the game decided at least a few months before kickoff and they test it to find quirks or anything that needs to be fixed in the game. Also I have heard that they have plenty of ideas for games well before kickoff.
Posted by colleen. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Other on team #246, a FIRST-aholic, from John D. O’Byrant High School and Boston University/MassPEP.
Posted on 10/28/99 5:45 PM MST
In Reply to: When does FIRST pick the game? posted by Mike Kulibaba on 10/28/99 11:30 AM MST:
hey
i think the way it goes is that once the FIRST guys are caught up on sleep, etc. from the competition… they start working up next year’s idea… one whole floor of the FIRST building is for game development… basically it’s just a big room filled with random stuff (pipes, balls, rugs…you name it)… when i was up there this summer there was a lot of banging and loud noises coming from that floor… and i was specifically told that floor was off limits for the week… i think it’s just an off-season task of constant testing and trying…'course Dean and Woodie get their heads in there too…
colleen
Posted by Michael Martus. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central H.S. and Delphi Automotives Systems.
Posted on 10/28/99 6:28 PM MST
In Reply to: When does FIRST pick the game? posted by Mike Kulibaba on 10/28/99 11:30 AM MST:
This was a topic of discussion I had with Dean this summer. Dean says that the game is just not a one year development. There IS a plan of long range design. Final tweaking of the game comes in the fall after extensive testing with mock machines playing out the possible senerios.
He said he was always amazed at the soluitions we as FIRSTERS come up with, some of which his team had not allowed for.
Basically there is carefull thought by many gifted persons to stress us to the MAX. The game design has to fit many criteria.
If you go back to the archive you will find a message by Mike Aubry - Engineer from Delphi on game design and the process. I think his thoughts are right on the mark.
Posted by Patrick Seeney.
Student from Oakland Technical Center - Southeast Campus.
Posted on 10/28/99 7:15 PM MST
In Reply to: When does FIRST pick the game? posted by Mike Kulibaba on 10/28/99 11:30 AM MST:
What kinds of twists should we expect? I heard a rumor at nationals last year that the playing field may be made of sand or some other substance similar to that. What ever it may be, Kick off is fast approaching and it will be interesting to see what comes up.
Pat
Posted by Andy Baker.
Engineer on team #45, TechnoKats, from Kokomo High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.
Posted on 10/28/99 8:29 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: When does FIRST pick the game? posted by Patrick Seeney on 10/28/99 7:15 PM MST:
We had corn the first year. Since then, carpet has been used extensively.
I’d bet that carpet is here to stay.
If sand or another substance was involved, then I couldn’t imagine the controls nightmares that we’d go through. Teams have enough trouble keeping metal shards out of their motors and speed controllers, let alone sand, water or jello.
Andy B.
Posted by Andy Grady. [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]
Coach on team #42, P.A.R.T.S, from Alvirne High School and Daniel Webster College.
Posted on 10/28/99 8:42 PM MST
In Reply to: Carpet is here to stay posted by Andy Baker on 10/28/99 8:29 PM MST:
What Andy has said is correct. Carpet is much easier to handle than another substance, thus it will probably stay. However i wouldn’t be suprised if we were to see some sort of ramp this year instead of a different surface, or maybe FIRST will answer my prayers and give us the king of the mountain type competition (with Footballs i hope) that i have been waiting for since Ramp n’ Roll in 95. Last year was close, but not what I was looking for exactly. Im going to go out on a limb and say that the biggest change this year will be two different types of objects. The return of tubes, and footballs 
I want those darn footballs!
Have a good one,
Andy Grady, DWC/Alvirne
Posted by Dodd Stacy.
Engineer on team #95, Lebanon Robotics Team, from Lebanon High School and CRREL/CREARE.
Posted on 10/29/99 8:10 AM MST
In Reply to: Carpet is here to stay posted by Andy Baker on 10/28/99 8:29 PM MST:
I’m waiting to see FIRST surprise us with a change of surface - rubber floor matting or something like the Orlando pit floor. With or without ramps, steps, or barriers (easy/cheap to build, please, guys). I agree that they will stick with some kind of surface that is available industrially and relatively easy to transport and lay down on top of delicate floors (like basketball courts), but a change in the friction characteristics of the surface would send all the old teams who have figured out four wheel drive/track skid steering etc back to the drawing board for more development.
It seems to me like some of last year’s machines pushed the rule re carpet damage to such extremes that it’s hard to imagine how the Tech Inspectors can fairly test and ok '00 machines that push the traction envelope just a little bit further. Personally, I’d like to see a game/rules playable on hardwood basketball courts without damage, so we can demo the machines full tilt around at various schools right on the gym floors w/o having to schlep carpet around with us.
Whatever happens, I expect Woodie and Dean to throw us at least two twists this year comparable to Alliances and those bizarre floppies!
Dodd
Posted by Dan.
Student on team #10, BSM, from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Banner Engineering.
Posted on 10/29/99 3:42 PM MST
In Reply to: Other Surfaces? posted by Dodd Stacy on 10/29/99 8:10 AM MST:
A very unreliable source says we’re getting 10’ pnuematic tires in the kit this year. We’ll need them considering what will be on the floor . .
:-Dan
Posted by Beccy Rigden (Duct Tape).
Student on team #166 from Merrimack High.
Posted on 11/1/99 2:03 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: New tires posted by Dan on 10/29/99 3:42 PM MST:
I’m gonna have to agree with the carpet only theory, although rubber mats or something would be cool. Sand and corn are both very impractical, and bad for robots to eat.
Beccy
[email protected]