I was just wondering if anyone had predictions for next year’s game and if so what are they?
My prediction is that they will have triangular scoring objects that will be scored in moveable goals with floor goals as well
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You know you want to
Some are speculating that next year’s game objects (2014-2015) will include balls and jacks.
I think the people at Vex will make next years challenge based on this one. I don’t mean it’ll be similar, I mean it’ll be a response to Toss Up.
My reasoning is thus:
-Toss Up reduced pretty much every robot that wanted to score in the goals to less than 12" tall.
-Most teams cut their metal to fit under that rail.
-tall goals will force teams to either a) come up with crazy innovative solutions, b) dig into their stashes of uncut metal [which will honestly be difficult for those who don’t have much, like us], or c) buy new, full length metal from Vex
Therefore, I’m predicting a reappearance of the 30" goal.
I’m also gonna say that large, hard to manipulate objects like the 16" ball may return. When I played in Elevation, the large cube was only a five point value, equal to the autonomous bonus, but it was great for the audience: easy to see who was in control, exciting to see it fought over. We also do these events around Omaha and elsewhere called Create Junior for fourth through sixth graders, using Vex kits (a mix of IQ and metal now) There’s been a large inflatable ball in almost every game designed for the competition, simply because it excites the crowd and gives the competition some high energy.
I don’t think they’d do this, but I’d also love to see that platform in the center from Elevation, too. The parking and hanging bonuses are cool, but I loved seeing robots piling onto a platform that wasn’t big enough for them all (I loved driving in that scenario, too).
I predict there will be an autonomous period, followed by a driver control period!
Imagine if they did it the other way. That could change up the entire strategy of the game. And make coding way more challenging.
I’m not to sure we will see the return of a large inflatable ball from VEX. There were to many complaints about them popping… then again, this would be a financial victory for VEX because people have to buy more of them, but I doubt they would sacrifice customer satisfaction for a few extra bucks.
I guess only time will tell…
I hope that we won’t have to be limited to below 18" like we have been for the past several years… I think it’d be cool to see something that robots would have to climb/step over.
This would make the game too hard for rookie teams (such as our team), and the purpose of the new game is to be challenging for veteran teams, while still being easy enough for newer teams.
+1 on the first part. I would love to use 18x18x18. I have never got to do that 
Would be cool, don’t see it happening.
Truthfully, I predict the return of fully sized robots not under 12". I also predict the return of owning bonuses like in Round Up.
What do I want for next year’s game: No more games concentrated at the ends of the field. I want to see games focused more in the middle.
In an alternative division at our state competition (and at U.S. Open) it’s actually driver-auto-driver. I haven’t played it, but it’s REALLY interesting to announce…
I hope we don’t have an “artificial” height limiter like we did with this year’s barrier which forced most teams to be under 12"
I think it’d be cool to have elevated platforms with a large dip in the middle. And honestly I don’t want hanging but I do enjoy parking bonuses and ridiculously tall goals
I think and I hope that the height “restrictions” are here to stay.
I believe that the game designers set this restriction as a way to give robots “free power” without giving them free motors. By lowering the height of many goals, robots do not need to reach as far, and thus increasing the amount of abilities under a maximum torque limit. This can then raise the sophistication of robots as competitions progress.
I also have a feeling that the competition is diverging into more diverse goals with varying difficulties. This will help new teams integrate into the competition without completely drowning out experienced ones.
I do fear that there’s going to be a game that completely revolves around shooting (like hot shot from FTC, or ultimate ascent from FRC).
It would be amazing if we had to shoot objects the whole match 
I still vote for no height restrictions.
I personally wouldn’t mind a shooting game. I mean it’ll take some effort to work out a system to get the necessary velocity from your motors, but just about every VEX game has been the same manner of scoring. Dump or stash or some derivative.
I also think the concept of scoring zones will return for the next game.
If the objects aren’t as unpredictable as large balls, I see kinematics equations in the future!
Toss Up doesn’t stop you from building 18" high. You just have to be… creative.
I have always wanted a game where there are red and blue goals like sac attack, but the objects are black and white. the goal of the game it to get the white objects into your colored goal and getting the black objects into the other teams goal. thus making it so that not only all the robots get to score in all the goals, they also get to make use off all the objects.
I would also like to see two things go next year.
Death to repositioning in Aton mode. (coupled with a good reason to move in it)
And as a next step: death to starting tiles. I will let someone else figure out how this would work but it would be awesome.