Though we were completely ready to throw our robot into “sink or swim” mode with a water game this year, we have been met with a new challenge–deep space. This weekend, 2019’s FRC game, “Destination: Deep Space” was released to the public, and our team was waiting with open arms. Together, we watched the kickoff livestream and were met with many new exciting challenges. With an army of rookies ready to take on their first build season, and veterans watching over them with “just you wait” mindsets, we were ready to forge ahead and conquer deep space.
Following the livestream, the team begrudgingly participated in a lengthy, but very necessary, read-through of the game manual, but with the promise of a mock game (and lunch), we forged ahead. Using totes as cargo ships, paper plates as hatch panels, balls from 2006’s game as cargo, and rolling chairs as robots, we threw ourselves into a thrilling mock game. Despite the fact that it looked like far more play than work, strategies began to arise.
On Sunday, with fresh ideas from mechanisms and strategies, we met again, this time with a better grasp of the game. In small groups, we discussed strategies for our alliance’s robots to take on, both during the “sandstorm” period and tele-operated period. We presented these ideas to one another, and worked on a weighted objective table. This strategy for collecting the team’s opinions on what we wanted our robot to do was implemented last year. Each of the robot’s abilities (ie. scoring hatch panels on the cargo ship, climbing to HAB level 3, etc.) were voted on with the raising of hands. We proved ourselves to be entirely incompetent in both raising our hands for at least one of the voting options, and counting said hands. It was decided that lunch would once again prevail as our saving grace in refueling our minds.
As kickoff weekend came to a close, we were left excited for a new adventure, but continued to mourn the water game that could have been. Maybe next year, FRC.
