Game Animations
We've collected some of the past game animations from the FRC competition. You may find it helpful to see previous FRC competitions when trying to predict a future FRC game. For more indepth information, make sure to check out the FIRST Wiki and go to the index of FRC Games. All game descriptions seen below have been taken from the FIRST Wiki site.
Ultimate Ascent - 2013
Ultimate Ascent is played by two competing alliances of three teams each. They compete to score as many discs into their goals as they can during a 2-minute and 15-second match. The higher the goal in which the disc is scored, the more points the Alliance receives. The match ends with robots attempting to climb up pyramids located near the middle of the field. Each robot earns points based on how high it climbs.
Rebound Rumble - 2012
The Rebound Rumble robotics game is played between two Alliances of three teams each. Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many of the basketballs in the hoops as possible during the 2-minute and 15-second match. Balls scored in higher hoops score Alliances more points. Alliances are awarded bonus points if they are balanced on bridges at the end of the match. In matches where opponent Alliances work together to balance on the white bridge, all participating teams earn additional valuable seeding points.
Logo Motion - 2011
Logo Motion is the 2011 FIRST Robotics Competition game. Playing pieces are inner tubes shaped like the components of the FIRST logo. The primary objective of the game is to place them on racks to gain points. In the endgame, robots deploy smaller robots ("minibots") to climb a tower. Minibots must be made from the FIRST Tech Challenge kit of parts. The game celebrates the 20th season of the FRC and is also meant to commemorate the artist Jack Kamen, who designed the original FIRST logo.
Breakaway - 2010
Breakaway is the 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition game announced on January 9, 2010.
The object of Breakaway is to score as many points for your allience as possible. The winner of a match is determined by the most points scored when the timer ends or when all robots have stopped moving, and after penalties are assessed.
The object of Breakaway is to score as many points for your allience as possible. The winner of a match is determined by the most points scored when the timer ends or when all robots have stopped moving, and after penalties are assessed.
Lunacy - 2009
Lunacy is the challenge for the 2009 robotics season. This game involves driving on one-sixth the normal amount of friction, simulating driving on the moon. Each of six robots will have a trailer attached during the game. There will be two alliances of three teams each. Alliances must get special balls, or cells, into opposing the alliance's trailer to score points.
During the autonomous period, robots will begin at launch pads in front of an opposing player. This year, robots may block others to prevent progress as long as they do not entangle one another. Robots may also use cameras to track and score in other robots by using vision targets at the top of the trailers. At the sides of the playing field are outpost stations, where human players known as payload specialists will throw moon rocks into moving trailers. This is also done at the refueling stations, located at the corners of the field.
During the teleoperated (manual control) period, pilots will guide the robots as they attempt to launch moon rocks into opposing trailers. Payload specialists may also throw cells into trailers during this time. Additionally, robots may push loose cells into the refueling stations.
Outpost payload specialists can feed an empty cell into a robot, which will deliver them to the fueling station, where they can be switched for super cells, which are worth 15 points. Only one super cell may be retrieved at a time, and they may only be used during the last 20 seconds of the match. Otherwise, they will be treated as an empty cell.
During the autonomous period, robots will begin at launch pads in front of an opposing player. This year, robots may block others to prevent progress as long as they do not entangle one another. Robots may also use cameras to track and score in other robots by using vision targets at the top of the trailers. At the sides of the playing field are outpost stations, where human players known as payload specialists will throw moon rocks into moving trailers. This is also done at the refueling stations, located at the corners of the field.
During the teleoperated (manual control) period, pilots will guide the robots as they attempt to launch moon rocks into opposing trailers. Payload specialists may also throw cells into trailers during this time. Additionally, robots may push loose cells into the refueling stations.
Outpost payload specialists can feed an empty cell into a robot, which will deliver them to the fueling station, where they can be switched for super cells, which are worth 15 points. Only one super cell may be retrieved at a time, and they may only be used during the last 20 seconds of the match. Otherwise, they will be treated as an empty cell.
FIRST Overdrive - 2008
FIRST Overdrive is the 2008 game for the FIRST Robotics Competition, announced on January 5, 2008.
In Overdrive, teams race around the field and compete to complete counterclockwise laps around a central barrier while manipulating large 40-inch (1 m) diameter "Trackballs" over and under overpasses to score additional points.
An archive of the game rules can be found on the FIRST website 2008 FRC Manual and Related Documents
In Overdrive, teams race around the field and compete to complete counterclockwise laps around a central barrier while manipulating large 40-inch (1 m) diameter "Trackballs" over and under overpasses to score additional points.
An archive of the game rules can be found on the FIRST website 2008 FRC Manual and Related Documents
Rack 'n' Roll - 2007
Rack ‘n’ Roll is played by two three-team alliances on a large field with a center structure (Rack) containing 24 “spider legs.” To score, teams use three different types of tubes called “Keepers,” “Ringers,” and “Spoilers.”
The game is made up of two scoring periods. In autonomous mode, which lasts 15 seconds, robots try to place a Keeper on one of the spider legs of the Rack using a color vision tracking system to find one of the four target lights at the top of the rack. Once placed, a Keeper tube may not be removed or “Spoiled.”
During the second period (2 minutes), the robots are driver controlled. In this period the teams will attempt to score more points by using the robots to add “Ringers” onto the spider legs or by “Spoiling” the opposing teams score by placing a black tube over the “Ringer.” Points are earned and scored exponentially by the number of consecutive Ringers and Keepers in a column or row. Only the tube on the front of the spider leg will count toward the overall score.
The game is made up of two scoring periods. In autonomous mode, which lasts 15 seconds, robots try to place a Keeper on one of the spider legs of the Rack using a color vision tracking system to find one of the four target lights at the top of the rack. Once placed, a Keeper tube may not be removed or “Spoiled.”
During the second period (2 minutes), the robots are driver controlled. In this period the teams will attempt to score more points by using the robots to add “Ringers” onto the spider legs or by “Spoiling” the opposing teams score by placing a black tube over the “Ringer.” Points are earned and scored exponentially by the number of consecutive Ringers and Keepers in a column or row. Only the tube on the front of the spider leg will count toward the overall score.
Aim High - 2006
Aim High is played by two alliances, red and blue, each consisting of three robots. During a 10 second autonomous mode, robots will be programmed to score into any of the three goals: one raised center goal marked by a green vision target and two corner goals at floor level. At the end of the autonomous period, the alliance with the most points will gain a 10 point bonus and will be placed on defense for round two. Rounds two, three, and four, which are each 40 seconds long, are human-controlled rounds. Between rounds two and three, the alliances will switch from offense to defense, or from defense to offense accordingly. At the start of round 4, any alliance can score into their corresponding goals. At the end of the match, an alliance can receive bonus points by placing its three robots on a platform below the center goal. The alliance with the most points wins. Scoring will be as follows: 3 points for any ball scored in the center goal, 1 point for any ball scored in the corner goals; 10 bonus points for scoring the highest in the autonomous round; and 25 points for placing all 3 robots on the platform at the end (10 for 2 and 5 for 1).
Triple Play - 2005
This game was the first game in which there were three robots to an alliance. It featured pyrimidal objects made of PVC pipe as the game object, called "tetras." The game was played on a field set up like a tic-tac-toe board, with nine larger goal tetras in three rows. The object of the game was to place the scoring tetras on the larger goal tetras, creating rows of three by having a tetra of your allaince's color at the highest point on the goal. Tetras scored on the top of a goal tetra (a larger aluminum version) were worth 3 points, while tetras scored inside the goals were worth 1 point. Rows of three tetras on top of the goals were worth ten points, so long as the row was there at the end of the two minute and fifteen second match. Ten points could also be scored if all three alliance robots were behind the starting line at their end of the field at the end of the game.
FIRST Frenzy: Raising the Bar - 2004
Stack Attack - 2003
Teams started in a gray-boxed area on either side of the giant ramp. When the game begins, one human player from each team competing (4 total) go on the field and place bins (4 bins per team, with 8 per alliance, and 16 total) in their colored area. The bins have reflective tape on them so opposing robots can knock over bins in autonomous mode, but more on that later. The human players have 15 seconds to place the bins, and then step onto a pressure sensitive mat to tell the software they are off the field. If done in 10 seconds, that team will enter into autonomous mode when all teams are on the mats. If done in 15 seconds, the teams won't enter autonomous mode, but will work afterwards. If the human player doesn’t return in 15 seconds, the robot is disabled for the match.
After all the human players are on the mats, the robots will then enter autonomous mode for 15 seconds, in which the robots move and operate on their own through programming and sensors. There were many types of autonomous modes, with more on that in a latter section.
After autonomous mode, the robots then enter into 1:45 seconds of human controlled time. During this time, human controllers could push bins outside of their opposing alliance scoring zone, stack bins in their own, which multiplies the whole score of bins by how tall the stack is (but the bins in the stack are NOT counted as part of the total), and even park themselves on top of the ramp to block oncoming traffic. At the end of the game, robots would hurry up to the platform, since for each robot entirely on the ramp, the alliance gets 25 points.
After all the human players are on the mats, the robots will then enter autonomous mode for 15 seconds, in which the robots move and operate on their own through programming and sensors. There were many types of autonomous modes, with more on that in a latter section.
After autonomous mode, the robots then enter into 1:45 seconds of human controlled time. During this time, human controllers could push bins outside of their opposing alliance scoring zone, stack bins in their own, which multiplies the whole score of bins by how tall the stack is (but the bins in the stack are NOT counted as part of the total), and even park themselves on top of the ramp to block oncoming traffic. At the end of the game, robots would hurry up to the platform, since for each robot entirely on the ramp, the alliance gets 25 points.
Zone Zeal - 2002
Ten points were awarded for placing the a goal in your scoring zone. 1 point for each ball in a goal that was in your scoring zone or in the opponents home zone. And 10 points for each robot touching your home zone. A popular design this year was the use of measuring tapes to slide back and touch your home zone.
Diabolic Dynamics - 2001
Co-Opertition FIRST - 2000
Double Trouble - 1999
Each alliance was given 10 'floppies', which were fabric toroids filled with packing peanuts. The outer edge and the hole in the center of the toroid were covered in Velcro.
Floppies lifted off the ground at least 4 inches were worth _ points. Floppies above 8 feet in the air were worth _ points.
Having your robot touching the puck and not touching the floor caused a 2x multiplier. The two common methods of scoring this multiplier were: Driving onto the puck or vertically lifting the robot using the two poles on the puck.
The puck could hold 2 robots, typically.
There might have been a multiplier if the puck was on your side of the field?
Floppies lifted off the ground at least 4 inches were worth _ points. Floppies above 8 feet in the air were worth _ points.
Having your robot touching the puck and not touching the floor caused a 2x multiplier. The two common methods of scoring this multiplier were: Driving onto the puck or vertically lifting the robot using the two poles on the puck.
The puck could hold 2 robots, typically.
There might have been a multiplier if the puck was on your side of the field?
Ladder Logic - 1998
1 point was scored for each ball in the lowest rung of the ladders, 2 points for each ball in the middle rung, and 3 points for each ball in the highest rung. Each ball in the center column doubled the team's score.
Toroid Terror - 1997
The goal was to score the inner tubes on the pyramid structure. You got one point for every inner tube on the scoring structure, and your score was doubled if it was directly over the center column (like the white tubes in the picture). You also doubled your score if you had 3 in a vertical column on the scoring posts.
Hexagon Havoc - 1996
Ramp 'n' Roll - 1995
Three robots competed at a time. A team recieved 2 points for each time their small 24" ball was over the goal and 3 points for each time the large ball was over. The tiebreakers were the highest ball over the goal, and then the closest ball to the goal.
Tower Power - 1994
There were 3 robots at a time. A ball in the upper part of the tower was 3 points and a ball in the lower part of the tower was 1 point.
Rug Rage - 1993
Maize Craze - 1992
Get as many points as you can by collecting and returning tennis balls into your scoring area. There were 4 robots on the field at a time, and they started in the 4 corners of the field. The matches were two minutes long.
