Editing 1994 (section)

==Playing field and scoring==
<gallery perrow=4 heights=270px widths=300px>
File:45926 - 1994 game materials.png|The playing field and starting positions [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45926]
File:45930 - 1994 dean kamen kickoff.png|[[Dean Kamen]] on the playing field at [[kickoff]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45930]
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The field is a carpeted 12-sided regular polygon measuring 34 feet across. The border of the field is a 4 by 4 inch lumber curb with a wire fence surrounding the field. In the center of the field is a wooden goal structure surrounded by an 8 foot wide hexagon with a raised border that also forms part of the goal. The base of the goal has a series of 12 wooden dowels extending upwards to form a small cage, six of which extend upwards to support the upper portion of the goal 5 feet 2-1/2 inches off the ground.

Three robots in the pink/black, purple/yellow, and pink/green positions play one-on-one-on-one matches in the seeding rounds, with one-on-one semifinal and final matches. Robots start in three starting positions 120 degrees away from one another up against the field's curb. Each team has twelve matching color balls that start the match in two triangular formations of six balls each centered halfway between the center of the field and the curb. The two triangles of balls start rotated 90 degrees around the field away from the starting position of the team they score for.

Driver stations are against the side of the field with two black pipes extending upwards with soccer balls corresponding to the position of the station mounted on top.

<gallery perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:45575 - 1994 demo match robot.jpg|Getting ready for a match at the first [[Canada FIRST]] event, which used the Tower Power game [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45575]
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Balls that end the match anywhere in the 8 foot wide hexagonal area in the center of the field are worth one point. Balls in the bottom of the goal are also worth one point. Balls in the top of the goal are worth three points, meaning the maximum score was 36 points.

Each match lasts two minutes. The control system is automatically enabled and disabled when matches begin and end.

===Game strategy===

Scoring first was almost always advantageous and nearly every team focused on scoring balls in the high goal because of the point differential and potential abilities of the robots. Successful robots were able to intake and then score six balls at a time, allowing a theoretical perfect score after two cycles, one for each cluster of balls. Bucket dumper robots would collect as many of their balls as possible into a large bin which would then be lifted and tipped into the high portion of the goal. Catapults were also a fairly effective method of scoring high, especially consistent ones like National champion [[frc144|team 144]]'s Sunny Delight. Intake systems varied with rolling grabber intakes being fairly common as well as a track or tunnel directing balls to the shooter, dumper, or lifter.

Robots also had to contend with hopping the short curb surrounding the 8 foot wide hexagon in the center of the field. Some robots scored from right against the curb while others had large wheels to drive right over it. Other robots bounced over the curb, occasionally dislodging balls from their machine.

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File:45942 - 1994 1994cmp frc144 match robot.gif|[[frc144|Team 144]] launching balls in finals match one at the [[1994 FIRST Robotics Competition]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45942]
File:45939 - 1994 1994cmp frc-105 match robot.gif|[[frc-105|Team -105]] picks up a cluster of balls in finals match one at the [[1994 FIRST Robotics Competition]] [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/45942]
File:46013 - 1994 1994cmp frc191 match robot tagme.gif|[[frc191|Team 191]] extends upwards and scores [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/46013]
File:2682 - 1994 1994cmp frc-51 frc-98 frc213 frc811 match robot.jpg|[[frc-51|Team -51]] extending to score from the goal curb while [[frc-98|team -98]] scores from within  [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/2682]
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