This is the third step in the Strategic Design process, where we will focus on actions—specifically, scoring actions. Before you continue, please be sure to review prior steps (see the list in the Strategic Design process article).
A scoring action is any task that directly affects the point total in a match, either by increasing a team’s score or reducing an opponent’s score. Identifying every possible scoring opportunity in a game is critical, even if you think you won’t be willing or able to actually do it during a match. Calling out whether or not it’s strategically advantageous to do a task is not part of this step. Your only focus should be whether or not you are allowed to.
An example of this in real life is the opportunity to “get groceries” as a generic task. There are lots of specific ways to get groceries: you could have them delivered to your home, you could drive to the store, walk to the store, fly to a store halfway across the country, or you could even grow your own food. Flying to a store across the country is technically still an option even if you can’t afford it, and driving is still possible even if you don’t have a car. These are both perfectly legal options and need to be identified as possible solutions to the problem. But note: we didn’t even discuss what kind of groceries we’re going to get.
Best practices for capturing ideas:
- Be flexible. Use tools that offer easy reorganization of ideas, such as digital platforms like Miro or physical methods like sticky notes on a whiteboard or wall.
- Document each idea separately.
- Use broad action language and generic action words to describe a design, mechanism, or function that focus on “what” instead of “how.” For example, list "score the game piece" rather than specifying methods like “shoot” or “place.”
- Don’t worry about order; we will put these strategies into a specific order later on in the process. For now, just write everything down and display it where everyone can see.
Scoring opportunities to consider:
- Movement: In order to score points, it’s likely you’ll need to move. Subtasks may consider tradeoffs like torque vs speed, omni-directional vs tank, etc.
- Obtain game pieces: In order to score a game piece, you have to obtain it first. Think less about how you’re going to do it, and more about where you get them from. Obtaining an object from the floor often requires a much different action than obtaining it from a higher or obstructed position.
- Score game pieces: Identify all of the locations that award points for performing the action of scoring. Frequently scoring locations have varying degrees of awarded points based on which action your robot completes.
- One time actions: Some games include unique scoring actions that may only be completed once, such as bonuses during autonomous periods, end-game tasks, or special incentives based on possession or positioning.
Learn More About Strategic Design
Continue to the next article in this series, Using the Strategic Design Method to Calculate Value of Scoring Opportunities, to move on to the next step.
Credits
This version of Strategic Design is inspired by the work of Karthik Kanagasabapathy, the originator of Strategic Design in competition robotics, and the ideas are used with his permission. Karthik is a former Chair of the VEX Robotics Game Design Committee and a respected mentor in the robotics community. Additional information was provided by the mentors of team 2337, the EngiNERDs, from Grand Blanc High School in Grand Blanc, Michigan.