View Full Version : When will the first official game hint be released?
raptaconehs
09-12-2013, 20:30
We are 3 weeks away from kickoff, but no hints are released yet. Anybody know when to expect the hints to be released?
Andrew Lawrence
09-12-2013, 20:31
Before kickoff, if there are any.
And in all seriousness, hopefully not until after next week. I'd like to be able to focus on finals.
When you're not expecting them to be released.
You can expect them when and if they are released.
Walter Deitzler
09-12-2013, 20:33
I think that Ryan Hall did some research last year that showed the average date of release for game hints was December 21st.
I would expect sometime around then.
cmrnpizzo14
09-12-2013, 20:36
I believe that it is usually within a week of Christmas. You can think of it like a stocking stuffer from FIRST, or a lump of coal depending on your thoughts about the clue that year ;)
You know, I think we'd better stop talking about hints until they are released (and we will put them on the forum them).
What if they are watching places like this forum, intentionally not releasing them because everyone is waiting!
Just an idea! I don't want to influence you to not post about hints!
Last year, the hint was released right at the beginning of finals week at our school. I'm pretty sure I missed at least one problem on each exam from thinking about the hint.
BrendanB
09-12-2013, 22:39
The less we talk about the game hints the faster they will come.
The less we talk about the game hints the faster they will come.
Exactly!
How do we know a hint hasn't been released already?
Has anyone checked the Nth letter of each of Frank's blog posts where N is the next Fibonacci number modulo number of years since FIRST was founded?
Well I was sitting in class today and thinking... What if we have the hints for next few years all lighned up in front of us for all FIRST competitions.
This year in FLL their was a majority of Block shaped pieces (the truck, the climb, the ambualance) and in FTC the challenges requires blocks. FRC it might requires blocks.
Last year was the year of the circle. FRC we had a disk which has a circle at the bottom of it, FTC? Rings!!!! which have circles!!! FLL? had a lot of circular challenges (like the bowling element.)
Maybe next year will be the year of the triangle and we will have lots of triangular pieces.
Now this is just a theory that is very weak and not supported very well.
I seem to recall seeing something about a square donut with a triangular cross section...
protoserge
10-12-2013, 08:57
Clearly the lack of a hint is a clue to the lack of a game! ;)
I don't understand the obsession with game hints :confused:
itsjustmrb
10-12-2013, 11:27
So here is the honesty check.
Did last year's hint actually help any teams :-)
So here is the honesty check.
Did last year's hint actually help any teams :-)
No, but we did have someone arbitrarily guess the game a couple of hours before kickoff. :D
Watch this, it's probably going to be something ridiculously hard to use, like frisbees.
AdamHeard
10-12-2013, 12:18
Probably in 3013... but Who knows?
How do we know a hint hasn't been released already?
Has anyone checked the Nth letter of each of Frank's blog posts where N is the next Fibonacci number modulo number of years since FIRST was founded?
You know when a game hint has been released, when something sent out from FIRST (or posted on the blog) clearly says GAME HINT on it.
For some reason this year has been the worst so far in threads begging for game hints and overanalyzing. There's a whole lot of passionate, engaged students out there. My usual message still stands: spend your time on other, non-FIRST endeavors while you still have time. Hang out with your family & friends. Go do something that doesn't have anything to do with robots for a little bit. Maybe you'll gain a new perspective on something that will actually help you during build. Most importantly, get some sleep.
Most importantly, get some sleep.
Quoted, bolded, and enlarged for truth.
Or, go study for finals. If you don't have finals, get ahead on some of that studying you might not do during build season.
xXTHEGUARDIANxX
10-12-2013, 15:29
sleep who needs sleep :D not me
im busy trying to figure this years game out and preparing for season sleep is non existent in my eyes :)
connor.worley
10-12-2013, 17:13
sleep who needs sleep :D not me
im busy trying to figure this years game out and preparing for season sleep is non existent in my eyes :)
You play a dangerous game.
DonRotolo
10-12-2013, 17:37
Most importantly, get some sleep.Sleep? What is this sleep of which you sp....ZZzzzzzzzz
BBray_T1296
10-12-2013, 17:45
You play a dangerous game.
The most dangerous game. Oh wait, nevermind. (* (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Most_Dangerous_Game))
Sleep and spend time with the people you will entirely ignore for the next 2 months
Richard Wallace
10-12-2013, 21:13
In olden times, former GDC member Dave Lavery used to post hints right here on CD, from which we could learn the exact nature of the FRC game -- IF we could decode them. Unfortunately, Dave's code was exceedingly complex. Something akin to translating all the technical facts into Kurdish, all the historical facts into Navajo, all the numerals into Chinese, and then scrambling the characters, re-encoding in EBCDIC, and then posting the final text in pig-latin. That explanation is actually a bit oversimplified. No one ever really understood any of Dave's hints.
indubitably
11-12-2013, 01:56
For some reason this year has been the worst so far in threads begging for game hints and overanalyzing. There's a whole lot of passionate, engaged students out there. My usual message still stands: spend your time on other, non-FIRST endeavors while you still have time. Hang out with your family & friends. Go do something that doesn't have anything to do with robots for a little bit. Maybe you'll gain a new perspective on something that will actually help you during build. Most importantly, get some sleep.
Idk, 2010 was probably the worst. The hints for the 2009 game were released very early in December and were pretty good. However, for the 2010 game, there was a red herring in November that made everyone crave an official hint that wasn't released until December 24th; it was pandemonium.
DampRobot
11-12-2013, 02:52
Idk, 2010 was probably the worst. The hints for the 2009 game were released very early in December and were pretty good. However, for the 2010 game, there was a red herring in November that made everyone crave an official hint that wasn't released until December 24th; it was pandemonium.
I believe that one of the hints for 2009 was a fish. Don't know about you, but I wouldn't have guessed low friction playing surface (or moon rocks) from that. I believe someone got moon out of that, but that wheat was pretty effectively hidden in the chaff.
2010 was the only year where someone actually used the hint to figure out what the game was going to be IIRC. Someone looked at the thickness of the polycarbonate sheet and estimated that soccer balls could fit nicely in it.
BrendanB
11-12-2013, 08:31
Why catch up on sleep now? If you can't get the sleep you need during build season you are clearly doing something wrong.
indubitably
11-12-2013, 11:28
I believe that one of the hints for 2009 was a fish. Don't know about you, but I wouldn't have guessed low friction playing surface (or moon rocks) from that. I believe someone got moon out of that, but that wheat was pretty effectively hidden in the chaff.
2010 was the only year where someone actually used the hint to figure out what the game was going to be IIRC. Someone looked at the thickness of the polycarbonate sheet and estimated that soccer balls could fit nicely in it.
Yeah, I was just saying the amount of posts begging for the game hint in 2010 was the worst.
1094Jacob
11-12-2013, 12:29
My usual message still stands: spend your time on other, non-FIRST endeavors while you still have time. Hang out with your family & friends. Go do something that doesn't have anything to do with robots for a little bit. Maybe you'll gain a new perspective on something that will actually help you during build. Most importantly, get some sleep.
A good non-FIRST endeavor would to be to study for your Amateur Radio License. :D The off-season is the only time I have to study for my Extra ticket.
Chris is me
11-12-2013, 12:46
2010 was the only year where someone actually used the hint to figure out what the game was going to be IIRC. Someone looked at the thickness of the polycarbonate sheet and estimated that soccer balls could fit nicely in it.
Fun bit of hint trivia: The 2007 game hint was used to determine the game piece of that year. Here's the post (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=543915&postcount=116)(the pictures are gone, but essentially he rendered a picture of a tube on a spider leg from the game hint)
Of course, the challenge's rules don't change if you figure out the game early, so it is of no help to you to do so. Not to mention that you won't know if you're right until the exact same time you'd figure out the game the regular way.
Steven Donow
11-12-2013, 12:56
Fun bit of hint trivia: The 2007 game hint was used to determine the game piece of that year. Here's the post (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=543915&postcount=116)(the pictures are gone, but essentially he rendered a picture of a tube on a spider leg from the game hint)
Of course, the challenge's rules don't change if you figure out the game early, so it is of no help to you to do so. Not to mention that you won't know if you're right until the exact same time you'd figure out the game the regular way.
Wasn't there also one year, early 00s, where the game hint was a BoM, and someone actually built part of the field, VERY similar to the final product?(IIRC it was for a double-level trailer similar to what was used in Lunacy...Zone Zeal?)
Dustin Shadbolt
11-12-2013, 14:53
In olden times, former GDC member Dave Lavery used to post hints right here on CD, from which we could learn the exact nature of the FRC game -- IF we could decode them. Unfortunately, Dave's code was exceedingly complex. Something akin to translating all the technical facts into Kurdish, all the historical facts into Navajo, all the numerals into Chinese, and then scrambling the characters, re-encoding in EBCDIC, and then posting the final text in pig-latin. That explanation is actually a bit oversimplified. No one ever really understood any of Dave's hints.
These were the best type of hints. Just random hints dropped throughout the forum. It always fun going through the hints after Kickoff and realizing the meaning of each hint.
If we get a hint, you will know about it.
Of course, the challenge's rules don't change if you figure out the game early, so it is of no help to you to do so. Not to mention that you won't know if you're right until the exact same time you'd figure out the game the regular way.
I'd say if you unscrambled the anagram "Vet hurdling FIRST tetra" from 08 and got the encrypted manual open, you'd be pretty sure that you were right.
In olden times, former GDC member Dave Lavery used to post hints right here on CD, from which we could learn the exact nature of the FRC game -- IF we could decode them. Unfortunately, Dave's code was exceedingly complex. Something akin to translating all the technical facts into Kurdish, all the historical facts into Navajo, all the numerals into Chinese, and then scrambling the characters, re-encoding in EBCDIC, and then posting the final text in pig-latin. That explanation is actually a bit oversimplified. No one ever really understood any of Dave's hints.
"No one ever really understood any of Dave's hints."??? How can you say that??!?!! I understood every single one of them!!! (and so did Bill Murray!) :)
-dave
..
Kristian Calhoun
12-12-2013, 17:09
I'd say if you unscrambled the anagram "Vet hurdling FIRST tetra" from 08 and got the encrypted manual open, you'd be pretty sure that you were right.
Except even if you solved the anagram, you couldn't decrypt the manual without the proper capitalization and punctuation (Drive!Straight?turn!LEFT!?).
DampRobot
12-12-2013, 20:01
-dave
..
Anyone know the history behind Dave putting a good inch of black space at the end of his posts? All the old ones I've seen seem to have this same "Dave gap" too.
Anyone know the history behind Dave putting a good inch of black space at the end of his posts? All the old ones I've seen seem to have this same "Dave gap" too.
From what I can tell, he just likes his posts to have extra white space. On the other hand, there are two dots at the end this time, rather than only one. Double the dots... Double the robots! :ahh:
I talked to FIRST, and they gave me a hint:
Boxes fly, robots stack
Lol. that's a joke!
The more we wait for the hint, the more time it will take for them to release it!
From what I can tell, he just likes his posts to have extra white space. On the other hand, there are two dots at the end this time, rather than only one. Double the dots... Double the robots! :ahh:
Oh, great. Dave and his Morse code strike again.
And I'm willing to bet that some portion of the game animation is currently busy on Dave's render farm... otherwise, why would he be out here stirring up confusion?
BBray_T1296
12-12-2013, 21:23
I believe that one of the hints for 2009 was a fish.
What do fish have? Tails
What comes to mind when I say "Fish Tail"? Fishtailing
What is "Fishtailing" referring to? Pulling a Trailer
Game Hint Explained
Walter Deitzler
12-12-2013, 21:26
What do fish have? Tails
What comes to mind when I say "Fish Tail"? Fishtailing
What is "Fishtailing" referring to? Pulling a Trailer
Game Hint Explained
Actually, I believe the fish in question was a moon fish...
BBray_T1296
12-12-2013, 21:27
Actually, I believe the fish in question was a moon fish...
Who said the hint had only one solution? We are dealing with some slippery fish here (no pun intended)
Richard Wallace
14-12-2013, 13:01
"No one ever really understood any of Dave's hints."??? How can you say that??!?!! I understood every single one of them!!! (and so did Bill Murray!) :)
-dave
..
Touche', Dave.
BTW, I notice a striking resemblance between your Other Car, and the Chinese 'Jade Rabbit' lunar rover. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Congratulations on continuing to inspire. :)
Now that China has joined the moon exploration club, and has several FRC teams, maybe FIRST should revisit Lunacy?
GaryVoshol
14-12-2013, 18:33
... maybe FIRST should revisit Lunacy?
With automated moonrock counters on the trailers!
Dominick Ferone
14-12-2013, 18:41
Did anyone figure out the rick astley hint from last year my guess was rick rolld flick rolld its frisbee but i am wondering was that actually the hint?
Jay O'Donnell
14-12-2013, 18:53
Did anyone figure out the rick astley hint from last year my guess was rick rolld flick rolld its frisbee but i am wondering was that actually the hint?
No FIRST was just trolling us.
nicholsjj
14-12-2013, 19:10
"No one ever really understood any of Dave's hints."??? How can you say that??!?!! I understood every single one of them!!! (and so did Bill Murray!) :)
-dave
..
I can't believe I missed this. Murray stared in the movie Osmosis Jones http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181739/ = Water Game! sorry had to :D .
runneals
14-12-2013, 22:12
I don't know if anyone remembered the survey FIRST sent out from last year, but they asked a question about procuring game pieces on it (which wasn't really a hint). I would think the GDC would do something along the lines of ultimate ascent, by having easy to procure game pieces.
In looking at past games, it seems like the GDC really likes sports (1992 - tennis balls, 2008 - yoga type balls, 1994 & 2010 - Soccer Balls, 2012 - Basketball, 2013 - Ultimate Frisbee). I LOVE how they work with sports themes, so we can relate our work with robots to games & game pieces that many people are familiar with.
The GDC gave us a somewhat difficult challenge by making us work with frisbees last year, so maybe this year is another odd game such as a football game (https://twitter.com/frcneutrino/status/352822721199095809/photo/1), golf game (ouch) with WATER features ;), or maybe even a NASCAR/Indy Car type #racingrobots (http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/frc-teams-join-indycar-racers-charlie-kimball-and-josef-newgarden-for-the-ultimate-roborivalry-trackside) game?
But really...
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iSv86vpWzoA/T9YTQU1GzoI/AAAAAAAAB-o/UCaMWANaQSg/s1600/sky-is-the-limit.jpg
Andrew Lawrence
14-12-2013, 22:16
a NASCAR/Indy Car type #racingrobots (http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/frc-teams-join-indycar-racers-charlie-kimball-and-josef-newgarden-for-the-ultimate-roborivalry-trackside) game?
See: Overdrive, 2008
The GDC gave us a somewhat difficult challenge by making us work with frisbees last year, so maybe this year is another odd game such as a football game (https://twitter.com/frcneutrino/status/352822721199095809/photo/1), golf game (ouch) with WATER features ;), or maybe even a NASCAR/[URL="http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/frc-teams-join-indycar-racers-charlie-kimball-and-josef-newgarden-for-the-ultimate-roborivalry-trackside"]Indy Car type #racingrobots]
In one of the Behind the design videos, they talked about how one member of the GDC suggests a football game piece every year.
DampRobot
15-12-2013, 01:53
In one of the Behind the design videos, they talked about how one member of the GDC suggests a football game piece every year.
Unlike a water, game, I'd bet it will actually come up one of these years. And I'm thinking that next year could be that year.
Andrew Lawrence
15-12-2013, 01:55
Unlike a water, game, I'd bet it will actually come up one of these years. And I'm thinking that next year could be that year.
I wonder how we can make that out of COTS parts and build it as quickly as possible...
chris_odonnell
15-12-2013, 17:35
What if the hint is already released but RP-1 style? Like, all you have to do is print out the FRC Blog page, look for occurrences of typographical errors, those will spell out the location to the secret... oh nevermind, way too complicated ;-)
What if the hint is already released but RP-1 style? Like, all you have to do is print out the FRC Blog page, look for occurrences of typographical errors, those will spell out the location to the secret... oh nevermind, way too complicated ;-)
NOTHING is too complicated for the GDG. Nothing.
Christopher149
15-12-2013, 20:19
What if the hint is already released but RP-1 style? Like, all you have to do is print out the FRC Blog page, look for occurrences of typographical errors, those will spell out the location to the secret... oh nevermind, way too complicated ;-)
It just hit me upside the head what you meant with "RP-1". You mean Ready Player One, right? That was a fantastic book.
On to the speculation: maybe the errors of threes and fours, coupled with dates, produce something like Morse code.<evil laugh>
Damiaen_Florian
15-12-2013, 21:38
Did anyone figure out the rick astley hint from last year my guess was rick rolld flick rolld its frisbee but i am wondering was that actually the hint?
From my understanding that was never technically an official "Game hint" all that was labeled with that picture was "A look inside the GDC lab" I think we all just got a little excited and speculated it like crazy:D
Dominick Ferone
17-12-2013, 16:23
From my understanding that was never technically an official "Game hint" all that was labeled with that picture was "A look inside the GDC lab" I think we all just got a little excited and speculated it like crazy:D
So your saying i guessed the game based off a troll?
Also by the pictures they keeping posting up on facebook and twitter with throw back Thursday it seems they keep showing ones involving kick balls? coincidence
I think that Ryan Hall did some research last year that showed the average date of release for game hints was December 21st.
Taken from this thread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110012) from last year (and updated info for 2013):
Did some investigating myself:
2013 (Kickoff Date: 1/5/13) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110159) (12/21/12)
2012 (Kickoff Date: 1/7/12) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98583) (12/02/11)
2011 (Kickoff Date: 1/8/11) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88030) (12/21/10), 2nd Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88242) (1/4/11)
2010 (Kickoff Date: 1/9/10) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79453) (12/24/09), 2nd Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79637) (1/6/10)
2009 (Kickoff Date: 1/10/09 ) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70345&highlight=game+hint) (12/4/08), 2nd Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70514) (12/11/08),
2008 (Kickoff Date: 1/12/08) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60132) (12/15/07), 2nd Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60297) (12/21/07), 3rd Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60580) (1/02/08)
2007 (Kickoff Date: 1/13/07) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50637) (12/21/06)
2006 (Kickoff Date: 1/7/06) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41013) (12/23/05)
2005 (Kickoff Date: 1/8/05) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32010) (12/30/04)
2004 (Kickoff Date: 1/10/04) = 1st Game Hint (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23399) (1/6/04)
Based on this data:
1. On average, a 1st game hint would be released 21 days before Kickoff, which would be December 14th, 2013.
2. On average, a 2nd game hint would be released 15 days before Kickoff, which would be December 20th, 2013.
3. On average, a 3rd game hint would be released 10 days before Kickoff, which would be December 25th, 2013.
4. The most common day for the first hint to be released is also December 21st.
5. The most common day for any hint to be released is also December 21st.
6. The second most common day for any hint to be released is January 6th.
7. 2012 was the first time after 4 years of more than one hint being released.
I actually totally forgot that I even did this research last year...thanks for reminding me! :yikes:
And I'll add on:
8. The only year that there were 3 game hints was 2008.
9. Out of the past 10 years, there was only more than one game hint for 4 of them (interestingly, these were 4 consecutive years).
My guess for this year's game hint (yes, I think there'll only be one): Friday, December 20th (since December 21st is a Saturday).
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