View Full Version : [FRC Blog] Kickoff!
Posted on the FRC Blog (http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/), 1/3/17: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/2017-kickoff-broadcast
Kickoff!
Written by Frank Merrick, 2017 JAN 03.
Are You Ready for Some FIRST® STEAMWORKS™?
Oh, man. Kickoff. Can you feel it? Like you're in the subway, looking down the tunnel, waiting, and you think you hear a noise, and feel a rumble, and suddenly this magnificent multi-ton metal monstrosity clanks and rattles and thunders into view, stops with its doors at your feet, opens them with a whoosh, and politely invites you to climb aboard with a smiling "and how is your day?". It's like that! Who could say no?
Kickoff
FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff is this Saturday, January 7th (Yeah, it is! I'm grinning as I'm writing this...) at 10:30 AM Eastern. The pre-show for the broadcast starts at 10:00AM. You can watch it all here (http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/2017-broadcast). The main portion of the Kickoff broadcast, up through the game reveal animation, will be short and sweet, well under 30 minutes, and will be followed afterward by a live viewing of the actual field. This will then be followed by field tour videos that will give you more detailed information on the field and how it works. We encourage you to watch the field tour videos, and they will be available on our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/FRCTeamsGlobal) shortly after Kickoff, so you can watch later if you are so excited about the game after seeing the animation you find it hard to concentrate.
This year we are pleased to announce that we are using a new platform to broadcast the live stream: twitch.tv. Twitch, which started with an orientation toward video games but branched out, is now a part of Amazon, and they are providing a good streaming solution for FIRST. We know, though, this is a change, so we want to take steps ahead of time to ensure the success. We encourage you to test your ability to connect to twitch.tv from your anticipated viewing location by using the Kickoff link above. A constant loop of video will be running until Kickoff through our Twitch channel, and embedded at the Kickoff link, with occasional breaks for internal testing. Kickoff Coordinators were made aware of this change earlier, and have been encouraged to test their streaming connection for official Kickoff locations.
Founder's Reception
If you want a little appetizer the night before the main course, check out the broadcast from Founder's Reception, starting at 6:30PM Eastern on Friday, January 6th. Interviews with guests start at 7:00PM. Founder's Reception, hosted by Dean every year at his home, is a celebration of Mentors and all they do! Join us for the fun, and get a sense for what it's like to be there! You can see the broadcast for Founder's Reception at the same link above (http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/2017-broadcast) that will be used for Kickoff.
These Teams are Ready!
Check out this totally sweet FIRST STEAMWORKS build space sign created by sibling FIRST Robotics Competition Teams 3275, the Regulators, and 3134, the Accelerators , both from Cass Lake-Bena High School in Cass Lake, Minnesota, USA. This 1/8" steel design was plasma cut using a CNC machine.
http://firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/frc/Blog/steamworks-3134-3275.jpg
Great work, teams!
Frank
DonRotolo
03-01-2017, 18:34
Is the banana a game hint? :p
Is the banana a game hint? :p
Banana for scale
PopeRyanI
03-01-2017, 18:45
Is the banana a game hint? :p
Well, it could be the game element. It would fit the pattern. Besides the whole steamworks thing, but that doesn't really matter.
Banana for scale
Scaling endgame confirmed?
Richard Wallace
03-01-2017, 18:51
Banana for scale
Slip on banana peel, fall down manhole, get pumped through steam plant, launch upward out of smokestack, land in gondola of hot air balloon, ...
Typical steampunk adventure.
Bkeeneykid
03-01-2017, 19:00
Anyone else now have that test stream in a permanent background window just incase? You never know where they're going to hide those game hints.
And Ryan is back for the start of the season!!
Sam Skoglund
03-01-2017, 19:02
"Like you're in the subway, looking down the tunnel, waiting, and you think you hear a noise, and feel a rumble, and suddenly this magnificent multi-ton metal monstrosity clanks and rattles and thunders into view, stops with its doors at your feet, opens them with a whoosh, and politely invites you to climb aboard with a smiling "and how is your day?". It's like that!"
Game Hint???
"Like you're in the subway, looking down the tunnel, waiting, and you think you hear a noise, and feel a rumble, and suddenly this magnificent multi-ton metal monstrosity clanks and rattles and thunders into view, stops with its doors at your feet, opens them with a whoosh, and politely invites you to climb aboard with a smiling "and how is your day?". It's like that!"
Game Hint???
Definitely.
Ichlieberoboter
03-01-2017, 19:10
"Like you're in the subway, looking down the tunnel, waiting, and you think you hear a noise, and feel a rumble, and suddenly this magnificent multi-ton metal monstrosity clanks and rattles and thunders into view, stops with its doors at your feet, opens them with a whoosh, and politely invites you to climb aboard with a smiling "and how is your day?". It's like that!"
Game Hint???
Dude that's what I'm thinking maybe something with a train or train tracks..?
My only point of contention is that quite a few schools block TwitchTV. Simulcasting to YouTube and Twitch may have been a better way to go.
Word of advice, check before kickoff that Twitch isn't blocked. It'd stink to get your students there only to find the site blocked.
At least the game reveal video is on YouTube regardless :P
dirtbikerxz
03-01-2017, 19:15
My only point of contention is that quite a few schools block TwitchTV. Simulcasting to YouTube and Twitch may have been a better way to go.
At least the game reveal video is on YouTube regardless :P
Our school blocks it, but luckily teachers can sign in and "bypass" the block
MechEng83
03-01-2017, 19:16
My only point of contention is that quite a few schools block TwitchTV. Simulcasting to YouTube and Twitch may have been a better way to go.
At least the game reveal video is on YouTube regardless :P
This.
Twitch is blocked in most schools. Fail, FIRST. Fail.
Billfred
03-01-2017, 19:30
This.
Twitch is blocked in most schools. Fail, FIRST. Fail.
ChiefDelphi was blocked when I started with 1618 back in 2006. The teacher went to the district IT people, stated the case, and it was unblocked.
The last two years when I was the Kickoff coordinator for South Carolina, we got streaming information well in advance with opportunities to test it with a dummy video and make any needed adjustments with the IT staff (if only for the weekend).
I'm not a Kickoff coordinator this year, so I don't know when the email went out to coordinators. But this isn't their first time at the rodeo.
"Like you're in the subway, looking down the tunnel, waiting, and you think you hear a noise, and feel a rumble, and suddenly this magnificent multi-ton metal monstrosity clanks and rattles and thunders into view, stops with its doors at your feet, opens them with a whoosh, and politely invites you to climb aboard with a smiling "and how is your day?". It's like that!"
Game Hint???
Trains = Pulling Trailers
I'm thinking a 2009 + 2011 type of game with drones as minibots...
MooreteP
03-01-2017, 19:43
A train on rails has been discussed in past game designs ideas.
Makes sense with Steam Engines.
Getting on board?
Loading a coal car?
Moving a train up an inclined rail track for the endgame would be an engaging spectacle for spectators.
Oh gravity.
End game with elevating alliance partners as in 2007?
I saw "BREAK AWAY" in the test video...So will there be a similarity to 2010?
s_forbes
03-01-2017, 19:48
Trains = Pulling Trailers
I'm thinking a 2009 + 2011 type of game with drones as minibots...
This would combine everyone's favorite game aspects! Lunacy with minibots, what's not to love?
Lil' Lavery
03-01-2017, 19:48
My only point of contention is that quite a few schools block TwitchTV. Simulcasting to YouTube and Twitch may have been a better way to go.
At least the game reveal video is on YouTube regardless :P
This is my concern as well. I'm an avid Twitch user, but most web services will label it as "video games" and thus block it.
ChiefDelphi was blocked when I started with 1618 back in 2006. The teacher went to the district IT people, stated the case, and it was unblocked.
The last two years when I was the Kickoff coordinator for South Carolina, we got streaming information well in advance with opportunities to test it with a dummy video and make any needed adjustments with the IT staff (if only for the weekend).
I'm not a Kickoff coordinator this year, so I don't know when the email went out to coordinators. But this isn't their first time at the rodeo.
Not every team send their students to a kickoff location. Some just send a few representatives to pick up their kit of parts. While I was with 116, we always watched the kickoff together from our build site. Those teams now only have a few days to get Twitch unblocked by their school IT.
Not every team send their students to a kickoff location. Some just send a few representatives to pick up their kit of parts. While I was with 116, we always watched the kickoff together from our build site. Those teams now only have a few days to get Twitch unblocked by their school IT.
Same situation for us... I think I can bypass our filter with my one teacher computer, but we were planning on streaming it to three rooms at our school, since we will have 3 teams coming over to watch it with us. With school out until Monday, chances are small I can get our IT folks to fix it by Sat. Gee thanks for the heads up FIRST... Argghhh... I don't mind the change, but seriously, why do you wait until the last second to announce these changes!!
Thayer McCollum
03-01-2017, 20:43
Please tell me that I'm not the only one disappointed by the fact that they didn't release the encrypted game manual in this post. I saw that Frank made a post about kickoff and I was sure it would have the manual in it. But alas, no. Having it would give me some piece of mind. But oh well I suppose. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PayneTrain
03-01-2017, 20:43
ChiefDelphi was blocked when I started with 1618 back in 2006. The teacher went to the district IT people, stated the case, and it was unblocked.
The last two years when I was the Kickoff coordinator for South Carolina, we got streaming information well in advance with opportunities to test it with a dummy video and make any needed adjustments with the IT staff (if only for the weekend).
I'm not a Kickoff coordinator this year, so I don't know when the email went out to coordinators. But this isn't their first time at the rodeo.
We draw straws* and send 4 unlucky** guests to the local official kickoff to do the song and dance while we settle in a mile away at the school. While some of us have school networks we can poke through or flexible and communicative IT directors, some of us don't, and getting such short notice to rectify the issue is a bit of a bummer.
*I pick people if we don't get volunteers
**unlucky in the sense that we have a much better breakfast at the school than at the local kickoff, eat your heart out VCU :)
Jon Stratis
03-01-2017, 20:53
My only point of contention is that quite a few schools block TwitchTV. Simulcasting to YouTube and Twitch may have been a better way to go.
At least the game reveal video is on YouTube regardless :P
I don't remember if it was in a blog post, email blast, or Twitter, but I've known they were broadcasting through twitch for most of the past month. We cleared it through the school's IT staff before the Christmas holidays.
Some schools block YouTube. Or Facebook. Or Twitter. Schools block all sorts of sites. The best they can do is announce ahead of time and let teams manage access themselves.
Edit: found a CD post from 12/23 referencing Twitter as a source for the original twitch announcement: https://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1623266&postcount=9
I was watching the stream, because who needs homework, and was wondering if anyone knows if the Competition Video that they are playing (https://clips.twitch.tv/firstinspires/VictoriousWoodpeckerItsBoshyTime) is available anyhwhere. It has a good beat for videos, and itd be good promo! thanks :)
waialua359
03-01-2017, 22:04
Please tell me that I'm not the only one disappointed by the fact that they didn't release the encrypted game manual in this post. I saw that Frank made a post about kickoff and I was sure it would have the manual in it. But alas, no. Having it would give me some piece of mind. But oh well I suppose. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I agree.
It would be nice to put it all on our laptops/desktops while we are trying to prep for build season which is just several days from now.
The banana is just for scale upon request. Frank seems like a great guy and our teams are happy to be recognized by "the big wigs" at FIRST!!
Good luck to all teams. Can hardly wait for kickoff.
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