Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

To miss a meal is also called "fasting".

Maybe we will have to pick up something heavy and move fast.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Any discussion regarding "holding weight"? The force to retain or hold an arrow in place?

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

What if they split kickoff into two days?

So on January 5th you get half the game and on January 6th you'd get the second half.

I don't know how I'd hold up for that one day time gap.

GDC has mastered cliffhangers.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Not to ignore the genius so far (have to admire the pi-ciphering), but feeling even more like there's a shooting game. "A DINNER MISSED, HOLDING WEIGHT" would easily parallel an archer going hungry when they don't release the bow.

As for the SEAL reference, that's for the other brain cell to work on.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

To me, the first thing that came to mind when I heard "A DINNER, MISSED/HOLDING WEIGHT" was dumbwaiters. They can carry meals between floors, for example from a dining room or kitchen to the room of someone not attending the formal meal, and they definitely hold weight.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

I can't see that happening, they have absolutely no reason to.

As for the hint, here's what I've come up with:

I agree with the theory suggesting the first two lines point to Seal. I think maybe we'll need to "seal" the scoring area to get more points (for example, with a trackball, as was suggested previously). The earlier this happens, the more points you get, so you'll have top find the balance between blocking the goal and scoring. The last two lines may suggest this as well. By blocking the goal, it "misses dinner" meaning it doesn't get anymore game pieces, yet it "holds weight" because the alliance still gets points, or rather keeps the points it would've made without "losing dinner".

Reading through what I just wrote, looks like a serious stretch... But heck, it might be right, in which case I'd feel stupid about not posting it.

Anyway, regardless of the hint, I think we'll see a return of a feature that disappeared in recent years: the center of the field being the focus of the game, both strategicly and physically (e.g. 2003's huge ramp, 2007's scoring pegs). I also agree with the common theory: this year will be an arm year. Though, I don't think this game will resemble Triple Play that much, because I don't beleave the GDC will follow the same pattern for 3 years in a row.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

Could a "Dinner missed" be refering to "The Hunger Games"? ;)

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

This almost sounds like a robotic gambling game, and I don't think FIRST would like to endorse gambling... it would be an interesting challenge though

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

That would certainly fit in with the "arts" theme

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

It was stated earlier, but the like about A DINNER, MISSED and HOLDING WEIGHT makes me think of collegiate wrestling. Perhaps a pushing match of some sort... Maybe robot sumo? If this was the case, the 3 motor trannies that recently came out may be of use.

Just my $0.02.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

"Holding Weight" just makes me think that at some point in the game, a robot will be completely off the ground, possibly being held by another robot or hanging....but those were already done in 2007 and 2004...

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

For the record, so was bridge balancing. Many end games have been repeated before: Lifting Yourself, lifting others. There's no reason they wouldnt do it again.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

I think this is a reference to the 2011 ftc endgame where robots had to hold buckets as high as possible for extra points. Maybe were doing a variation of this in this years game.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

I doubt that FIRST would end a game where full-size FRC robots would be holding up game pieces really high as students and field reset people were on the field.

Re: 2013 ACTUAL game hint!!!
 

The wrestling thing makes the most sense to me. It sounds to me like a hint that the robot will need to have a lighter final weight. A dinner missed would refer to the sacrifice that would have to be made in the design process.