Re: 2014 Game
 

Looks interesting. Hopefully FIRST will make this legal in future years. It would be good for teams that find it difficult to afford to put more motors on their bot because they cant afford the speed controllers to go with them.

Re: 2014 Game
 

In my opinion Andymark can sell anything they want to for the general publc to purchase and it has nothing to do with FIRST. I am completely against the water game idea because think seriously, many teams have a great difficulty with robots on land, majority of teams will fail miserably with a water game. If you want a water game with robots join a MATE team. A water game would be to costly to put on and set up for six weeks of competition, plus Championships and many offseason events like Battlecry, IRI, Texas Round Up or Battle at the Border.

Re: 2014 Game
 

More stuff: some viable, mostly outrageous as thought starters. . . .

SIMULATE water like a ball pit. It provides “viscosity”, and you don’t want “water” in your mechanism so you should make your robot “waterproof”. But how do you manage all of that “water”?

CURLING: with recent Canadian domination, the rest of the world should rise to the challenge. AND taa-daa, the return or REGOLITH ! ! !

Think of carney games: like hoops on a post (turn 2011 by pi/2 radians); landing a game object on an elevated platform (similar to the 2013 top of the pyramid).

Something like “Score-Four” with a 2007 spoiler for fun. Enter at top or sides. . . . Multiple scoring sites, different from 2007. Or, just stack tubes and “Score-Four’.

Think of traditional birthday games: drop clothespins into a bottle; pin the tail on the donkey (no camera guidance—dead reckoning)?

Transport a stack of something like wait staff racing with trays of filled glasses. The taller the stack to the objective, the more points are awarded. So a stack of height one still gets a point. Now for unrelated things to stack: fribee on a track ball. Wait . . . . . TRACK BALL on a FRISBEE. . . .

Not sure anything from a rodeo would apply. . . .

Feather bowling: at least the game piece is somewhat irregular. Bocce ball? At least no regolith.

Tiddlywinks? Pitchin’ pennies (or some other disk). Marbles?

Re: 2014 Game
 

In my opinion the game for next year should be themed off of the Olympics. Maybe one event off the olympics, like hockey and I know Canadian teams love that idea.

Re: 2014 Game
 

It's been 4 years so breakaway 2.0. The new scoring system is much more complex. Balls from the middle and far zone are counted as more points(2 and 3 points). There could also be a third goal on a side that is well off the ground as a double score goal. For the end game each Alliance throws in one uber ball that's worth 3x a normal . there's a lot of ways to update well known games. And it's just an idea

Re: 2014 Game
 

Can't see curling working well (sounds like 2010 with rocks instead of balls) but stacking robots would be cool. Big challenge for mechanical team (and electrical; I can see mass graves of motor controllers)



As far as I can tell, 2013 was even better received. It seems like the biggest difference between 2012/2013 and previous games was the integration of the endgame into the rest of the gameplay. (example: Instead of just being there during auto, the pyramids dictated how many discs your bot could start with and defined a very structured set of starting bot positions)

Re: 2014 Game
 

For 2014 I hope to see another game that is easy to follow and will be exciting to the general public. I would also like to see a major change to something that would make everyone on the same playing level again instead of teams that have had years to master certain traits that carry over to each game. Maybe a slick floor :) Maybe someone can help me understand but a "water game" is confusing and why is there such a huge push for one??

Re: 2014 Game
 

Just a running joke on Chief Delphi. Here's a video highlighting that and a few other things from Exploding Bacon.

Re: 2014 Game
 

http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Sport...+the+dark+ball

hmmmm.......

there is also a glow in the dark bocce ball.....

Re: 2014 Game
 

We almost bought these for bunnybots this year :) (ping pong ball hoarding game)

Re: 2014 Game
 

I'd like to start seeing mixes of past games. Combine components of 2 games and fuze them. For example, blend Lunacy and Over Drive. The robots will race in circles and while racing try to score points in opponents trailers. It would be a way to look at what worked in the past and blending. Now, would my mechanical team be happy, no, but it would be an interesting concept.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I believe that golf would be almost more likely than Hockey, but I'd say both are good guesses. The sport games are going over so well.

Re: 2014 Game
 

How about barrel racing? With the minibot? :D

Re: 2014 Game
 

what about a rescue game? that seems like a good idea

Re: 2014 Game
 

I think hockey would be a fun game to design for,(receiving the puck and shooting it out again) and it would also be very fun to watch. Because i know the unspeakable year 2009 has scarred many of you for life with the regolith feilds, hkey could be played without changing the floor material by adding rollers onto the bottom of the pucks. If the game is played like real hokey, there would be lots of contact and fighting for control of the puck, so defending the opposing alliance's robot away from the puck would be a valuable skill. It's also something that the BLTs and rookies could focus on and still be a valuable alliance partner. That said, the veterans and really good rookies (hopefully us this season) would focus on puck handling and scoring.

To keep play going after a score, one robot on the alliance that just got scored on would load a puck from the human player and then play would resume. The rules would be set so that members of the scoring alliance must be in their zone within 5 seconds of a goal happening, and can return to the other side after the puck is brought into the field of play.

Autonomous mode could be each robot shooting a preloaded puck into their goal. Robots would be lined up across from each other like this ~_~_~_. The end game is a little difficult, i can't come up with anything right now..... maybee the end game would be dropped because scoring would take such a long time with any passable defence.

That's my opinion, I hope the guys on the GDC read cd and pick this one up:D

Re: 2014 Game
 

I am a huge hockey fan (I love my St. Louis Blues!) and would love to see a hockey FRC game. Unfortunately, I don't think that it could be played like a real hockey game.

I think if it were hockey the regaloth would be a must. In hockey the ice is a major component on the game, and taking it out by using rollers wouldn't be much of a comparison.

Defense and checking is a huge variable in hockey, but being able to make a fight in FRC? that would be hard, when no one can get a 5 minute penalty or break a jaw. And everytime there is an incident will the refs stop the game? I doubt it.

Also, with the standard format of a 2 and 1/2 ish minute long game, it would be hard for much scoring to really occur using only one puck.

As much as I wish real hockey could be played, I just don't think the current situation is a very good fit. Now, if they played it Rebound Rumble style, this would be a great game. :)

Re: 2014 Game
 

Unless the pucks are Frisbee sized, I doubt we will be playing a hockey game next year. The GDC wants the games to kind of be self-explanatory and easy to understand to the public. Although hockey is an easy to understand and fun to watch sport in real life, I doubt that it would translate well to robots.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I think that some little kids games could be fun:
Hide and seek
Tag
Red light, green light
Freeze tag

:p
I just have fun trying to imagine these.

What about Lazar Tag? With some kind of twist maybe for an end game or autonomous period

Re: 2014 Game
 

hysterical - I don't want to be on the other end of the field getting tackled by the robots though....

What about a version of simon says...autonomous would be crazy. a specific set of lights go and the robot has to take a certain position, move an arm, etc.

My favorite idea for a game:
Two separate sides, autonomous I haven't figured out, but during teleop a big black curtain comes up between the two sides of the field; your alliance has to stack boxes really tall on your own side; then, during the last 30 seconds the curtains come down and balls are put onto the field by your human player through some form of shoot that passively puts them on the field. your robot collects them and has to throw them at the opponents stacks of boxes, your robot cannot reach over to the other side of the field; also some other thing to do during the last 30 seconds so a good alliance will have someone else doing the third thing such as hanging on a high bar, flipping over, whatever. Two robots doing something with the third throwing balls to eliminate the other alliances score. There is not going to be a lot of robot robot hard smashing contact, but it would be kind-of cool to have the element of surprise once the curtain falls. Your team gets points for how high the boxes are stacked maybe exponentially or doubled. Depends upon the number of boxes available. Stacked boxes are a minimum of one box on top of another, hence stacked.

Oh yeah, during the last 5 seconds you can shoot the firehose at the other boxes...hence the water game. :)

Re: 2014 Game
 

What about a Capture the Flag style of game? I'm not sure how it could be executed but it's an idea at least.

Re: 2014 Game
 

^^^ THIS is brilliant. GDC please consider. :eek:

1. Easy to understand for the crowd
2. Requires good strategies
3. Exciting and fast-paced
4. Short duration

Love it.

Re: 2014 Game
 

But the problem is that it requires little to no innovation. A good driver with a good, fast drive train is literally the solution to all these games. Sure more teams will take up mechanum or swerve drive, but it squashes a creative spirit.

That being said, tag would be fun to play. :D

With some twists for auton and endgame, it can be doable. And some field elements to make teleop not straightforward.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Hockey would be fun.
Reuse the frisbees from this year as the puck.
Reuse the regolith field type from 2009.
Add in the bumps from 2010 as the centerline and zone lines.
Have a "lift the cup" type end game where alliances have to lift each other up like in 2007.
Each alliance can have a "goalie" robot that can shoot frisbees from a feeding slot.

Re: 2014 Game
 

The field has bumps like 2010, on the 2009 floor with the 2008 balls. Robots must put the balls on a rack held up by chains. The endgame is minibots climbing a pyramid that is balanced on a ramp that the robots must balance.

On the topic of hockey, I think it would be really cool (Canada would win it, of course). However, I seriously doubt that they would do 3 shooting games in a row and the ball/no ball pattern predicts that the next main game piece will be a ball. The 2009 floors, though everyone hates them(and for good reason) presented a very unique challenge that can't be matched by things like bumps in the floor. I agree, it was definitely not the best game they've come up with but I won't say that it did not present a very unique challenge.

I also would like to see a 1992 reboot:p

Re: 2014 Game
 

If a watergame does happen, it won't be an entire field made of water. Sure, we have sealed electrical components but the task of trying to get a 120lb robot to both be able to float and move around would be ridiculous. The field itself would be expensive to produce, and would weigh a ton with all that water. If there is water, it will be something like a kiddie pool in the middle of the field that robots collect game pieces from.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Street Hockey. It follows the Ball/no ball pattern you have mentioned and is still hockey. They could even change the 30 second whistle to a guy yelling "CAR!!!" to make it that much more authentic :p.

Re: 2014 Game
 

That would be awesome. It was decently easy to pick up and hang a tube in 2011 but if that peg was moving around the field... Teams would have to come up with creative designs to be able to stack tubes while moving or quickly enough that the opposing robot can't get away.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I just thought of something. I have been really skeptical of people's "conclusions" based on the gift that was given to the Dean's List winners (they've come up with some pretty crazy stuff, mostly involving water... lol). I think that everyone's taking it too literally.
However I think it could shed some light (no pun intended) on a hockey game. What if the pucks glowed in the dark or had a decently bright light on them? This would help the viewers see the pucks as well as the robot operators. It could also be set up in a way that it glows in a color that the robots can track.

Also, I don't see any way that hockey could be played with only one puck. FIRST never makes sports games with the standard number of gamepieces. There would almost certainly be lots of pucks on the field.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I absolutely love this game. I've thought of turning it into a FIRST game myself.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I predict many stripped gears and broken claws going on with this. Brace yourselves, Mechanical team!

Re: 2014 Game
 

This would definitely be interesting, it would require some teams to make a robot that was very fast to gain points.

I was thinking like a game where if your robot is within a certain zone you get points, and some of the zones for more points would be in hard to get to places, like on top of a bump.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Sorry everyone... but the regolith will not be coming back ever. Reason is that it was found out after champs that the dust kicked up from it is directly related to emphysema and other health problems.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I don't know what the actual game will be like, but since FIRST handed out the glow-in-the-dark merchandise I have had a very strong feeling that drivers will be driving with the visual help of an on-board camera. Perhaps the game will be made to work well with relying on sensor and other feedback from your robot.

I think it would be cool to have the driver station away from the field or set up in such a way where the drivers can't see the field and have to rely on their on board cameras and sensors to play the game

Re: 2014 Game
 

Me too. I think if this is what FIRST is implying, the 2014 game could be a lot of fun to compete in.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Unfortunately, I'd have to disagree. Personally, as someone obsessed with FIRST, I am sick and tired or the shooting thing. I want something new, something complicated, and something with optional cooperation (note thats note coopertition). Just as a side note, I doubt FIRST limits themselves to a set pattern. These are people, not programs. They just like to mix it up every year, as would I. If they had some stellar idea for a non ball item for 2014, I think they'd use it...

2012 was alright, shooting was quite difficult, the cooperation on the bridges was nice, but the coopertition bridge? That threw a wrench into a lot of strategy (and scouting for that matter). It was SO important, and the way simply balancing with an opponent, which was not that hard, could double your take from the match was way to much credit for a tiny act. Regardless, I think it forced teams into a hostile position, where you could easily just screw another team on purpose to take a win, or if you honestly couldnt do it the opponent would suspect you of mal-intent...

But it was exciting, and I think FIRST liked that for once non robotics people could easily understand the game, follow it, and watch a obvious showdown between opponents on the edge of their seat. Face it, flying projectiles and buzzer shots from across the field is more exciting than hanging pool inner-tubes on a peg.

Fast Forward to 2013. The game is a shooting game again. Teleop and Auton are pretty much refurbished game modes from 2012. Hoops are vertical, large, and rectangular. Basketballs are now Frisbees. In Auton, have the robots start somewhere and give them more points if they make the shots. There are more game pieces somewhere accessible on the field, but you must drive to get them. Its the same. But it is much easier. In 2012, Teleop was hard and End Game was easy. Now, Teleop is easy (much easier than I think most of us initially thought) and the End Game was hard. Shooting discs? Still exciting and a crowd pleaser. End Game? Now even more exciting with robots ascending a large metal structure, so high and dangerously that they must be repelled down. But now direct cooperation is gone. People dont climb together or pass the game piece. Its a very separable game, and robots can pretty much go about their business on the field (of course there are exceptions, like how to handle a FCS...). I liked having to actually work out a team plan that didn't take place in que.

Now what will we see in 2014? Well, following the excitement trend, it has to be spectacular. And shooting is really cool. If they kept it twice now, they obviously dont mind repeating tactics year to year. Why would they stop at 2?


Now that would be cool. This wont happen, but it would be awesome if they instituted some kind of LPS (L for Local, instead of G for Global) . Get your coords on the field at anytime... Programmer heaven.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I would love to see a game where there is no limit to how tall your robot can be. A little like the 2012 ftc game, but you don't score points just by being tall. Some how the taller your robot gets the more advantage you have for scoring.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I think it would make sense to have a hockey game. They have had shooting games for the past couple of years and that would be a cool change up. Plus there is a great chance to make alliances work together well with a hockey theme.

Re: 2014 Game
 

A hockey theme would be great. But full out hockey with a tiny (if not one) amount of pucks would be unbearable. You would be completely dependent on your alliance. I really would not like my entire chance at winning to be based on a random number generator

Re: 2014 Game
 

Moving gaming peices like giant balls or moveable turntables in the center with game pieces that a random judge can control.
just some crazy ideas

Re: 2014 Game
 

Here's a (horrible) idea for a mix.
Take the stacking/knocking down opponents stacks/figuring out what to do with a bin on its side from 03 and add the regolith from 09. Then, for the end game add the goals from 2001, but instead of balancing them on a bridge, pull up the robot+goals on a chin up bar, like from 04. You can either stack the boxes on the ground, or get 5x as many points by stacking in the goals. Oh, and don't forget to bring back tetras, trackballs, and trailers!

Re: 2014 Game
 

Quick question, did anyone predict the game for this year (2013) to any measurable amount of accuracy?

Re: 2014 Game
 

This years senior class has seen Ultimate Ascent, Rebound Rumble and Logomotion, they have never played a game that had had a robot managing more than four game objects at once. Maybe they will get to see a "large" capacity game after all.

Re: 2014 Game
 

The closest I remember off-hand was someone who said, as they were en route to kickoff, that this year's game piece (and I paraphrase) "would probably be something annoying like frisbees". However, I don't remember any outright correct guesses like some past seasons (2011: someone actually wrote logomotion in a post as an accidental typo of locomotion; 2009: theories about lunar simulation came about with the luna fish hint; 2008: one of the hints showed a roof of a building that looked like a race track)

<offtopic-glance-at-old-threads>
From approximately April 2012 we need to Hang. (linked from http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...=106055&page=2). Same link, tetras were mentioned, which is reminiscent of the pyramids.
</offtopic-glance-at-old-threads>

Re: 2014 Game
 

Frisbee golf was the closest, no pyramid though... http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...#po st1167503

Re: 2014 Game
 

Most of our team plays Ultimate, so while we were playing over the summer, we decided that if the game were to involve frisbees, we would go to Einstein. I then declared loudly that it would be a game with frisbees, and I bet someone 5 bucks on it.
Well, we didn't go to Einstein, buuuuuut.... :D

Re: 2014 Game
 

I think that this years game will be more like a game with climbing evolve. Like last year. :yikes:

Re: 2014 Game
 

This doesn't have to do with FRC, but rather FTC; I started this thread about "FTC Block Party!" if anyone wishes to debate about/analyze that game. I think it's cool, and will be exciting to watch!

Re: 2014 Game
 

One word: Lacrosse

Re: 2014 Game
 

I always vote for more complex autonomy. Maybe having to make the robots navigate through a tunnel were the operator can't see the robot. Oh I am so evil.:deadhorse:

Re: 2014 Game
 

As a programmer, my only response is this: NO NO NO PLEASE NO!!!! :(

Re: 2014 Game
 

Water game idea; Baseballs are game pieces. Human players sit in dunk tanks. You get points based on how many times you dunk the other alliance's human players! :rolleyes:

Re: 2014 Game
 

It is a little known fact that a water game was actually played unintentionally back in 2001. This was an outdoor scrimmage played at JPL in the Summer. Although it had not rained in Pasadena on that date for over 120 years, the heavens opened up and dumped about 1 inch of rain on the open air arena prior to the game start, saturating the carpet. I believe there was some standing water and puddles on the FOP.

The robots while moving fast threw up wonderful water rooster tails. While adding to the crowd appeal, the circuitry of most robots did not survive.
At least once during the finals at Epcot, a thunderstorm flooded the pits and all plug in electricity needed to be shut off to avoid electrocuting the teams.

So while interesting to speculate, logistics, prior experience and legal costs resulting from water damage to venues preclude the development of a 'water game.'

Re: 2014 Game
 

Tennis

I'm going to take a guess that there will be multiple zones that are hard to transverse steps tunnels etc along the center of the field. I'll also throw out that it will be a ball game and there will be hundreds in play (tennis balls). With a centralized goals/towers that we have to deposit tennis balls into. it would be kinda cool if you miss the goal it would feed your opponents scoring zone. Only one robot in the offensive zone at the time and it can't pick up off of the ground. this gives an edge to defense and spurs on teamwork (passing) or cycling of offensive robots. I think 3 hanging bars (2004 ish) at the top of the field divider would make a good end game. If a team from both teams hangs you get cooperation bonus points toward qualifying. End game will be different in the elimination rounds with hanging being amped up for multiple bots from the same team on the same bar. The outside/Team bars could even have a teeter totter element to them that makes for three places to easily grab but only with robots of similar weight. The hanging element along with the divider obstacles will lead to trade offs between tall and agile bots like in (2010). The human players will be able to feed balls back into play (feeder shoot like 2010 again, but maybe just a pipe) if they are swept into a ground level slot in the defensive zone. allowing for the mighty bull dozer bot to be an effective defender. There will be allot of things flying back and forth so tennis is my guess.

Re: 2014 Game
 

My random guess, and I apologize if someone has already mentioned/said something like this, would have to be croquet. Or at least some game where a robot would have to score through goals in the middle of the field. Kind of like Breakaway except modified a lot more

Re: 2014 Game
 

What about this: the minibot starts separate from the big robot. It has to navigate an obstacle course and retrieve a bonus item to give to the big bot. Or if the minibot boarding the big bot in the end is the endgame

Re: 2014 Game
 

I'd like to see something along the lines of (of course a more complex, with some twists or something) Tug of war? What if teams had to score... while tethered together????

Re: 2014 Game
 

My team got dodge ball figured out in 2010

That actually sounds like a solid game, except I highly doubt they will be using inner tubes soon. Sure, they make good game pieces, but they have been used in 2 recent games (2011, 2007).

I think it is going to involve goals on or near to the ground, and there will be some sort of terrain or major obstacle.

Re: 2014 Game
 

So I find it odd no one has mentioned the latest hint released in Franks blog on Friday, Sept 27. He wrote, "I was told what the changes were, but honestly didn’t understand all the terms being used. (What exactly is an ambiphasient lunar wane shaft?)", but the ambiphasient lunar wane shaft has nothing to do with event registration, so it must be a hint for the game. Anyone have any ideas as to what it could be?

Re: 2014 Game
 

Looks to be a line related to the technobabbly Turboencabulator. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turboencabulator)

Re: 2014 Game
 

Lunacy replay confirmed!

Re: 2014 Game
 

Personally, I think it's too early to start looking at blog posts for hints. They don't usually come out until december/late november!

Re: 2014 Game
 

I wouldn't consider FIRST to be "usual".... ;)

Re: 2014 Game
 

I would like to see a lopsided game: that is, the red team's objective is different than that of the blue team. For example: 1 flag CTF. The red team has to get the flag, being guarded in some clever way by the blue team. Red wins if they retrieve the flag and bring it back, blue wins if red fails.

Of course there would have to be a balancing of the QP to make sure a team who is scheduled more matches on red than blue is fairly seeded.

Also Eliminations would be tricky. Perhaps the lower seeded alliance captain picks what color they are for the first match(ie blue), swap second match (now red), then back for final match (blue again). Your higher seeded alliance would have to be good at both objectives to win, while the lower alliance could specialize in one color and concede match#2

Re: 2014 Game
 

Or it could be played out like Aim High, where offense and defense switch at one point during the match, eliminating the need to balance offensive/defensive matches.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I found it!!! ::rtm::

http://zactopia.wordpress.com/2010/0...ar-wane-shaft/

Re: 2014 Game
 

You know... this could be the sign of the return of co-opertition, due to all the nonsensical words.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Could be a reference to this video. The "scientist" says ambiphasient lunar wane shaft At 1:16 ish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9LXG7rPQfE

Once again, FIRST trolls people with "Game Hints"

Re: 2014 Game
 

That was the video that he linked to, I was talking about how that video has a bunch of nonsensical words, and how co-opretition is a nonsensical word

Re: 2014 Game
 

Seriously guys? He was making a joke. Isn't Frank allowed to be not boring sometimes without a hint being announced?

Re: 2014 Game
 

Space Game. in Space. all regionals are held on ISS

Re: 2014 Game
 

How are we going to get all the water up there?

Re: 2014 Game
 

Dean Kamen will find a way

Re: 2014 Game
 

He's already on top of it.

Re: 2014 Game
 

For years, Dave Lavery couldn't fart without people trying to interpret it as a game hint.
Frank knows what he's gotten himself into, and he knows what he's doing.

I'm sorely disappointed there haven't been a flurry of posts about anagrams of "ambiphasient lunar wane shaft"

Re: 2014 Game
 

Since no one on this thread has yet properly fed the GDC trolls, I guess I will :D

Ambiphasient Lunar Wane Shaft:
as the definitions appear on dictionary.com. most significant things bolded.

Ambiphasient:
No direct definition, so let's break it down:
/Ambi-/:
a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, meaning “both” ( ambiguous ) and “around” ( ambient ); used in the formation of compound words
/-Phasi- (root Phase)/:
1. any of the major appearances or aspects in which a thing of varying modes or conditions manifests itself to the eye or mind.
2. a stage in a process of change or development: Each phase of life brings its own joys.
3. a side, aspect, or point of view: This is only one phase of the question.
4. a state of synchronous operation: to put two mechanisms in phase.
5. Astronomy:
a. the particular appearance presented by the moon or a planet at a given time.
b. one of the recurring appearances or states of the moon or a planet in respect to the form, or the absence, of its illuminated disk: the phases of the moon. See diag. under moon.
/-ent/:
causing or performing an action or existing in a certain condition; the agent that performs an action
Lunar:
1. of or pertaining to the moon: the lunar orbit.
2. measured by the moon's revolutions: a lunar month.
3. resembling the moon; round or crescent-shaped.
4. of or pertaining to silver.
Wane:
verb (used without object)
1. to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.: Daylight waned, and night came on. Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning.
2. to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc.: Colonialism began to wane after World War II.
3. to draw to a close; approach an end: Summer is waning.
4. (of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon. Compare wax2 ( def 2 ) .
noun
5. a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.
6. the drawing to a close of life, an era, a period, etc.
7. the waning of the moon.
8. a period of waning.
9. a defect in a plank or board characterized by bark or insufficient wood at a corner or along an edge, due to the curvature of the log.
Shaft:
1. a long pole forming the body of various weapons, as lances, halberds, or arrows.
2. something directed or barbed as in sharp attack: shafts of sarcasm.
3. a ray or beam: a shaft of sunlight.
4. a long, comparatively straight handle serving as an important or balancing part of an implement or device, as of a hammer, ax, golf club, or other implement.
5. Machinery . a rotating or oscillating round, straight bar for transmitting motion and torque, usually supported on bearings and carrying gears, wheels, or the like, as a propeller shaft on a ship, or a drive shaft of an engine.

As you see, this phrase can be taken to mean a multitude of things. Take it as you wish...

Re: 2014 Game
 

Now that you mention it, this is one of the options that "ambiphasient lunar wane shaft" unscrambles into:

Sounds like we have a new game piece.

Re: 2014 Game
 

"Freshman Whip" can also unscramble to "Ramp Hewn Fish." An unattainable ramp which cuts up red herrings. Hmm. It also unscrambles to "Amp Ref Shh Win." Use less amps on your robot to break ties and don't ask the referees questions if you want to win the match. We need to draw less current because...



Wait for it...


The field has water in it, and we don't want to zap anyone.

Re: 2014 Game
 

:ahh: We've come full circle!

Re: 2014 Game
 

Ambiphasient Lunar Wane Shaft is also an anagram for...

A Maintainable Wharfs He Punts

Obviously, we will be kicking some kind of object by/into water. The endgame will be fixing [maintaining] some form of wharf. (dock, pier, etc.)

Re: 2014 Game
 

I'll bet it does have to do with FRC! Some FTC game elements have been copied into FRC before (bridges, hanging on a tower).

Maybe we'll be stacking bins again :yikes:!

Here's an anagram
Win punishable anathemas fart

Re: 2014 Game
 

The dismantling of these blog posts remind me of Episode 2 of Red vs Blue: Revelation

Re: 2014 Game
 

Literally impossible to not read in their voices.

Re: 2014 Game
 

robotics + water!!! Probably will be a different thing. Underwater submarines that fight!!!
:P

Re: 2014 Game
 

I beg to differ. I have no idea what their voices sound like, so I find it difficult to believe that that is how I am reading it. ;)

Re: 2014 Game
 

In case you want to hear what their voices "actually sound like" skip to 2:22

Re: 2014 Game
 

As soon as I saw 'glow-in-the-dark tape measures', my mind immediately jumped to this. I'm sure that would attract a ton of people to come see the competitions.. :D

Re: 2014 Game
 

"2015 game will be played solely with cameras with operators behind a black curtain."

Sorry I can't attribute this, but I found this in the 2013 game thread. Further proof of a new game style...:ahh:

Re: 2014 Game
 

I'm sincerely hoping we end up with an end-game that involves monkey bars, like crossing a set of them 1 bar at a time. The difficulty provided would be so enjoyable, until you have to make something that works of course.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Wait.. We're supposed to make something that can actually complete a task?

Re: 2014 Game
 

No, you're supposed to fail miserably for the entertainment of the crowd, didn't you know? No one was actually supposed to climb the pyramid this year, you were just supposed to dismount from the top bar, bonus points for sticking the landing.

Re: 2014 Game
 

I did thoroughly enjoy seeing robots falling off the top pyramid, but I would feel sorry for them if the robot got heavily damaged.

Re: 2014 Game
 

We actually did have a 30-point climber, but by the time we were actually able to get it that high (about the 4th or 5th match..) our mechanism had stretched a bit and we were under the 3rd region by maybe a half inch. Sucks to suck.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Similar to ours. We were using fiberglass for our arms because of their strength and flexibility. Whenever our climber failed and we were hanging from just one arm, that one stretched and caused the climber to always fail until we fixed it by replacing the arm or stretching the other arm to make sure they had the exact same lengths. Team 2403 climbed in a similar way to us, till the third rung, however, they used aluminum and hinges instead, making it more robust. Also, I was surprised how their climber utilized only two BAG motors, while we used and entire MiniCIM and got a similar or faster speed

Re: 2014 Game
 

We had a 3-CIM driven Lunchbox (gray) raise/lower the crossbeams (black) with a custom-tapped rod (red). Once this grabbed the bar, it pulled the robot upwards and pushed the bar under the static claws (also gray). The arm could then lift up to the next bar. It was mounted on a platform that could pivot the robot forward or back to shift the weight. Yeah, it was a bit complex. :D

Re: 2014 Game
 

We designed a climber that was meant to go to level 1. Our driver attempted to use the mechanism to take it to level 2.

The outcome? Magic smoke.:rolleyes:

Re: 2014 Game
 

I think that we probably won't have a shooter game. However I would not classify hockey as a shooter game. I really liked the idea of trying to get game pieces on your side of the field. Also dodge ball sounded fun, the only problem would be making it complicated enough for scouting to play in, but the GDC can probably come up with a solution to that. For the endgame my idea is that you have minibots that climb stairs.

Re: 2014 Game
 

Full size bowling ball game piece.