Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

That could fit with the hints. Journey's End is the end, and Tom Baker returning is going back to the beginning, resulting in auto at the end of the match

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Even better than that...(are you ready for this? I don't think you're ready for this):

There aren't discreet matches. Your points are all cumulative for the entire event, you just pick up where you left off in the last match, but with different partners. As an added bonus, the autonomous score acts as a bonus multiplier to your teleop score, and you can mix and match auto and teleop periods to get the best points total. None of this "time is linear" stuff.

For the record, I think this would be awful, and the rules would be a mess. But I'm just throwing crazy time-related ideas out there. I highly doubt FIRST will actually change the match length or order by a significant amount, although they COULD conceivably increase the auto time and decrease teleop length (eg 30 second auto and 1:45 teleop).

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Or just joke?

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Tom Baker's first Dr. Who episode was Robot and his last Logopolis. Logopolis' original air date was Feb 28, 1981 which ties in nicely with Week 1 events this upcoming season. Sounds like we could see a regeneration of Logomotion for 2014...

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

I'll be very upset if the GDC can't manage to come up with more than a rotation of sports and tubes. Their last fully "original" game was 2009...

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Each team at each regional gets a fully functional TARDIS for their Pit Area, with no limitations on their use.

The possibilities and implications are nearly endless.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

It's worth noting that just about everything in the 2009 game was really, really bad, so originality isn't everything. At least, that's what everyone I know thinks about it; if anyone has a different opinion, feel free to share it.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

I don't know. I get crucified every time I say this, but I kind of enjoyed the 2009 game. There were many flaws though, but no game is perfect.

It would be funny if the game piece is a sphere this year. I think spheres have dominated FRC games in general (at least in the last few years, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)

It would be nice to see an odd game piece. Wiffle ball anyone?

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Point A: I agree. I liked it overall.

Point B: Never thought of that one. Good one.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

I think one reason so many veteran teams disliked Lunacy was because it was so different it made them feel like rookies. Maybe that's not a bad thing.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Lunacy lacked a big finish - a ta-da! moment at the end that people are on the edge of their seats for. The BEST FRC games have this suspenseful end game and I think the GDC has finally realized that since every year since Lunacy has incorporated that component.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

No, because they disliked the unwatchablity of the matches and the difficulty of obtaining game pieces. Among many other things, which I'm sure there's can add in.

I can't seem to find it right now, but Cory had a great post about 2009 that said it essentially benefited veteran teams a lot MORE than rookies to have a different playing environment, etc.

I also wouldn't say 2009 was the last "different" year. I think it's pretty easy to make a case for 2010 and last year being fairly different from what we've ever done in the past.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

I personally disliked Lunacy because it was really difficult to explain to spectators who were not part of an FRC team. It was difficult just to tell which teams were on the same alliance, from the starting placement at alternating positions around the field to the bumpers on the trailers setting the alliance color which was hard to see. And then the idea that your score was determined by the number of orbit balls in your opponent's trailer. The field was very crowded because of the 6 additional trailers. And yes, it was hard to tell who was winning. Also the difficulty in explaining the difference between the point values of the different game pieces, including the empty cell that was no points but allowed you to trade it in for a super cell. It was just overload, too complicated for the casual observer to enjoy.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Besides how unwatchable most of the matches were, there was very little opportunity to innovate, many human players were better than their team's robots, and a dead/missing alliance partner was a death spell because it directly affected how easy your opponents goals were to access.

SVR finals were some of the worst matches I saw all year. More than half of the time at least 5 of the 6 robots were pinning eachother on one side of the field not moving.

Re: 3013 - Game hint?
 

Hmmm... the Lego kit #3013 is a "Space Jet".