Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

What if it was 3 alliances of 2, except everyone's partner was on the other side, but we had some inefficient way to communicate, causing the teams to really have to plan and stick to their plan. We would loose the cooperation in person that we are used to, but we would learn how to communicate in situations that aren't ideal. I'm not sure why they would do this, especially since only two teams would win, and it wouldn't make sense for them to create space for more teams in St. Louis.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

But if they had said the ONLY time, it would make people assume that they would never use another surface, and they wouldn't limit themselves like that, even if they didn't plan to use a different surface anytime soon.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Interesting idea...

Three-team red alliance spends first half of the qualification match shooting and scoring balls while the three-team blue alliance stacks and scores tubes. The match pauses at the 60-second mark and the alliances switch roles for the second half of the match. In qualification matches each of the six teams receives the same number of points for each match (no winner, no loser, co-opertition is rewarded). Team rankings for the qualification round are based on total points.

In playoffs, eight three-team alliances take the field one at a time and compete against the clock (no opponent) trying to score the most points possible in the least amount of time. They are free to score any combination of balls and/or tubes. Highest scores advance to the next round.

This lends itself to a six-division Einstein where the top four scoring alliances of the first round move on to semi's.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

1992 the field surface was corn. So that is the correct wording.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Actually, "only time since 1992" would be correct, too - the only way "first" would be correct but "only" would not would be if there had been some time after 2009 where the primary field surface was not carpet.

That said, I seriously doubt they're going to try an alternate field surface again.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

The 2003 endgame required robots to hold a position atop a slippery (HDPE, if I recall correctly) platform at midfield. While that wasn't the primary field surface, it was often quite important to the outcome of a match. Maintaining the endgame "King of the Hill" position was complicated by a new rule for that year, continued down to the most recent game, prohibiting traction enhancements that can damage the field. 71's famous file card drive, which dominated the competition the previous year, made that change necessary.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

First. A hokey game would further make sense because most of the video footage was robots putting stuff into or over goals to score. Like I noticed a LOT of the arms lifting up rubes and balls. So a hockey game I'd different that that, because it would all be one the floor. HONESTLY? the game is going to be all of the floor. Think breakaway.

Second, if the recycling box IS not synonymous with throwing out, then maybe we recycle teams. Like we borrow other teams robots for matches. The ultimate copertition game.

Or third. I like this one the most. There are three teams of two like mentioned before, and the teams are across from each other. And then the end game it switches. So teams on the same side are suddenly on the same team.




I have always dreamed of a game with ultra robust robots that jumped onto a platform for a king of the hill style game.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Well, last year Escanaba had only 36.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

I thought about this this morning...what if, say, the red alliance was making a mess and the blue alliance had to clean it up/recycle it? In every other game, both alliances tried to achieve the same goals, maybe this year, one alliance tries to undo what the other does.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

While it's an interesting concept, I don't think FIRST would do something with so little coopertition.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Hmm... '03 Stack Attack + '12 Rebound rumble = 2015 Game?

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Frisbee game is recycled this year

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Do with it what you may, but the song featured in the video is "Social Disgrace." It is a royalty free track available for 10 dollars from WavTracks.

http://www.wavtracks.com/index.php?m...ducts _id=251

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

Increase size/wireless 1993
Weight increases 1996
Alliances 1999
Timed Game 2001
Autonomous introduced 2003
3v3 introduced 2005
Not Carpet (only time since 1992) 2009
Frame perimeter changes 2013
Change is coming
Recycled last years manual
1996 footage was from the 1993 competition

That should be the complete list, plus details that other people picked up on. Should be interesting to see how close our guesses are. Personally I think that the changes above will change yet again, aside from switching to wireless, or, the other theory I've got bouncing around inside my noggin is that perhaps we're doing a reboot of the 1996 game, and that's why they didn't show footage.

Re: 2015 HINT DISCUSSION
 

While I don't think they'll have a setup where each alliance is designated as "offense" or "defense" for a whole match, maybe we could see a game in which descoring is legal to some extent.