Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

Mmm hmm, sure. So Gary, why have you been building a Hexagonal field in your back yard? And now your dragging poor Arefin into this? Whats he doing for you, making donuts?

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

All I can say is that this post has been fun.

First off I attended school with the mentor in question, yes he does like to stir up some commotion every once in a while, but then again he also doesn't do anything that doesn't promote FIRST in some way.

Now onto the topic at hand...maybe 4 is not enough refers to the number of methods to score. Last year there was big balls small balls, and the bar...maybe more ways this year?

Also it might be just me but I remember last year during the kickoff, when they were explaining the game that someone (I forget who) said "the IR sensor isn't required...YET...with emphasis on the yet...which leads me to believe that the IR sensor may be required in this years game.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

maybe it'll be like a ring, a circular arena. That would be intesting, it'll be like the coliseum in rome.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

....

:D

I <3 YOU! HAHAHAHAH!!! Love love love! ;)


--------
Anyway. The center is out.. the field will no longer be symmetrical? When something's symmetrical it will always be symmetrical about a point, whether that's a point (e.g. the origin) or a line (e.g. the x-axis) or something ... if you take that center (the "mirror") out, it's no longer symmetrical?

.. Okay, I swear that made sense in my head. I think I'm just incapable of writing right now.. too many college application essays hanging over my head.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

aren't donuts symmetrical ?? and they don't have a centre ... well they do, but it is made of air ...

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

Maybe there will be some sort of towers in the corners instead of having a structure in the middle.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

Assuming that this hint is legit,
My guess about the "center being out" has to do with the past 3 years of games. For the three years I've been involved with FIRST, there has always been a large game element in the center of the field. (2002-the goals, 2003-the ramp/bin wall, 2004-the platform/bar)
My guess is that perhaps the robots start in the center of the field, and the game elements are around the outer side of the field. Just a guess...
As far as "Four is not enough", there are lots of guesses. Obviously, the idea that more robots would be on the field is considerable, but not when you realize that FIRST just spent loads of money on making permanent fields for the regionals with the newer dimensions (48x24') and it would be heck to cram more than 4 bots along with field elements into that space. Plus FIRST would have to update the driver stations on all the permanent fields to run 3 hookups (assuming there are 6 bots) to each side. I just think there's too much against that idea.
I'm not sure exactly how it'd apply to the game. My best bet would be that it has to do with either autonomous or scoring.
There you have it.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

I think you're right about the center being out. I think teams might start in the middle of the field. I also think this refers to us bringing back inner tubes as scorable objects.

I think four is not enough refers to the number of goals. Last year there were 4 goals, this year there will be more goals.

Also, Dave Lavery's clue about John Neun, I think this indicates we might see the use of baseballs as scorable objects. Since John Neun in an old time baseball player.

Eat desert first, I would say this means that this could either mean autonomous mode will be at the end, OR that the field will be setup giving the maximum number of points to each team and the object is to unscore your opponents scorable objects.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

I was trying to think of all the things that come in groups of four last year.

Here's my list:
sides of the field
robots per match
60 amp fuses
red/blue lights
people per team
goals per field

Any others?

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

Were there 4 or 5 levels to the center of the field? If there were two small steps, there would be four levels to that.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

For the center is out:
I didn't notice anyone bring up Baseball at all...

On the other hand, like many people have brought up it could be in regards to a cylinder/hoop object. I think doing some sort of "stack a pyramid" would be cool (think back to those baby games where they put the rings on a pole).

Chris

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

Yeah! THAT'S what I meant! .. that the game elements aren't symmetrically placed (eg 2004 field), with the line of symmetry at the middle .. but they're placed around the center?

..Okay, I think I've stopped making sense AGAIN =x

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

If arefin's making donuts, they better have hexagonal centers, or they won't fit on our robot this year.

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

...what? Arefin's now making donuts for GaryDill Inc? ...even after this summer's fiasco over the "shifty" gearboxes :D


I dunno, Gary, with all the trouble KrispyKreme is having ... oh ... now wait...not THOSE kinds of donuts ...

<daydreams> 2005 game...DonutDazzle...
...robots autonomously deliver KrispyKremes from the center of the field to human players that must devour more than 4 during the autonomous period to allow manual control to be given to the operator and driver... :p

Re: THE 2005 HINT!!!!!!!!!
 

Now THAT sounds like a game Dave would dream up ... ;) (of course the coach would be the one who has to eat the donuts)

Note: I saw Dave make some KK's disappear at IRI this year - I think his team would be tough to beat ...