Chief Delphi - 2011 Game Hint #1

I'll post this here too. I'm proud of it, and conversation on the Hint #2 thread seems to have stagnated. Nothing like a little bit of deep thought and redundant posting to spice up one's day!

Alright, excessively detailed hint and game analysis time! Before we launch into wild speculation (too late!), I feel that we should take a look at the factors that have historically determined past game elements.

FRC Game Morphology
By Joe Schornak

I believe that one of the most important factors of pre-Kickoff game prediction is analysis of previous games and previous years. FIRST has quite a bit of infrastructure set out already, and will likely try to keep as much of that the same as possible. For example:

-The Field. There are already a number of existing competition quality field kits in existence, and FIRST will probably not heavily modify them due to cost and labor. This field must also be able to fit a variety of venues, from sports stadiums to high-school gyms. Thus, factors like field size and shape, robot count, alliance number, and field surface will be dependent on the existing field.

-The Kitbot. The game must be playable by the most basic of robots. This has been a feature of past games; robots could herd trackballs and run laps in Overdrive, avoid opponents and push balls to the return slots in Lunacy, and play defense and score goals in Breakaway. While some game elements will be more complicated, to encourage robot variety and challenge veteran teams, the game must be fundamentally simple.

-The Matching System. FIRST's current team ranking and matchmaking system is designed for use in the two-alliance system. While I am not particularly well-versed in such things, I suspect that it would take quite a bit of work to develop and troubleshoot a three-alliance program. A one-alliance program could be possible, or simpler, but I consider a one-alliance game unlikely, for reasons I will detail later.

FIRST will also attempt to keep the field as technologically simple as possible, due to the difficulties that arise with more complex systems. All field elements will be gravity-fed or human-operated, and will be no more complex than the Breakaway ball return track sensor, which often led to technical difficulties despite its relative small size and narrow field of effect. The elements must also be sturdy enough to be bashed by robots for weeks on end, since they are re-used for each regional event.

Since it is well-known that the GDC develops the game using humans in place of robots, the game must be playable (at least basically) by students with minimal equipment. The game elements must also be simple and made of easily acquirable materials, so that teams can construct mock-ups for practice.

The game must also be exciting and easy for non-nerd onlookers to comprehend. Overdrive and Breakaway are good examples of this; the object of the game is evident, and the action is easy to follow. This ties into FIRST's goal of making the competition more accessible to a wider audience. This requirement makes very technical games unlikely. Additionally, since competitive games are more exciting and understandable to an audience, a single-alliance, non-competitive game is unlikely. Possible, but unlikely.

The game must also accommodate rookie teams with little to no previous experience. This ties into the kitbot factor above, but it also involves a skill and resource component. Teams that have yet to establish a strong mentor and industry base could find it more difficult than other teams to construct a large, complex robot or manipulator. The game must also not be entirely sensor-based; despite working on the problem constantly since last season, my team has yet to fully solve all the issues behind our camera, gyroscope, and accelerometer, only managing to achieve a fully-autonomous kick and goal last week. While there may be a reward for sensor use, the game must fundamentally be playable without any sensors.

Summing up:
This year's game will be played on a predominately flat field, to accommodate teams using kit-provided frames and wheels. There may be raised elements, but it will not be necessary to interact with them to contribute to the game. It will almost certainly be beneficial to do so, but the game will not hinge on them. The field will use the current basic setup, with alliance stations on either end of the field. The game will feature two alliances in tense head-to-head competition. The game object will either be easy to build or purchase (provided that Walmart doesn't run out this time), or it will come with the kit. It will be large enough to see from the other end of a gymnasium, and will be a color contrasting the primary field color. Bumpers will be required, although the game will not necessarily be contact-focused.

Now for some hint analysis...

Knowing previous game hint patterns, the "answer" to the hint(s) was likely discovered within the first eight pages of the hint thread. Thus, the first hint's primary answer is Locomotion. This has a number of possible interpretations. "Locomotion" would be an excellent game name. In fact, I believe that this is the true answer to the hint. It would be just like the GDC to reveal the game's name in a hint, knowing that the FIRST community would immediately discard such an audacious move as impossible. Unfortunately, little about the game itself can be drawn from the game's name. We must dig further!

I find it significant that the name of one of Little Eva's record labels was Dimension Records. This is a very "sciency" term, and just the sort of thing that the GDC would pick up on. Dimension can refer to a number of mathematical concepts, from multiple dimensions and their relation to location and time, to the volume of an object in space. While a fourth-dimensional game would certainly be interesting, I find more meaning in the latter, since all past FRC games have dealt with three-dimensional objects on a plane.

While intriguing by themselves, these factors become infinitely more intriguing when taken in the context of the second hint. Tetraman's discovery about the relation of the volume of the cylinder to that of the sphere and the cone is very significant, since it ties into something that FIRST has evidently used in the past. And behold! A cylinder is present in the original photograph! Despite these clear connections, I have no idea what these relations mean.

What about the symbology of the FIRST logo? The logo consists of three different parts, inseparably linked together. While different in shape and color, they remain unified by their common linkages. This is representative of the three-alliance system; three different robots and teams united together for a common goal! It also represents FIRST’s philosophy of coopertition; although they are different and perhaps at odds with each other, the shapes still work together and remain connected.

As always, the information provided in the game hints is far too limited to determine the game, or really anything relating to the game beyond its name and theme. However, I feel that with careful analysis of FIRST’s patterns in designing the game, the possibilities can be narrowed down to a range of potential games. While FIRST could release a third hint that will tie all this together, it is more likely that a certain Mr. Lavery will appear to sow mayhem.

Oh. He already did. Hm.

Best of luck in the coming season!