My guess at the 2014 game:
clue1: Frank's September 27 blog refers to the "Morris dance". This obscure traditional dance is referenced in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
clue2: picture included in
Frank's blog of September 27, on the leftmost of three display screens and partially obstructed by Frank's arm may be this year's field set-up. Later referred to in
Frank's December 10 blog "we had a chance to take a look at a fully assembled 2014 season field in person rather than on a
display screen or on paper"
clue3: "Tom Baker makes an appearance as the museum curator" in
Frank's November 26 blog is a reference to
TIME-travelling Doctor Who.
game name: "TIME CRUNCH" or, more likely "CRUNCH TIME". TIME comes from clue3, CRUNCH comes from the end game.
playing field: from clue2, eight (or more) 3-sided cubicles line the side walls of the field. In the middle of the field at each end are four robot-width ramps arranged in a spoke pattern reaching heights at the hub of 20", 40", and 60"
autonomous: each of the eight robots (four robots per alliance in qualification rounds) starts the match in a cubicle. To earn points during the autonomous period robots must vacate their starting cubicle and move across the field (
Morris dance) to enter a cubicle on the opposite side and activate a pivoting hourglass. If at least one robot executes this task in the first 5 seconds then an additional 5 seconds of autonomous is allowed for both alliances. This repeats for a maximum of 20 seconds of autonomous.
tele-op: robots dart from one side of the field to the other trying to "cap" as many cubicles as possible by pivoting the hourglass to their alliance color
end game: allied robots drive up the ramps and stack themselves one on top of another (ie. the big CRUNCH), the higher the stack the more end game points. Idea comes from clue1 where the fictional flat Discworld is said to
rest atop elephants atop turtles.