[BB] The wooden beams have started creaking

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by stevend1994

But arguably, if we determined total volume, we'd still need to be wary, because let's say the game pieces are something like Tetras, and come in pieces.

I say we just organize a top-secret raid into FIRST HQ one night.

I wonder how much we could glean from their trash? hmmmm

Ben and Jerry's cups, KK boxes, a large cRIO, a box of tetrix motors, and assorted popped play balls. Yep all junk.

[gyroscopeRaptor]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

I wonder how much we could glean from their trash? hmmmm

Ben and Jerry's cups, KK boxes, a large cRIO, a box of tetrix motors, and assorted popped play balls. Yep all junk.

You forgot the Haagen-Dazs.

Is the name of the blogpost a hint in itself?

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by gyroscopeRaptor

You forgot the Haagen-Dazs.

Is the name of the blogpost a hint in itself?

Doubt they are ever hints. They are so abstract that even if you get some things you'll never have an idea of what to build or what the objects are. They can see how much we run with one little word they put in a sentence and I bet they have a ton of laughs seeing us yell water game any time they make a reference to a storm.

[Alex.q]

Although there have been quite a few references to water games lately. Could be that they are just manipulating us, but someone brought up elsewhere this is the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic, so that could possibly explain water references. Additionally, "the wooden beams have started creaking" could references a sinking ship. Also, the Titanic was a disaster, which kind of relates this to a "2012 end of the world theme." Not saying that we can figure anything out about the game from this, just suggesting ideas.

Also, since they know we always guess water game, it would be ironic to use a clue that actually did describe a water game because nobody would take it seriously. Of course there could be multiple levels of reverse psychology here, so I will stop speculating now.

Originally Posted by Alex.q

Although there have been quite a few references to water games lately. Could be that they are just manipulating us, but someone brought up elsewhere this is the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic, so that could possibly explain water references. Additionally, "the wooden beams have started creaking" could references a sinking ship. Also, the Titanic was a disaster, which kind of relates this to a "2012 end of the world theme." Not saying that we can figure anything out about the game from this, just suggesting ideas.

Also, since they know we always guess water game, it would be ironic to use a clue that actually did describe a water game because nobody would take it seriously. Of course there could be multiple levels of reverse psychology here, so I will stop speculating now.

While I doubt this year really will be a "water game", your speculation on the Titanic seems very accurate, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the actual game! Now.... What could that mean for an FRC game???

[Rangel]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

While I doubt this year really will be a "water game", your speculation on the Titanic seems very accurate, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was the actual game! Now.... What could that mean for an FRC game???

A water game without the water... Titanic is very heavy and made out of steel. Relates to all the hints so far and could easily be made into a game with the field materials. Very interesting indeed.

[Francis-134]

Just gonna put it out there that it is probably not going to be a game referencing the Titanic, as that was one of the largest accidents/humanitarian disasters of all time.

[sanddrag]

If the game gets heavier, our wallets get lighter.

[JohnSchneider]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

If the game gets heavier, our wallets get lighter.

Not if youre building a practice field

[Ninja_Bait]

So, about this Titanic game. It just doesn't seem to fit the profile of an FRC game. The only anniversary-themed game that I can think of is Lunacy, for the 40-year anniversary of the moon landing. Which is a very sciencey event, unlike the catastrophic sinking of the Titanic.

The other thing is that we have gotten water game hints in the past. EricH forgot to mention in his list that in 2009 we also got a picture of a red herring and a luna fish, which pointed towards the name of the game. But everyone was thinking water game.

One thing we haven't had in a while is moving field elements like seesaws. I think we should expect them, based on the massive amount of field parts coming in.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by Rangel(kf7fdb)

A water game without the water... Titanic is very heavy and made out of steel. Relates to all the hints so far and could easily be made into a game with the field materials. Very interesting indeed.

Not only that, but with the re-release of the movie, we've got another hint.















The 2012 game will be three-dimensional.

[Marc S.]

I think its funny that so many people are actually taking the water theme literally. It's entirely possible that it could be a water game and yet have not a drop of water on the field.

2009 was a moon based game where robots drove over "Regolith", a very flat and slippery material(although actual Regolith is made up of loose dust, soil, and rock) on a field called "The Crater".

Maybe next years game uses "Water", a dry slippery material(similar to "Regolith"), on a field called "The Ocean".
While I'm at it, the game piece could be a sinking ship(Titanic's 100th Year anniversary), or several classic video game items(Atari's 40th and Nentindo's 20th anniversary). That's my first guess for the next season.

[~Cory~]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Doubt they are ever hints. They are so abstract that even if you get some things you'll never have an idea of what to build or what the objects are. They can see how much we run with one little word they put in a sentence and I bet they have a ton of laughs seeing us yell water game any time they make a reference to a storm.

We had loComotion by Little Eva down pretty well last year...

[EricH]

Originally Posted by ~Cory~

We had loComotion by Little Eva down pretty well last year...

And you do realize that you just proved his point, don't you?

We had "Locomotion" dialed in pretty well. What we didn't know was what that word meant in relation to anything else. It's been that way for every single hint we've ever had--we've gotten some aspect of it, but never all of it.

Also, that was an official hint, in the form of a picture; anything read in Bill's Blog is not an official hint unless he specifically says it's an official hint.

For reference, this is the progression of official hints for a while back, by game year. If I included unofficial "hints", you'd be reading until Kickoff 2013.

2011: Picture of Little Eva with a column. Traced to be "Locomotion", which was very close to the game name, "LogoMotion". (Trying to remember the second hint...)

2010: 2x CAD of field areas/elements. The first led to speculation of a track for something to roll down; the second led to (incorrect) speculation of a target (mis-interpreted piece of the picture) and (semi-correct) speculation of an extra gate and open space.

2009: Riddle from Bill, which when traced, led to ice (via Zamboni; referred to the regolith), the game object's maker, towing a trailer, and something else. All accurate, but we never thought we'd have a lunar theme and be scoring in towed trailers...

2008: IR receiver board (#1), much confusion (resolved to be a robot part). GPS coordinate (#2), Tortoise and Hare sculpture in Boston (race).
"Vets hurdling FIRST tetras", anagram of the decryption password without punctuation.

2007: Picture clue showing a game object on a scoring peg. Much speculation on the number 5, which was in the middle, but the real clue was around it. Someone did come up with the answer.

2006: Riddle in a "circular" shape. Someone got that it led to "Just Shoot Me", which was part of the game, but what was "me" and what about all this nonsense about 5 'bots, pasta, a game piece obsessed with a shovel's show (see reference above) and seeing Montana's green heights (lighted CMUCam vision target above the goal, but prompted speculation about both the state and the quarterback)

2005: Riddle involving amethyst and the only 2 players to make an unassisted triple play in major league baseball, leading to the game name, Triple Play.

2004: Line from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". There were stairs on the field.

2003: The equation of a parabola. The scoring equation.

[MechEng83]

Originally Posted by EricH

2011: Picture of Little Eva with a column. Traced to be "Locomotion", which was very close to the game name, "LogoMotion". (Trying to remember the second hint...)

The 2nd hint last year was the FIRST logo.