[FTC]: 2014-2015 Game Guessing

[DanielH]

I've really been disappointed by the game hints this year, instead of actually giving real game hints, they've had regular blog posts which presumably have hints hidden inside of them. While this could be okay, I feel that the "hints" (if they exist at all) have been so small and meaningless that nothing can really be pulled from them.

Nevertheless, as an FTC fanatic I have reviewed them extensively and have posted beneath a number of phrases that seemed awkwardly worded, and could perhaps have a game hint aspect to them.

Move full steam ahead
Drums up
Hanging out
Running a set
Knockout
Packed
Rolled with the punches
Dive
Bug bite
Ramp up (Recurred twice)
Fueled
Journey
Hanging out (Recurred twice)



Also, I found this quote to be interesting:

"Good scientists, explorers, engineers, inventors, and even chefs - they all know that accidents often lead to amazing discoveries"

Why would they throw "chefs" into that list?



The two potential hints that I noticed hidden within the pictures were:

The floppy disc that Mr. Carr is wearing in the July 17th picture which could indicate a game element similar to a floppy disc (I mention this as it stuck out to me every time I looked at the picture even though the picture is supposed to be about Mr. Carr as the disc was centered directly in the middle of the picture and was a bright red.)

I also noted the second picture from the July 29th blog with the volunteer kneeling next to the field. The first thing I saw in that picture was that little green car, which definitely stuck out to me.


Among blog post titles I found the title "Building Team the Heat It Up and Keep It Cool Way" to stand out. The name of the team featured in the blog is "Heat It up and Keep it Cool" so I doubt that middle section means anything, however the word "building" at the beginning and (especially) "way" at the end don't seem to have any particular function in describing the article. This would indicate to me that they could be meant as hints


Finally, and by far the most compellingly, I found the change in the game manual to the vertical shooting limit of four feet instead of three to indicate that their may be a shooting challenge, or at least a challenge in which you may wish to shoot objects.


In conclusion, I'm not sure what to think of the potential hints I've noticed. I cannot detect any common threads or themes in the hints so I really have no clue what to guess the challenge is. However, if I had to guess, I would guess it is a game which involves launching the game element because we haven't had a "shooting" game in a while, because of the Neil Armstrong quote because he is associated with flying, and most importantly because of the change in the game manual.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

[wgardner]

August 28 post:
"Reflection - Your Key to Self Improvement" shows a picture of 3 team members of the "Basilisks" in a photo which otherwise seems to have little to do with the article.

If I remember correctly, the Basilisk was the animal in Harry Potter and other ancient lore that merely petrified you if you saw its Reflection, rather than killed you outright. And I think the way you kill a Basilisk is to make it see its own Reflection?

Coincidence? Red Herring? Other thoughts on Reflections and what that could mean? Do I win a dollar if this year's game field has mirrors all over it?

[MattRain]

Why is stand in caps? According to posts today, there are a few clues floating around between the blog, facebook, and twitter. Last year it seems like there was a lot more clues..

[MattRain]

The West Super Regional Contact just posted this. Thats alot of boxes for one field.