2015 HINT DISCUSSION

[SoulianPride]

I think they are taking significant things from each game (coop bridge, regolith flooring, assists) and combining it into one massive game.

[billbo911]

Please excuse me if I haven't read all 315 posts at the time I started writing this, so this may have been mentioned already.

I think we may have already previewed the change that may be coming. This would also play into the "co-opretition" aspect that FIRST has been implementing since 2000.

What if the change was 4 vs. 4, as we have seen in elimination rounds as of recent. This might be for qualification rounds only, elimination rounds only, or bot qualifications and elimination rounds.
Not that all 8 robots would be in play at all times, but all 8 may need to participate in each match to some degree.

[Drennael]

Originally Posted by billbo911

What if the change was 4 vs. 4, as we have seen in elimination rounds as of recent. This might be for qualification rounds only, elimination rounds only, or bot qualifications and elimination rounds.
Not that all 8 robots would be in play at all times, but all 8 may need to participate in each match to some degree.

4 vs. 4 would not work in eliminations unless the 8 alliances are reduced to 6, as some events will not have the 32 teams needed in order to play a full set of elimination rounds (i.e. Waterloo). That's in addition to issues with changing the field size mentioned previously that would make 4 vs. 4 impractical.

But hypothetically, I can see one advantage to downsizing to 6 elimination alliances: it would get teams acclimated to potential round-robin Einstein playoffs between the 6 divisions.

[Kevin Thorp]

There's a gospel song titled "Change is Coming". The alternate title is "Hold On".

YouTube link.

Yesterday, a man step to me,
He said how can you smile when your world is crumbling down
I said, here's my secret, when I wanna cry, I take a look around
And I see that I'm getting by

And I hold on
Hold On
A change is coming
Change is coming
Hold on
Hold on
Don't you worry
Don't worry bout a thing
Hold on
Hold on
You can make it
You can make it
Hold on
Hold on
Everything
Everything will be alright

Some people like to worry
Some people like hide
Some people like to run away
From the pain inside
Now it's your business
Do whatever you wanna do
But if it don't work out
Here's what you oughta do

When the troubles of life weigh you down, just lift your head
Yea, yea, yea
When the love you seek is hard to find,
Don't give up, just keep strong, keep ther faith and
Hold on
Change is coming

lala la now hold on

[Cash4587]

Originally Posted by Nathan(of4564)

Increase size/wireless 1993
Weight increases 1996
Alliances 1999
Timed Game 2001
Autonomous introduced 2003
3v3 introduced 2005
Not Carpet (only time since 1992) 2009
Frame perimeter changes 2013
Change is coming
Recycled last years manual
1996 footage was from the 1993 competition

That should be the complete list, plus details that other people picked up on. Should be interesting to see how close our guesses are. Personally I think that the changes above will change yet again, aside from switching to wireless, or, the other theory I've got bouncing around inside my noggin is that perhaps we're doing a reboot of the 1996 game, and that's why they didn't show footage.

The footage from 1993 was NOT reused for 1996. I found both videos where each clip has come from and it is definitely not a reuse of 1993 footage.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Kevin Thorp

Change is coming

lala la now hold on

Chief Delphi people seem to be thinking more along these lines:

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Even children get older
And I'm getting older too

Fleetwood Mac slam!

[weaversam8]

Another important point is that we are moving to a new control system this year. Perhaps this could spell changes in the underlying FMS architecture, including additional robots through some wifi trickery. The RoboRIO is only 330 grams, meaning it could potentially be easily lifted by propellers.

[Cash4587]

I have also found the footage location for the 1997 game and "1999" game used in the hint video. These clips both came from Andy Baker's YouTube (easy to get permission to use) and were a part of the same video. One important thing to note: The footage used for the 1999 segment in the hint video came from a clip of Andy Baker's 1997 video that was BEFORE the clip used for the 1997 video segment in the hint video. This is a quite confusing statement but please reference the pictures for a clearer understanding.

I really do think this has some significance, and despite what others say there is no way that people of FIRST HQ did this on accident. However, this is only my opinion and nobody has any real way of knowing who is right or wrong until Jan. 3. It is fun to analyze things like this though.

[Thad House]

97 and 99 being mixed up has to be big. Just like Cash said, there is no way that was an accident. Especially if the clips both came from the same video.

[Nathan(of4564)]

Originally Posted by Cash4587

The footage from 1993 was NOT reused for 1996. I found both videos where each clip has come from and it is definitely not a reuse of 1993 footage.

Whoops! Thanks man, I didn't catch that when I posted it the first time. I guess my fingers autopiloted or something. But there was footage reused. I just got the years wrong. '97 and '99. Sorry about the confusion!

[Twins Inc.]

Originally Posted by Thad House

97 and 99 being mixed up has to be big. Just like Cash said, there is no way that was an accident. Especially if the clips both came from the same video.

Earlier, I forgot who it was, someone mentioned that almost never before did the hint talk about the actual game, but actually the name of the competition.

So what does the double of 1997 and lack of 1999 footage relate to the game?

I just though of a name!

CYCLE SWITCH

ha HA! I have no idea what it means though.

[Hallry]

Originally Posted by Thad House

97 and 99 being mixed up has to be big. Just like Cash said, there is no way that was an accident..

Or...just thinking outside the box here, it could simply be a complete accident.

[matthewdenny]

Originally Posted by GrifBot

The statement about the field size not changing is correct. If they reused the game, I would hate it unless they modified it well enough. Guess what though? They showed all the years of change. Change happens every year. What if the change is that there is no change? That would be a change. However, I feel that change could refer to the 6 division at Einstein. I think different alliance sizes would be cool, but making it work with the same size field seems unrealistic.

To the vast majority of teams that never get to Einstein, this wouldn't really be much change. Heck, each year most teams don't even get to elims.

[Cash4587]

Originally Posted by Hallry

Or...just thinking outside the box here, it could simply be a complete accident.

I still don't understand how it could be a complete accident if the footage for both 1997 and 1999 segment in the hint video came from the same 1997 video on YouTube.. Also, frank did comment on the blog with "Whoops." with no further explanation meaning it was most likely a sarcastic comment.

[Hallry]

Originally Posted by Cash4587

Also, frank did comment on the blog with "Whoops." with no further explanation meaning it was most likely a sarcastic comment.

Usually when I hear/see someone say 'Whoops', it means they made a mistake.

Originally Posted by Cash4587

I still don't understand how it could be a complete accident if the footage for both 1997 and 1999 segment in the hint video came from the same 1997 video on YouTube..

How could it be a complete accident? Most likely whoever made the video has not been working at FIRST for over 15 years. They probably had no clue what the 1997 game looked like versus what the 1999 game looked like (Would you?). They were probably just given a bunch of files with clips from the different games to use for this montage, and accidentally clicked on the file for the 1997 game instead of the one for the 1999 game, and never noticed his/her mistake. It's as simple as that.