2015 HINT DISCUSSION

[EricH]

Originally Posted by stepan

I never said that that picture was a real leak. I posted it to ask you guys if you knew anything about the legitimacy of it. It could very well have been photoshopped.

If someone purports to have a leak, and it does NOT say "Official Game Hint" and is NOT from FIRST, it is NOT a game hint.

Remember: Those who tell, don't know, and those who know, don't tell. The penalty for that latter? Lack of knowledge in future.

[brandon.cottrell]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

Yes you can. There is an option to upload an image or to select between a few screen grabs that YouTube picks for you, when you click to edit a video that you uploaded. I'm not sure that is is available to all users but I know we can on the Spectrum3847 channel, so I assume FIRST can as well.

If your Youtube account is in good standing with copyrighted content claims, you can add custom thumbnails, make videos unlisted, and make videos longer than 15 minutes. I had to resolve this issue with my team's copyright claims in order to make the super long video of our whole season.

[Jaywalker1711]

Let's bring in what we all thought was the game hint before into the discussion:
Those kit box sizes

One of the boxes is quite long, and given the previous "hint" I thought the game would involve some sort of swing (tennis, golf, hockey)

Given this, and the open pages about assists, I actually think I have a game that FIRST would create:

DELTA RELAY

That long box contains a long pole/rod which is a baton. The object of the game is to carry the baton down the field. The more robots that are used, the more points that are given. The baton is then deposited at a goal at the end of the field, and a new cycle begins

[tindleroot]

Originally Posted by MattRain

What were the game hints for Stack Attack in 2003? Anyone know.. A big change that year was Autonomous being introduced.

I believe Game Hints started in 2004...

[EricH]

Originally Posted by tindleroot

I believe Game Hints started in 2004...

Not quite... I believe the 2003 one (though it may have been unofficial) was some variation of the quadratic formula.

[Djur]

Originally Posted by Jaywalker1711

Let's bring in what we all thought was the game hint before into the discussion:
Those kit box sizes

One of the boxes is quite long, and given the previous "hint" I thought the game would involve some sort of swing (tennis, golf, hockey)

Given this, and the open pages about assists, I actually think I have a game that FIRST would create:

DELTA RELAY

That long box contains a long pole/rod which is a baton. The object of the game is to carry the baton down the field. The more robots that are used, the more points that are given. The baton is then deposited at a goal at the end of the field, and a new cycle begins

Sounds almost exactly like Aerial Assist. I highly doubt that FIRST would do another game so similar to the previous year's game.

[minutebot]

smaller Hexagonal or odd-shaped field, no alliances, maybe 1 v 1 or FFA with multiple and it'll be an arm game with elements to be picked up and placed.

The deletion of the 1999 game (link below) and replacement of it with the 1997 game is definitely significant (recycling 1997). 1999 was the first year with alliances as mentioned in the video but it was also the first year with a regular rectangular shaped field (disregarding 1992 which was a raised square sandbox) and every field since has been a regular rectangular shape. I believe that alliances and the rectangular shaped field will both be done away with for the coming game. Also when the guy opens the game manual he flips to the first pages which described the field in the 2014 game manual. Finally, it will be similar but a variation on the 1997 game because the 1997 game is the one being recycled so it will be some sort of arm game.

1999 Game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CDop_IwW8

Link to FRC 2015 Game Hint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAETANAiLw0

[fb39ca4]

I had another idea for change. What if drivers on an alliance had to drive each other's robots? It would mean in addition to building a robust robot, you have to make it user friendly and idiot-proof so that strangers can drive it.

[tanogirl]

Originally Posted by minutebot

smaller Hexagonal or odd-shaped field, no alliances, maybe 1 v 1 or FFA with multiple and it'll be an arm game with elements to be picked up and placed.

The deletion of the 1999 game (link below) and replacement of it with the 1997 game is definitely significant (recycling 1997). 1999 was the first year with alliances as mentioned in the video but it was also the first year with a regular rectangular shaped field (disregarding 1992 which was a raised square sandbox) and every field since has been a regular rectangular shape. I believe that alliances and the rectangular shaped field will both be done away with for the coming game. Also when the guy opens the game manual he flips to the first pages which described the field in the 2014 game manual. Finally, it will be similar but a variation on the 1997 game because the 1997 game is the one being recycled so it will be some sort of arm game.

1999 Game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CDop_IwW8

Link to FRC 2015 Game Hint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAETANAiLw0

It couldn't really be an odd shaped field because last year's field was approved for this year, which means no big changes in field size/shape.

[SRaymond]

Frank posted a rule on the FRC blog:

R13: Software and Mechanical/Electrical designs created before kickoff are only permitted if the source files (conplete information sufficient to produce the design) are available publically prior to Kickoff.

Sounds like a hint about recycled designs? 😂

[notmattlythgoe]

Originally Posted by SRaymond

Frank posted a rule on the FRC blog:

R13: Software and Mechanical/Electrical designs created before kickoff are only permitted if the source files (conplete information sufficient to produce the design) are available publically prior to Kickoff.

Sounds like a hint about recycled designs? 😂

I think it is more of a reminder to teams to release any offseason designs they worked on if they want to be able to use them.

[Loxmyth]

Originally Posted by SRaymond

Frank posted a rule on the FRC blog:

R13: Software and Mechanical/Electrical designs created before kickoff are only permitted if the source files (conplete information sufficient to produce the design) are available publically prior to Kickoff.

Sounds like a hint about recycled designs? 😂

That rule has existed for quite some time now. As previously posted, some teams are already prototyping their robots and have been for months. All designs done in this fashion have to be shared publicly.

[gavmac928]

Originally Posted by Loxmyth

That rule has existed for quite some time now. As previously posted, some teams are already prototyping their robots and have been for months. All designs done in this fashion have to be shared publicly.

Although I hope I'm wrong, maybe this is the rule that will be a big change? It does pertain to recycling and the rule book was recycled. The original blog post about how change is coming basically said not to expect long standing rules that we take for granted to be back every year, maybe this rule is the one being changed? I don't think it should be, but who knows? Also, should we look into the fact that he misspelled complete as conplete?

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by gavmac928

Although I hope I'm wrong, maybe this is the rule that will be a big change? It does pertain to recycling and the rule book was recycled. The original blog post about how change is coming basically said not to expect long standing rules that we take for granted to be back every year, maybe this rule is the one being changed? I don't think it should be, but who knows? Also, should we look into the fact that he misspelled complete as conplete?

2014 R13:

ROBOT elements created before Kickoff are not permitted. ROBOT elements, including software, that are designed
before Kickoff are not permitted.
Exceptions include the following:
A. BUMPERS,
B. OPERATOR CONSOLE,
C. battery assemblies per R5-A, and
D. software and designs with source files publicly available prior to Kickoff.

2015 R13:

Software and Mechanical/Electrical designs created before kickoff are only permitted if the source files (conplete information sufficient to produce the design) are available publically prior to Kickoff.

It did change. Before

Originally Posted by 2014 Blue Box

Example 2: The same Team realizes that the transmission designed and built in the fall
perfectly fits their need for a transmission to drive the ROBOT arm. They build an exact
copy of the transmission from the original design plans, and bolt it to the ROBOT. This
would be prohibited, as the transmission – although made during the competition season
– was built from detailed designs developed prior to Kickoff.

as stated, was a prohibited activity. Now it's legal as long as the designs are open sourced prior to Kickoff.

[Ekcrbe]

Originally Posted by cgmv123

2014 R13:


2015 R13:


It did change. Before



as stated, was a prohibited activity. Now it's legal as long as the designs are open sourced prior to Kickoff.

I think this is evidence that it hasn't changed, based on 2014's part D. It does point to streamlining the rule book, which I have speculated is much of the change already, but I think the intent is still the same.