2006 Official Game Hint Discussion

[Starke]

i agree with this quote by edthegeek:

Another really crazy idea, but what if the truncated pyramids are at the end zones like Norris said. You begin on top of the pyramids and at the end autonomous period, you have to use the CMUcam to find your way back on top of the pyramid

this also reminds me of the vex field that looks as follows. of course there has something different in the middle. but there is an example of the ramped edge idea. hmm, instead of vex using FRC games, maybe it is the other way this year? anyone agree? my mind is spinning.

[Francis-134]

It would be an interesting idea, but I highly doubt that FIRST would use the same game in two competitions in the same year. But if it is, I've got about 4 different designs that would work.

I think that auto mode at the end is feasible. If there were some sort of pause between the operator control and autonomous, it would be possible for the refs to discern where a robot is in respect to the two modes.

[psquared89]

It is a most cryptic clue, but I was wondering if they released the encrypted version of the game manual yet? I remember from kickoffs in the past they always gave out an encryption key at the end for anyone who was curious, have they released the new, encrypted manual yet? I couldn't find it anywhere on FIRST's homepage.

On a side note: for those who enjoy clues, hints, and other things such as these, you guys should check out "cryptic crosswords", they're really cool things and could be helpful. There are some examples of cryptics crosswords here and for those who become exceedingly frustrated, a cryptic crossword solver here (it's a really impressive piece of software...)

[Gurdian]

I emailed them about that. They said that portions of the manual will be posted on the 4th. Game portions will be posted after kick-off.

[Zach Purser]

Originally Posted by funstuff

Good point. But if the ramp has FOUR sides and ONE flat top (like a plateau), doesn't that mean that there is room for FIVE robots? This would work better with the symmetry of the field. The top spot would of course be worth the most points. The ramp would take up a lot of room on the field, no matter what it's shape is. Think like these trucated pyramids, except less steep:

Anyone looked at the food guide pyramid lately?
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap.htm
What does the pasta part of the food pyramid look like? :-)

[phrontist]

Originally Posted by Zach Purser

Anyone looked at the food guide pyramid lately?
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap.htm
What does the pasta part of the food pyramid look like? :-)

Good find!

I'm almost convinced about the ramp-shape now...

[RoboMadi]

I think there will be five robots against each other. Well i guess that is possible on a pentagon shaped goal or bowl in the middle, full with sticks or something like 'spaghetti'. Well shovel then kinda makes sense; means something to pick up those sticks or pool noodles.
and green or montana?........CMU??...
only 7 more days to go......sooo excited can't wait!!

Imad

[Zach Purser]

Just to toss one more idea into the mix, look at this map of Montana:
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=47.04...4.194336&hl=en

The "green" on the map in Montana is Glacier National Park.

Glacier’s mountains are not particularly tall – the highest peak in the park is just over 10,000 feet, but no other national park in the lower 48 states puts visitors so close to such superbly sculpted mountains. They were once beds of sediment under shallow seas that were raised far above sea level in the convulsions that created the Rockies. Later, Ice Age glaciers sculpted them into often pyramidal or steeply sloping forms.

http://www.theculturedtraveler.com/P...es/Glacier.htm

[capnrmorgan]

I am new to CD and also tried to search this thread for "Flat green pool noodles". So if I am repeating this discussion....sorry

My daughter takes swim lessons and to make a short story....

They had flat green pool noodles that looked exactly like pasta. I am searching the internet for a picture of them. What do you think? Could they be talking about an obscure flat pool noodle? It would be hard to pick them up but not too difficult to navigate over them...just a thought

[Zach E.]

The Montana's green heights make me think of a cylindrical field
with a flat point on top that holds the goal.


The shovel's show hint is much more confusing. I see many post of
people looking at the shovel instead of it's show. Now a shovel can be
defined as " an excavating machine; especially : an hydraulic
diesel-engine driven power shovel" which is commonly used for mining
purposes. Now you must look at what that shovel's show can be... "an
indication of metal in a mine or of gas or oil in a well". So I draw
the conclusion that we have a game piece obsessed with metal in a mine.
If anyone can get any sense of that please post it.


The 5bots and pasta part could mean any number of things. Maybe
its just me but the way its phrased I don't see any teams or alliances
but a free for all. Pasta makes me think its a long flexible scoring
piece and that all the robots are tangling with them playing a sort of
tug-of-war. So torque and grip power will be important.
Thats all I can make of it.

[MARK]

how's everyone doin'? I haven't been on CD for a while, but I just wanted to throw in my 2cents...

This is my fourth year in FIRST, and I don't remember any game clue that really made great sense, even in hindsight. Take last year's clue:

While wearing Amethyst colored glasses, John Neun gave George Burns the following riddle: "Look closely and you will see something between Pi, You and Me."

Could someone tell me or update me on how this clue foreshadowed Triple Play? Thanks.

[Joe J.]

Originally Posted by Zach E.

we have a game piece obsessed with metal in a mine

As someone mentioned earlier Montana's state flag has the phrase: oro y plata, on it, Gold and Silver which are mined metals.


Maybe we have to get (mine for) the game pieces out of some kind of structure that has holes in it.

Originally Posted by MARK

Could someone tell me or update me on how this clue foreshadowed Triple Play? Thanks.

Check out the Looking Back: 2005 Game Hint thread.

[phrontist]

The food pyramid refrenced above is deprecated, this is the new one:



Are we going to have steps?

[Nuttyman54]

Originally Posted by Francis-134

It would be an interesting idea, but I highly doubt that FIRST would use the same game in two competitions in the same year. But if it is, I've got about 4 different designs that would work.

I think that auto mode at the end is feasible. If there were some sort of pause between the operator control and autonomous, it would be possible for the refs to discern where a robot is in respect to the two modes.

I don't even think a pause is necessary. In past years, there's always been an audio clue signalling the end of autonomous...the could just use that for the begining of autonomous.

[drew.fineberg]

First off...lets just start by saying that last year triangles were used and in the year before that circles were used, so the only shape in their logo not used in succession is the square!!! Possibly the square will be used in this one?

five bots tangling with pasta:
the five bots either means a free for all or 2 vs 2 vs 1, the 1 being a bot controlled via one continuous program and not humanly controlled
if we do have a free for all there will somehow have to be teams involved because the spirit of the competition is having positive learning experiences through interaction with other teams
as for the pasta that could be part of the playing field...shrug...i don't know about that

a game piece obsessed with a shovel's show:
since this is written in riddles it is easiest to look at each part individually and then to conceive its connotations....
a game piece - obvious, and strait forward
obsessed - to have excessive preoccupation with something
a shovel's show - we all know what a shovel is, but what does it show??
my guess is that when the act of shoveling is complete what it has to show is a pile or mountain, obviously we cant have snow, so maybe its meaning is in relation to the pasta?
therefore there has to be a game piece on the field that is used to hold or maintain a "shovel's show" or pile of perhaps the "pasta"

and seeing Montana's green heights:
Montana's mountains aren't green, they are white because they are covered in snow
the general agreement seems to be that the green refers to the color used by the cameras in the autonomous mode in 2005
perhaps the height refers to the game piece in the aforementioned line??

my conclusion:
there will either be a 2 vs 2 vs 1 or a free for all where the object will be to amass or pile pasta like pieces on an elevated platform via the means of a shovel or other mechanism...

-DBF
HSMSE
1520