[BB] 2010 Game Hint #1

[HashemReza]

Personally, I think it's pointless to hypothesize with just THIS piece of the puzzle. The fact that the image is named "game hint 1" leads me to believe there will be more. It's like hypothesizing what a car will look like when you only have the front headlights.

Sorry, terrible representation. Basically, I'm going to take a break for a few days until another hint comes, then maybe I'll look at the BOTH. Can't have a line with just 1 point of data

[alectronic]

Originally Posted by gallo26

Just some random thoughts. FIRST might go back to a randomizer. The control system has gotten smarter, and the camera can track more. So its possible that a random start would be some part of the 2010 game.

I believe that there will for sure be a randomizer for some part of the field. considering all of the potential yet to be unleashed in the control sys, plus what we have been talking about in this thread about camera calibration and the new dashboard/DS, I would feel confident with that guess. What if this piece (the hint) is compatible with multiple types of game pieces, and that is what the randomizer decides?

[Gary.C]

I also think that it is pointless to hypothesize about the game hint, because no one is going to build a robot beforehand of these ideas. It will probably be obvious once we know the game but we will not realize it now. Nevertheless it is a game hint...

[jamie_1930]

Originally Posted by CHI DONG08

I also think that it is pointless to hypothesize about the game hint, because no one is going to build a robot beforehand of these ideas. It will probably be obvious once we know the game but we will not realize it now. Nevertheless it is a game hint...

It's mainly entertainment thinking about the clues, and hey you have countless nerds here with a severe obsession for robots and with the clues it gives something to hold them over before they go nuts, or at least that's me. And if you find a team building their robot based off of this thread I need to talk to them.

[jholman]

Remind me again. Why do we let the GDC hold us captive to these hints year after year? Oh well I'm just going to try to forget about it and wait 2 weeks to see what the actual game is.

[nathanww]

Because it's a fun challenge. Kind of like Sudoku, but with lexan and evil geniuses.

A few ideas I had:

Dave's morse code hint could possibly be decoded as "Everything is not as it appears"(which usually refers to visual perception)
The hint is in Morse code(a communication system)
The CAD render contains a reflection, possibly of another field element(which could be considered a form of visual relay/communication)
The new control system and field elements this year will support much richer telemetry from the robot

Therefore, I'm thinking that these hints might be pointing on an increased reliance on visual feedback and robot telemetetry. However, I'm inclined to think that if this is true, the emphasis is going to be more on robot-to-robot communications and vision processing. Just plain "let's drive the robot using the camera" is not very programmatically interesting or spectator-friendly.

Looking at the hint more literally, I'm reminded of this resturant that uses a suspended track system to deliver food to customers. Cracker Jacks and Haagen-Daaz cups or food. So maybe this is part of a system to drop game pieces down from the ceiling. Hmmm...

Or it could just be, you know, the whole field.

[TEntwistle]

A few recent posts have suggested that there is little purpose to guessing about the game hint (an old idea, BTW - mentioned a few days ago). However, it is a chance to get people excited about the game, and a chance to start strategizing/brainstorming. I have alsready started to think about what I would want to do if this game is played on rails, if it requires sorting balls by color, if it uses small (tennis ball sized) game pieces, if it requires a camera due to limited visibility, and now what to do if the field is partitioned. This may be the biggest value of the game hint - the ideas you thinnk of to tackle one issue may be the best way to conquer the real game, even though your imagined problem has nothing to do with the real problem.

Like JVN has said numerous times. there is no stupid idea in a brainstorming session. The student who asks that we have a robot that can fly will encourage someone else to think of the game-winning strategy. So I would encourage others to keep throwing out ideas, not matter how stupid (except for flying robots), but suggest that we keep it focused on the hint and game, and read prior posts (or search) to minimize pure repitition.

[GBilletdeaux930]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but I came across this as I was reading through some old blogs from Bill.

(This is in Section 5-Rev A pertaining to the new Coopertition Award)

"The Coopertition Award celebrates the team that best demostrates the ability to help their opponents compete. In the inaugural year of the Coopertition Award, the award will be granted to the team that earns the most Coopertition bonus points during the competition (See Section 9 for details about Coopertition bonus points)."

I'm thinking that means that teams will have their own score that they continue to add to after every match...

Sorry this doesn't quite relate to the first hint but it's about the game overall...

[TEntwistle]

Originally Posted by GBilletdeaux930

"The Coopertition Award celebrates the team that best demostrates the ability to help their opponents compete. In the inaugural year of the Coopertition Award, the award will be granted to the team that earns the most Coopertition bonus points during the competition

My guess is that these points will be unrelated to game play (directly) but maybe given in the pits, or by judges who see teams not running up the score, or something else like that. Maybe it will be related to teams that win high scoring games by both teams. There was some mention of this on the FIRST website in reference to last year, about how coopertition was demonstrated by everyone scoring, and that it was better to win a high scoring game than to keep your opponent to low score (very much paraphrasing). If this is true, then this year's game may have very little defense within it, or they may discourage defense as the primary means of winning. My take on Overdrive was this was intended to be an offense-oriented game. I expect the same this year

[Beta Version]

Originally Posted by keehun

That's a really cool image. I haven't been in FIRST long enough to know GDC's personality, but nonetheless, I think it's a cool idea.

Just wondering if GDC would ever partition a field like that that's impassable? Though in the context of your game idea, it completely makes sense.

I know that they are considered seperate, but VEX had a partitioned field this season, it apparently was an exciting game.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by TEntwistle

My guess is that these points will be unrelated to game play (directly) but maybe given in the pits, or by judges who see teams not running up the score, or something else like that. Maybe it will be related to teams that win high scoring games by both teams. There was some mention of this on the FIRST website in reference to last year, about how coopertition was demonstrated by everyone scoring, and that it was better to win a high scoring game than to keep your opponent to low score (very much paraphrasing). If this is true, then this year's game may have very little defense within it, or they may discourage defense as the primary means of winning. My take on Overdrive was this was intended to be an offense-oriented game. I expect the same this year

This is already present in the Ranking Score / Strength of Scheduling system in place.

[TEntwistle]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This is already present in the Ranking Score / Strength of Scheduling system in place.

Quite right. I just was wondering if is a double jeopardy kind of situation - low opponents score hurts you in quality points and in coopertition award standings.

[jerry w]

Originally Posted by jholman

Remind me again. Why do we let the GDC hold us captive to these hints year after year? Oh well I'm just going to try to forget about it and wait 2 weeks to see what the actual game is.

Don't wimp out!!
Get back in here and help solve this puzzle. We almost had the game described before kickoff last year. The puzzle solving can be just as exciting as creating a design during the six weeks.
We will solve this before kick off. we just need people to think how this picture fits into a game having similar rules from all previous. Yet the game WILL be different.

[ATannahill]

Originally Posted by jerry w

The puzzle solving can be just as exciting as creating a design during the six weeks.

But we need to rest up for the six weeks. The puzzle just takes away from our sleep time.

[jerry w]

Gallo,
Are you going to adjust your drawing so that we can see a reflection due to an angle between rails and mounting tab?
I would like to know what angle gives us the reflection seen in the clue.

Jerry