2010 Game Hint #2

[EricH]

Originally Posted by LavastormSW

On the contrary, I think that making those yellow plates straight and not curved was deliberate. It doesn't seem like they would make a simple mistake like that.


Then why wouldn't they be curved down to touch the floor in the picture? These look like they're there to serve some other purpose.

As a matter of fact, they may indeed be cut straight initially, and the CAD for them would show that. However, in fact, they are bent, thanks to some velcro at the ends and about three days a week of being stuck like that with everyone stepping on or near them. Trust me; I've helped set up the field for at least one event per year since 2007.

And, regarding why it wasn't done in the CAD: It can be kind of hard to get a curved surface like that. It may be that whoever did the CAD didn't know how, or ran out of time to do it.

[Pausert]

What I find striking about this render is how the outside, gray space lines up with the border of the field. Also, the shadow pattern is interesting...

As we've been told that "not everything is as it seems", or something to that effect, I'm chancing a guess that there might be some sort of scoring implement that requires the robot to line up several objects of various depths in order to actually score.
For example, instead of simply shooting a ball, the robot would have to shoot the ball at such an angle that it clears two goals. This would create a graduated scoring system that would encourage veteran teams while still providing an easier tasks for rookies.

[Nin_estarSaerah]

Are there any definitive differences from the gate of years past? It does look wider, but I'm not sure. Can anyone CAD the corresponding view using last year's dimensions to compare? I would, but I don't have Autodesk on this computer.

It looks to me as if both hints are in isometric projection. Why aren't there axes, is it simply a different CAD program that what I usually use?

This certainly looks like carpet to me, and I agree, a sizable portion of the field is shown to be bare. I think this might mean that, like last year, more of the robots' interactions will be with other robots and movable goals rather than stationary ones.

I was going to start on FAFSA today...once again, robotics takes my attention away from such unimportant things.

[alectronic]

Originally Posted by LavastormSW

I don't think they're trip guards. If they were, they would be curved down to touch the floor. It doesn't seem like they would make a simple mistake like forgetting to curve them.

Everyone keeps quoting the "everything is not as it seems" post. Therefore it logically makes sense that the trip guards may be more than just trip guards this time.
Although, if there were for human players, they would likely have a shield near them, so either that was removed, or they really are trip guards and they just didnt take the time to bend them.
i doubt they would have robots reach over the walls to do something like hit a switch, right?

[LavastormSW]

Originally Posted by techalex

Although, if there were for human players, they would likely have a shield near them, so either that was removed, or they really are trip guards and they just didn't take the time to bend them.

I agree. If a human player had to stand on/near one of the panels, there's a chance that a robot could potentially hurt them. I see no plexiglass/fence/whatever to prevent that.

[carolynn4848]

Maybe "everything is not as it seems" was said because they knew everyone would start looking too closely. Maybe this hint is exactly what it seems to be and we're just looking too closely. Remember the first hint from last year? Everyone took the picture of the moonfish and started flipping it around and contorting it in every way possible, trying to read the words in the background, and it turned out to have nothing to to with the words. Maybe this hint is the same way.

or

They did mean to look closer when they said "everything is not as it seems".........

[RoboMaster]

I honestly don't get much out of this hint. But here's what I think (i know some of this has already been said)

-Obviously it is of the field. Nice little entrance gate there. People have said it's wider, but that doesn't give much information.
-The yellow things seemed to be the center of attention, but then it was said that these are really trip-protection mats, so that's not much.
-We've got carpet, or at least what looks like carpet, it's a little gray. But like the regolith, if there was some new field surface they would probably put it on top of the carpet inside the field.

Here's what I think is interesting:
-The yellow mats are covering up two angled brackets on each side of the gate. These seem to be for support so that the wall doesn't fall over if a robot rams into it. Normally there is just one next to the gate because on the other one side there is the driver station wall and on the other side is the middle where there are more brackets. So are they there to give more support to the possibly weak gate just be cause FIRST wants to be more safe? People have said that this gate seems to be in the middle, so that would give reason to put brackets on each side. But that would mean there are less gates on the field, which I don't think will happen. FIRST wants the matches to reset quickly. So this might mean a different field shape. Someone else has said that the field sections are very modular, so that would probably work. I think that's the best possibility; or at least that the field is re-arranged.
-You can't see the driver station wall from here. Now, that might be because they just blocked it out of the picture, or the field is re-arranged and it can't be seen. I think it is possible not to see the driver station wall even if either of these weren't the case. If it was connected to the upper right field wall instead of the lower left, then it would work. But again, why is the bracket needed?
-Game hint 1 is nowhere to be seen. No other field structures are to be seen. Again, not much there because they might have blocked it out or this is just a section with nothing important like that.
-That bolt attached to the left side of the gate, sticking outwards. Can someone tell me what this is? I'm sure it's just a usual piece of the field, but it's been staring me in the face and I think it might be significant.

Other than that, and to sum up, this is still a ton of speculation with multiple weak possibilities. But that's what a game hint is, so what can you expect. Happy guessing!

[Danny Blau]

The yellow platforms: yes in past years there have been trip guards over the field supports but to me the question is why make those the focus of the picture? they're the first thing you see, why are they important?

I first thought they could be either game piece loading stations, or a goal. This could be where we pick up/deliver the boxes of cracker jacks and cans of Diet Coke.

And remember the GDC puts roughly a gagillion hours into this everything they do, say and post about the game is very planed and calculated, if the panels were supposed to be curved they would have shown them that way or not shown at all

Danny
~see you at kickoff

[ATannahill]

Originally Posted by RoboMaster

-That bolt attached to the left side of the gate, sticking outwards. Can someone tell me what this is? I'm sure it's just a usual piece of the field, but it's been staring me in the face and I think it might be significant.

I think it is the latch for the sliding lock pin. I don't think that has changed because you can see the pivot point.

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by RoboMaster

-That bolt attached to the left side of the gate, sticking outwards. Can someone tell me what this is? I'm sure it's just a usual piece of the field, but it's been staring me in the face and I think it might be significant.

That's the sliding gate lock...was not present at River Rage for the Delta field tryout, but maybe they put them back in.

[Tetraman]

Can a mod set the first post to have the Game Hint #2 Picture?

Anyway, I think the most important part of this map is the fact there are no lines, changes in the carpet or things beyond the field, at least in the clip we see..

[the man]

Ya im done guessing im in my serious kickoff prep mode, im shure you all know what i mean.

[LavastormSW]

Originally Posted by DannyB1259

And remember the GDC puts roughly a gagillion hours into this everything they do, say and post about the game is very planed and calculated, if the panels were supposed to be curved they would have shown them that way or not shown at all.

That's exactly what I was saying. Thanks for reinforcing my point.

[bladetech932]

Ok here is what i think
1. the yellow coverings are strait just because of rushed cad

2. the gate in this photo isnot in the old spot neither is it in the middle, my team set up the field in okc and i know the gate was between two side pieces the middle is one piece that said the only other way it could be oriented going off the yellow pieces is half way between the middle and the old position

3. there are 4 gates because first probably would not reduce it to one or two for time between matches

4.moving the gates is for a purpose so i am assuming the interacting part of the fields will be by the alliance station

5.no human player in the middle means its a great place for the robots to start probably similar to the orientation in 2006

6. from the prior years experience the hints are unrelated

7. the shadows are there for a purpose.

[Elgin Clock]

So, they drop the animation award for 2010 (going by the awards section already released for this year), yet they offer 2 hints that are made with a CAD and/or animation program.

That's kind of odd... don't you think?


Oh, & btw... for anyone who wants to go scale this field picture, here is the drawing for the (2009 & previous) outrigger device shown.
If it has changed dimensionally for this year since 2006 when this pdf was released, then I would be surprised.

http://www2.usfirst.org/2006comp/Dra...Fab_&_Assy.pdf

Oh, & here's the gate assembly document just for kicks as well:
http://www2.usfirst.org/2006comp/Dra...Fab_&_Assy.pdf

Oh, & one more thing. If the gate shown were to be put into the middle of the field, it could happen with the same size field BUT you would have to get rid of an upright support that is right in the middle of the field.

Or just put the gate between the outriggers which exist already (2009 field shown).
http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/FE-00032.pdf