The Difference Between Red Herring Clues And Official Game Hints

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by dag0620

If you need me to clarify any thing let me know.

This is awesome.

Just one question, does that make red herring clues - official? (This is all getting Twilight Zone-ish, I realize.)

Thank you,
Jane

[dag0620]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Just one question, does that make red herring clues - official? (This is all getting Twilight Zone-ish, I realize.)

Once again in my opinion,

Thats a pretty tough question. As clues themself, I wouldn't consider them offical, as the relation they have to the game could be right out obvius, or the tiniest relation at all (Just like those who somehow got a water game from 2011 Hint 1 ). However I still consider them Official from FIRST, as I'm sure Dave, and Bill, the rest of the GDC want these planted to help stir us up a bit and to get us to think.

I hope it makes sense, but getting my thoughts into writing isn't my strongest point.

[Brandon_L]

A bit off topic but..

I have a horrible feeling if I ever met Dave in real life, I'd think every word he'd say is a clue to next years game.

Continue on!

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by Bill_B

In FRC 'bots, we find mostly aluminy along with the going awry parts.

I know this is old, but I want Aham on awry, with amustard please.

Originally Posted by Brandon_L

I have a horrible feeling if I ever met Dave in real life, I'd think every word he'd say is a clue to next years game.

I've met Dave a few times. Every word he said to or near me was indeed a game hint.

Jane, the problem with herrings (of any color) and official game hints is that even if someone guessed the exact game perfectly...who would know?

The bottom line is we all* still have to wait for Kickoff.


*GDC members and possibly some insiders excepted.

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Brandon_L

A bit off topic but..

I have a horrible feeling if I ever met Dave in real life, I'd think every word he'd say is a clue to next years game.

Continue on!

Just don't ask him about apples and oranges.

[Karibou]

I consider clues "official" if they're posted on the FIRST website, or if Bill EXPLICITLY says "this is a hint" in his blog.

However, I do expect something truthful to come out of some of Dave's posts. There's no way of knowing when he's right, but it will happen eventually. We'll just all go "D'OH" after kickoff. Same goes with the red herrings that everyone seems to think that Bill is dropping in his blog.

Also, two boxes of KKs and a 2-year subscription to CD says that Dave changed his avatar just to satisfy the game hint thread.

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

The real question is has anybody ever learned anything actionable from a game hint or red herring.

Yes and no, in my opinion. The 2008 anagram, vet hurdling FIRST tetra, when solved, read "drive straight turn left" -- exactly what we had to do for the game. Of course, nobody figured it out until AFTER kickoff, but, had we solved it before, we would have known exactly what half of the game involved.

[Molten]

I prefer to use the whole training bloodhounds story of how we came to use the phrase "red herring".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring

According to it, the hounds were trained how to follow a scent by following a red herring. After they could do that, they learned how to follow a real foxes scent. After that they were trained to follow a real fox scent while ignoring the scent of the red herring.

I think that is what FIRST intends to do with us. It is important to be able to gather information and decide whether it is leading you to your goal or away from it. Even following the red herring can teach different ways of thinking. However, the goal is to be able to tell the difference. I'm sure that I might be putting more faith in FIRST having a purpose then I probably should. Perhaps they don't have a purpose. Either way, just because its a red herring doesn't mean it is unofficial. And just because its unofficial, doesn't mean its a red herring. Sometimes the GDC is trying to mislead the public. Other times someone(dlavery) might actually be giving out information in an unofficial capacity.

Hope that clears things up a bit,
Jason

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by dag0620

I hope it makes sense, but getting my thoughts into writing isn't my strongest point.

You are doing pretty well!

If you ever wonder why JaneYoung asks questions or makes posts or creates threads - all you have to do is think about that statement. It applies to all of us. Writing down our thoughts, opinions, suggestions, wisdom, and/or knowledge - and conveying them in a manner that can be informative, efficient, humorous, gracious, and/or insightful - is good stuff.

If you think this thread is bad, you should have seen me ask our Spirit lead to get all of his thoughts in his head out on the whiteboard for the BEST competition. He did an amazing job but I think he was ready to throw things at me by the time he finished. Hey, he had it all in his head.

Thank you!
Jane

P.S. I need a bloodhound to help me track down the old clue that I'm looking for...

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

Yah - no, this isn't it.

Its actually kinda funny to look through some of those posts. In particular, this one where I am kicking the Overdrive Turtle. About half way down the responses, Mr. Lavery pipes in and says that I shouldn't hurt my foot, I would need it in the future. The very next post vivek16 states 2009: Soccer Showdown?

In hindsight, that is pretty funny considering Breakaway. I believe they said once that Breakaway was originally supposed to be the 2009 game too. Good stuff!

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

Its actually kinda funny to look through some of those posts. In particular, this one where I am kicking the Overdrive Turtle. About half way down the responses, Mr. Lavery pipes in and says that I shouldn't hurt my foot, I would need it in the future. The very next post vivek16 states 2009: Soccer Showdown?

In hindsight, that is pretty funny considering Breakaway. I believe they said once that Breakaway was originally supposed to be the 2009 game too. Good stuff!

Yup.

And in the current thread, I think there is chatter about footballs or rugby. I'll have to check - I may be hallucinating over too many game hint threads and too many years. Some folks call the ball in rugby, a football, right? Wouldn't it be awesome if someday you got to see a football as an FRC game piece? Yup, it would be.

Psst, Andy - did you notice the Yah - no? That was me imitating you with your, 'ya know...' and then letting us have it. Bahahaha!

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by dlavery

Ahem. "Parrot Sketch Not Included"

(and before you go running off to gather the Spanish Inquisition with charges of falsehood and heresy, please note that IMDB.com and several other resources [including the VHS tape box that I am looking at right now] identify this piece as a "compilation movie" of MPFS work). Say no more.


.

Yes sir, Mr. Lavery sir. No more saying, sir.
(No offense, but I think imdb has their Monty Python's Flying Sircus a bit off...)
(Also, I like the train avatar. Classy.)
(I love typing )

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

And in the current thread, I think there is chatter about footballs or rugby. I'll have to check - I may be hallucinating over too many game hint threads and too many years. Some folks call the ball in rugby, a football, right? Wouldn't it be awesome if someday you got to see a football as an FRC game piece? Yup, it would be.

Footballs have come up often in the hint threads over the years as it's one of the only major sports balls that hasn't been incorporated into an FRC game yet.

As for other hint thread guesses, I recall the 2005 hint thread nailing the game name Triple Play and the importance of three in that game. The advance BOM released before games used to be good source of guessing as well. Once (probably four or five years ago), I remember IFI updating their website the night before the Kickoff and coming across screenshots of Kitbot parts.

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

Footballs have come up often in the hint threads over the years as it's one of the only major sports balls that hasn't been incorporated into an FRC game yet.

Don't even get me started on this one...

[216Robochick288]

Game hints- the GDC being evil about giving hints about the coming game

Red Herrings [or whatever shade or pattern you choose]- anyone non GDC being evil about the coming game

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by artdutra04

Footballs have come up often in the hint threads over the years as it's one of the only major sports balls that hasn't been incorporated into an FRC game yet.

What about baseballs? Basketballs? Golf balls? Bowling balls? Cricket balls? Croquet balls? Billiard balls? Volleyballs?

Lots of sports have balls. There are many that have not been used yet.

Hmmmm. We may have to remember this list for the 2014 game....

-dave



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