The Not So-Secret Secret End-Game

[UnTrustedTruss]

Aerial Assist is one of the most technically boring challenges we have had so far, and with the smooth gradient of difficulty each year as the league matures. This simply does not make sense, it is clear there is something missing.
Our team first picked up on this during this video in which Woody says

"We are doing this a bit differently this year, making changes from kickoff to championships this year"

Now this would be normal, if it wasn't for this year being one of the most cookie cutter to date. No major shifts in origination, challenge, or league size. It is weird that this would be mentioned if there was not something further to back this up.

Our suspicion peaked further when we looked at the massive Truss eliminate. Keep in mind this has to bear no burden (as is), it serves the same purpose as rope would. However, this is not some weak little rope, at the Drexel Hill kickoff we had several people hanging off of it. The truss did not sag with three, healthy, adult males hanging off of it. Again, in the video we see an adult male sitting on it. According to this spec-sheat, this thing can support 1726 lbs.

We really knew we were onto something when we looked at the rules about the goalie. The Goalie has little or no purpose in this challenge, with the 6 inch limit playing defense is nearly useless. Along with articulating movement at the other teams shot being counted as a foul (I believe, as we are redirecting their ball). Why would they go into so much detail for such a little feature, that defeats the purpose of the task (no tri-assists with a goalie)?

We believe it is because we have not heard about the full game yet. The only real challenge thus far is team coordination, the rest is just reused code, and driver twitch skills. Now, think back to last years end game. We sucked at it collectively, what was meant to be a race to the top resulted in single level hangs for most of us. It was a collective disappointment (learning experience), and certainly not fun to watch.

Now, think about it. This truss can bear the weight of all six robots, is low enough that it can be grappled if the height limit was dropped, yet not high enough to be above most people for risk of dropping and injury, and is out of place in the easiest challenge thus far.

Removing the height limit during the endgame means that teams can grabble the truss and attempt to raise onto it. With all the talk of changes, it only seems fair to see a mid-season addition.

I, personally, think that we have not seen the last of the hanging endgame.

[Lewis Nerone]

Team 4269 picked up on this as well. Wonder if it has anything to do with FIRST completely redesigning the 2013 game (Ultimate Ascent), and this was recycled from the original 2013 game. So to make up for lost time, FIRST threw out this generic game with the intention of adding something halfway through the build season.

Just a thought though...

[UnTrustedTruss]

Originally Posted by Jedi™

Team 4269 picked up on this as well. Wonder if it has anything to do with FIRST completely redesigning the 2013 game (Ultimate Ascent), and this was recycled from the original 2013 game. So to make up for lost time, FIRST threw out this generic game with the intention of adding something halfway through the build season.

Just a thought though...

If you notice 2014 is much the same as 2013, it just feels like a better edition of it. High scoring top values, lower scoring low ones, a climbing challenge, vertical elements that (attempted) stopped long throws. 2014 feels like it improved on all the aspects 2013 was missing, an achievable endgame, a real motivation for teamwork, and the end of full field launchers.

[Chris_Ely]

Another point:
These lighting trusses can't possibly be very cheep; lots of welded aluminum cross bracing. Why would FIRST buy a bunch of these if they are only to be used for a 'volley ball net'.

[tStano]

Originally Posted by luckof13

Another point:
These lighting trusses can't possibly be very cheep; lots of welded aluminum cross bracing. Why would FIRST buy a bunch of these if they are only to be used for a 'volley ball net'.

Perhaps they were donated. I remember seeing them around arenas in other areas a lot in recent years.

[Saberbot]

Originally Posted by luckof13

Another point:
These lighting trusses can't possibly be very cheep; lots of welded aluminum cross bracing. Why would FIRST buy a bunch of these if they are only to be used for a 'volley ball net'.

These trusses are a very standard part that are mass produced and widely available. I've seen at least four of them at every single FRC event I have ever attended. They can easily be rented from production houses for an extensive period of time. They aren't going to break if anybody runs in to them, and they won't flex at all. FIRST didn't have to do any engineering or manufacturing (which in itself would probably be just as expensive as the truss) and don't have to worry about replacing broken parts.

I don't see any argument as to how the presence of the trusses proves that there will be an endgame that involves hanging.

[DavisC]

Originally Posted by Saberbot

These trusses are a very standard part that are mass produced and widely available. I've seen at least four of them at every single FRC event I have ever attended. They can easily be rented from production houses for an extensive period of time. They aren't going to break if anybody runs in to them, and they won't flex at all. FIRST didn't have to do any engineering or manufacturing (which in itself would probably be just as expensive as the truss) and don't have to worry about replacing broken parts.

I don't see any argument as to how the presence of the trusses proves that there will be an endgame that involves hanging.

Aren't they used for the support of the black curtain behind the FMS people?

Maybe with the expansion of districts, event dates are more spread out and the small venues can't handle such a large display, so therefore they probably had extras on hand.

[Steven Donow]

Originally Posted by DavisC

Aren't they used for the support of the black curtain behind the FMS people?

Yes, similar trusses are used. Go to any music event and you'll see similar structures.

[Bozark]

First isn't technically buying these- they're being rented. Saves cost all around, and the technicians at most district tournaments are experienced playing around with that exact stuff.

[Bill88]

End part missed?



It seems very much.

[RamZ]

Also, we’re just about ready to reveal that secret end game folks have been talking about (and we’ve been denying). Just kidding!

Frank

Latest blog post.

[Bill88]

Parts are recalled?

[Justin Shelley]

This seems highly possible to me. It would make sense of the pointless 6" cylinder that can extend upwards

[Racer26]

Wow. That DOES seem to make a LOT of sense.

The 6" cylinder seems completely useless to me as a defence mechanism -- simply playing physical defence on the shooting robot seems much more effective, given the large width of the goal.

The truss is additionally way overbuilt for its stated purpose, and 2014 would be the first year since 2000, and possibly earlier (I was a rookie in 2003, and have only a loose grasp on the 2000-2002 games), for an FRC game to be without an endgame. That seems really unlikely.

[timytamy]

In my mind this may be what FIRST has come up with to throw a spanner in the works for the Ri3D and Build Blitz groups. I'm sure that someone at FIRST would have taken note of how similar many of the mid level robots were. Changing the game, while really sneaky, is probably one of the best ways to make things more interesting without doing anything to the build groups. You can still have the three day builds that teams can take as much as they want from, but when the "end game" is released, teams are on their own to come up with an effective mechanisim. Not to mention it will space out the team who engineer their robots more flexibly and can adapt and change mechansims easily.

I for one really hope that your prediction is real, just to see some of the crazy changes teams will make, and to see CD's reaction!