... changes ... from Kickoff to Championship

At time stamp 2:15 it is stated there will be changes throughout the season

As stated changes may still be coming. Any insight on what these might be? Are scoring changes a possibility? What would be your reaction if changes in game rules occur after your tournament that might have changed the way you built your robot or your strategy on the field?

From the FRC Blog:

Secret End Game

I’ve seen the chatter on the forums. I’ll tell you the secret about the end game: there is no secret. For teams that have been around for a while, this year’s game may look very different to you than recent games. This is intentional. We’re trying some new things, one of which is not to have a unique end-of-match task. If you are considering reserving some weight on your robot because you think we’re going to spring some unexpected task on you in the middle of build season, here’s my recommendation: don’t.

Yup

Remember this year’s change to 4-team-alliances at Championship. That’s a change that we know is happening already.

Also, there is no secret endgame please don’t let anyone turn this into a secret endgame thread…

Asking CD Denzines to not talk about secret endgames is like asking Great White Sharks to not eat Sea Lions. You cannot ask them to change their nature.

Yeah I know about that rule and its not a new one.

I think Dr Flowers meant something more substantial than that.

And I don’t think it is the addition of an end game.

Then what do YOU think it is?

:deadhorse:

I wouldn’t have a reaction, because that would never happen.

What do (caps on) I (caps off) think it is? Dagnabbit. I’m the one who asked the question!

It sounds like you’d be shocked if this happened. If I can watch the opening games tomorrow or Friday, if what I think happens does happen, I will comment on it then. Otherwise I don’t have a clue.

Are you implying that tomorrow or Friday morning you think FIRST will send out a message to all the events chanigng an aspect of the game? Because that will NOT happen. If FIRST does make a significant game change (which I don’t think they will), it would be in a Tuesday team update.

To my knowledge/in my experience (and someone with greater FIRST experience can elaborate on this), the most major midseason change I’ve seen was changing aspects of the seeding structure in 2010. And even that didn’t drastically effect (or even effect at all) the way in which teams designed their robots.

I heard that they might add an end-game. :eek:

I still hold my stance that his statement was referring to the fact that there were changes in the rules pertaining to different points of the season, not that changes would be coming throughout the season. Shorter autonomous being one and 4 team alliances at champs being another. I would also be very shocked if FIRST changed something drastic in the game rules at this point, and this would probably be my last season with FIRST if they did.

Except in 2002 (mouse bots), 2005 (changes to auto loader station rules) and in 2010 (redirecter) it happened during build season but most teams missed it until competition began.

I’m sure there are other examples as well.

Uncle! I said I’d watch the games, see how they go, and then comment. Now I’m not even going to do that. What a hot button topic! Geesh…

Spock out.

Part of the reason that you are not getting very meaningful responses from this thread is likely because you asked a (no offense) somewhat silly question. Basically, if FIRST makes changes to the rules, there are only 2 reactions that people can have: Approve of the change, or disapprove of the change.

If FIRST makes a change that makes the game safer, fairer, or more spectator-friendly, then generally, almost everyone will approve of the change. However if FIRST makes a change to the rules simply to mess with us (see secret endgame thread) then almost everyone will (to put it nicely) generally disapprove of the change. I, just like everyone else, will respond accordingly to whatever rule change is made.

However, I am not about to come up with hypothetical rule changes and then talk about my reaction to those changes, as that is not really insightful either for me or for anyone reading my post. The question “how would football teams respond if the NFL changed a rule?” is pointless, and this thread seems no different than that to me.

Dean: “Hey Woodie, I think this is the year. I know you know what I’m thinking.”
Woodie: “Couldn’t agree more, it’s about time we stop the speculation for when this will happen. But won’t everyone be freaking out for six weeks about the logistics of this?”
Dean: “Great point Woodie, the panic would be unimaginable. Better wait until the night before competitions to tell them so that they will be too busy modifying strategy to panic.”
Woodie: “Sure thing. I’ll just say to ‘expect changes’. That should cover us on this one.”

And that was the conversation that led to the Great Midnight Water Game Announcement of 2014. Better start refreshing the FIRST site’s game manual, the update could be any time now…