I too would love to see the return of ramps like in 2006 or platforms like in 2004 or some other fun field obstacle but I just donāt see it happening for one simple reason: BUMPERS. Ever notice that about the time bumpers came along the field got flat? At first bumpers were optional but for the last couple of years they have been mandatory. I suspect he GDC has a fondness for bumpers for good reason. I well remember watching a 2004 Newton match when two opposing robots charged out of the gate at the beginning of autonomous and met mid field in the hardest, fastest, head on robot impact I have ever seen. I canāt remember for sure what the team numbers were but I want to say 254 was one of them. In any case, neither robot moved from the point of impact for rest of the match. Bumpers are designed to reduce the effects of such violent robot impacts. I think I read somewhere that the CRIO is rated to 50g. While 50g is nothing to sneeze at I bet those two robots on Newton back in 2004 felt much more. The recent bumper rules are the way they are for many good reasons. Heck, last year nobody was ever able to get enough traction to get going anywhere near what we have in the past but we had the most stringent bumper rules to date. As long as bumpers are deemed necessary by the GDC in anywhere near the same manner that we have become used to (bumper perimeter requirements, bumper zone, non-articulating, etc., etc. etc.) I predict that the field will remain relatively flat. Bumpers add to the safety factor and, well, we all know FIRST is all about safety and rightfully so. It is a litigious society we live in after all.
The Field will be pretty much the same size - Iām 99% sure on that one. I think there will be serious obstacles to negotiate through, over, or around. Like others have already said, we havenāt had that since 2004.
Curve ball? 4-6" wheels may not be the way to go this year. Treads or larger wheels could be needed. If teams have to use larger wheels, treads, or stairclimbers, that maybe enough of a curve ball in itself.
Rather than climbing obstacles, I think we may have to duck them. Perhaps the GDC will honor the year 2010 with a giant X suspended 3ā over the field. Scoring goals will be > 6ā high, and robots are required to navigate under the X in order to reach the goals.
Curve ball - No Game Hint #2
Or, perhaps, Game Hint #2 that is āhiddenā in some web location that we must go findā¦
(Come on Bill Miller, prove me wrongā¦)
Why does this sound like Iron Chef? Todayās secret ingredient is ā¦ bowling pins!
(I think bowling pins would be more fun than bowling balls.)
And extremely tricky too ā those things weigh 3lbs, are slick with wierd shapes, and are fairly durable. They seem perfect for a FRC gameā¦
There was a team in 2007 that competed in a competition match with no drivetrain. Their drive was broken, but they were a ramp bot, so they plunked it on the field and still scored points for their alliance. Thereās a picture somewhereā¦
Except for the cost factorā¦ I personally have a set I got from the bowling alley I played at. They donāt replace them often because theyāre expensive.
I donāt know if you are meaning 1816. In the semis at WI during the second match, the transmission failed on their robot. For the third match, they put the robot out because the ramps still worked even if they couldnāt drive around. They didnāt win the match, but both of the other robots were lifted up at the end.
I can think of one ramp-bot that didnāt have a drivetrain at all that year. Canāt say they had much success, though.
Our team in 2006 was in the proccess of converting our treds to wheels and put the robot out on block for a match. Our auton worked, at least!
Okay, you got me, Karthik!
But didnāt 148 have a little help from some friends? 
What about 111 in 2003?
Candle pin? Similar but slightly less tricky
Now something completely different; Frisbees.
<please be Frisbees>
Curveballs (not necessarily all at once):
Playing surface: A non-Newtonian fluid, like a corn starch/water mixture.
Game piece: A refrigerator box 1/4-filled with sand.
Robot restrictions: Robot must be a stationary arm. ( keep suggesting this for our FLL team, but it has yet to be implemented.)
curveball???
How about wiffleballs in a longrange shooting contest :yikes:
While our drivetrain in 2003 was pretty good, teams had to deal with a little more than a box on wheels. The ramps were what made that robot great, not the wheels. Exhibits 1, 2, 3 are best viewed flip book style. Oh yea, the autonomous wasnāt too shabby either 
This may be due to FLL rules that prevent this. Apparently, teams once did stuff like sticks that could reach halfway across the table. Therefore, robots now have to move out of their starting area before using said big sticks.
At the FRC scale, now that would be interesting.