Quote:
Originally Posted by pfreivald
Please keep in mind that designs like this put the Q&A folks in a difficult situation -- they can't possibly anticipate every solution that a team can dream up, and so the intentionally broad definition criteria of 'astute observer' (which I personally find to be completely reasonable) gives them wiggle room to do exactly as we are instructed to: interpret the spirit of the game, and not try to squeeze every advantage out of the letter.
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I see no possible interpretation in which this put them in a difficult situation. The Q&A Justin quoted was asked in week 1. It is eminently clear what the question is asking (can we hang off the side of the bridge, or otherwise partially support robot weight in order to balance without being entirely on the polycarb on the bridge?).
There is no way the GDC did not understand that teams wanted to know if they could hang from the side of the bridge. They chose the cop out route of answering with a non-answer.
Nearly a month and a half later the issue was forced and they had no choice but to give the answer they should have given originally. Instead of playing games with the Q&A all they had to do was say "we intended the angle on the side of the bridge to be a guide to keep teams from falling off, not a support for teams to hang from". That would have taken thirty seconds to post. Instead they give a typical useless response and multiple (I'm sure there's more than just 118) teams waste time and money implementing such a device in the hopes that it is legal.
7 weeks ago the GDC wasn't between a rock and a hard place. They chose to insert themselves there by not answering a simple question (completely not robot design related...it is a fundamental question about how the game is to be played). End of story.