[marshall]

Originally Posted by Steven Smith

I think the majority opinion is not to criticize any particular person/team/etc for either cheese-caking, being cheese-caked, etc... but a concern about the next "arms race" where a team with sufficient resources could potentially bring their own alliance to a tournament by building complimentary mechanisms/robots and handing them to 1st/2nd picks.

If the rules allow it, teams would (and should) pursue it. Now in 12-14 weeks, you are working even harder... not just to make your own robot, but to design cheesecakes around stripped down robots.

A rule (or game design) that lessened the strategic benefit of cheese-caking, while leaving the option to help other teams out would likely be well received. One idea I floated on the post a while back regarding the Q/A banning all help, was to potentially allow unlimited cheese-caking through X time (Friday quals at a regional?), and only limited (2-5lbs?) changes after alliance selection. If a well meaning team wants to help another team overhaul their robot, they could and should... but it shouldn't provide an overwhelming strategic advantage to the giver.

Also an enlightened viewpoint and I think maybe a reasonable suggestion. The timeframe is a good way to handle it.