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Unread 08-03-2016, 20:28
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Re: Boulder Starvation

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edxu View Post
I would argue that this violates G38's definition of HERDING or TRAPPING, as you're creating a group of boulders in the secret passage with the intention of putting a robot there to guard them.
Here is the exact text of G38 (with my own added emphasis):

Quote:
ROBOTS may not control more than one (1) BOULDER at any time.
Violation: FOUL per extra BOULDER
Moving or positioning a BOULDER to gain advantage is considered
“control.”
Examples include, but are not limited to:
A. “carrying” (holding BOULDERS inside a ROBOT)
B. “herding” (intentionally pushing or impelling BOULDERS to a desired
location or direction)
C.“trapping” (holding one or more BOULDERS against a FIELD element
in an attempt to shield or guard them)
D. “launching” (shooting BOULDERS into the air, kicking across the
floor, or throwing in a forceful way)
Examples of interaction with BOULDERS that are not “control” include,
but are not limited to:
A. “bulldozing” (inadvertent contact with BOULDERS while in the path of
the ROBOT moving about the FIELD)
B. “deflecting” (being hit by a BOULDER that bounces into or off of a
ROBOT).
If a BOULDER becomes lodged in or on a ROBOT, it will be considered
controlled by the ROBOT. It is important to design your ROBOT so that
it is impossible to inadvertently or unintentionally control more than the
allowed maximum.
G38 doesn't ban herding or trapping; it just states that you may not herd or trap multiple balls at the same time, and I don't think any actions in this strategy would be considered trapping. But whether or not this strategy violates the herding aspect of this strategy is not 100% clear. Herding could be interpreted either to apply only to balls that are being deliberately pushed at a single moment, or it could refer to all the balls which a robot has pushed into the secret passage. I'm pretty sure the first interpretation is the correct one, since it wouldn't make sense for a team that has deliberately pushed a ball at one point in a match to be disallowed from controlling any other balls until that ball has been either scored or been unintentionally moved.
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