[Danielle H]

I'm sorry that I haven't had time to go through all 8 pages, and so I don't know if this has been said, and I'm sorry if it has, but I read the GDC's response, and frankly, it seems like they talked themselves in a circle.

None of the rules they referenced have to do with specifically defining the basic components of a ROBOT, which would be vital in this case. If a ROBOT was defined as merely a drivetrain and some electronics, then it looks like they have two robots, because Fezzik and Speed Racer have different structures used for drive trains, even if they have the same electronics. But, if a ROBOT is defined as having 1 RC, etc, then they fit the rules as their electronics were being transferred.

And honestly, I was a little bit appalled at the last statement in the GDC's response, as it seemed to be very insulting and disrespectful of the team. By reading most of the first page of this thread, and skimming through subsequent responses from members of the 'offending' team, I see clearly that they were not looking for loopholes. It was merely their interpretation of the rules. They were not necessarily 'splitting hairs' or 'lawyering,' and to say so is purely judgmental and not constructive whatsoever.

Needless to say, I think the entire decision should have hinged on the basic definition of a robot, which is NOT CLEAR this year, no matter how clear the GDC thinks it is.

EDIT: My last statement sounded harsh, so let me justify it... what I mean to say is, when the GDC comes up with something and they write it down, naturally their rules are going to make sense and sound clear to them because they're the ones that wrote it; they know what they meant when they wrote it. But we, as outsiders to the process, have nothing more to go on than the written rules and our interpretation of said rules. The GDC might think the definition of a ROBOT is clear, but, obviously from reading some of these posts, it isn't as clear as they might think, and a more specific definition should be taken into heavy consideration for subsequent years.