...Yeah, maybe I didn't think that all the way through. I'm not sure if it's entirely fair to apply this argument to FRC (there's many other rules to take into account regarding parts there that don't exist in FTC, such as cost and weight) but I certainly see where my logic failed and I thank you for pointing that out before I made an even bigger idiot out of myself.
I do agree that the kits need more part variety. I really miss rack and pinion gears, linear sliders, and sprockets. If I ever implied that we didn't need those, I am really really really sorry.
I think what I said at the end still applies though - this is the kit's first season. I wouldn't expect FIRST to get everything perfect on the first try. This season may not have been the greatest, but it's too early to start saying that FTC has been ruined - we really need to see what happens next season before we can even start to say that.