[martin417]

After the latest update, I began to wonder, what drives the rulings of the GDC? One would assume that there are few criterea for a rule:

1) safety
2) Game-play
3) Damage prevention
4) Fairness (try to keep veteran, or well funded teams from having a big advantage over rookies teams)

Not sure what other criteria may apply, but these will do for a start.

With that in mind, what drives rulings? Looking at team update #7, I am baffled. This ruling will likely punish rookie teams because they are less likely to carefully follow Q&A, updates, and Chief Delphi. Let's assume a team builds the kit-bot chassis. In order to keep the CG low, they choose not to use the wheel stands provided. They use the 3/8" bolts for axles, and build the frame upwards to make a mount for the bumpers in the zone. Unless they make the upper frame larger than the lower frame, they will violate the new rule. How does the improve safety? Playability? Damage prevention? I don't see where this will improve anything, and I definitely see where it adds to the frustration of teams.

Another example is the valve rule introduced last year, setting a max Cv. We have a quantity of valves on the shelf that we will be unable to use because of this rule. Again, it doesn't affect any of the criteria mentioned above. In fact, it punishes poorly funded teams. A well funded team can get around the rule by using multiple smaller valves, so it has no effect other than increasing cost to teams. We have to spend hundreds of dollars to buy valves, even though we already have valves that are perfect in every way, except the Cv is slightly higher than allowed (~.4). The flow is pretty well limited by the fittings and tubing anyway, so little is gained by adding more Cv.

I understand the GDC wants to make the best game possible, and I am not privy to all the reasoning behind their decisions, but I can see the frustraion among the posters here on CD.