The Robonauts 118 - 2012 Video

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by rcmolloy

There is quite a flaw to it though Kevin. If a fouling occurrence is repeated often, I would more than likely see that the team would be distributed a red or yellow card because of the actions. Correct me if I am wrong but there is a limit as to where it would be used. Come to think of it, if that did receive a G10, wouldn't it possibly not be included within the balancing point accumulation?

Show me where violating G10 in repeated matches earns you a yellow card. There's nothing in the game rules. The only possibility is [T15], the general description of yellow cards which states they may be issued for "egregious robot or team member behavior". G10 only has a 3-point foul for a penalty. I'm finding it difficult to believe a Ref would yellow card a team for repeatedly committing a 3-point foul in successive matches. You'll end up with a ton of yellow carded rookies if that's the standard we're holding people to.

Originally Posted by Tom Line

I wish 118 all the best. I will be extremely frustrated if this system is ruled legal by the GDC, thus conveying an advantage to teams that built something like this.

This issue is completely of the GDC's creation. Until they rule, all we're left with is opinion. If it's ruled legal there will be many very upset teams.

Many teams will be upset if it's ruled legal? So you think it should be illegal because your personal team thought it was and passed on it?

Congratulations! You're one of the lucky winners of this year's batch of sour grapes. You may remember some of our recent winners. 2011's batch was issued to everyone that complained about magnetic minibot launching tracks. 2010's harvest went to those who were certain that 469 violated G19. 2009 had a bumper crop with all the angst over various methods of gaining traction or downforce. And who could forget 190, 2008's illustrious winner who was certain their track ball crane would score them scads of points, only to have it deemed illegal?

Seriously, man. There's some controversial ruling EVERY year. There's some strategy that most people passed on because they thought it was illegal, only to discover it wasn't. Sometimes there's a strategy a few teams boldly embarked upon only to have it ruled illegal. Every single year there's teams on both sides of some GDC ruling. Obviously, there's at least one team this year that's going to be upset if this design is ruled illegal. Your argument that it should be illegal because you think many teams will be upset holds no weight whatsoever.

Don't get me wrong here. You're perfectly justified in being annoyed that the GDC has yet to offer a clear ruling on this design. Teams on both sides of the issue have a right to be upset about that. It's obviously something that should have been commented on one way or the other earlier in the season, and the GDC has failed to do so for some reason. But the fact that some teams will be upset if it's ruled legal has surprisingly little relevance to whether it is or not. I mean, look how many teams are upset that split team numbers on bumpers is illegal.