The Cheesecake Factory - Game Manual Update 3/17

[Hallry]

Looks like the answer from Q&A Question 461 has been reversed, and we can all enjoy our Cheesecake once again:

Originally Posted by FRC Game Manual Update, 3/17/15

Team Update 2015-03-17

General Updates

This note is from Frank Merrick, Director of FRC.

Hello teams. Yesterday we answered a question on the Q&A, Q461, related to sharing parts and mechanisms between teams, that has created a great deal of controversy. Seeing your concerns, and after significant additional discussion, we are reversing ourselves on our original answer, and making updates to the manual to support that reversal, bringing greater alignment between the manual and common practices at events. We want teams to provide very strong support to each other at events, and while reasonable, knowledgeable, caring people may disagree with ‘how much is too much’, and it’s hard to define a bright line, we don’t want to chill the tremendous spirit of mutual support that is an essential part of FIRST culture. We’re sorry for the issues our original answer caused, it was a mistake.

The following have been added to Sections 4.2 and 4.6, respectfully:

Originally Posted by FRC Game Manual Update, 3/17/15

Game Manual

Section 4.2 - General ROBOT Design

R14 R1 requires that the ROBOT a Team uses in competition was built by that Team, but isn’t intended to prohibit assistance from other Teams (e.g. fabricating elements, supporting construction, writing software, developing game strategy, contributing COMPONENTS and/or MECHANISMS, etc.).


Section 4.6 - Material Utilization

R17 With permission from another Team, Teams may also have access to FABRICATED ITEMS that are part of that other Team’s WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCE to repair and/or upgrade their ROBOT.

(Also in the update were changes to reflect answering questions about the awards process at an event, allowing COTS items to not be bagged, and minor changes to Section 4.10 - Pneumatic System and Section 4.11 - Operator Console. Since those aren't really pertinent to the current controversy on CD, I omitted it here. But here is the link if you want to read the full text: http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default...le20150317.pdf)

In addition, here is the updated Q&A 461:

Originally Posted by Q&A 461

Q. Are any of the following situations legal: A team gives/loans a Component or Mechanism, to a team, that was: 1. Brought in to the event in the giving team's robot bag? 2. Brought in to the event as part of the giving team's Withholding Allowance? (Does the ruling change if the receiving team has unallocated weight remaining in their own withholding allowance?) 3. Built at the event by the giving team?

A. Revised answer follows (for added information, please see Team Update 2015-03-17): R1 requires that the ROBOT a Team uses in competition was built by that Team, but isn't intended to prohibit assistance from other Teams (e.g. fabricating elements, supporting construction, writing software, developing game strategy, contributing COMPONENTS and/or MECHANISMS, etc.). Please remember that the addition of any item to any ROBOT requires re-Inspection prior to any MATCH in which that ROBOT competes per T10. That re-Inspection also requires an update to the Team's BOM reflecting the change in ROBOT parts. Given the feedback received since the first version of this response, internal discussion, and Game Manual changes described in Team Update 2015-03-17, the answers to your questions by number are as follows: 1) Yes. 2) Yes. 3) Yes.

[Sperkowsky]

yay! Now I can continue to make my little lexan ramps.

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

What am I going to do with all of these torches and pitchforks now?

(Yes this is a callback)

[Siri]

For anyone that doesn't understand the Cheesecake Factory reference.

#teachateamtocheesecake

Originally Posted by Michael Corsetto

I'm going to put this whole discussion into a more palatable context: Cheesecake.

Brandon from 125 mentioned on GameSense S02E03 (check around minute 42) that they internally referred to assisting other teams with mechanism modification or addition as "Cheesecaking".

But why cheesecakes, you may ask?

Because everybody LOVES cheesecakes.

We haven't cheesecaked a team that wasn't thankful, grateful, and better off by the cheesecake we gave them. We have cheesecaked rookie teams, veteran teams, you name it. Just in 2014, I estimate we cheesecaked over 20 robots. Arguably, there isn't a team out there that cheesecakes harder than 1678. We're proud of how much effort we put into our cheesecakes, because we know the more we cheesecake, the better everyone gets.

Common, who doesn't love cheesecake?

I have first hand seen how inspired a rookie team can be working with our students and mentors to put cheesecake on their robot, and the thrill they get watching their cheesecaked machine succeed on the field. Just this past weekend, we started cheesecaking with 5529, a rookie team, to make their stacker robot more effective. I wish everyone could have seen the joy, excitement and inspiration on each of their students and mentor's faces seeing their cheesecaked robot make its first successful co-op stack.

In fact, 1678 got its first Blue Banner on the receiving end of cheesecaking. In 2011 we selected 1868, who had a wicked fast mini-bot that was just asking to be cheesecaked. We cheesecaked that little cheesecake onto our robot in the 45 minute cheesecake-break between cheesecake selection and our first cheesecake match, and it ended up being the fastest cheesecake in the cheesecake race.

For teams hating on the cheesecake, consider this: Everybody LOVES cheesecake.

When it comes to cheesecake, everyone's a winner.

I thought of some cheesecake hashtags for those of you who would like to cheer for cheesecakes at your future events:

#teamcheesecake
#nosleeptillcheesecake
#cheesecakesohard
#omgcheesecake
#tehchezykayke
#cheesecakecheesecakecheesecake
#westcoastcheesecakecoast
#sunsoutcheesecakesout

Cheesecake? Yes, Cheesecake.

-Mike

[orangemoore]

Originally Posted by PayneTrain

What am I going to do with all of these torches and pitchforks now?
(Yes this is a callback)

Corndogs.

[sanddrag]

Minibots

[plnyyanks]

This is a pretty great move from FRC. I love the openness Frank has created - this kind of decision would have not happened a few short years ago. #TeamFrank4Lyfe

Now we can have our cheesecake and eat it too

[excel2474]

R17: ...."Items made at an Event do not count towards this weight limit."

I think this should say "Withholding Allowance" instead of "weight limit".

[Nathan Streeter]

Glad to have a clear, decisive resolution to this... particularly that freely allows coopertition (not just that thing with the yellow totes!) and also the art of 'cheesecaking.'

[Alex Cormier]

Went out to dinner last night at the local cheesecake factory. Ended a great dinner with some cheesecake.

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by Alex Cormier

Went out to dinner last night at the local cheesecake factory. Ended a great dinner with some cheesecake.

I want some cheesecake factory pot stickers right now

[Shu]

I have a question about a specific portion of the revised answer to Q461. If a team were to supply a ramp to an alliance member to tether to their robot, the rules say that they must also update their BOM. Could this be done by handing them a BOM that just lists the materials for the ramp as an addendum to their BOM?

Please remember that the addition of any item to any ROBOT requires re-Inspection prior to any MATCH in which that ROBOT competes per T10. That re-Inspection also requires an update to the Team's BOM reflecting the change in ROBOT parts.