batteries,controls, why ship

[lancerbotics]

As a rookie team I could see this as a disadvantage. Luckily we only need one of our controllers and will be keeping the other one with us after ship so we can still practice.

[Ian Curtis]

I can totally see why they would have a rule like this, to keep things as fair as possible. Yet the GDC has members from many walks of teams, so I don't see how they think this keeps things fair, as those with the money to build extra robots, still will, and then will lay down even more to build another OI (or those teams who have previous controllers laying around will put those together), and more batteries (which are more a neccessity than a nice thing to have).

I don't expect a reason from the GDC, but I don't need one. It's in the rulebook, so we have to follow it. When they ask for input on next year, we can weigh in on how we feel that this rule is superflous, and only detracts from the chances of success of a lesser funded, lesser experienced team succeeding on the field. This year it will especially hit hard, as driver skill has never been more important. Your only vantage point on the opposite side of the rack is the robot. If it can't, then your drivers need lots and lots of practice to keep scoring.

Personally, I'm off to start drilling holes in the crate so we don't have to pay overage with all this extra stuff in there. *


*That's a joke, just so we're all on the same page.