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Official Q&A: VRC 2018-2019: Turning Point

Usage Guidelines All Questions

61: Consequence for alliance on opposite alliance's platform, cont.


66030A
31-Aug-2018

This continues on the question Pascal asked about the following:

Alliance Platforms are denoted by their red or blue structural PVC pieces, and can only be used for Parking by Robots of the same color Alliance as the Platform.

This rule is ambiguous; it could be read in different ways.

  1. Robots of the same color can only use these platforms for parking, for nothing else. Opposing robots cannot use these platforms at all.
  2. Robots of the same color can only use these platforms for parking, for nothing else. But there is no restriction on use by opposing robots.
  3. Any robot may use these platforms freely, but only robots of the same color count as parked when sitting on them.

I'm pretty sure #1 and #2 are incorrect, that #3 is what is intended, but apparently some referees are ruling that #1 is correct. Here are some of the problems with #1 and #2 that may need to be addressed if they are correct:

  1. How would you determine if a robot of the same color is trying to park but goes too far, thus driving right over the platform, versus a robot of the same color intentionally driving right over the platform. They would look the same, only the intent determining the legality.
  2. There would be restrictions on robots placing caps on the platforms since that would be using the platforms for something other than parking.
  3. It would be hard for robots to pick up some of the balls on the platforms because they would likely touch the platforms and thus be using them for something other than parking.

All this reinforces my belief that interpretation #3 is what is intended, but it is not definitively what is written. Regardless of which interpretation is correct, this rule needs to be rewritten a little bit, and referees need to be using it the same way. Assuming interpretation #3 is correct, something like this is probably better:

"Alliance Platforms are denoted by their red or blue structural PVC pieces. Any robot may use them either Platform, but only Robots of the same color Alliance as the Platform can score points by Parking on it."

Answered by Game Design Committee

Any robot may use these platforms freely, but only robots of the same color count as parked when sitting on them.

This is the correct interpretation.