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2017: SG2 octagonal robot

Charles Jeffries
16-May-2024

Figure SG2-6 shows examples of a legal octagonal robot and an illegal octagonal robot.

I have attached these figures below. Figure A is the legal octagonal robot example from the game manual, and Figure B is the illegal example.

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Figure A contains a large octagonal robot with a 6" extension. Figure B contains a smaller octagonal robot with a 6" extension.

Figure C is a recreation of Figure B in CAD software.

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Figure D is a depiction of the same robot (and expansion) in a different orientation.

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If (as in Figure D) the smaller octagonal robot is rotated such that it has a similar orientation to the robot in Figure A, it seems to be legal. However, Figure SG2-6 describes the robot as illegal.

Can the GDC please clarify if the robot as measured in Figure D is legal?

Thank you.

SG2  
Answered by committee
24-Jul-2024

Thank you for your question! Rule <SG2> will be significantly revised in an upcoming game manual update to clarify the GDC's intent on horizontal expansion.

The revised clause B will read as:

From the Robot’s perspective, only one “X/Y” direction may expand outside of the starting configuration during the match (i.e., the Robot can’t get both wider and longer). This single expansion direction must be identified and measured during Robot inspection.

Additionally, the Robot expansion examples provided in the figures will be replaced to more clearly demonstrate this intent, and the text of the red box will be revised to read:

The intent of this rule is to limit horizontal expansion in a way that can be easily observed and interpreted by Head Referees during a Match and assessed by Robot inspectors.

For example, a Robot can expand a mechanism in a single direction up to a 24” maximum size, but cannot expand a Mobile Goal manipulator from one side and a Ring manipulator from another (unless one of those is already identified and extended as part of the Robot’s inspected starting configuration).

As a result, all of the examples in Figure SG2-6 shown in version 1.0 of the game manual--as well as all of the examples in your question--will become legal horizontal expansions.