It gets tiring seeing these debates about Pure Bryce(Restricted) vs Unrestricted Bryce.  Almost feel like calling it quits.

But instead I offer the following Idea/Solution.

First of all this is the Bryce Forum if you want a challenge that allows for everything including mixed medium why not try "The Challenge Arena Forum" You can Use Bryce and Whatever else you want, because it is a Free For All.

Having said that... than Why not the following solution.

Why not have TWO Separate Challenges.  I know it will be more work for the new Kid from "Mars" but hopefully it will settle this debate once and for all.

Lets have a Bryce Challenge with Restrictions and a Bryce Challenge that allows for uses of Photoshop/Filters and anything else the person wants to do with the Image.  However even the Unrestricted Bryce Challenge needs to have some sort of rules.  Maybe at least 50% of the image has to be created in Bryce or something, we need to draw the line somewhere otherwise we get into another debate which we have seen before which is Bryce simply being used as a render engine.

This is a Bryce Forum After all. 

If the above solution does not make sense or is too much work than every time this debate comes up, I would just post a reminder link to the  Challenge Arena