Also, references can't be nullptr, which eliminates needs for null checks and makes clear that nullptr isn't a valid value. RVO also makes "returning" values th

Also, references can't be nullptr, which eliminates needs for null checks and makes clear that nullptr isn't a valid value. RVO also makes "returning" values through non-const references not as necessary. Though, the most important thing is consistency and readability over using fancy new features, so they should stick to the style they were using for the project.