On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 5:31 PM, Aaron Goldfein <aarongoldf...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think what's most important of all is specifically the right to
> deregister. It would be horribly bad if we as players were trapped in this
> game forever.
I declare "It's A Trap Nomic" to be officially open. See rules 104 and 113.
'Immutable Rules'
'101.' All players must always abide by all the rules then in effect,
in the form in which they are then in effect. The rules in the Initial
Set are in effect at the beginning of the first game. The Initial Set
consists of rules 101-116 (immutable) and 201-219 (mutable).
'102.' Initially rules in the 100's are immutable and rules in the
200's are mutable. Rules subsequently enacted or transmuted (that is,
changed from immutable to mutable or vice versa) may be immutable or
mutable regardless of their numbers, and rules in the Initial Set may
be transmuted regardless of their numbers.
'103.' At any time, each player shall be either a Voter or the
Speaker; no player may simultaneously be a Voter and a Speaker. At any
time there shall be exactly one Speaker. The term "player" in the
rules shall specifically include both the Voters and the Speaker.
'104.' The Speaker for the first game shall be Aaron Goldfein.
'105.' A rule change is any of the following: (1) the enactment,
repeal, or amendment of a mutable rule; or (2) the transmutation of an
immutable rule into a mutable rule or vice versa.
(Note: This definition implies that, at least initially, all new rules
are mutable; immutable rules, as long as they are immutable, may not
be amended or repealed; mutable rules, as long as they are mutable,
may be amended or repealed; any rule of any status may be transmuted;
no rule is absolutely immune to change.)
'106.' All rule changes proposed in the proper way shall be voted on.
They will be adopted if and only if they receive the required number
of votes and quorum is achieved.
'107.' Any proposed rule change must be written down (or otherwise
communicated in print media) before it is voted on. If adopted, it
must guide play in the form in which it was voted on.
'108.' No rule change may take effect earlier than the moment of the
completion of the vote that adopted it, even if its wording explicitly
states otherwise. No rule change may have retroactive application.
'109.' The Speaker shall give each proposed rule change a number for
reference. The numbers shall begin with 301, and each rule change
proposed in the proper way shall receive the next successive integer,
whether or not the proposal is adopted.
If a rule is repealed and reenacted, it receives the number of the
proposal to reenact it. If a rule is amended or transmuted, it
receives the number of the proposal to amend or transmute it.
'110.' Rule changes that transmute immutable rules into mutable rules
may be adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among votes
legally cast. Transmutation shall not be implied, but must be stated
explicitly in a proposal to take effect.
'111.' In a conflict between a mutable and an immutable rule, the
immutable rule takes precedence and the mutable rule shall be entirely
void. For the purposes of this rule a proposal to transmute an
immutable rule does not "conflict" with that immutable rule.
'112.' The state of affairs that constitutes winning may not be
altered from achieving n points to any other state of affairs. The
magnitude of n and the means of earning points may be changed, and
rules that establish a winner when play cannot continue may be enacted
and (while they are mutable) be amended or repealed.
'113.' No player can cease to be a player in any way. Attempting to
cease to be a player, or posting that one does not wish to be or
become a player, causes a person to become a player.
'114.' There must always be at least one mutable rule. The adoption of
rule changes must never become completely inpermissible.
'115.' Rule changes that affect rules needed to allow or apply rule
changes are as permissible as other rule changes. Even rule changes
that amend or repeal their own authority are permissible. No rule
change or type of move is impermissible solely on account of the
self-reference or self-application of a rule.
'116.' Whatever is not prohibited or regulated by a rule is permitted
and unregulated, with the sole exception of changing the rules, which
is permitted only when a rule or set of rules explicitly or implicitly
permits it.
Mutable rules
'201.' Quorum for a proposed rule change is defined to be 20% of
Voters at the beginning of the prescribed voting period for that
proposal
'202.' All players begin with 0 points. Points may not be gained,
lost, or traded except as explicitly stated in the rules.
'203.' The winner is the first Voter to achieve 100 (positive) points.
If more than one Voter achieves this condition simultaneously, all
such Voters win.
When a game ends in this manner
* If there is only one winner, that Voter becomes the Speaker,
and the old Speaker becomes a Voter
* If there is more than one winner, the Speaker randomly
selects one of the winners, who becomes the new Speaker, and the old
Speaker becomes a Voter.
* All players' scores are reset to 0.
* A new game is begun. All rules and proposed rule changes
retain the status they had at the end of the old game.
'204.' A proposal shall be made by submitting it to the Speaker. Only
Voters may make proposals. As soon as possible after receiving a
proposal, the Speaker shall assign the proposal a number and
distribute the proposal along with its number to all players
'205.' The prescribed voting period for a proposal shall be one week,
beginning at the time the Speaker distributes the proposal to all
players.
'206.' Each Voter has exactly one vote. The Speaker may not vote.
'207.' Voters may vote either for or against any proposal within its
prescribed voting period. In order to be legally cast, the vote must
be received by the Speaker by the end of the prescribed voting period.
The Speaker may not reveal any votes until the end of the prescribed
voting period. Any Voter who does not legally vote within the
prescribed voting period shall be deemed to have abstained.
'208.' At the end of the prescribed voting period on a proposal, the
Speaker shall reveal all votes legally cast on that proposal. If the
Speaker's consent may be required for a proposal to be adopted, then
the Speaker should indicate at that time whether or not e gives eir
consent. If the Speaker does not explicitly indicate that e refuses to
consent to the proposal, it shall be assumed that e consents.
'209.' The required votes for a proposal to be adopted is as follows:
For a proposal which would directly alter the actions which are
required of and/or forbidden to the Speaker:
a) a simple majority of all votes legally cast, if the Speaker consents;
b) a 2/3 majority of all votes legally cast, if the Speaker does not consent;
For all other proposals, a simple majority of votes legally cast. This
rule defers to rules which set the required number of votes for
proposals which propose to transmute a rule.
'210.' An adopted rule change takes full effect at the moment of the
completion of the vote that adopted it.
'211.' Voters who voted against proposals which are adopted receive 10
points apiece. Players whose proposals are adopted shall receive a
random number of points in the range 1-10 inclusive. Players whose
proposals are not adopted shall lose 10 points.
'212.' If two or more mutable rules conflict with one another, or if
two or more immutable rules conflict with one another, then the rule
with the lowest ordinal number takes precedence.
If at least one of the rules in conflict explicitly says of itself
that it defers to another rule (or type of rule) or takes precedence
over another rule (or type of rule), then such provisions shall
supersede the numerical method for determining precedence.
If two or more rules claim to take precedence over one another or
defer to one another, then the numerical method again governs.
'213.' If players disagree about the legality of a move or the
interpretation or application of a rule, then a player may invoke
judgement by submitting a statement for judgement to the Speaker.
Disagreement, for the purposes of this rule, may be created by the
insistence of any player. When judgement is invoked, the Speaker must,
as soon as possible, select a Judge as described in the Rules. The
Speaker must then distribute the statement to be judged, along with
the identity of the Judge, to all players.
'214.' If judgement was invoked by a Voter, then the first Judge to be
selected to judge that statement shall be the Speaker. If judgement
was invoked by the Speaker, the first Judge to be selected shall be a
randomly selected Voter.
In all cases, if a Judge beyond the first must be selected to judge a
statement, it shall be a randomly selected Voter. The Voter thus
selected may not be the player most recently selected as Judge for
that statement, nor may e be the player who invoked judgement.
'215.' After the Speaker has distributed the statement to be judged
and the identity of the Judge, the Judge has one week in which to
deliver a legal judgement. If the Judge fails to deliver a judgement
within this time, e is penalized 10 points and a new Judge is
selected. A judgement is delivered by submitting that judgement to the
Speaker, who must then distribute that judgement to all players as
soon as possible.
'216.' A legal judgement is either TRUE, FALSE, or UNDECIDED. The
judgement may be accompanied by reasons and arguments, but such
reasons and arguments form no part of the judgement itself. If a
judgement is accompanied by reasons and arguments, the Speaker must
distribute the reasons and arguments along with the judgement.
'217.' All judgements must be in accordance with the rules; however,
if the rules are silent, inconsistent, or unclear on the statement to
be judged, then the Judge shall consider game custom and the spirit of
the game before applying other standards.
'218.' In addition to duties which may be listed elsewhere in the rules,
the Speaker shall have the following duties
* register new players
* maintain a list of all players and their current scores, and
make such a list available to all players
* maintain a complete list of the current rules, and make such
a list available to all players
* make a random determination whenever such determination is
required by the rules.
'219.' If a player believes that the rules are such that further play
is impossible, or that the legality of a move cannot be determined
with finality, or that a move appears equally legal and illegal, then
the player may invoke judgement on a statement to that effect. If the
statement is judged TRUE, then the player who invoked judgement shall
be declared the winner of that game, and the game ends, with no
provision for starting another game.
This rule takes precedence over every other rule determining the
winner of the game.
--Warrigal, who does not wish to be a player of It's A Trap Nomic
