If I recall correctly, Space Alert was not a subgame in the sense that it was created via a mechanism designed for subgame creation. Rather, the game itself was directly codified in the ruleset.
On Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 2:54 PM, Jonatan Kilhamn <[email protected]>wrote: > On 16 December 2013 20:08, Kerim Aydin <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > On Mon, 16 Dec 2013, Jonatan Kilhamn wrote: > > > On 16 December 2013 00:31, Michael Norrish < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > On 16/12/13 10:28, Tanner Swett wrote: > > > > On Dec 15, 2013, at 5:21 PM, Aaron Goldfein wrote: > > > > What I'd really like (at least, what I think I'd really like) > is a "subgame" > > > > that's fun and interesting, has an obvious goal to strive for, > has clear ways > > > > to go about trying to achieve that goal, requires a bunch of > Nomicky thought > > > > in order to do well in (by which I mean the sort of legal and > philosophical > > > > thought that goes into writing proposals and judgements), has > strong effects > > > > on every aspect of the nomic, and works well over a mailing > list. The game > > > > ought to become one of Agora's institutions, like the judicial > system, rather > > > > than coming and going, like the economic systems. > > > > > > Absolutely. See > http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~michaeln/agora/subgame-manifesto.html > > > > > > > > > If Fall of the Republic starts, I'll join Agora again. I'd even enjoy > being the referee, I think. > > > - Tiger > > > > We've had flexible Contest rules for the majority of recent years and > anyone > > could jump in and run one (I think you did on that Space Alert version, > Tiger?) > > > > I think we should put that back in (not sure why it was removed), but my > > main question to you, Yally, and others is: given that Contests existed > for > > so long, why did so few Contests happen? I tend to think this is the > kind > > of thing that everyone says they want, but don't have time to administer > so > > wait for someone else to run. > > > > -G. > > > Well... Yeah, you're probably right. I've definitely been guilty of > wanting to do more than I have time for. > > I also agree with Aru on the point about creating something versus > setting up for the players to create that thing themselves. I don't > remember the details on that Space Alert game very well (I had forgot > about it completely until you mentioned it), but I do recall that it > always felt like... I couldn't be sure that anyone actually cared, or > if people only engaged because there was nothing else going on. I > mean, just because the rules give me mandate to create a thing, who > says anyone will care about my thing in particular? This is unhelpful > inferiority issues at play and the best solution would probably be to > be bolder about creating more contests, but as explanations for why > that didn't happen go I think it's worth saying. > > In contrast, and in line with Norrish' subgame manifesto, I think a > subgame that's encoded into the Agoran rules is the way to go. >
