This proposal codifies a few common sense rules about timelines. For instance, retroactive modifications are possible, but work by creating a legal fiction, rather than by changing what actually happened. It also establishes one major new rule: the standard sequence of events is secured at power 3.0. This stops lower powered rules from disagreeing about the sequence of events, which could potentially create a truly weird situation where rules of differing power had different visions of the past. Since this rule has to be able to override power 3.0 rules, and since ratification is already at power 3.1, my new timeline rule would be power 3.1.
-Aris --- Title: Timeline Control Ordnance Adoption index: 3.0 Author: Aris Co-authors: Enact a new power 3.1 Rule, entitled "Timelines", with the following text: A timeline is a sequence of events, worldstates, and/or gamestates, as entailed by the standard definition of the word "timeline". The Objective Timeline is the timeline of events as they actually happened. On the objective timeline, the consequences of an action or event are determined based on the conditions actually in effect when that action or event occurred, and cannot be retroactively modified. The Objective Timeline is not considered to be part of the gamestate; instead, it is the recording of events on reality itself, and changing it retroactively without actual time travel is thus IMPOSSIBLE, rules to the contrary notwithstanding. The Standard Timeline is the timeline used for the purposes of ordinary gameplay. By default, the Standard Timeline is considered to by defined by events or actions in the same way that the Objective Timeline is. However, the Standard Timeline is considered to be part of the gamestate. Accordingly, it can be modified retroactively. Modifications to the Standard Timeline other than by events or actions taking place as they actually happen are secured at power 3. Attempted retroactive changes are to be interpreted as attempts to change the Standard Timeline. All changes are to be interpreted as prospective unless they are explicitly retroactive. By default, any entity with a power less than the power of this rule that refers to the past (or the future) is to be interpreted as referring to events on the Standard Timeline; however, entities may explicitly reference events in a different timeline. Amend Rule 1551, "Ratification" by changing the text "the gamestate is modified" to read "the gamestate is retroactively modified". Amend Rule 591, "Delivering Judgements", by changing the text "The valid judgements for an inquiry case are as follows, based on the facts and legal situation at the time the inquiry case was initiated, not taking into account any events since that time:" to read "The judgement of an inquiry case should be based on the facts and legal situation as they objectively existed at the time the inquiry case was initiated, not taking into account any events or retroactive modifications since that time. The valid judgements for an inquiry case are as follows:"
