Here is a proto (AI=2) that tries to clean up the rules around finger
pointing:
{
Amend R2555, "Blots" by replacing the text:
If a person (the penitent) has neither gained blots nor had more
than 2 blots expunged from emself in the current Agoran week, then
any player (the confessor) who has not, by this mechanism,
expunged any blots in the current Agoran week CAN expunge 1 blot
from the penitent, by announcement.
At the beginning of each quarter, half (rounded down) of each
fugitive's blots are destroyed.
with:
If a person (the penitent) has neither gained blots nor had more
than 2 blots expunged from emself by this method in the current
Agoran week, then any player (the confessor) who has not, by this
mechanism, expunged any blots in the current Agoran week CAN
expunge 1 blot from the penitent, by announcement.
At the beginning of each quarter, the Referee CAN and SHALL in a
timely fashion, by announcement, expunge half (rounded down) of
each fugitive's blots.
[This makes the second portion easier to keep track of and ensures that
apologies don't interfere with weekly expunging.]
Amend R2478, "Vigilante Justice" to read in full:
A player CAN by announcement, but subject to the provisions of
this rule, Point eir Finger at a person (the perp) who plays the
game, citing a specific, alleged violation of the rules by that
person.
When a player Points a Finger, the investigator SHALL investigate
the allegation and CAN, and in a timely fashion SHALL, conclude
the investigation by:
- Imposing the Cold Hand of Justice on the perp, as described
elsewhere; or
- if e believes that no rules violation of a substantially
similar nature to that alleged occurred or that it would
be ILLEGAL or INEFFECTIVE to levy a fine for it, announcing the
Finger Pointing to be Shenanigans.
The above notwithstanding, the investigator CANNOT resolve a
Finger Pointing for which e is the perp. The obligations of an
investigator to investigate and conclude an investigation do
not apply if e is the perp.
The Referee is by default the investigator for all Finger
Pointing. If the Referee is the perp, then the Arbitor CAN, and in
a timely fashion, SHALL become the investigator of that Finger
Pointing by announcement.
The Referee CANNOT Point eir Finger. The Arbitor CANNOT Point eir
Finger at the Referee.
[This removes any obligation for the Referee to resolve a finger pointing
that e CANNOT and adds a requirement for the Arbitor to become the
investigator if e can. It also gives more leniency in ruling a finger
pointing shenanigans to be closer to the spirit of the previous text.]
}
