Subject: acka-research-digest V3 #16
From: [email-masked] (acka-research-digest)
To: [email-masked]

acka-research-digest    Saturday, February 14 1998    Volume 03 : Number 016

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Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 03:34:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2697 accepted

On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, Brian Raiter wrote:

> 
Results of Proposal 2697
> 
> 19/25 votes: Quorum achieved
> 12/17 YES votes: Proposal accepted
> > 
> > The Ackanomic Printing Guild exists. It is a Common Location, and an
> > Extravagant Building. It can be found next to the Library.

As soon as this rule is passed, a great rumbling takes place in Acka.
Too many buildings have been placed near the Library, and no longer is
there any room to contain them!

The Map has been severely altered to fit an extravagant building in.  Cow
Town is now in the bottom half of the city, as is the Free Market.  Quite
a few player dwellings were relocated in the subsequent earthquake, so I
advise you to check your bearings.

Yours,
Slakko
Map-Harfer
- -- 
Duncan C. "" Richer aka
Slakko (Lost) Warner - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/ - Queens' College
Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa) - .Nomic Elector, Frgn Minister, HP(Morpork)
Acka - President "Gumball" RuneMaker ChessUmpire Map-Harfer

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:02:18 -0500 (EST)
From: "Joseph W. DeVincentis" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2697 accepted

Slakko wrote:
> > > The Ackanomic Printing Guild exists. It is a Common Location, and an
> > > Extravagant Building. It can be found next to the Library.
> 
> As soon as this rule is passed, a great rumbling takes place in Acka.
> Too many buildings have been placed near the Library, and no longer is
> there any room to contain them!

I was always afraid this was going to happen someday. :-)
I had to do a little moving once, but nothing too drastic.

As long as we don't specify more than 10 buildings adjacent to the library,
we should be OK, though some of the larger ones may have weird shapes.
(I made the Museum have its T shape to represent the 3 wings in the rule,
but otherwise I always tried to keep things rectangular.)

/dev/joe
Former Map-Harfer

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 06:30:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Uri Bruck <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: RFC: PartyChessPiece Vampire

On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, Rico wrote:

> On Fri, 13 Feb 1998, Uri Bruck wrote:
> 
> > This entire bit wouldn't work. A PartyChessPiece is represented by a
> > single ASCII character (not necessarily a letter), and PartyChessPiece
> > rules don't have the power to over-ride that restriction.
> 
> You're right, of course.  I just wanted to make it easier on the
> Chess-Umpire; e could tell at a glance then which Vampires had what powers
> instead of having to remember it somehow.  I'll have to think of a way to
> reword that.

It would make harfing easier - but I still wouln't want to patch up a
large portion of a Rule Suite just for a single piece.

> 
> About the promotion bit:  Technically, the Party Chess rule doesn't say
> that the piece promoted to has to be defined in the Rules, but I don't

I disagree
R1230.1 section 2E:
"
 In this Rule Suite, the word 'piece' means Party Chess Piece, unless
otherwise specified. 
"
Same rule section 3C:
"
When a piece is promoted, it changes itself into a piece of a different
type. 
"

and Party Chess Pieces are highly regulated by the rules.

> want to pick too many nits on this one.  What I want to do is have the
> Vampire drain the abilities of the target piece, while keeping all
> abilities of its own.  I thought this would be the least ambigious and
> debatable way to propose it.  Currently, the rules provide no way to
> distinguish between different instances of a certain piece, except for the
> Hn of the HarfyBlob.  How would you suggest I word the Vampire?

The only way I can think of off-hand is something similar to the
HarfyBlob, which may not be simple to harf. But I can suggest a provision
which would make it easier:
When a Vampire is captured, it loses whatever additional powers it has
drained from other pieces.
The advantage is that only on-board Vampires need to be tracked.
As an aside, this is in the same grain as Shogi, where captured pieces
are treated as in PartyChess, a captured promoted piece can only be
dropped as the unpromoted piece it originally was. 
I'm not suggesting to adopt this for standard Promotiong - which are done
in the non-Japanese style in PartyChess, however, the Vampire
promotion-like behavior does lend itself to such provision.

Niccolo Flychuck

> 
> - -rico
> 
> Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word? 
> 
> ------------------------------
> 

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 08:03:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2697 accepted

On Sat, 14 Feb 1998, Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:

> As long as we don't specify more than 10 buildings adjacent to the library,
> we should be OK, though some of the larger ones may have weird shapes.
> (I made the Museum have its T shape to represent the 3 wings in the rule,
> but otherwise I always tried to keep things rectangular.)

This is why I changed the format of the Map from a gif to an HTML table.
It makes it much more malleable when the time comes for a change (which
can happen fairly rapidly when a number of players are joining / leaving /
decomposing).

- -- 
Duncan C. "" Richer aka
Slakko (Lost) Warner - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/ - Queens' College
Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa) - .Nomic Elector, Frgn Minister, HP(Morpork)
Acka - President "Gumball" RuneMaker ChessUmpire Map-Harfer

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 11:04:28 -0500 (EST)
From: "The Gingham Wearer" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: Treasure page

I believe I have now got the treasure page fully up to date (yeah right!)
and would appreciate it if anyone could tell me all the hideous gaps
there are in it :-).

TGW.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 11:13:46 -0500 (EST)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Acka: RFC

	Here's the next draft of my stock market proposal RFC:

	Create a rule numbered 530 named "The Stock Market" reading as
delimited by TSM
TSM
a) There is an unownable, nameless, unique entity known as the Stock
Market.  The Stock Market has a value associated with it at all times known
as its core value.  The core value will at all times be equal to the sum of
the activity value, the ownership value, and the positivity value.

b)  If for any reason the positivity value is unspecified, it will be set
to 10.  If the positivity value is less than 0, then it will immediately
become 0.  Whenever a proposal passes, at the moment its results are
publicly knowable, the positivity value will increase by 0.1 for every
player who voted in favor of the proposal.  Whenever a proposal fails, at
the moment its results are publicly knowable, the positivity value will
decrease by 0.1 for every player who voted against it.

c)  If for any reason the activity value is unspecified, it will be set to
10.  If the activity value is less than 0, then it will immediately become
0.  At the end of each Acka day, a value called the ACT quotient will be
calculated.  It will be equal to the number of proposals and CFJ's combined
publicly announced during the day, divided by the average number of
proposals and CFJ's combined which have been announced on average in the
course of the game.  If the ACT quotient is greater than 1, then the ACT
quotient minus 1 rounded to the nearest quotient will be added to the
activity value.  If the ACT quotient is less than 1 but greater than 0,
then the recipricol of the ACT quotient, minus 1, rounded to the nearest
quotient will be subtracted from the activity value.  {{[If the ACT
quotient is 0, there will be no change, to reduce the ability of the
Promoter and CotC to manipulate this value.]}}  For purposes of this
section, CFCJ's qualify as CFJ's, and proposals and CFJ's which were
retracted or deemed invalid, but were distributed by the appropriate
officer, are still used.

c)  If for any reason the ownership value is unspecified, it will be set to
10.  If the ownership value is less than 0, then it will immediately become
0.  Whenever a stock is purchased by any entity other than the Ackan
Reserve, the ownership value will become (P/S)*(S+1) immediately before the
stock is purchased, where P is the ownership value and S is the number of
stocks in existance. Whenever a stock is sold by any entity other than the
Ackan Reserve, the ownership value will become (P/S)*(S-1) immediately
before the stock is sold, where P is the ownership value and S is the
number of stocks in existance.

e) Each political party has a value associated with it known as its stock
value. Whenever for any reason the stock value of a political party is
unknown, it will be set to 10.  If the stock value of a political party is
less than 0, then it will immediately become 0.  The stock value of a
political party increases by 1 every time it is publicly knowable that the
party has just cast a unity vote, and decreases by 0.4 whenever a proposal
passes or fails and the party did not cast a unity vote.  Stocks associated
with a political party remain associated with that political party as long
as it exists.  If a political party ceases to exist, than all associated
stocks will become unassociated.

f) Players may purchase or sell a number of stocks by publicly announcing
that they intend to do so, and the associated political party.  The cost of
a share will be the core value plus the stock value of the associated
political party, or 0 if the stock is unassociated.  If the player lacks
enough money to purchase the number of shares they requested, than the
purchase request will be treated as if they requested the largest number of
stocks they can buy without going into debt.  When a player buys or sells
multiple stocks at the same time, than the stocks will be bought or sold
consecutively, one at a time; the ownership value will be recalculated
between each stock purchase or sale, but the purchase will be rounded after
all stocks specified to be bought or sold in one group are bought or sold.
At the end of a purchase, the cost or profit from the sale is rounded to
the players disadvantage, except as specified by the preceeding sentence.
When a player buys a stock they pay the cost to the treasury and a stock
will be created in their possesion.  When a player sells a stock they
recieve the cost of the stock from the treasury, and a stock associated
with the specified political party is destroyed.
TSM

Create a rule numbered 532 entitled "Stocks" reading as delimited by SSSS
SSSS
	Stocks are nameless, giftable entitied.  They may only be created
as specified in the rules.
SSSS

	Create a rule numbered 534 entitled "The Ackan Reserve" reading as
delimited by TAR
TAR
	There is a named, unownable, unique entity known as The Ackan
Reserve.  There is a political office with two seats known as Member of the
Ackan Reserve, with a term of four weeks.  There is a functional office
with one seat known as Chair of the  Ackan Reserve.  These three seats are
known collectively as the Board of the Ackan Reserve, or bar.  No player
may hold more than one seat which is part of the bar.

	A player who is on the bar may suggest that the Ackan Reserve
perform an action by informing all players on the bar of the suggestion.
If at least one other player on the bar informs all players on the bar that
they support the suggestion within a week of when it is first made then the
Ackan Reserve will perform the action as soon as it is publicly announced.
It is a duty of the Chair of the Ackan Reserve to announce all such actions
within three days of a second player supporting it.  The only actions which
the Ackan Reserve may take is buying and selling stocks.  When the Ackan
Reserve buys or sells stocks they are created or destroyed in or from the
Reserve's possession without any exchange of A$; this sentence takes
precedence over rule 530.  The Ackan Reserve may not sell so many stocks
that it would own fewer than one stocks.

It is a duty of the Chair of the Ackan Reserve to track the core value and
the stock values for all political parties, and to make these values
available to all players.
It is a duty of the Chair of the Ackan Reserve to announce the cost or
profit, and the number of shares bought whenever a player buys or sells
shares.

{{100 stocks are created in the possession of the Ackan Reserve.}}
{{else...if is appointed Chair of the Ackan Reserve.}}
TAR

- --
- -Henry Towsner, AKA else...if, The Fearless Alibi Posesser, Laefu, and Yilran

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 13:49:14 -0500 (EST)
From: K2 <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: And You Thought You Had Problems (now RFC)

At 18:31 12/02/98 -0500, you wrote:
>> Look at .Nomic - currently every player is winning an infinite number of
>> cycles every second.  And all because of one single typo that was
>> overlooked during the proposal's submission.
>> 
>> There is a fix out - I'm going to set the cycle number to omega+1.
>> 
>> .Nomic - the only game with an infinite number of cycles.
>
>An RFC: All players who have won an infinite number of times in another
>nomic shall gain a cycle win.
>
>TGW, who expects Slakko would approve of this but not anyone else :-)
>
>
I approve of this RFC ;)

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 14:57:38 -0500 (EST)
From: "The Gingham Wearer" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Digging In The Dirt

> # Player: The Gingham Wearer
> # I am using the dice server to determine what The Gingham Wearer
> # finds with eir gingham shovel as e desecrates the tomb of Elder
> # mr cwm:

The good thing about my gingham shovel is that it doesn't do much damage
to any of the other valuable relics down there :-).

TGW.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 16:01:24 -0500 (EST)
From: John Frederic Mc Coy <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2697 accepted

On Sat, 14 Feb 1998, Duncan Richer wrote:

> On Sat, 14 Feb 1998, Joseph W. DeVincentis wrote:
> 
> > As long as we don't specify more than 10 buildings adjacent to the library,
> > we should be OK, though some of the larger ones may have weird shapes.
> > (I made the Museum have its T shape to represent the 3 wings in the rule,
> > but otherwise I always tried to keep things rectangular.)
> 
> This is why I changed the format of the Map from a gif to an HTML table.
> It makes it much more malleable when the time comes for a change (which
> can happen fairly rapidly when a number of players are joining / leaving /
> decomposing).
> 

I was aware this would require some movement.  It does make me wonder if I
shouldn't add something to deal with this to my land reform proposal.
Yes, I still plan on submitting it, I've been sidetracked lately is all.
Any input would be appreciated.

                                   - Vynd

[email-masked]

> -- 
> Duncan C. "" Richer aka
> Slakko (Lost) Warner - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/ - Queens' College
> Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa) - .Nomic Elector, Frgn Minister, HP(Morpork)
> Acka - President "Gumball" RuneMaker ChessUmpire Map-Harfer
> 
> 

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 17:08:50 -0500 (EST)
From: Duncan Richer <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2697 accepted

On Sat, 14 Feb 1998, John Frederic Mc Coy wrote:

> I was aware this would require some movement.  It does make me wonder if I
> shouldn't add something to deal with this to my land reform proposal.
> Yes, I still plan on submitting it, I've been sidetracked lately is all.
> Any input would be appreciated.

What you had last time I looked seemed reasonable.  There's not much more
I can add.

Yours,
Slakko
- -- 
Duncan C. "no Valentine" Richer aka
Slakko (Lost) Warner - http://dcr24.quns.cam.ac.uk/ - Queens' College
Cambridge, 1st Yr PhD(PMa) - .Nomic Elector, Frgn Minister, HP(Morpork)
Acka - President "Gumball" RuneMaker ChessUmpire Map-Harfer

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 19:26:58 -0500 (EST)
From: "The Gingham Wearer" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2716

> Sorry, no. But a really harfy proposal like that has to be enjoyed no
> matter what!

Does this count as an official designation of harfiness by CnH, our
current harfmeister? 

TGW.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 20:00:59 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2716

> > Sorry, no. But a really harfy proposal like that has to be enjoyed no
> > matter what!

> Does this count as an official designation of harfiness by CnH, our
> current harfmeister? 

Since there are three Harfy proposals right now, that would be illegal,
so since it is ambiguous it is best to construe it otherwise.

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Song In My Head--The Rainmakers:Shiny Shiny
Current Book--Michael P. Kube-McDowell:Alternities
Don't you dare skid on my rainbow paper!

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 22:39:46 -0500 (EST)
From: Towsner <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2721

>{{All players who have won an infinite number of times in any other nomic
>gain one cycle win. These are done one after the other, with the
>qualifying player with the name latest in alphabetical order being the
>first, then all others in reverse alphabetical order. Each win occur
>precisely 2.578463 seconds after the previous one.
	Funny you should mention this, because not 5 minutes ago, I founded
a varient of Imperial Nomic nomic called "Infinomic," with the following
ruleset:
"
1) else...if (email address [email-masked]) is the Speaker of Infinomic.

2) A player will win a round of Infinomic if rule 1 states that they're the
Speaker of Infinomic.

3) else...if will be the final arbitror of any questions regarding the game
state of Infinomic."

Unfortunately, right after I founded it, I realized there was a flaw in the
rules.  I ruled that I had indeed won an infinate number of times, but
decided to keep it around just in case it became useful.  (Note that rule 3
allows me to modify the rules.  For example, I could say that there is a
rule 4 reading "Infinomic is in one of the smaller cells in Ackanomic's
Gaol."  As the final arbitror of questions regarding Infinomic, it becomes
true.)

- --
- -Henry Towsner, AKA else...if, The Fearless Alibi Posesser, Laefu, and Yilran

	<[email-masked]>

	Success is the child of audacity.
		-Benjamin Disraeli

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 23:06:59 -0500 (EST)
From: [email-masked] (Aaron V. Humphrey)
Subject: Re: Acka: Proposal 2722

> Proposal 2722
> The Oldest Rule in the Book
> breadbox (Brian Raiter)

> All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.

Hmmm...isn't it supposed to be a complete sentence?

> {{Renumber this rule to 42.}}

- --
- --Alfvaen(Web page: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/alfvaen/ )
Song In My Head--Willi One Blood:Whiney, Whiney(What Really Drives Me Crazy)
Current Book--Michael P. Kube-McDowell:Alternities
In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.

------------------------------

End of acka-research-digest V3 #16
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