Subject: Nomic: draft ruleset

From: Joel Uckelman <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 19:57:19 -0500

This is something I pulled together over the last few days, using our old ruleset as a source. Most of what appears herein is in function and spirit much like Berserker's ruleset; a little of it is lifted verbatim, the rest has been stripped down, reworded, and hopefully simplified. Rules are categorized by content (roughly) and marked with a leading * instead of a rule number, for reasons which will soon become apparent.

As you read this, you will notice the lack of precedence and judicial rules. Both were problematic in the past (the latter moreso than the former); both were omitted because I wasn't sure whether to follow the old model or create an new one; and these seemed to me the most likely areas over which there would be some disagreement. So in the absence of precedence rules to guide such decisions, I avoided assigning rule numbers.

If there's something you don't like here, suggest a change. I haven't done more than spellcheck this, so there might be some ungramatical constructions [read: typos] to be pointed out as well. We don't have to use this when we start, but I think it provides a good place to focus discussion.

-------- 

The Game

* [game name] shall refer to the specific instance of Nomic game which 
possesses the body of rules containing this definition, unless it is 
made clear, whether explicitly or via the context, that [game name] 
refers to something else. To this end, all permutations of letter case 
of [game name] shall be considered equivalent.

Players, Playerlike Entities

* Playerlike entities are game objects capable of action. Playerlike 
entities may be created and destroyed only as specified in the rules. A 
playerlike entity may destroy itself, but may not create itself. 
[[Nihil ex nihilo.]]

* A player is a playerlike entity capable of independent action. Each 
player must be exactly one real-world sentient being. No real-world 
sentient being may be more than one player. Each player must have a 
uniquely identifying name, which may be specified initially and changed 
only by the player emself.

* A player forfeits by destroying emself. No restrictions may be placed 
on when a player may forfeit.

* A new player is created whenever a Motion to Add is passed. A Motion 
to Add must include the prospective player's name. It may be made by any 
player at any time, and requires a two-thirds majority vote or unanimous
consent.

* All playerlike entities must always abide by all the rules then in 
effect, in the form in which they are then in effect. This rule takes 
precedence over all other rules.

Motions

* A player making a motion may request unanimous consent at the time the
motion is made, if the rules permit it. Unanimous consent is granted if no
players object within one day of the motion.

* A motion passes if it receives unanimous consent or the appropriate
majority.

* Motions requiring voting are placed on the ballot for the next voting
period.

Fora

* Fora are the conceptual spaces in which players communicate. Fora may 
be public or private. A player using a forum is considered to be in 
that forum at the time of its use. Actions may be taken only in public 
fora, unless otherwise specified in the rules.

* Creation of a public forum if there are no extant public fora need 
not [[and cannot!]] be done publicly.

* Only the Administrator may redesignate fora as private or public. 
Only fora reasonably accessible to all players may be designated 
public. Pursuant to these restrictions, the Administrator may 
redesignate fora at any time. The Administrator must, in a timely 
fashion, maintain and make available to all players a list of all 
public fora.

Rules

* The ruleset is the collective body of rules then in effect. The 
ruleset may be altered only as provided therein.

* Each rule has a unique positive integer as its rule number, and a 
nonnegative integer as its revision number. A rule's revision number is 
initially zero, and is incremented whenever the rule is changed but not 
repealed.

* Any change to the game state is a state change. A rule change is the 
enactment, repeal, amendment, or transmutation of a rule. Rule changes 
are state changes.

* 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.

* Whatever is not prohibited or regulated by the ruleset is permitted 
and unregulated, with the sole exception of rule changes, which are 
permitted only when a rule or set of rules explicitly or implicitly 
permits them.

Proposals

* A proposal consists of a title and one or more proposed state 
changes. Each proposal submitted in the proper way shall have as its 
proposal number the least positive integer greater than 300 never 
before assigned to another proposal or rule, and a nonnegative integer 
as its revision number. A proposal's revision number is initially zero, 
and is incremented whenever its owner changes but does not withdraw it.

* A proposal to create multiple new rules must specify an allowable 
rule number for each new rule to be created. Rules created by Proposals 
creating only one new rule receive the number of the proposal that 
created them, unless otherwise specified in said proposal.

* Only playerlike entities may make proposals. A proposal's owner is 
the playerlike entity that made it. Only the owner of a proposal may 
alter it, but only when the rules so allow it. Players may make proposals
at any time. Each player may make up to ten proposals per day, but may
own than ten live proposals.

* A proposal may be live or dead. Live proposals are either active, inactive,
or voting. Dead proposals are either passed, failed, or withdrawn. New
proposals are active by default.

Only active and inactive proposals may be altered. An active or inactive
proposal may be withdrawn by its owner at any time. The owner of a
proposal may change its status from active to inactive at any time, and vice
versa. 

* Voting proposals receiving the required number of votes at the close of 
voting pass. Voting proposals that do not, fail.

* The state changes specified in a proposal will occur if and only if the 
proposal meets the criteria for passage.

* A proposal passes if it receives a simple majority of the non-neutral votes
cast in voting on it.

Sequence of Events

* One nomic week, hereafter know as a nweek, is ten days in duration. At 
the start of the eighth day of each nweek, all active proposals become 
voting proposals. At the close of the last day of each nweek, all voting
proposals become dead proposals, to be classified as passed or failed
corresponding with the outcome of voting on them.

* The first nweek begins concurrently with the first game day. Each
successive nweek begins concurrently with the end of the previous nweek.

* For game purposes, the day begins at 00:00:00 UCT.

* The provisions of adopted proposals are considered to come into effect
at the end of the nweek in which they were adopted, in order of proposal
number from least to greatest. Events triggered by the close of voting
occur in order of the number of the proposal that triggered them. Events
triggered by the same proposal number occur in order of the precedence of
the rules causing them.

* Actions occur at the time they appear in the forum in which they are
committed. No state changes may occur prior to the actions which caused
them.

Voting

* Every player not in Limbo is an eligible voter.

* Each player eligible to vote on a matter is entitled to cast exactly
one vote on it.

* A quorum is a simple majority of eligible voters. If fewer votes are cast
during voting than is needed to reach a quorum, all voting proposals revert to
active proposals and none are adopted; all motions fail.

* Only votes equivalent to "yes" or "no" are counted toward adoption of
motions and proposals. Abstentions and other non-committal votes are
considered neutral.

* Voting is an action that may be taken privately if the voter so desires, by
notifying the Administrator in the appropriate forum. Votes may be cast
only during the final two days of each nweek.

Scoring

* A player may not voluntarily reduce eir score below zero, nor may a player
arbitrarily increase eir score. Each player begins with zero points.

* Each player who votes against a successful proposal shall receive 5*
(favorable votes/non-neutral votes) points, rounded to the nearest integer, at
the close of the nweek in which the vote was taken.

* The owner of a failed proposal loses 5 points at the close of the nweek in
which it failed.

* The owner of a successful proposal gains 20*(favorable votes/non-neutral
votes) points, rounded to the nearest integer, at the close of the nweek in
which it passed.

Winning

* Whenever a player's score reaches or exceeds 500 points, e shall be credited
with a win.

* In the even of a win, all scores are reset to their initial value. If possible,
play continues normally; otherwise, play ceases.

* In the even that further play becomes impossible, or if the legality of an
action cannot be determined with finality, then the player who took the
action is credited with a win.

Limbo

* There exists a place called Limbo, to which players are sent only upon
failing a Limbo check or declaring themselves in Limbo. While in Limbo,
players are prohibited from taking any actions except returning from Limbo
or forfeiting.

* Any player may, at any time, request a Limbo check on any player,
including emself. The Administrator executes a Limbo check by determining
when the checkee last took action, and announcing failure if the action
was more than two nweeks prior to the request, passage otherwise.

Offices

* Players holding offices are officeholders. Players may resign from any
offices they hold at any time.

* The Administrator is the player who is responsible for all game duties not
delegated by the rules to other officeholders. The Administrator is the player
controlled by Joel Uckelman.

* Officeholders, in their capacity as such, may possess privileged information.
This information may not be shared with any other player, directly or
indirectly, until such time as the rules make it public.

* If an officeholder forfeits or goes into Limbo, e vacates the office at that
time. Vacant offices are held by the Administrator until new officeholders
are selected pursuant to the rules for filling the offices.

Definitions

* For a given r, an r-majority shall be defined as a function from the 
positive integers to the positive integers, whose value for an argument 
N is the smallest integer m such that m is greater than or equal to r 
multiplied by N.

A simple majority shall be defined as an (N+1)/(2N)-majority.

* The following table entries, known as Spivak pronouns, shall be 
understood to take the places of the standard English pronouns whose 
table entries they occupy. Where two pronouns, the male and female, are 
replaced by a single Spivak pronoun, the Spivak pronoun shall be 
understood to refer to both genders.

[[Example: "e" refers to both "he" and "she".]]

		First Person	Second Person	Third Person
Subject		I		you		e
Object		me		you		em
Possessive	my/mine		your/yours	eir/eirs
Reflexive		myself		yourself		emself

* The following characters:

[ ] { }

are considered "reserved characters" when appearing in proposals and 
rules in ways defined below.

Brackets:

Excepting any text prior to and including this sentence in this rule, 
any text appearing within doubled square brackets ("[[" and "]]") shall 
be considered "comment" text. Comment text shall not have the force of 
rule; its purpose is solely elucidative or demonstrative.

Braces:

Excepting any text prior to and including this sentence in this rule, 
any text appearing within double braces ("{{" and "}}") shall be 
considered "self-deleting" text. As soon as a proposal containing 
self-deleting text is passed, the following shall happen, in 
the following order: (1) Any self-deleting text in any rules created shall
have its effect. (2) Any self-deleting text, along with its respective 
braces, shall be deleted from the rules.

[[This provides a regular way in which to add self-removing clauses to rules.]]
-- 
J.