Subject: Proposal: Hostile Takeovers

From: Kevan Davis <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 20:18:05 +0100

Proposal - Hostile Takeovers

{ Adding the option to force a Merger if the proposing Doctrine has
enough Influence (which isn't *that* powerful, since new Leaders
still get picked at random). And clarifying the timing issues of
Merging, while I'm here.}

In Rule 1009 (Convergent Views), replace the first paragraph and
first bulleted list with the following:-

Any Leader of a Doctrine may propose a Merger with another
Doctrine. Such a Merger is valid if:-

* Both Doctrines have Leaders.
* Both Doctrines have at least one Precept in common. 
* Neither Doctrine has a Precept that is an opposite Precept
of any Precepts of the other Doctrine. 
* Both Doctrines are more than three duns old. 

A valid Merger succeeds when either:-

* The proposing Leader's Doctrine has a greater Influence than
that of the targetted Doctrine.
* The Leader of the Doctrine that receives the Merger proposal
declares acceptance of the Merger.

(If a Merger has been pending for more than a dun, it expires
and ceases to be valid.)

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 15 Jul 2002 15:32:22 -0400

> (If a Merger has been pending for more than a dun, it expires

REJECTED. While the new leader is picked at random, the player with
the most points usually can challenge for leadership with assurance of
success; this therefore gives too much power to leaders of
high-influence doctrines.

The idea of a hostile takeover is not a bad one, but I think it should
come with higher costs, lower rewards, and greater difficulty than
non-hostile ones, and the targetted doctrine ought to be left with
some defenses.

-- 
- Doc