Game Zero, current rules: 1) [The Official Roster] (Amber Contrarian Success Token) The Order of the Players is: Our most excessive Scribe is . 2) [Order of Play] (Mu) Order of play proceeds down the roster, circularly. So first it is the turn of the first person on the roster, then the second, then later on the last, then the first again, and so on, until the game is over. 3) [Passing] (Mu) When it is a player's turn, that player may pass, by notifying the Scribe that he is doing so. The Scribe shall record this passing in the Official Record, and play proceeds to the next player in order (see Order of Play). 4) [Not Passing] (Mu) When it is a player's turn, and that player does not elect to pass, he must propose a change to the rules. To do this, he transmits to the scribe the text of the proposed change, stated clearly and unambiguously. A proposed change may be either a modification or repeal of an existing rule, or a new rule. Once a proposal is made, it must be acted upon (see Acting Upon Proposals) before play proceeds to the next player. 5) [Acting Upon Proposals] (Scissors) When a player transmits a proposed change to the scribe, the scribe must post the proposal in the Official Record. Then each player must vote Yeah, Nay, Abstain, or any other word, by notifying the scribe that he is voting (the notification must clearly state the proposal being voted on, and the word of the vote). Once each player has voted, the scribe tallies the votes and announces them (saying who voted how for each player). When the player transmits a proposal to the ever-vigilant scribe, whose ability to deal with Byzantine rule complexity is envied throughout the world, the player may declare the proposal to be a Mutation. A Mutation proposes to add, delete or change exactly one word in an existing rule. A player may only propose a Mutation of a rule whose associated Mobject is 'beaten' by a Mobject owned by the player. 'Beaten' is defined by the relationships between Mobjects specified in Rule 7 (Stone, Paper, Scissors, Etc.). Thus, a player who owns Stone may only propose a Mutation of rule which has Scissors associated with it. If a proposal is not a Mutation, the proposal is adopted if there are more votes of Yeah than any other words besides Abstain. If a proposal is a Mutation, the proposal is adopted if there is more than one vote of anything except Abstain. If a proposal is adopted, the corresponding changes are made to the rules (the changes do not actually take effect until the instant after play passes to the next player). Otherwise, the proposal is not adopted. In either case, play passes to the next player (see Order of Play). 6) [Resolving Disputes] (Mu) All disputes shall be resolved in good faith by the Scribe, whose word is final. Trust the Scribe; the Scribe is your friend. (Note that disputes generally suggest the need for proposals to add or clarify rules to avoid the dispute happening again.) 7) [Stone, Paper, Scissors, etc] (Lemming Lime) stone breaks scissors scissors cut paper paper wraps fish fish eats ice ice douses fire fire cracks stone Mutation Mangos vibrate in the joyous light of our Scribe. Due to their contrary nature, Amber Contrarian Success Tokens are beaten by any other Mobject. 8) [Winning the game] (Mu) The player who has the most points when the game ends will be declared the winner of the game, and will be entitled to all rights and privileges associated therewith. 9) [500 points] (Mu) A game goes to 500 points. 10) [Item assignments] (ACST) Whenever a new item is added to Rule 7 the divinely inspired Scribe shall randomly assign items to the players before proceeding to the next round. Each player will receive exactly one of the items. No two players will receive the same item. 11) [Contrarians] (Ice) a] [States] Every player is either a Contrarian, or not. All players are initially not Contrarians. A player may become a Contrarian, or cease to be one, by so declaring to the Scribe during his (the player's) turn, before any voting has occurred. The Scribe will inform the other players of the declaration. The declaration becomes effective in the second instant after the turn passes to the next player. b] [Awards, I] Each Contrarian receives three Amber Contrarian Success Tokens (ACSTs) at the end of each turn in which voting is completed on a proposal on which he voted Yeah, and the proposal is not adopted. c] [Awards, II] Each Contrarian receives three Amber Contrarian Success Tokens at the end of each turn in which a proposal on which he voted anything besides Yeah or Abstain is adopted. d] [One-time awards] The first two players to make proposals which are not accepted will receive two ACSTs, just to prime the pump. ("First" means counting from the start of the game, not from the turn in which this rule becomes effective.) e] [Scribe duty] Since the subtle and inscrutable Scribe could benefit from being a Contrarian and knowing the other players' votes before results are announced, the Scribe shall solemnly promise to decide on his own vote on any proposal before any other votes are officially received. 12) [Mobjects] (Mu) (a) When used in these rules, references to objects or material of various kinds (e.g. rocks, fire) shall be interpreted to be references to objects within the minic world, unless explicitly stated otherwise. These minic objects will be called "mobjects". (b) New or modified rules shall be assigned a token corresponding to a mobject owned by (or otherwise assigned to) the proposing player. If the player owns more than one mobject, the mobject assigned to the rule shall be randomly selected by the kindly Scribe from the set of mobjects owned by the player. A newly-assigned token supercedes and replaces any existing tokens. This assignment applies to any new rules, or modifications to rules, adopted after this current rule is adopted. Assignment shall occur immediately after a new rule is adopted or an existing rule is modified. (c) Existing rules (including this rule) that do not have a mobject assigned to them shall be assigned the token "Mu". (d) The following things are not mobjects: Mu, points. (e) The ever-vigilant Scribe shall ensure that the name of the mobject assigned to each rule is written (in parenthesis) along with the rule in any posting of the rules. (f) The noble and long-suffering Scribe shall also list the set of mobjects owned by each player in any posting of the rules. 13) [Award for ACST count multiples] (Amber Contrarian Success Token) After any new, or any change to an existing, rule is proposed and is accepted, any player whose Amber Contrarian Success Token total (after the awarding of new ACST's, if any) is an integer multiple of the currently defined number of Mobjects, will receive Points equal to that player's ACST total. 14) [Flattery of the Scribe's Ego] (ACST) All rules must contain honorifics which flatter the ego of the scribe. Although using the same honorifics for each proposal will not be penalized it will be considered in poor taste and individuals may vote against the rule using the word BOO to register their dissatisfaction. If the new rule is intended to be a mutation, the mutator may lavish praise on our glorious scribe in the verbage explaining and defining the change, but the mutation will be the allowed one word change to the intended rule. Denigrating the scribe, or not mentioning the good qualities of the scribe at all will cause the forfeiture of one ACST. If no ACST is available to forfeit then the rule will automatically have an extra BOO vote levied against it. If (in the eyes of the scribe) ACSTs turn out to be undesirable, then the scribe will add an ACST instead of removing one as a penalty. 15) [Floating Proposals] (Ice) A player may, any time he has less than the maximum number of Floating Proposals pending, submit a Floating Proposal to the Scribe. The Scribe shall immediately send a copy of the Floating Proposal to all players, indicating that it is a Floating Proposal. Players vote on a Floating Proposal in the same manner that they vote on standard proposals. Once voting has ended on a Floating Proposal, the Scribe shall send the result of the vote to all players, and enter it into the Official Log. If the outcome of the voting is favorable (reckoned as for standard proposals), the Floating Proposal is adopted, and any rule changes it specifies take effect in the first instant of the next turn that begins. The maximum number of Floating Proposals that a single player may have pending is 1 (one). Submitted by the Scribe, who is composed of matter, and whose ego is not. 16) [The Treasure] (Paper) Deep in the forest, under a tree, lies a three mobject treasure, all for thee. The mobjects are wild and live but three turns but their powers are great as you will soon learn. The first beats water, the second beats scissors, the third beats fire and paper and ice. This treasure will be claimed one time only. It will be awarded to the owner of rule 72. The three mobjects come alive immediately after the passing of that rule and live until the passing of rule 75. Each of the three mobjects can be used at most one time during either a rule proposal or a floating proposition. Glory be showered on the all powerful scribe. 17) [Automatic abstains and passes] (Ice) a) A Game Minute is defined as any minute during a day that is not a weekend or holiday at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center (apologies to our out-of-town players for the chauvinism). b) If at any time it has been 7200 Game Minutes (five day's worth) since a Proposal was distributed by the altogether-admirable Scribe, and some Player has not yet voted on the Proposal, the Scribe may deem that Player to have voted Abstain. The Log shall note that the abstention was automatic, but otherwise play shall proceed just as if the Player had voted Abstain in the usual way. c) If at any time it has been 2880 Game Minutes (two day's worth) since the outcome of a vote on some Proposal became certain relative to some Player (i.e. the outcome will be the same regardless of how that player votes), and that player has not yet voted on the Proposal, the Scribe may deem that Player to have voted Abstain. The Log shall note that the abstention was automatic, but otherwise play shall proceed just as if the Player had voted Abstain in the usual way. d) If at any time it has been 7200 Game Minutes (five day's worth) since it became a Player's Turn, and that Player has not yet submitted a proposal for that Turn, the Scribe may deem that Player to have Passed. The Log shall note that the Pass was automatic, but otherwise play shall proceed just as if the Player had Passed in the usual way. 18) [Fruits] (Lemming Lime) Each player who proposes a Mutation which is accepted will receive a Mutation Mango immediately after the proposal is accepted. Mutation Mangos may only be eaten when they are ripe. The Scribe will be said to be Confused if, at the end of a turn, the Scribe circulates a new game state which is found to be incorrect. When it is found to be incorrect, the Scribe will determine which rule was most responsible for said Confusion. A Confusando Cantaloup is immediately awarded to the player who owns the mobject that is associated with that rule. If there is more than one such player, the Scribe will, in his wisdom, choose a single recipient based on who most contributed to the confusion. Each player who is not a Contrarian will receive two Lemming Limes immediately after a proposal on which he voted Yeah is accepted. Lemming Limes may not be eaten, but they may be used to flavor other Mobjects. The gentle players (other than the all-knowing and prescient Scribe, of course) are reminded that the adoption of a rule may result in several players receiving one or more kinds of Mobject. Receiving one kind of Mobject does not exclude the player from receiving other kinds of Mobjects, as appropriate. 19) [rule of sevens] (Lemming Lime) If the arithmetically astute scribe in ever vigilant review determines that at the beginning of a player's turn the player has a number of mobjects that total 7 or a multiple of seven, that player automatically passes and may not tender any floating proposals until that player's next turn. If the player still has the same number of mobjects. or a number that is not evenly divisible by 7, at that player's next turn, the player may then submit proposals. If the player gains 7, or a multiple of 7, mobjects during the round, the player loses another turn, including the right to submit floating proposals. 20) [Par One Mobjects] (Amber Contrarian Success Token) a) [Par One] In the name of the relentlessly homoiothermal Scribe, at whose slightest whim the mightiest mountains stand upon their tippy-toes and belt out the theme from "Carmen", let there be a property of Mobjects called "Par One". Mobjects which have this property are called Par One Mobjects, or POMs, and are said to be Par One. b) [Which Mobjects] Amber Contrarian Success Tokens, Lemming Limes, and ripe Mutation Mangos are Par One. Points, Players, Mu, Stone, Paper, Scissors, Fire, and Ice are not Par One. Any other Mobjects are Par One if and only if some Rule explicitly says that they are. 21) [Trade] (Lemming Lime) At any time during the game, players can decide to trade mobjects between themselves. Any set of mobjects owned by a player can be traded for any other set of mobjects owned by other players. When a trade has been agreed upon by all players involved in the trade, those players will submit their proposed trade to the philatelically-endowed Scribe. The trade takes effect at the end of the turn during which it was submitted, at which time it will be reported by the Scribe. Trades are not subject to veto or voting by players not involved in the trade. 22) [Ripening] (ACST) Any mobject which is capable of ripening shall be unripe when first created. At the end of each turn, there shall be for each unripe object owned by the player whose turn it was, a 50% chance that it will become ripe. Ripeness status shall be maintained by the illimitable Scribe, whose manticore can beat your manticore five times out of seven. 23) [Par One Mobject Exchange] (ACST) a) [POMENs] Each player shall have a Par One Mobject Exchange Number, which shall initially be zero. The Scribe, the lustrousness of whose giant carp is the envy of the young voluptuaries of Edo, shall keep track of the POMENs of all players, and list them along with other non-Rule game state. b) [Exchanges] At any time during his turn a player may, by so notifying the Scribe, exchange his POMEN worth of any type or mixture of Par One Mobjects for one point. Each time a player does this, his POMEN is increased by one.