Subject: Ruleset

From: "Oloros the Blue" <oloros@l...>
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 19:28:27 -0000

SocialNomic Ruleset at time of posting

Rule 0. Definitions

Rule-Changes which amend or repeal this rule cannot be adopted unless
there are FOR votes equal to the number of Active Players

Mailing Lists: There are four Mailing lists that make up the game of
Socialnomic. Changes to the Mailing Lists can only be made when 
sanctioned by the Rules.

Voting Mailing List (VML): [email-masked] This list is
limited to Actions that require Players to place a Vote. This
includes:
Proposals 
Accusations
Voting

Official Action mailing list(AML): Socialnomic-
[email-masked] 
This list is used only for official game actions which do not require
Players to place a Vote. This list is limited to:

Announcement of Proposals
Proposals 
Announcement of Accusations
Accusations 
Announcements of Adoption
GameData

Rules Mailing List(RML or RULES):[email-masked]
This list is limited to the posting of enacted and amended rules and
represents the current Ruleset.

Discussion mailing list(DML): [email-masked]
This list is used for discussion and game related musings. Nothing
posted to the DML has any effect on the game. Examples include, but 
are not limited to: 
Discussions on proposals
General discussion about the game.

Player: A player is someone who is subscribed to the AML, the VML, 
RML, and the DML and who has posted a message to the AML stating 
their name as a Player, and declaring that they will abide by the 
Rules of Socialnomic

Active Player: A player is known as active if they have posted to the
DML during the previous 14 days.

In Stasis Player: A player is known as "In Stasis" if they have not
posted to the DML during the previous 14 days.

RuleSet or Rule-Set: The collection of all rules

RuleChange or Rule-Change: The enactment, repeal, and/or amendment of
one or more rules.

Escape-Hatch: The Players of Socialnomic reserve the right to, by
unanimous or near-unanimous informal decision, amend whatever parts of
the ruleset that, for whatever reason, make the Game unplayable. The
instant this Definition is repealed or modified, the Game restarts
using its starting Ruleset.

Rule 1. The Rules

All players must always abide by all the rules then in effect. These
rules are found in the archive of messages from the AML with the
subject line "Rule [n] [name$]", where n is the assigned number of 
the rule
and name$ is the Name of the rule.
If multiple messages exist with identical Subject lines, the most
recent posting (based on the Archive Date) is the rule in effect. If a
message with the subject line "Rule [n] Repealed" has an archive date
which is more recent than a message with the subject line "Rule [n] 
[name$]",
the original Rule is not in effect. 

Rule 2. Rule-Changes

All players may post a Rule-Change to the VML with the subject line
"Proposal [n] - [name$]" where [n] is an integer one greater than the 
most
recently posted Rule-Change on the VML, and [name$] is a Name of up 
to two
words describing the Rule-Change. Following the post to the
VML, A message must be posted to the AML with the subject
line "Proposal [n] Open for Voting". The body of this message should
be identical to the message posted to the VML.

Any Rule-Change can be Erased by the author of that Rule-change, if 
the author posts a message to the AML with the subject 'Proposal [n] 
is Erased'. An identical message must also be posted to the VML as a 
reply to the Proposal being erased.

A Rule-Change shall be Voted upon if and only if it was Proposed in 
the manner
described in this Rule. 

Rule 4. Eligible Voters

Every player is an eligible voter. Each eligible voter may
participate in every vote on rule-changes by posting a reply to the
applicable message on the VML. The body of the reply should be blank
and the Subject line unchanged except for the deletion of the Rule-
Change's
Name, and the addition of the Vote word, which should be entirely
capitalized.

An example of a proper Vote for a Proposal with subject line
"Proposal [n] - [name$]" would be "Re: Proposal [n] - VOTE", where 
VOTE is a
permissible Vote as described in Rule 5. 

Rule 5. Legal Votes

Each player has a maximum of one vote per proposal. Permissible
Votes are as follows:
FOR
AGAINST 

Rule 6. Adoption/Defeat

If a Rule-Change is adopted, it shall guide play in the form in which
it was posted to the VML.

A Rule-change can be Adopted if it satisfies one of the following
conditions:

The number of Votes FOR the rule-change is greater than the number of 
Active Players divided by Two and the rule-change has not been Erased.

A Rule change can be Defeated if it satisfies one of the following
conditions:

The number of Votes AGAINST the rule change is greater than or equal
to the number of Active Players divided by Two.

The Player who proposed the Rulechange has Voted AGAINST, and there
are as many Votes AGAINST it as there are Votes FOR it. 

Rule 7. Adoption Procedure

When a RuleChange can be Adopted, any player (known as the Adopter)
may adopt the proposal by taking the following steps:

1) Post a Reply to the original RuleChange in the VML adding the
phrase "- ADOPTED" to the subject line. The Body of the message should
be empty.

2) Post a message to the AML with the subject line "Proposal [n]
ADOPTED" where [n] is equal to the number assigned to the Rule-Change
in question. The body of this message must list the Total Points of
all
Players.

3) For each Rule Enacted by the Rule-Change, the Adopter must post a
message to the RML with the subject "Rule [n] - [name$]", where [n] 
is an
integer one greater than the most recently posted Rule on the RML and
[name$] is the Name of the Rule-Change; unless the Rule-Change had no 
Name,
in which case the Adopter may choose a one or two word Name for the 
Rule;
or unless the Rulechange specified a Name for the rule in its text, in
which case that Name takes precedence. The body of this message must 
be the
text of the rule as specified by the Rule-Change posted to the VML.

4) For each Rule Repealed by the Rule-Change, the Adopter must Reply
to the most recent version of the Rule repealed on the RML add the
phrase "REPEALED". The body of that message must be blank. (Example,
subject line is "Re: Rule 0 REPEALED")

5) For each Rule Amended by the Rule-Change, the Adopter must post a
message to the RML with the subject "Rule [n] - [name$]" where [n] is 
the
number and [name$] is the Name of the Rule amended. The body of this
message must be the amended text of the rule as specified by the
Rule-Change posted to
the VML.

Once a message has been posted to the VML stating that a Rule-Change
has been Adopted, that Rule-Change can never be Defeated. 

Rule 8. Defeat Procedure 

When a Rule-Change can be Defeated, any Player (known as the 
Rejecter) may defeat the proposal by taking the following steps: 

1) Post a Reply to the original RuleChange in the VML adding the 
phrase "- DEFEATED" to the subject line. The Body of the message 
should be empty. 

2) Post a message to the AML with the Subject line "Proposal [n] 
Defeated", where [n] is equal to the number assigned to the Rule- 
Change in question. The body of this message must list the Points of 
all Players. 

Once a message has been posted to the VML stating that a Rule-Change 
has been Defeated, that Rule-Change can never be Adopted.

Rule 9. Retrospection

No rule-change may take effect earlier than the moment of
adoption, even if its wording explicitly states otherwise. No rule-
change may have retroactive application. 

Rule 10. Points

Points are Gamedata.

When a Player enters the game, they have 0 Points.

Points can only be gained or lost as specified in the Ruleset.

When a proposed Rule-change is Adopted, the Player who proposed it
gains 10 Points, and all Players who voted AGAINST it receive 10
Points.

When a proposed Rule-change is Defeated, the Player who proposed it
loses 10 Points.

When a proposed Rule-Change is Adopted, the Adopter may award emself
3 Points.

When a proposed Rule-Change is Defeated, the Player who administers
the Defeat may award emself 2 Points.

If a Player would gain more than 13 points for the Defeat or Adoption
of a Proposal, the points that player recieves is reduced to 13.

Rule 11. Rule Conflict 

If two or more rules conflict with one another, then the rule with 
the lowest ordinal number takes precedence. If at least one of the 
rules in conflict explicitly says of itself that it defers to another 
rule (or type of rule) or takes precedence over another rule (or type 
of rule), then such provisions shall supersede the numerical method 
for determining precedence. If two or more rules claim to take 
precedence over one another or to defer to one another, then the 
numerical method again governs.

Rule 12. Accusations

If players disagree about the legality of a move or the
interpretation or application of a rule (disputed action), then any
player may make an Accusation by posting a message to the AML with
the subject line beginning with "Accusation". The body of this
message must specify the accused player(s) and the action under
dispute.

For the 7 days following this posting, the accused player(s)
(Defendant) and the accusing player(s)(Plaintiff) are encouraged to
each make statements to the DML regarding the action taken or their
interpretation of the rule in question. Other players are encouraged
to provide their opinions. During this time, the following things
may occur.

The Defendant()s may post a message to the AML with the subject
line "Guilty as Charged". The Defendant(s) immediately lose 10
points and the disputed action is retracted.

The Plaintiff may post a message to the AML with the subject
line "Accusation Retracted". The Plaintiff(s) immediately lose 5
points.

7 days following the posting of the initial message to the AML, the
Plaintiff may post the Accusation to the VML with the subject
line "Accusation [n]" where [n] is an integer one greater than the
most recently posted Accusation. For the purpose of voting, an
accusation is treated identically to a Rule-Change.

If the Accusation is Adopted, then the Defendant loses 25 points,
and the contested action taken is revoked.
If the Accusation is Defeated, then the Plaintiff loses 25 points.
The contest action is considered legal and binding. 

Rule 13. Social Standing

A Person is defined as any entity that is subscribed to the DML, and 
has
posted to the DML.

The Social Standing of all Persons is Gamedata.

The Person with the highest Social Standing may be referred to as the
Alpha Trendsetter.

The Person with the second highest Social Standing may be referred to
as the Almost Trendsetter.

Any Person with negative Social Standing may be referred to as a
Pariah.

Upon making their first posting to the DML, a Person is referred to 
as The
Debutante, and receives a Social Standing equal to one greater than 
that of
the Person with the highest Social Standing.

If, as a result of a Person gaining or losing Social Standing, two 
Persons
would have identical Social Standings, the Social Standings of the 
Persons
are instead interchanged.

The Alpha Trendsetter may set the Negative In Word by posting a
message to the AML with the Subject Line "Negative In Word" and text
that gives the word and examples of its use.

The Almost Trendsetter may set the Positive In Word by posting a
message to the AML with the Subject Line "Positive In Word" and text
that gives the word and examples of its use.

Any Person who posts a comment to the DML that references a Proposal
currently Open for Voting must use the appropriate In Word to
summarize their opinion.

A Person who neglects to use a current In Word loses 1 Social
Standing.

A Person who instead uses an inappropriate In Word loses and
additional 1 Social Standing.

An In Word may not be changed until 10 days have passed since it was
posted, unless the Trendsetter has changed, in which case the new
Trendsetter may immediately post their new appropriate In Word.

If 15 days have passed since a new In Word has been posted, the
irresponsible Trendsetter loses 2 Social Standing and any Person may
post a new appropriate In Word. The first Person to do so gains 3
Social Standing.

If two or more Persons are eligible as Trendsetters to set the same
In Word, the first one to post the new appropriate In Word gains 1
Social Standing.

At any time, any Person may post a message to the AML with the Subject
"Social Standing" and the body of the message listing the Social 
Standing
of all Persons, and the reasons for any changes since the previous 
such
message. 

Rule 14. Coinage

Points are the fundamental system of currency in Socialnomic.

There exist a form of coins called 2-D.

There exists several denominations of 2-D coins. Costs for conversions
to other denominations is given in the table below.

A Player may convert Points to 2-D coins by posting a message to the 
AML
with the subject line "Conversion to 2-D" and the text of the message
describing:
* the nature of the Conversion
* the updated points and 2-D coins of all Players

Once a Point has been converted into a coin, it cannot be converted
into a different denomination except as specified by the Rules.

2-D coin cost table
++++++++++++++++++++

3 Points can be exchanged for 1 Triangle
4 Points can be exchanged for 1 Quadrangle
5 Points can be exchanged for 1 Pentagon
6 Points can be exchanged for 1 Hexagon

2 Triangles can be exchanged for 1 Quadrangle
3 Triangles can be exchanged for 1 Pentagon
4 Triangles can be exchanged for 1 Hexagon 

Rule 15. The TaxMan

There exists in Socialnomic a duty that must be performed in order to
maintain the economics of the society. This duty, known as Tax
Assessment, can only be performed 7 days or more after the last Tax
Assessment. Any Active Player, known as the Assessor, may make the Tax
Assessment by taking the following steps:

1) A post must be made to the AML with the subject line "The Tax man
Cometh". The body of this post must contain a summary of the Points 
for
all Players as of the time of the assessment.

2) Taxes are assessed on each Players, by removing any Points in
excess of 10.

3) A Post must then be made to the AML with the subject line "The
Populace Rejoices". The body of this post must contain a summary of
Points for all Players after taxes were assessed.

4) The Assessor then gains 5 Points for his hard work in assessing
the taxes. 

Rule 16. Free Trade

Any Player (the Merchant) may Offer a Trade to other Players by 
posting a
message to the AML with the subject line "Trade Offer [x]" where x is 
a
unique identifier and the text containing the following information
* The Players who are permitted to respond to the Offer
* The amount offered to Trade
* The amount requested for the Trade

An example of a Trade Offer would be:
"I Offer Oloros 10 Points in Exchange for 4 Squares"

Any Player permitted to do so (the Customer) may Take the Offer by 
replying
to the AML with the subject line "Re: Taking Trade Offer [x]" and the 
text
describing the Points and Coins of all Players subsequent to the 
Trade (the
Merchant loses, and the Customer gains, the amount offered and the 
Merchant
gains, and the Customer loses, the amount requested). If Taking an 
Offer
would result in the Merchant or the Customer having a negative amount 
of
either Points or Coins, the Customer may not Take that Offer.

Once an Offer has been Taken, it may not be Taken again. 

Rule 17. Contingency Shrubbery

A Player may designate that a proposed Rule-Change only take effect
if a stated other proposed Rule-Change is Adopted or Defeated. Such a
proposal is known as a Contingent Proposal.

A Contingent Proposal adds its contingencies to the conditions under
which it can be adopted, in Rule 6.

The following clause must be prepended to the text of a Contingent
Proposal:
The Adoption of this Proposal is contingent upon the
[Adoption|Defeat] of Proposal(s) [x].

Rule 18. Social Engagements

In the highly evolved social milieu that is SocialNomic, there are 
many opportunities for society gatherings and fetes. While observers 
may dourly judge such events as exhibits of social privilege, the 
Attendees treat them with such grace as if they were elaborate 
affairs of state. 

Any Player who intends to throw a Party must pay Outlay in the amount 
required by the type of Party they intend to host, and then post an 
message to the AML with the Subject Line "Invitation for [date]", 
where [date] is at least 8 days after the date of posting, and the 
text includes the type of Party and an updated table of Coinage 
possessed by each Player. From this time the inviting Player may be 
referred to as a Host.

At any date up to 5 days prior to the Date of the Party, the Host may 
enhance the Type of Party, or Cancel it entirely. A nervous Host, 
meddling in the affairs of their caterer and designer, shall only be 
refunded the amount listed in the description of the Party, 
approximately half of their initial Outlay. A Host who changes the 
type of their Party should post a new invitation, as outlined above.

Any Person may send a private email to the Host (an RSVP) to the 
effect that they will be attending the Party. An RSVP may be made up 
to 3 days prior to the Date of the Party. 

A Person may withdraw a previously sent RSVP up to the day before the 
Date of the Party by sending a private email to the Host, or making a 
public declaration on the DML with subject line "Spurring [host] on 
[date]", where [host] is the name of the Host and [date] the date of 
the Party.

On the Date of the Party, the Host must post a message to the OAML 
with the Subject Line "Society Pages", and the text to include the 
type of Party thrown, the names of all Attendees (including the Host 
emself), and their updated Social Standing. 

Social Standing should be updated based on the number of Attendees, 
as follows:
If the number of Attendees is less than the minimum number required 
by the type of Party, the Host loses Social Standing equal to the 
amount listed as Advancement.
If the number of Attendees is equal to or greater than the minimum 
required, but not more than the maximum number allowed, the Party was 
the Place to Be Seen; the Host gains Social Standing equal to double 
the Advancement, each other Attendee gains the Advancement.
If the number of Attendees is greater than the maximum number 
allowed, the liquor ran out and catering was stingy with the food; 
the Host gains half the Advancement (round down), each other Attendee 
gains the Advancement.
Additionally:
Each Attendee gains 1 Social Standing for each Trendsetter who 
attended.
The Host loses 1 Social Standing for each Pariah who attended.

Rule 19. Midsummernight's Dream

Socially speaking, summer is that period of time between Memorial Day 
and Labor Day (for the purposes of SocialNomic, May 25 and September 
5). According to the clothing catalogs, the summer season is 
characterized by timelessly fashionable lightly colored linens and, 
for gentlemen, a predilection for seersucker suits. Summer socials 
and their parameters follow:

Shave Ice Party - Outlay 1 Triangle (3 Points Refundable), Minimum 
Number Required 6 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 13 Attendees, 
Advancement 1.

Wienie Roast - Outlay 1 Quadrangle (4 Points Refundable), Minimum 
Number Required 3 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 6 Attendees, 
Advancement 1.

Shrimp on the Barbie - Outlay 1 Pentagon (5 Points Refundable), 
Minimum Number Required 5 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 8 
Attendees, Advancement 2.

Cucumber Sandwiches - Outlay 1 Hexagon (6 Points Refundable), Minimum 
Number Required 4 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 9 Attendees, 
Advancement 2.

Texas Barbeque - Outlay 2 Triangles (6 Points Refundable), Minimum 
Number Required 6 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 12 Attendees, 
Advancement 3.

Clambake - Outlay 2 Quadrangles (8 Points Refundable), Minimum Number 
Required 6 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 10 Attendees, 
Advancement 4.

Swordfish and Grill - Outlay 2 Pentagons (10 Points Refundable), 
Minimum Number Required 7 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 14 
Attendees, Advancement 5.

Six Courses of Insects - Outlay 3 Quadrangles (12 Points Refundable), 
Minimum Number Required 4 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 6 
Attendees, Advancement 6.

Polynesian Luau - Outlay 3 Pentagons (15 Points Refundable), Minimum 
Number Required 9 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 16 Attendees, 
Advancement 8.

Rule 20. Black Tie Affairs

The Adoption of this Proposal is contingent upon the Adoption of 
Proposal 40.
Enact a Rule, titled "Black Tie Affairs", with text as follows:

There are some few social functions that weather the tempests of 
fashion with such grace that they may be rightly termed eternal. 
These occasions are known as Black Tie Affairs, and require of their 
Attendees a concession to formal dress. 

Each season, each Player must declare themselves "male" or "female", 
with regards to formal dress. 

A Declared Male may spend 3 Hexagons to purchase a Tuxedo or White 
Dinner Jacket. If the Declared Male purchased formal wear in the 
previous season, "he" may spend 2 Hexagons to let the girth out on 
the pants and coat. This should be done by posting a message to the 
AML with the subject line of "Purchasing Formal Wear", with text that 
describes the item purchased, a listing of other Players who 
currently possess formal wear and the type, and an updated table of 
Coinage. A White Dinner Jacket is required for Black Tie Affairs that 
take place during the summer season, as defined in the Rule "Social 
Engagements", a Tuxedo must be worn in other seasons.

A Declared Female must spend 1 Hexagon prior to each Black Tie Affair 
to purchase evening wear in the appropriate fashion. This should be 
done by posting a message to the AML with the subject line 
of "Purchasing Formal Wear", with text that describes the item 
purchased, a listing of other Players who currently possess formal 
wear and the type, and an updated table of Coinage.

Any Person who is not a Player may attend any Black Tie Affair, the 
particular formal wear of their culture adequately, if colorfully, 
substituting for the dictates of formality.

The parameters of Black Tie Affairs follow:

Wine & Cheese - Outlay 2 Hexagons (12 Points Refundable), Minimum 
Number Required 6 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 12 Attendees, 
Advancement 7.

Champagne & Caviar - Outlay 3 Hexagons (18 Points Refundable), 
Minimum Number Required 4 Attendees, Maximum Number Allowed 12 
Attendees, Advancement 10.

Rule 21. Just Deserts

A Player may offer that some credit for a proposed Rule-Change be due 
to the offices of another Entity. Such a proposal is known as an 
Acknowledged Proposal.

The following clause must be prepended to the text of an Acknowledged 
Proposal:
Recognition for the inspiration of this Proposal is due to the 
following: [who]. 
where [who] is the name of any Entity, or list of names of Entities.

The Adopter of an Acknowledged Proposal is to divide any Points that 
would be awarded to the Player who proposed it evenly between the 
Player who proposed it and the acknowledged Entites. 

Rule 22. Stairmaster

The Ministry of Bureaucratic Exercise (Miniburex) is a monstrosity of 
a building that has a Floor that corresponds to each Rule of the 
SocialNomic Ruleset by Number. Each Floor has a Supervisor, who is 
the Player who proposed the most recent RuleChange that modified (or 
created) the Rule. Stairways connect adjacent Floors. Transport Tubes 
connect a FLoor to any other Floor explicitly mentioned by Number or 
Name in the text of the corresponding Rule.

The Directory of Miniburex is a listing of each Floor, the 
Supervisor, and any Occupants, as well as a list of the Players and 
their Runners.

Each Player sponsors and is represented by a Runner, which, if not 
fancifully named, shall be referred to as "[name]'s Runner", where 
[name] is the name of the Player. a Player may change their Runner's 
name no more than once per subgame of Stairmaster.

Twice during any Monday-Friday period, a Player may move a Runner by 
posting to the AML a message with subject line "Moving [who] to Floor 
[x]", where [who] is the name of the Runner, [x] is the Floor number 
of the Runner's destination, and the text is an updated Directory of 
Miniburex.

A Player may move their Runner by Stairway to either adjacent Floor. 
If the Player is the Supervisor of a Floor occupied by a Runner, they 
may move that Runner by Transport Tube to a connected Floor. If the 
Player is the Supervisor of the Floor occupied by their Runner, they 
may move their Runner by Transport Tube to any Floor that connects to 
their Runner's current Floor (which they own).

The repeal of a Rule for the SocialNomic Ruleset leaves the 
corresponding Floor of Miniburex abandoned without a Supervisor.

The subgame of Stairmaster begins with all Runners on Floor 0. 

Rule 23. Racing Forms

Wagers may be placed by Players as to whose Runner will be first or 
second (or not first or not second) to the top of Miniburex in the 
subgame of Stairmaster. A Wager is a statement in the 
form "[challenger] wagers [n] [polygons] that [runner] [will|will 
not] be [first|second]", where [challenger] is the name of the Player 
proposing the Wager, [n] [polygons] is the amount and denomination of 
the Wager, [runner] is the name of the Runner, and [will|will not] 
and [first|second] denote the place of the Runner in the final 
standings.

Wagers should be posted to the AML in a message with subject 
line "Odds & Bets", with text of all Wagers, Proposed and Accepted.

A Wager is offered in the Wagers Proposed section of the "Odds & 
Bets" message. When accepted by another Player, it should be moved to 
the Wagers Accepted section of that message, with the 
phrase "(accepted by [who])" where [who] is the name of the accepting 
Player, appended.

Wagers are GameData.