spoon-business: Proposal: Insta-Rules

["Glotmorf" <glotmorf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

{{ _The Other End of the Entropy Axis_

[[

There he was.  Just standing there.

Wonko had been looking for him since that orbital-insertion tackle he'd made.  Wonko had recovered the ball, but still Glotmorf was on the short list.

And as Wonko hefted Rocky bt the ankle, he reckoned the list was about to get shorter.

He twirled the gremlin over his head.  With a dopplering "owowowowow" coming from above, he used his free hand to draw a bead on Glotmorf, who was still standing there, watching him now, grinning like an idiot.

Wonko drew back to throw and --

*TWEET*

Wha...?

There was a referee working his hand signals for the spectators. "Invalid Target.  Wonko.  No throw."

"Invalid target?  What, Glotmorf?  Since when?"

"IR1: It is illegal to throw gremlins at Glotmorf."

"Huh?  Where'd that rule come from?"

"I made it," called Glotmorf, looking smug.

"Whaddaya mean, you made it?  You can't just...OW!"  Yes, that sizzling sound had been the palm of Wonko's hand.  He dropped Rocky and waved the hand frantically as he yelled, "You can't make your own rules!"

"You can now," Glotmorf sneered.  "Guess you didn't see the update."  He pulled out his PDA and called something up.

Wonko heard his Palm beep.  He gingerly drew it out and saw Glotmorf had forwarded him the text of a new rule:

]]

{{ _Insta-Rules_

An Insta-Rule is a rule that is created as a game action rather than through a proposal.  An Insta-Rule must conform to the following format:

{ It is { legal | illegal } to { { { throw at | give to | take from } { players | grid locations | <specific player> | <specific grid location> } { gremlins | beer cans | <specific MO> } } | { { enter | remain in | enter or remain in } <specific grid location> [ without bouncing Elbonia-style ] } } }.

where { and } delimit a set from which one item must be chosen, or a member of a set; [ and ] delimit optional text; and < and > delimit a category of information to be filled in.

Insta-Rules are identified as such, and must be unique from other currently-existing Insta-Rules.  Insta-Rules take precedence over other Insta-Rules created before them.

Each Player has an attribute called Insta-Ruler, with an initial value of 0.  At the beginning of each nweek, if a Player's Insta-Ruler is greater than 0, it is decreased by 1.

Once per nweek, if a Player's Insta-Ruler is 5 or less, e can declare an Insta-Ruling, which consists of one of the following:

1. the enactment of an Insta-Rule
2. the repeal of an existing Insta-Rule

Insta-Rulings are implemented at the end of the nweek; at that time, the Insta-Ruler of the Player who made the Insta-Ruling is increased by 2.

}}

[[

Wonko stared at the text in disbelief. "Who the hell came up with this?"

"Dunno.  Some scientist, I hear."

"And you made it illegal to throw gremlins at you?"

Glotmorf grinned. "Yep."

Wonko looked up slowly. "And I can make rules too?"

The grid weakened a little. "Well...yeah..."

Ignoring the other players winding up with gremlins, Wonko entered some text into his Palm, then looked up at Glotmorf with grim satisfaction.  Glotmorf looked worried...

...And then he was gone, sailing high over the grid, the place where he'd stood occupied by a huge spring slowly retracting into the ground.  Wonko watched the trajectory with a tight smile.

He was still smiling after he'd been pummeled senseless by flung gremlins.

]]

}}