[Spoon-business] CFI -- default case vs. default permissibility

["Glotmorf" <glotmorf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I make the following CFI:

Statement:

Actions, involving the manipulation of game entities, that are neither explicitly permitted nor explicitly prohibited, but for which there exists implicit precedent in similar manipulations being explicitly permitted for similar game entities, are permitted.

Analysis:

The default case rule says (a) it is illegal to change the game state, and (b) it defers to all other rules. I interpret "all other rules" to mean the ruleset as a whole, and to include Rule 18, which says anything not regulated or prohibited is unregulated and unprohibited.

I submit that there are levels to regulation.  Explicit regulation deals with particular cases, particular game entities, particular acts of manipulation, etc.  Implicit regulation deals with classes of game entities and/or classes of acts of manipulation.  Explicit regulation of a particular entity implies some measure of regulation for the class of entities the particular entity belongs to.  For example, to say that amounts of one dimension can be transferred from one player to another implies amounts of dimensions in general are entities in their own right, and that under certain circumstances they can be transferred between players.  As the default case defers to the particular rule that explicitly permits specific transfers, so too must it defer to the implicit concept that transfers are permissible.

Hence, Rule 18, which says that which is unregulated is permissible, overrides the default case, since, on the one hand, the default case defers to the ruleset as a whole, which may provide sufficient implicit regulation for an action, while there is no explicit regulation that can be recognized by Rule 18.

[[ Yes, I know, this isn't the most universal case possible, but I think it applies to Mithrandir's action, and ruling it false is as useful as ruling it true.  I believe the converse of the above statement is, "Actions that are not explicitly permitted by the ruleset are not permitted, regardless of similar actions performed on similar game entities that are explicitly permitted."  I think a ruling on this would clear up a number of other questions posed over the course of the game. ]]

						Glotmorf


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