Re: spoon-discuss: Physical Law/Mutable Rule

[Dan Waldron <wald7330@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Okay, suggestions:

> > Defining Rule
> I assume this would be Physical Law?

Yes.  Although it might also be neat to have the Charter Rule definition
exist only in the Mutable Rules.
> Subsetset? Maybe only one 'set'?
Oops.  There's a few other typos too.

> > }}
> > 
> > To make this work requires surprisingly few changes:  Here are the biggest
> > ones.
> > 
> > 25/1 The Administrator - Physical Law
> > {{
> > The Administrator is responsible for all game duties not assigned by the
> > Rules to the other players.  The Administrator may make changes to the
> > Rules and the Game State.  The Administrator is also responsible for
> > updating the Game State to show the results of actions taken.
> > }}
> > 
> > Ministers - Physical Law
> > {{
> > Ministers may make changes to the game state within the juristiction of
> > their ministry.
> > }}
> > 
> > 
> > Permissions - Mutable Rule
> > {{ 
> > Ministers and The Administrator may change the rules or game state only as
> > instructed to do so by Mutable Rules.
> > }}
> 
> Why is this mutable? Doesn't that mean that the two Physical Law rules that
> grant the (Ad)Minist(rat)(e/o)rs the power to change the gamestate at will
> take precedence over it?

The precedence system I want to establish is that the Mutable Rules cannot
make possible something prohibited by Physical Law, but that they can make
illegal something allowed by Physical Law.  I'll change the definition
rule to fix that.

> 
> > Here is the list of physical laws.  A few of them will need fixes.  I
> > would also like to combine the gremlin definitions because there are a lot
> > of them scattered all over the place and they make very little sense
> > unless grouped together.  I'd like to do the same for gnomes and
> > miscellaneous grid objects.
> > Physical Laws:
> > 217/3 Standard Delimiters
> Is there any reason why this is Law?

Because I think it would be inappropriate for a mutable rule to affect the
reading of a physical law.
> > 
> > Mutable Rules:
> > 15/2 Nweekly Voting
> > 19/5 Proposals (fix)
> Poposal? I hope this won't become another 'proosal' thing... ;)
what Poposal?
> ***
> > 625/1 Ministers 
> > 626/0 Ministerial Elections
> > 627/0 Ministerial Non-Confidence
> ***
> Didn't you say Ministers were going to be PhysLaw?
>
Ministers need a bit in the physical law to give them access to the
relevant bits of the game state.  But the actual duties and requirements
of each minister don't need to be.


> > 703/0 The Other Exploitation
> Umm... You could repeal this if you wanted... anyone?

uhhh... yeah.  I guess so.  Why don't we just keep it kicking around for a
while.

> > 704/0 Judgement Props
> > 706/0 A La Carte Props
> 
> 
> So what exactly determines whether something ought to be Law or Rule? I
> understand most of it, but some things don't make sense... like why is the
> Insta-Minister Rule but the Survey Minister Law?


Because I put the Survey Minister Law in the wrong category by mistake.
But I don't think I have all the basics covered on the minister rules.
Some of them are going to have to be rewritten.  All the minister rules
cross over what I see as the ideal boundary for this.  They involve
required duties and timings and information distribution, which I would
like to put in the Rules section, but they also involve making changes to
important game variables, which I would like to restrict in the Laws
section.

Here is my next revised version.  I have tried to fix the mistakes from
the first version and I have added a whole lotta stuff.

Defining Rule
{{
There exist three types of rules: Physical Laws, Mutable Rules, and
Charter Rules.

Physical Laws take precedence over all other rules.  Mutable Rules take
precedence over Charter Rules.

All entities defined by the Physical Laws by definition obey the Physical
Laws.  An action is impossible if it is prohibited by the Physical Laws.

Players, the Administrator, and any other self-willed entities are
required to obey the Mutable Rules. An action is illegal if it is
prohibited by the Mutable Rules.

Charter Rules are of lower precedence than Physical Laws or Mutable Rules.
Players are not required to obey Charter Rules except as specified in the
Mutable Rules.

}}

13/2 Players  - Physical Law
{{ 
A player is any entity who is capable of passing the
Turing test, consents to said designation as a player, has become a player
in the manner described in the rules, and who consents to be abide by the
Mutable Rules.  
}}

21/4 Score
{{
Players may own points. The number of points in the posession of a player
shall be known as eir score. 

The owner of one or more points may transfer any or all points in eir
possession to another legal owner by posting to the public forum.  

Whenever a rule states that a player receives points, the number of points
in eir possession shall be increased accordingly; whenever a rule states
that a player loses points, the number of points in eir possession shall
be lowered accordingly, but it shall never become less than zero.

New players initially do not possess any points.
}}

25/1 The Administrator - Physical Law 
{{ 
The Administrator may make changes to the Rules and the Game State.  The
Administrator is subject to the Mutable Rules.
}}

Obey the Rules - Mutable Rule 
{{ 
A player who refuses to obey the Rules is assumed to have withdrawn eir
consent.  E should be given a reasonable opportunity to correct eir
actions before this assumption is made.

If a player attempts to take an action that would violate the Rules the
Administrator or relevant minister shall refuse to recognize that action
unless the player specifically states that e is aware the action is
illegal but will attempt it anyway. 
}}

Duties of the Administrator - Mutable Rule
{{
The Administrator is responsible for all game duties not assigned by the
Rules to other players.

The Administrator shall alter the rules and the game state only as
follows:

E shall update the game state to reflect actions legally taken and
rules-defined events.

E shall create and distribute points when called upon to do so
by the Mutable Rules.

E shall alter the rules and game state as formally requested to do so by
players via procedures defined in the mutable rules.

If no players exist e shall make such changes to the rules and game state
as are nescessary to ensure that future play is possible.

}}

Charter Rules - Mutable Rule 
{{ 

Charter Rules are organized into rulesets.  Every Charter Ruleset has the
"Scope" attribute.  The scope of a ruleset is the set of players to whom
it applies. These players must obey the rules of that set.

The scope attribute of each existing Charter Ruleset must be defined in
the Mutable Rules.

Charter rules are of lower priority than Mutable Rules.  At no time may a
charter rule permit an action made illegal by the Mutable Rules or
impossible by the Physical Laws.
}}


Things that are still broken:
0/0 Emergency Management
33/2 Chutzpah
18/2 Permissibility of the Unprohibited
263/1 Titles
209/0 Misbehaving Judges
300/2 Keywords
440/6 Entropy

and probably a whole lot of other stuff.  Oh dear it looks like I'm going
to have to get myself a dimship sometime soon too.

Dan Waldron ICQ 57894467