Nomic VI Initial Ruleset

Rule 101 (Immutable)

All players must always abide by all the rules then in effect, in the form in which they are then in effect. The rules in the Initial Set are in effect whenever a game begins. The Initial Set consists of Rules 101-115 and 201-212.

Rule 102 (Immutable)

Rules have properties. Other rules may add additional properties for rules along with said properties’ default values, so long as said properties do not contradict the properties defined in this rule.

A rule’s number is a natural number used for reference. The set of rules currently in effect shall never contain multiple rules with the same number. A rule’s number cannot be modified.

A rule’s mutability designates whether said rule is mutable or immutable. Mutability must be either mutable or immutable; it cannot be neither nor both. Initially rules in the 100’s will be designated immutable and rules in the 200’s mutable. Transmutation is defined as the modification of a rule’s mutability.

A rule’s body is the main section of the rule. For any rule currently in effect, players must always abide by the contents of this property.

Rule 103 (Immutable)

A rule-change is either of the following:

The enactment or repeal of a mutable rule

The modification of a rule’s property

Rule 104 (Immutable)

All proposed rule-changes shall be adopted if and only if they are put to a vote in the proper way and they receive the required number of votes. If a proposed rule-change is adopted, it shall guide play in the form in which it was voted on.

Rule 105 (Immutable)

An adopted rule-change takes full effect at the moment of the start of the turn following the turn that it was voted on in the proper way. No rule-change may have retroactive application.

Rule 106 (Immutable)

Each proposed rule-change put to a vote shall be given a number for reference. The numbers shall begin with 301, and each proposed rule-change put to a vote in the proper way shall receive the next successive integer, whether or not the proposal is adopted.

When a rule-change that enacts a new rule is adopted, the rule it enacts receives said rule-change’s number.

Rule 107 (Immutable)

Rule-changes that transmute immutable rules into mutable rules may be adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among the voters. Transmutation shall not be implied, but must be stated explicitly in a proposal to take effect.

Rule 108 (Immutable)

In a conflict between a mutable and an immutable rule, the immutable rule takes precedence and the conflicting section of the rule is void. For the purposes of this rule a proposal to transmute an immutable rule does not “conflict” with that immutable rule.

If two or more mutable rules conflict with one another, or if two or more immutable 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 set of rules) or takes precedence over another rule (or set of rules), 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 109 (Immutable)

A player is a natural person formally taking part in the game. The initial set of players is selected by the server moderators upon the game’s commencement. Rules that facilitate other persons joining the game as players are permitted.

Persons may not act as multiple players at once. Persons that are found to have done this are banned from the game.

Players must be present on the server. If a person who is a player leaves or is removed from the server for more than 48 consecutive hours, said person is considered to have left the game and will no longer be a player.

A player always has the option to leave the game rather than continue to play or incur a game penalty. No penalty worse than leaving the game, in the judgment of the player to incur it, may be imposed.

Rule 110 (Immutable)

The adoption of rule-changes must never become completely impermissible until the game ends.

Rule 111 (Immutable)

Rules can make the following changes to the ruleset:

Change their own body

Repeal themselves

Define additional rule properties along with their default values

Rules may not make any other changes to the ruleset, nor change the interpretations of other rules, unless such a change is via the adoption of a rule-change. For the purposes of this rule, Judgment is not considered to change the interpretations of rules.

Rule 112 (Immutable)

A player’s vote must be unambiguous. A vote that would be ambiguous is not considered to be a vote. Additional rules may be made to clarify what constitutes ambiguity.

Rule 113 (Immutable)

Server moderators regulate the server and game. Their responsibilities include the creation of text and voice channels, the public designation of which messages and actions go in which channels, the editing or deleting of messages that are inappropriate for the channel that they are in, and keeping track of the state of the game.

Server moderators can, by majority decision:

Ban and unban persons from joining the server

Ban and unban persons from playing the game

Add or remove persons as server moderators

Server moderators are empowered to enact and enforce bans prior to the start of the game.

The game adheres to the Discord Terms of Service and the Discord Community Guidelines. Server moderators are empowered to remove content that violates the terms and guidelines as well as sanction violating persons, up to and including banning.

The instantiator of this instance of the game starts as a server moderator. In the event that there are no server moderators, the instantiator becomes a server moderator.

Rule 114 (Immutable)

All actions, including voting, endorsing, and rule-change proposals, must occur in the channel or channels that are designated for them. Any action that does not occur in said action’s designated channel or channels is not considered a valid action.

Rule 115 (Immutable)

Whatever is not prohibited or regulated by a rule is permitted and unregulated, with the sole exception of changing the rules, which is permitted only when a rule or set of rules explicitly or implicitly permits it.

Rule 201

The Proposal Queue is a queue that proposed rule-changes, or proposals, go on. Players may have up to one proposal in the Proposal Queue. Active players may create a proposal to go on the Proposal Queue at any time; if a player that already has a proposal on the Proposal Queue creates another one, the first proposal is removed. Players may also remove their proposals from the Proposal Queue without replacement. Proposals on the Proposal Queue may not be edited.

Up to one proposal may be on the Deck. A proposal that is on the Deck and is not being voted on can be edited by the creator of that proposal.

Active players may endorse any number of proposals in the Proposal Queue. Proposals in the Proposal Queue are sorted first in descending order of number of active endorsing players, then in ascending order of proposal creation time. Players may grant and withdraw their endorsements freely and at any time. Players endorse their own proposals by default.

Rule 202

One turn consists of taking the proposal off the front of the Proposal Queue onto the Deck and having a vote on whether or not to adopt said proposal. The voting period starts 24 hours after the turn starts and ends when the turn ends.

If the proposal queue is empty at the start of the turn, then no proposal will be added onto the Deck and no vote will be held. The length of such a turn will be 24 hours.

The length of a turn defaults to 48 hours.

Rule 203

A rule-change is adopted if and only if it receives a simple majority of votes in favor of its passing when compared to those against its passing.

Other rules may introduce additional conditions necessary for a proposed rule-change to be adopted, notwithstanding the above paragraph.

Rule 204

All players start the game as active. An active player becomes inactive (i.e. loses their active status) if said active player has publicly declared that they are now inactive.

A player who has become inactive may attempt to become active again by declaring that they are active, attempting to cast a vote, or attempting to endorse a proposal. If the player then becomes active, then the vote or endorsement will be counted as though the player had cast or granted it while active.

Other rules can block a player from becoming active.

Rule 205

Players required by the rules to perform an action have a total of 48 hours to perform said action, unless otherwise specified. A player who does not perform said action within the allotted 48 hours becomes inactive and cannot become active until either they do perform said action or said action becomes impossible to perform.

Rule 206

Each active player can vote up to once per vote. Inactive players cannot vote.

Players may change their votes by voting again. Players may withdraw their votes with the phrase “withdraw” or “abstain”. Players may not edit nor delete messages that contain votes. An edited or deleted message’s vote is invalid.

Rule 207

The following phrases, and only the following phrases, are considered to be unambiguous affirmative votes:

The following phrases, and only the following phrases, are considered to be unambiguous negative votes:

Phrases for voting are case-insensitive.

Rule 208

If the server moderators deem that any section of a rule is infeasible to implement manually to the point that a bot is required, and there is no such bot functional, then said rule’s section is void until said bot is functional.

Rule 209

Unless otherwise specified, the game ends when one or more players have won it.

Rule 210

If any player disagrees about the legality of a move or the interpretation or application of a rule, any of those players may insist on invoking Judgment. When Judgment is invoked, a randomly selected eligible player is to be the Judge and decide the question.

A player is eligible if and only if said player fulfills all of the following criteria:

The player is active

Either the player has voted on a proposed rule-change in the past two turns or fewer than two turns have ended

The player has not been disbarred as Judge for the current turn

The player has not explicitly opted out of being selected to be Judge

When Judgment is invoked, the current turn’s duration is increased to 72 hours. A majority of active players may consent to revert this extension within the first 48 hours of a turn.

A Judge may be disbarred for the remainder of the turn, in which case all Judgments made by said Judge for said turn have no effect and another random eligible player is selected to serve as Judge for the remainder of the prior Judge’s term.

The following events invoke disbarment:

A three-fourths majority of all active players vote in favor of the Judge’s disbarment

A simple majority of all server moderators vote in favor of the Judge’s disbarment

The Judge resigns from their position as Judge

The Judge does not publicly acknowledge their position as Judge within 24 hours of Judgment’s invocation

Server moderators can only disbar a Judge if their Judgment egregiously conflicts with the rules.

The incumbent Judge settles all questions arising from the game until the next turn is begun, including questions as to their own legitimacy and jurisdiction as Judge.

Judges are not bound by the decisions of previous Judges. Judges may, however, settle only those questions on which Judgment has been invoked and that affect the current state of the game. All decisions by Judges shall be in accordance with all the rules then in effect; but when the rules are silent, inconsistent, or unclear on the point at issue, then the Judge shall consider game custom and the spirit of the game before applying other standards.

Rule 211

If the rules are changed so that further play is impossible; or if the legality of a move cannot be determined with finality; or if by the Judge’s best reasoning, not disbarred, a move appears equally legal and illegal; then the game ends with no winner.

Rule 212

Persons wishing to become players may request to do so publicly. If no player objects to the requester joining the game within 24 hours of the request, either publicly or privately (to a server moderator), the requester will join the game as a player. If such an objection occurs, a vote is immediately held on whether or not the requester joins the game. If there is a majority vote in favor 24 hours following the start of the vote, the requester will join the game as a player.