israel@umcp-cs.UUCP (04/20/84)
For all of you who requested the rules to the game 'Nomic', here they
are.
Nomic
by
Peter Suber
Department of Philosophy, Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana 47374
From METAMAGICAL THEMAS, Scientific American, June 1982, pp. 22, 27.
INITIAL SET OF RULES
Immutable Rules
101. 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 101-116
(immutable) and 201-213 (mutable).
102. Initially rules in the 100's are immutable and rules in the 200's are
mutable. Rules subsequently enacted or transmuted (that is, changed from
immutable to mutable or vice versa) may be immutable or mutable regardless of
their numbers, and rules in the Initial Set may be transmuted regardless of
their numbers.
103. A rule change is any of the following: (1) the enactment, repeal, or
amendment of a mutable rule; (2) the enactment, repeal, or amendment of an
amendment, or (3) the transmutation of an immutable rule into a mutable rule or
vice versa. (Note: This definition implies that, at least initially, all new
rules are mutable; immutable rules, as long as they are immutable, may not be
amended or repealed; mutable rules, as long as they are mutable, may be amended
or repealed; no rule is absolutely immune to change.)
104. All rule changes proposed in the proper way must be voted on. They will
be adopted if and only if the required number of votes is received.
105. Every player is an eligible voter. Every eligible voter must participate
in every vote on rule changes.
106. All proposed rule changes must be written down before they are voted on.
If they are adpoted, they must guide play in the form in which they were voted
on.
107. No rule change may take effect earlier than the moment of the completion
of the vote that adopted it, even if its wording explicitly states otherwise.
No rule change may have retroactive application.
108. Each proposed rule change must be given a rank-order number (ordinal
number) and must be referred to by that number. The numbers must begin with
301, and each rule change proposed in the proper way must receive the next
successive integer, whether or not the proposal is adopted.
If a rule is repealed and reenacted, it receives the ordinal number of the
proposal to reenact it. If a rule is amended or transmuted, it receives the
ordinal number of the proposal to amend or transmute it. If an amendment is
amended or repealed, the entire rule of which it is a part received the ordinal
number of the proposal to amend or repeal the amendment.
109. Rule changes that transmute immutable rules into mutable rules may be
adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among the eligible voters.
110. Mutable rules that are inconsistent in any way with some immutable rule
(and that can be made consistent with it only by transmuting it into a mutable
rule) are wholly void and without effect. They do not implicitly transmute
immutable rules into mutable rules and at the same time amend them. Rule
changes that transmute immutable rules into mutable rules will be effective if
and only if they explicitly state their transmuting effect.
111. If a rule change as proposed is unclear, ambiguous, paradoxical or
destructive of play, is held by a player to consist of two or more rule changes
compounded or to be an amendment that makes no difference or is otherwise held
to be of questionable value, then the other players can suggest amendments or
argue against the rule change before the vote. The proponent, however, decides
the final form in which the proposal is to be voted on and chooses the time to
end debate and vote.
112. The state of affairs that consitutes winning may not be altered from
achieving n points to any other state of affairs. The magnitude of n and the
means of earning points may, however, be altered, and rules that establish a
winner when play cannot continue may be enacted and (when they are mutable) be
amended or repealed.
113. A player always has the option of forfeiting the game rather than
continuing to play or incurring a game penalty. (No penalty worse than losing,
in the judgment of the player incurring the penalty, may be imposed.)
114. There must always be at least one mutable rule. The adoption of rule
changes must never become completely impermissible.
115. Rule changes that in any way affect rules needed to allow or apply rule
changes are fully as permissible as other rules changes. Even rule changes
that repeal part or all of their own authority are permissible. No rule change
or type of move is or is to be impermissible solely because of the
self-reference or self-application of a rule.
116. The adoption of rule changes is permissible only when a rule or a set of
rules makes it permissible. Otherwise whatever is not explicitly prohibited or
regulated by a rule is allowed and unregulated (as opposed to the maxim "All is
forbidden except what is explicitly allowed.")
Mutable Rules
201. Players must alternate in clockwise order, taking one whole turn apiece.
Turns may not be skipped or passed, and parts of turns may not be omitted. All
players begin with zero points.
202. One turn consists of two parts, in this order: (1) Proposing one rule
change and having it voted on, and (2) throwing one die once and adding the
number of points on its face to one's score.
203. A rule change is adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among the
eligible voters.
204. If Initial Rule 203 is amended or repealed, then whenever rule changes
are adopted without unanimity, the players who voted against such rule changes
receive 10 points apiece.
205. An adopted rule change takes full effect at the moment of the completion
of the vote that adopted it.
206. If any player's proposed rule change is voted down, that player loses 10
points.
207. Each player always has exactly one vote.
208. The winner is the first player to achieve 100 (positive) points.
209. At no time are there to be more than 25 mutable rules.
210. Players may not conspire or consult on the making of future rule changes
unless they are teammates.
211. If two or more mutable rules conflict with one another, or if two or more
immutable rules conflict with one another, 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), such provisions must supersede the numerical method of
determining prededence.
If two or more rules claim to take precedence over one another or to defer to
one another, the numerical method must again govern.
212. If players disagree about the legality of a move or the interpretation or
application of a rule, the player to the right of the one moving is to be the
Judge and decide the question. (Such a process is called invoking Judgement.)
The Judge's Judgment may be overruled only by a unanimous vote of the other
players, taken before the next turn is begun. When Judgment has been invoked,
the next player may not begin his or her turn without the consent of a majority
of the other players. If a Judge's Judgment is overruled, the player to the
right of the Judge becomes the new Judge for the question, and so on, except
that no player is to be Judge during his or her own turn, or during the turn of
a teammate. Unless a Judge is overruled, one Judge settles all questions
arising from the game until the next turn is begun, including questions as to
his or her own legitimacy and jurisdiction as Judge. New Judges are not bound
by the decisions of old Judges. New Judges may, however, settle only those
questions on which the players currently disagree and that affect the
completion of the turn in which Judgment was invoked. Disagreement, for the
purposes of this rule, may be created by the insistence of any player.
213. If the rules are changed so that further play is impossible, or if the
legality of a move is impossible to determine with finality, or if by the
Judge's best reasoning, not overruled, a move appears equally legal and
illegal, then the first player who is unable to complete a turn is the winner.
This rule takes precedence over every other rule determining the winner.
--
Bruce Israel
University of Maryland, Computer Science
{rlgvax,seismo}!umcp-cs!israel (Usenet) israel.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay (Arpanet)