The Initial Rule List for Nomic Sidekick Nomic

These are the rules that existed at the very start of Nomic Sidekick Nomic, archived here for comparison with the current rules.

1. This email group will be called The Nomes. This game of Nomic will be called Nomic Sidekick Nomic. Any human being may join The Nomes by registering at the website. Any member of The Nomes may play Nomic Sidekick Nomic by first sending an email expressing his/her desire to play. Andrew will then add his/her name to the rule list, and he/she must then participate in the game as indicated in the rules.

2. There exists a rule list. The page you are currently viewing is the rule list. It contains a complete list of all rules currently in effect. All players must follow all rules currently on the rule list. Any rules that are not on the rule list do not apply to this game, and need not be followed. Whatever the rule list does not expressly prohibit or regulate is permissable and unregulated.

3. When rules conflict with one another, the rule with the lowest reference number takes precedence, unless otherwise stated in the specific rules themselves.

4. When a player is determined to have broken a rule, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the results of the illegal action will be reversed, if possible, and that player will receive a -10 point penalty.

5. In addition to the current rules, the rule list will indicate the current score each player has and the current player whose turn it is. It will also indicate any other information deemed important to keep track of publicly. It will be updated by Andrew. Andrew will make absolutely no changes to the rule list except for those that come about legally in gameplay.

6. The rule list will contain a complete list of all players, which has been ordered randomly by Andrew. The first player on the list moves first, followed by the next player on the list, and so on. After the last player on the list has moved, the first player will move again. When a new member of the Nomes expresses his/her desire to join the game, his/her name is inserted at random. His/her turn will then come about naturally.

7. Andrew will regularly update the rule list to express the legal and logical results of game actions. When he updates the list, he will always send an email to the group describing all of the updates. Once both of these things have occurred (the list has been updated and Andrew has sent an email), the changes to the list go into effect. They do not go into effect until then. Changes to the rule list effect the present, but not the past.

8. A move consists of emailing one proposal to the group. If, after it becomes a player’s turn, that player does not move within five days, his or her turn is skipped that round. Players may also choose to forfeit their turn, if they wish.

9. A proposal is an email providing at least one suggestion for a new rule, at least one amendment to an old rule, and/or at least one repeal of an old rule. The proposal must contain the exact wording intended for any new rules or amendments, should they be added to the rule list. The proposal must contain reasonably good English grammar.

10. All proposed new rules must be given a reference number and title. Each must be unique to the list. The reference number must be a positive integer.

11. As soon as the moving player has emailed a proposal to the group, all other players must, as soon as possible and convenient, email a reply to the group that provides a vote either “for” the proposal, “against” the proposal, or “abstaining”. Play cannot continue until all players have registered a vote. If, when a player is required to vote, he or she does not vote within five days, his or her vote is automatically considered to be “abstaining.” The player moving is assumed to be voting “for” the proposal, and does not need to state this.

12. If the current proposal receives more “for” votes than “against” votes, it is said to have passed. If it receives more “against” votes than “for” votes, or if the number of “for” votes and “against” votes is tied, the proposal is said to have failed.

13. If the latest proposal has passed, Andrew will make changes to the rule list thus: He will copy all new rules and amendments indicated on the proposal in their entirety to their respective places on the rule list, according to their reference numbers. He will remove any rules or parts of rules that have been repealed or amended to no longer apply to the game. He will then make any other changes to the rule list necessary to express changes in game state that have occurred, and, as described in rule #7, he will send an email detailing all the changes.

14. When a new proposal has failed, the rule change(s) indicated do(es) not go into effect that turn.

15. If a player is going to be unable to move and/or vote for a period of more than a few days, he or she should send the list an email with the subject, “[player’s name] is away.” While the player is away, he or she is considered to automatically “abstain” from all voting, and so he or she will not need to send any emails to the group for the votes to be counted. If his or her turn comes up while he or she is “away,” then his or her turn will be skipped that round. When he or she is ready to begin contributing to the game again, he or she must send the list an email with the subject, “[player’s name] has returned.”

16. If Andrew needs to go away for a time, he may choose to grant another player his administrative powers until his return. That player will do all the special duties that Andrew does, nothing more and nothing less.

17. When any player wishes to question the validity of something that has taken place, he or she must email the question to the list. The person preceeding the person currently moving becomes the “Judge,” and must decide the correct answer to the question and state this in an email to the group. If the person whose turn preceeds the person moving is “away,” then the preceeding person becomes the Judge, and so on, until a person currently present in the game can be the Judge. All necessary changes, based on the decision of the Judge, take effect. Andrew will email the group outlining all effects and update the rule list as necessary.

18. Players must be clear when they are proposing, voting, invoking Judgement, or doing any other specific task through email by saying so in the subject of their email.

19. All player’s start the game with 0 points. This includes players that join after the game has begun.

20. When any one player achieves any requirement for winning, he/she is declared the winner, and the game ends. If more than one player achieves this, the first player to do so is declared the winner, and the game ends. If more than one player achieves any requirement for winning at exactly the same time, the game ends in a tie.

21. When a player’s proposal passes, he/she receives 10 points.

22. When a player’s proposal fails, he/she receives -5 points.

23. The first player to reach or exceed 100 points wins.