This is the complete set of current rules for Paranomic II, last updated Tuesday 20 April 1999.
1 [constitutional]
The name of the game is Paranomic II.
2 [constitutional]
The game is officiated and administrated by a player designated in the game as the umpire. The player who takes the role of umpire at the start of the game may be decided by any means agreeable to all current players. At any time the umpire may relinquish the position and appoint another player to be their successor, provided that player is willing and able to take the role.
The umpire is bound by the rules of the game and may only influence the game as permitted by the rules. The umpire is responsible for maintaining the smooth running of the game and for keeping reasonably up-to-date records of all information pertinent to the game (such as current rules, players, scores, etc) and for making that information publically available by appropriate means, such as on a web page.
3 [constitutional]
The game shall be conducted in a single public forum (‘the forum’), the form of which shall be an email distribution list. The identity of the forum is the address of the email list, which shall be decided by the umpire and which may be changed by the umpire at any time. Certain items of game business, as described in the rules, may take place in alternative named forums or via private email as appropriate.
4 [constitutional]
Anyone may become a player at any time sending a message to the forum introducing himself or herself to the other players and stating that he or she wishes to be a player. Having done so, that person becomes a player.
The umpire may at any time expel any player from the game, provided there is good reason for doing so (e.g. the player is persistently disrupting the game, causing a nuisance to other players, or deliberately attempting to spoil the fun of the game). A player having been expelled may apply to the umpire to be readmitted to the game. The umpire's decision whether or not to readmit the player is final.
5 [constitutional]
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 when the game begins. The Initial Set consists of Rules 1-6 (constitutional), 101-112 (immutable) and 201-213 (mutable).
6 [constitutional]
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.
101 [mutable]
Rules numbered lower than 100 are constitutional rules and may not be amended or repealed. All other rules are mutable.
102 [mutable]
A rule-change is one of the following:
103 [mutable]
A proposal is a statement of one or more suggested rule changes. All proposals made in the proper way shall be voted on. They will be adopted if and only if they receive the required number of votes. If a proposal is adopted, any rule change it contains shall be incorporated into the rules in the form in which it was voted on.
104 [mutable]
Each proposal shall be given a number for reference. The first proposal shall be numbered 301 and each subsequent proposal shall be numbered with the next successive integer, whether or not the proposal is adopted.
If a rule is repealed and reenacted, it receives the number of the proposal to reenact it. If a rule is amended, its number remains the same. A newly enacted rule receives the number of the proposal to enact it, unless there is already a rule with that number, in which case the next lowest available integer shall be used.
105 [mutable]
The first draft of a proposal is known as a green paper. The final draft of a proposal is known as a white paper. A green paper may be amended any number of times, but a white paper may not be amended at all. A reasonable time must be allowed for discussion of a green paper proposal (eg for other players to suggest amendments or argue against the proposal) before it may become a white paper. The proponent decides on the final form of the proposal. A proposal may only go to the vote if it is a white paper.
106 [mutable]
Every player is an eligible voter.
107 [mutable]
No proposal 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.
109 [mutable]
In a conflict between a constitutional rule and any other rule, the constitutional rule always takes precedence.
110 [mutable]
A player always has the option to forfeit the game rather than continue to play or incur a game penalty. No penalty worse than losing, in the judgment of the player to incur it, may be imposed.
111 [mutable]
There must always be at least one mutable rule. The adoption of rule-changes must never become completely impermissible.
112 [mutable]
Rule-changes that affect rules needed to allow or apply rule-changes are as permissible as other rule-changes. Even rule-changes that amend or repeal their own authority are permissible. No rule-change or type of move is impermissible solely on account of the self-reference or self-application of a rule.
201 [mutable]
The game proceeds with players submitting proposals which are then voted on and adopted or rejected accordingly. There is no playing order and any player may submit one or more proposals at any time, following the correct procedure for submitting proposals as detailed in other rules, and provided there are no conditions or circumstances preventing the player from submitting proposals.
202 [mutable]
The procedure for submitting and voting on a proposal is as follows:
A Player may bypass stage 1 of this procedure and submit a proposal directly to the Umpire, requesting that it go straight to white paper stage (on the principle that for the proposal in question 'reasonable time for discussion' may be considered as no time at all). The Umpire's decision on this request is entirely at his discretion.
The Umpire must distribute the proposal to the forum within three days of receiving it. The only exception to this is that no more than three proposals by a single player may be at white paper stage at any time. If a player submits a proposal which would contravene this condition, the Umpire may withhold it until other proposals by that player have been adopted or rejected.
A player may choose to gamble the points awarded on a proposal to win a Joker instead, notifying the Umpire of his intention to do so when submitting the white paper proposal: if the proposal passes, the player receives a Joker instead of points; if the proposal fails, the player receives neither points nor Joker.
204 [mutable]
A proposal is adopted if and only if the vote is quorate and is a simple majority among the eligible voters. Quorum is achieved when at least fifty per cent of eligible voters cast a vote (ie fewer than fifty per cent
205 [mutable] Anti-Voting is defined as voting against an accepted proposal or voting for a rejected proposal (determined when the vote for the proposal is complete).
For each proposal a player anti-votes on she shall receive 3 points.
206 [mutable]
An adopted proposal takes full effect at the moment of the completion of the vote that adopted it and no sooner.
208 [mutable]
If two or more mutable 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 type of rule) or takes precedence over another rule (or type of rule), 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.
209 [mutable] If players disagree about the legality of a move or the interpretation or application of a rule, the umpire shall select an impartial player at random to be the judge and decide the matter. Disagreement for the purposes of this rule may be created by the insistence of any player. This process is called invoking judgment. If judgement is invoked on the content of a green paper, it may not become a white paper until the matter is resolved.
If a player feels unable to judge, he or she may decline judgement and the umpire shall select a different player to be judge. If a player fails to give a verdict or decline judgement within three days of being selected as judge, he or she shall be assumed to have declined judgement and shall lose three points. The judge's judgement may be overruled only by another player raising an objection. The umpire must then select a different judge to judge on the matter. If the verdict of the second judge is the same as that of the first, the player who raised the objection loses 10 points.
A new judge is selected each time judgement is invoked. 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.
210 [mutable]
Each game of Paranomic has a number, which is the variable GAMENUMBER. For the first game, GAMENUMBER = 1.
The winner of a game is the first person to reach 100*(2^GAMENUMBER) points. If two or more players reach a winning score simultaneously, the player with the higher final score wins. If the winner cannot be decided this way the game is tied. The umpire shall keep a record of who has won each game. In case of any dispute, the umpire shall decide which player is the winner of a game.
When a game is won, the following things happen:
212 [mutable]
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 overruled, a move appears equally legal and illegal, the winner of the game shall be decided at random. This rule takes precedence over every other rule determining the winner.
301 [mutable]
Any player may donate points to any other player at any time in the game, provided the following: (a) the donation and donor's balance must both be values larger than zero; (b) the donation must be less than or equal to the donor's balance.
The only method for transfering points from one player to another player is for the donor to notify the umpire of the intended transfer.
If conditions (a) and (b) are met and the umpire accepts the authenticity and clarity of the request, he must carry out the transfer. The umpire is required to record the transfer in a game log that is available to all players and to update the score listings accordingly. A transfer is complete when it is updated in both the game log and the score listings.
If condition (a) or (b) is not met or the umpire questions the authenticity or clarity of the request, the transfer can not be completed, and the umpire will notify the donor of the rejection within 3 days of the request.
The game tokens known as "jokers" are transferable. The method for transferring jokers is the same as the method for transferring points.
Money may be transferred between players in the same way as points and jokers.
306 [mutable]
Game tokens known as "Jokers" exist; each Player may have a number of Jokers, kept track of by the Umpire. When a new Player joins the Game, e starts with one Joker. Upon completion of the voting period of every third proposal authored by a Player, that Player receives a Joker.
At any time, a Player may "play" one of the Jokers they possess, by informing the Umpire (either privately or publicly) of this intention. Jokers can be played in various ways, which are described below, along with their effects. When a Joker is played, it is immediately destroyed. The same Joker cannot be played more than once.
(An "Active Proposal" is a White Paper Proposal which is currently being voted upon.)
310 [mutable]
Each Player may either be a Prole or a member of the Secret Police. In addition, a number of Proles may also be Suspects, and one member of the Secret Police may be the Head of the Secret Police (HoSP). All Players should know who the HoSP is, but only Secret Police members should know the identities of other Secret Policemen.
A Player may, at any time, Unmask another Player as being a member
of the Secret Police - this is achieved by posting a message to
the mailing list, with a subject line of "Unmasking When a Player Unmasks another Player, the Head of the Secret Police
responds, saying whether or not the Unmasked Player is a member of
the Secret Police. If e is, the Unmasking Player gains ten points,
and the Unmasked Player loses ten points and becomes a Prole. If e
isn't, the Unmasking Player loses ten points.
If no Player is a Suspect, the Head of the Secret Police (after
consulting, if e wishes, the other members of the Secret Police) may,
at any time, nominate a single Prole - that Prole becomes a Suspect.
This nomination is announced to all other members of the Secret Police.
Any Secret Policeman may attempt to recruit a non-Suspect
Prole into their ranks by emailing that Player with such an invitation.
If the Prole wishes to take up the offer, e should email the HoSP with
such an acceptance, mentioning the recruiter's name. If the HoSP agrees
with this recruitment, e should privately email the Prole and all
Secret Police with a message to this effect; the Prole becomes a Secret
Policeman and the recruiter (unless e is the HoSP) gains a fifty
Para-pounds bonus.
Any Secret Policeman other than the HoSP may resign from eir post by
privately mailing the HoSP with this intention. The HoSP should email
all other Secret Policemen to inform them of this resignation, which
is effective from that moment.
The Head of the Secret Police may pass eir role onto another Secret
Policeman at any time, by announcing this fact on the mailing list;
the HoSP becomes a Secret Policeman (although e may, of course, choose
to resign immediately afterwards) and the nominated Player becomes the
Head of the Secret Police.
312 [mutable]
There exists money in ParaNomic. Money is, unless otherwise stated,
measured in ParaPounds and ParaPence. 100 ParaPence = 1 ParaPound.
ParaPounds may be abbreviated to "Pounds" and the symbol for them
is £ or P. ParaPence may be abbreviated to "Pence" and the symbol for
them is p. (Example: £1.50 or P1.50 = 1 ParaPound and 50 ParaPence.
75p = 75 ParaPence.)
Everybody starts off with no money. New players get no money when
they join.
313 [mutable]
Each player has a bank account in the Paranomic Hallowed Anti-Trust
(Acronym: PHAT). It is, of course, important that all bank balances
be posted publicly, to give the Players the impetus to work harder,
that they might become as wealthy as their neighbors. (Some Players
might use the information to try and deduce what occupations the
other Players hold! That would, of course, be against the ideals of
the PHAT, and therefore treasonous.)
To prevent a richer Player from being unfairly targeted by a poorer
Player, the accounts shall be numbered, and the records of which
Player owns which account will be known only to the Head of the
Secret Police.
The Head of the Secret Police will assign a random 5-digit account
number to each existing player, and e-mail the player privately with
this information. Occasionally, the Head of the Secret Police will
post the list of account numbers and balances to the list. When a
new player joins the game, everyone in the game will be assigned new
account numbers. The new list of account balances should not be posted
until a sufficient number of PHAT transactions have taken place that,
in the judgement of the Head of the Secret Police, it would not be
immediately obvious which account belongs to the new Player.
314 [mutable]
Each Player earns a salary, which is deposited to their PHAT
Account on the 15th day of each calendar month. Proles earn £100,
the Secret Police earn £300 and the Head of the Secret Police earns
£500.
317 [mutable]
There exists a Ministry of Free Speech. At any given time, one
Player may be deemed to work at the Ministry of Free Speech; e is
known as the Minister for Free Speech, and e receives an extra £50
each payday.
Usage of certain words in the world of Paranomic is Treasonous. The
Minister for Free Speech shall maintain a list of these Treasonous
Words, making it available to the public via a Web page, and
distributing it to the mailing list whenever it changes. If there is
no Minister for Free Speech, no words are considered Treasonous.
The Minister for Free Speech may add or remove a word from the
Treasonous Words list at any time, provided that e has not altered it
during the past week. In addition, the Umpire may remove words from
the Treasonous Words list at any time, if e considers them to be
unsuitable, by announcing eir decision to the mailing list.
If a mailing list posting contains one or more Treasonous Words
(ignoring all headers and appended signatures), and if a Player
notices and comments on it within twenty-four hours of its posting,
the person who made the original posting shall (if a Player) be
penalised for Treason as described in Rule 327.
The Minister for Free Speech may use Treasonous Words with impunity,
and a Proposal distributed by the Umpire may not be considered to
contain Treasonous Words.
321 [mutable]
Any words used in the language of a proposal must be well-understood.
A word is considered to be well-understood if it is found in any
English language dictionary, defined in the body of the proposal, or
defined in a pre-existing rule.
324 [mutable]
Each player is either Active or Dormant; the default state being
Active. While a player is Dormant, their points and PHAT balance are
frozen (unless the current game is won, in which case their points
and PHAT balance may be affected as normal) and they are treated for
all intents and purposes as a non-Player.
Any player may voluntarily change their own state from Active to
Dormant, or vice versa, at any time simply by announcing that they
are doing so by in a message to the forum. The umpire may also change
any player's state from Active to Dormant, or vice versa, at any time
and in the same way, though doing so without good reason is
treasonous and may be dealt with accordingly. No player except the
umpire may change the state of any other player.
327 [mutable]
Each Player may have zero or more Treason Points, and zero or more
Hero Points; various events and actions that happen in the world of
Paranomic will affect these Points. If either total drops below zero,
it becomes zero.
The Player with the most Treason Points is known as the Traitor. If the
Traitor is a Secret Police Officer but is not the Head of the Secret
Police, e immediately becomes a Prole. The Traitor does not receive a
Salary.
The Player with the most Hero Points is known as the People's Hero; e
may include the text "Power to the people!" in any Proposal e makes (and
no other Player may do so). A Proposal containing such text
automatically receives three extra votes in favour.
The Head of the Secret Police is responsible for keeping track of
Treason and Hero Points; every Friday (at an hour of eir choosing) e
should look back over the past week to see what has happened which will
result in adjustment of these Points - the HoSP should total these
changes and detail them, along with the new totals, to the mailing
list.
The following acts and events will modify a Player's Treason and Hero
Points accordingly. Adjustments are cumulative (if a Player voted
against three of the HoSP's Proposals during the week, e gains three
Treason Points), and should be applied in the sequence listed.
331 [mutable]
Within the world of Paranomic, there are a number of Locations, each capable of holding any number of Players. At any given time,
each Player is considered to be situated at a single Location. The following Locations exist, some of them carrying special rules.
Whenever a new Player joins the Nomic, e is placed in the Housing Block.
Unless restricted by a Rule, a Player may Travel from one Location to another at whim. This is achieved by announcing such an
intention to the mailing list, in a message with a subject line of "Travelling to No Player may Travel more than once per day.
332 [mutable]
The game position of Registrar exists. The Registrar shall receive an additional salary of $100 at the interval specified in rule 314.
Recognising that there are some Players of the game who have temporary or permanent responsibilities under the rules of the game, and that those responsibilities may oft-times be onerous, such Players may offer to delegte some or all of them to another Player or other Players.
If a Player wishes to do this, they must indicate, either privately or in the public forum, which responsibilities they wish to delegate. If
any contacted Players wish to accept this offer, they should privately draw up a contract. The contract must clearly state the
following:
Any compensation under part 3. must be transferred using legal game mechanisms.
Once the contract has been finalised, all players party to the contract
should submit identical copies to the Registrar via private email, as
evidence of all players agreement to it. The Registrar shall consider a
contract valid and binding if and only if all players submit such copies
within 72 hours of each other, and at such time shall notify all parties
to the contract by private email that it is now in effect.
If a contract is marked as "public", the Registrar shall also submit a
copy of the contract to the public forum.
If at any time any party to a contract feels that another is not
fulfilling a contractual obligation to them, they may sue that other player
for Breach of Contract. In such a case, resolution is obtaining in the same
manner as invoking Judgement, save that the Registrar is automatically
selected as the Judge. This overrules rule 209.
Any player found guilty of Breach of Contract shall be fined the sum of
500 Pounds. If the player is unable to pay t
Being unmasked as a Secret Police Officer
+3 TP
-9 HP
Unmasking a Secret Police Officer
+1 TP
+3 HP
Unmasking a Prole
+0 TP
-1 HP
Unmasking a Secret Police Officer less than three days after
being Unmasked yourself
+9 TP
+2 HP
Voting for a Proposal made by the HoSP
-1 TP
+0 HP
Voting against a Proposal made by the HoSP
+1 TP
+0 HP
Giving P100 or more to another Player
+0 TP
+1 HP
Giving P100 or more to the HoSP
-2 TP
-2 HP
Using a Treasonous Word
+1 TP
+0 HP
Being the Head of the Secret Police
-3 TP
-9 HP
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