CUNY-nomic

The current ruleset is:

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 101-116 (immutable) and 201-213 (mutable).

102 (immutable)

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 (immutable)

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 of a mutable rule; or (3) the transmutation of an immutable rule into a mutable rule or vice versa.

104 (immutable)

All rule-changes proposed in the proper way shall be voted on. They will be adopted if and only if they receive the required number of votes.

105 (immutable)

Every player is an eligible voter. Every eligible voter must participate in every vote on rule-changes.

106 (immutable)

All proposed rule-changes shall be written down before they are voted on. If they are adopted, they shall guide play in the form in which they were voted on.

107 (immutable)

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 (immutable)

Each proposed rule-change shall be given a number for reference. The number shall be with 300 + the number of the corresponding Pull Request, and each rule-change proposed in the proper way shall receive 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If a rule is repealed and reenacted, it receives the number of the proposal to reenact it.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 or transmuted, it receives the 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 If an amendment is amended or repealed, the entire rule of which it is a part receives the number of the proposal to amend or repeal the amendment.

109 (immutable)

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

110 (immutable)

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

111 (immutable)

If a rule-change as proposed is unclear, ambiguous, paradoxical, or destructive of play, or if it arguably consists of two or more rule-changes compounded or is an amendment that makes no difference, or if it is otherwise of questionable value, then the other players may suggest amendments or argue against the proposal before the vote. A reasonable time must be allowed for this debate. The proponent decides the final form in which the proposal is to be voted on and, unless the Judge has been asked to do so, also decides the time to end debate and vote.

112 (immutable)

The state of affairs that constitutes 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 be changed, and rules that establish a winner when play cannot continue may be enacted and (while they are mutable) be amended or repealed.

113 (immutable)

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.

114 (immutable)

There must always be at least one mutable rule. The adoption of rule-changes must never become completely impermissible.

115 (immutable)

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.

116 (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.

150 (immutable)

This game of nomic is played in a hybrid mode, as part of a course at the CUNY Graduate Center. Rule change proposals are submitted as pull requests on GitHub, and voted on in in-person plenary sessions during class time.

151 (immutable)

The plenary sessions shall be organized and run according to Roberts Rules of Order, 12th Edition, except where overruled by rules in the current ruleset. Chair and Secretary of each plenary session shall rotate among the players.

201 (mutable)

Players shall play by submitting pull requests with rule changes on GitHub. All players begin with 0 points.

202 (mutable)

A player scores points computed by taking the GitHub pull request number, adding 10 and multiplying the result by the fraction of favorable votes it received, rounded to the nearest integer.

203 (mutable)

A rule-change is adopted by a simple majority among the eligible voters.

205 (mutable)

An adopted rule-change takes full effect at the moment of the completion of the vote that adopted it.

207 (mutable)

Each player always has exactly one vote.

211 (mutable)

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 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.

212 (mutable)

If players disagree about the legality of a move or the interpretation or application of a rule, then the professor of the course is to be the Judge and decide the question. If the professor is unable or unwilling, the TA shall be the Judge. Disagreement for the purposes of this rule may be created by the insistence of any player. This process is called invoking Judgment.

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.

The Judge’s Judgment may be overruled only by a unanimous vote of the other players taken before the next turn is begun. If a Judge’s Judgment is overruled, then a new Judge is selected in the order TA, player preceding the one moving, remaining players in reverse order of the order of play, except that no player is to be Judge during his or her own turn or during the turn of a team-mate.

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. 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 Roberts Rules of Order, game-custom, and the spirit of the game before applying other standards.

213 (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, then the first player unable to complete a turn is the winner.

This rule takes precedence over every other rule determining the winner.

337 (mutable)

If a game of Fluxx is played in the class, the winner of each game played receives 10 points towards the nomic leaderboard. Players can also wager the points accumulated in the game of Nomic at the beginning of a game of Fluxx. These points are deducted from their total. If they win they receive back double the points they had wagered.

339 (mutable)

Anyone voting in favor of a failed rule change that is not their own will gain 10 points.

340 (mutable)

During the consideration of a rule change, a player can propose a point inversion which causes the points earned to be lost and vice versa only for the rule change on the floor. For the inversion to come into effect, it must be voted on and only requires a majority.

341 (mutable)

Pull requests will be handled as a priority queue. Each player may set priority of a pull request by proposing to spend positive point balances. A player with zero or negative points may not set priority on pull requests. Equal priority pull requests are handled in pull request number order. Point amounts are filed with the chair at the beginning of each meeting and may be revised once, and are deducted once the pull request is open for discussion.

345 (mutable)

A dissenter is someone who votes against a winning rule-change proposal or for a losing rule-change proposal.

If and when rule-changes can be adopted without unanimity, the dissenter shall receive 10 points. If there are two dissenters, they receive 5 points each. If 3 or more dissenters exist, they receive no points.

346 (mutable)

All players with non-negative point balance receive 50 points toward the nomic leaderboard, and all players with negative point balance are set to 50 points, if this rule is passed. This is to facilitate the process of gambling with said points.

348 (mutable)

The winner is the first player to achieve 1000 (positive) points.

353 (mutable)

Participation in a vote is defined as either a Yea vote, a Nay vote, or an outspoken Abstention.

357 (mutable)

This rule left unintentionally blank.

360 (mutable)

When a proposed rule-change is defeated, the player who proposed it loses 10 points.

If a proposed rule-change is defeated and each of the other players present for the vote, besides the player proposing the rule-change, either abstain from voting or vote against the adoption of the rule-change, the player who proposed the rule change will lose 10 points, plus 10 points for each voting nay by the other players.

362 (mutable)

Each pull request relating to rule changes must correspond to a single rule change. Pull requests that do not follow this rule must be amended before consideration and the proposer receives a 20 point penalty.

Players may not manipulate pull request numbers to increase the point value of future pull requests. Players who manipulate pull request numbers receive a 20 point penalty. Manipulation is defined as someone submitting the same pull request repeatedly or submits and withdraws before consideration.

Any pull requests that do not have correct file names or markdown format will result in a 20 point penalty for the proposer.

363 (mutable)

If a player is going to receive a point deduction, they have the right to propose this motion to telling a joke in front of the assembly. This motion is not debateable. After the player finishes telling the joke, other players will vote on whether the joke is funny or not. Players who find the joke funny say “haha~”, while those who don’t find it funny say “E~”.

A majority vote of “haha~” is required to determine if the joke is funny. If the joke is determined to be funny, the point deduction on the player will be void. If the joke is determined not to be funny, the point deduction remains.

If the proposer of this rule sees someone laughing but voting “E~”, they can point out that the specific player’s vote is not truthful. The chair, presumably a designated authority, will determine if the player’s vote is truthful. If the chair determines the vote is truthful, the player’s vote remains the same. If the chair determines the vote is untruthful, the player’s vote will be reversed from “E~” to “haha~”.

Once a player votes “E~” and the result of the vote is recorded, they cannot change their vote, even if they later realize the joke is funny.

365 (mutable)

Set quorum to be at least 3 student members and at least 1 instructor member.

370 (mutable)

Players late to class by more than 15 minutes receive a base point penalty equal to the number of minutes they are late minus 15 to a maximum base penalty of 45 points. Players absent from class will receive a 50 point base penalty. Penalty can be waived if valid excuse is provided to the professor before hand.

Base penalties are multiplied by the number of members already in the class at the time of the late student’s arrival. In the event of absence the base penalty will be multiplied by the number of members in class at the time of Nomic adjournment of that day.

373 (mutable)

For the purposes of this rule, gameplay points are considered separately from penalties for lateness or absence or other reasons.

If a player loses enough gameplay points during the game of Nomic to end up with a negative gameplay point balance at the end of class, that gameplay point balance will be multiplied by -1, giving the player a positive gameplay point balance instead of a negative gameplay point balance. For example, if a player is left with -40 gameplay points at the end of the class meeting, that gameplay point balance is converted to 40 gameplay points.

If the rule passes, all players, except for the player proposing this rule, receives 15 gameplay points. All points on the scoreboard when this rule passes are considered gameplay points.

374 (mutable)

At any time during the game of Nomic, a player may give some or all of their points accumulated so far in the game to another player.

If this rule passes, the player proposing this rule will give half of the points gained from the passage of this rule rounded down to nearest even integer to another player of the rule proposer’s choosing.

379 (mutable)

For the player who wears the crown,
With points highest as of now.
If during this class,
this rule shall pass,
their points are then halved rounded down.