Welcome to BlogNomic, a self-modifying game where changing the rules is a move. Players make blog posts proposing alterations to the ruleset, discussing and casting votes in the comments: if enough vote in favour, the rules are changed and play continues.

The game has been running since 2003 and resets every month or so. Have a look around the wiki for more information and history, or join our Discord. New players are always welcome to join the game at any time.

Friday, June 20, 2025

Proposal: Let’s get creative

If proposal named “Word Play” fails, the rest of this proposal ignored.

Otherwise,

Add a subrule to rule “Scoring” and denote that subrule as “Words in Words” with add the following description to that subrule:

If the abbreviated letters in Acronym chronologically (in order of placement make a 3[or more] Letter word denoted in EFF Wordlist(https://wiki.blognomic.com/index.php?title=EFF_Wordlist), then the Wordsmith who made the Acronym scores 10 points.

Call for Judgment: Tedious exactitude

If Call for Judgment: City Sedated was not enacted, enact it.

Uphold that the dynastic reset action for this dynasty was completed at at 19 Jun 2025 17:14:00 UTC, and that all subsequent actions whose legality relies on the dynastic reset having been completed at that time were not undertaken illegally due to the dynastic reset not having been completed.

Call for Judgment: City Sedated

Set the synonym for Player to “Wordsmith” and the synonym for Emperor to “Puzzler”.

Treat the Dynastic Reset performed by JonathanDark on 19/06/25 as having been successfully performed

Seems like JD accidentally didn’t update the player terms. Not sure if this means the Dynastic Reset was never successfully performed (so we never technically left Interregnum), or it was successfully performed and “City” and “Capitol” are still technically the “right” terms. Or maybe this CfJ is entirely unnecessary and someone can just go and change it. But I’d rather properly button everything up.

Proposal: Back At It Again

Add the following to “Acronym”

If there are no open Backronyms and either a) it has been at least 96 hours since the last time Acrogenerate was performed or b) every Wordsmith has posted a Backronym since the last since the last time Acrogenerate was performed, then the Puzzler may Acrogenerate

Proposal: Copper No Copying

Add a subrule to “Backronym” called “The Word Bank” with the following text

The Word Bank is a publicly tracked, alphabetically sorted list of words.

A Wordsmith may not post a Backronym if the title contains any words currently found in The Word Bank.

When a Wordsmith posts a Backronym, all words in that posts Title are added to The Word Bank

Add the following step to the end of the Acrogenerate Atomic Action

Clear the Word Bank

Proposal: Buzz Words

If proposal named “Word Play” fails, the rest of this proposal ignored.

Otherwise,

Add a subrule to rule “Scoring” and denote that subrule as “Buzzwords” with add the following description to that subrule:

Buzzwords are special words that reward additional Points to the Wordsmith who uses them in their Acronym. The following table denotes the list of Buzzwords and their reward.

Friday, June 20, 2025

Proposal: Even Cooler Acronyms

Add a subrule to the rule “Acronym” called “Acroname”, with the following text:

There is a publicly tracked Acroname, which is either empty or a flavor text string of two to thirty alphabetical letters, defaulting to empty.

Acrospecify is an atomic action with the following steps:
* Choose whether to use an English word from the [[EFF Wordlist]], or the name of a currently active Worsmith.
* If the first option is chosen, set the Acroname to a publicly randomly chosen word from the [[EFF Wordlist]].
* If the second option is chosen, publicly randomly select a currently active Wordsmith and set the Acroname to that Wordsmith’s name, with any characters other than alphabetical letters removed.


If the Acroname is empty, the Puzzler may Acrospecify.

We can set up a way to make Backronyms for the Acroname later- I simply wanted to set up the potential for word-based acronyms as well as randomly generated ones, since the Ascension Address uses DRAGON as an example. The reason for the Acroname being up to 30 letters is because that seems to be the character limit for Wordsmith names.

Proposal: Mary Sue

Add the following to the end of the rule Backronym:

Whenever an Acronym contains the letter that is the first letter of their own name, a Wordsmith must use their own name for at least one instance of that letter in any Backronym they make in response to it; in that circumstance only, the Wordsmith’s name is considered to be a valid word to include in a Backronym title for the purposes of this rule..

Proposal: Word Play

Add a rule named “Backronym” with the following text:

A Backronym is a blog post with the Story Post category in which the only words in the title of that post are English words that can be found in a dictionary search at https://www.merriam-webster.com/, and where the letter that begins each word in that title must match a letter in the Acronym where the position of the word in the title is the same as the position of the matching letter in the Acronym, e.g. the beginning letter of the first word must match the first letter in the Acronym, the beginning letter of the second word must match the second letter in the Acronym, and so on. A Backronym’s title must have the same number of words as there are letters in the Acronym. The body of a Backronym may contain any flavor text of the author’s choosing. For the purposes of this rule, the title of a Backronym is the text that its author wrote and does not include autogenerated text by the blog software.

If they have not done so since the last time Acrogenerate was performed, a Wordsmith may post a Backronym. A Backronym is either Open or Closed and defaults to Open.

In the rule “Backronym” add a subrule named “Scoring” with the following text:

Each Wordsmith has a publicly tracked number named Points that defaults to 0.

A Scoring is a comment on a Backronym with a single instance of the text “Score X”, where X is a number between 1 and 5 inclusive, along with any flavor text. Any Wordsmith may make a Scoring on a Backronym as long as all of the following are true:
* That Wordsmith did not author that Backronym
* That Backronym was posted less than 48 hours ago
* That Backronym is not Closed

Wordsmiths may make multiple Scorings on a Backronym, but only the most recent will be considered as that Wordsmith’s Scoring on that Backronym. Wordsmiths are strongly encouraged to include the reasons why they chose the number that they did in their Scoring.

If a Backronym is Open and was posted at least 48 hours ago, the Puzzler should perform a Resolving on that Backronym. A Resolving is an atomic action with the following steps:
* Post a comment to that Backronym with the text “This is closed”
* For each Wordsmith that posted a Scoring to that Backronym, select the most recent such Scoring by that Wordsmith and record the number X in “Score X” of that Scoring
* Calculate the median value among all of the recorded numbers of that Backronym, rounded down to the nearest integer, and add the result to the Points of the author of that Backronym

Once the Puzzler has performed a Resolving on a Backronym, that Backronym is Closed.

This may seem like a complete game, and it is if that’s all you want out of it, but there are avenues of expansion such as: more scoring criteria than just the one, backronyms on specific topics, hidden agenda scoring, rounds with specific acronym sizes, a different way to choose acronym letters. Get creative!

Proposal: What Does It Stand For?

Add a rule named “Acronym” with the following text:

There is a publicly tracked Acronym, which is either empty or a flavor text string of three to seven alphabetical letters, defaulting to empty.

Acrogenerate is an atomic action with the following steps:
* Publicly randomly choose a Size, which is a number from 3-7 inclusive
* Select that Size amount of alphabetical letters by publicly randomly selecting each one using the DICE roll and table described on the [[Starting Letter Frequency]] wiki page
* Set the Acronym to the selected alphabetical letters in the order in which they were selected

The Puzzler may Acrogenerate if the Acronym is empty.

Ascension Address: Cool Acronym Bro

Edgar looked at the memo that was put on his desk. “The D.R.A.G.O.N. team has requested that you submit your TPS reports…” DRAGON? Everyone in the business was so fascinated with acronyms that he suspected that they created a cool-sounding acronym first and then tried to justify it later by coming up with words to fit it. What could DRAGON mean? Department Reducing All Grime Over Night? Who knew what “they” would come up with to justify the name? Edgar pondered it for a while. At least it was more interesting to think about than filling out stupid TPS reports.

The dynasty’s theme shall be “Backronyms”.

Repeal all dynastic rules.

Set the synonym for Player to “Wordsmith” and the synonym for Emperor to “Puzzler”.

Change the gamestate tracking page to “Acronymbus”.

Include the following Building Blocks: “Precondition Unidling”, “Revisions Allowed”, “No Private Communication”

Imperial Styles: Gardener, Protective, Powerhouse, Scam-Neutral, Servile, Methodical.

Inspired by an old online game called Acrophobia. An acronym is presented and you suggest the words that would form that acronym, scoring points from your fellow players based on how well you did. Hopefully light and fun enough for summer.

Captain’s Log

Discussion of the Containers dynasty here

Declaration of Victory: The Capital’s Chosen One

FOR vote from every City, 6-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 19 Jun 2025 16:59:34 UTC

Per the enactment of A Thick Fog Rolls In and Josh’s roll in the Dice Roller when he enacted it that selected me, I have achieved victory.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Call for Judgment: Sound the All Clear

Popular, 5-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 19 Jun 2025 12:06:56 UTC

Repeal the rule “One Blog for All”

If we go through a DoV and Interregnum, the dynastic rules in place might not allow us to announce or otherwise talk about a new dynasty on Discord, since it could be considered dynastic gameplay. While we could just wait for the AA, if we’re ending the dynasty, there’s really little point in keeping dynastic conversation to specific blog posts.

Destination Unknown

Phosphatidylinositol has been idled due to not posting a comment or post in the past 168 hours. Quorum remains unchanged at 4.

Proposal: A Thick Fog Rolls In

Reached quorum and enacted, 4-0. Josh

Adminned at 19 Jun 2025 07:38:46 UTC

Randomly select one of DoomedIdeas and JonathanDark. That City has achieved Victory.

There’s a variety of reasons why this dynasty isn’t hitting, I think; a relatively composed and complicated ruleset from the outset, me having been off sick a bit. But the biggest is just: it’s summer, and BN always has a summer slowdown. I’ve been thinking about how to retool this dynasty for summer vibes but I think what’s actually needed is for a much simpler game to be on the table, so I’m inclined to take the imperial L and pivot, asking a new Emperor to come up with something lightweight and breezy that people can play in the sun.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Telegram Office: 17 June 3225

A mist rolls over the sea as the radio operators watch the instruments at their posts, waiting for important messages to relay.

Monday, June 16, 2025

Proposal: Speedboat

Popular, 4-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 17 Jun 2025 15:02:10 UTC

Replace the text

a publicly randomly selected minute between two and five days after the time at which that Timed Action was initiated (such as through the use of DICE4320 + 2880 in the roller).

in the subrule “Routes” with the text

a publicly randomly selected minute between one and three days after the time at which that Timed Action was initiated (such as through the use of DICE2880 + 1440 in the roller).

In the subrule “Types”, replace the description of the Speed Type with the following:

When Setting Sail with a Boat of this Type, a City may choose to randomly generate the Arrival Time of this Boat as though the phrase “between one and three days” in the subrule “Routes” was replaced with the phrase “between one and two days”.

To speed up the game, and hopefully draw more interest.

Proposal: Quicktime

Popular, 4-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 17 Jun 2025 15:00:29 UTC

In the rule “Timed Actions”, replace the phrase “Each individual City may only have 3 incomplete Timed Actions active at once” with the phrase “Each individual City may only have 5 incomplete Timed Actions active at once”.

To speed up the game, and hopefully draw more interest from players.

Looking for Phosphatidylinositol

Phosphatidylinositol, are you still around and intending to participate?

Proposal: Changing Course

Popular, 4-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 17 Jun 2025 14:05:09 UTC

In the rule “Timed Actions”, add the following paragraph:

If resolving a Timed Action would cause an illegal change to gamestate, the Timed Action must instead be left unresolved until its resolution would not cause an illegal change to gamestate. If it is on or past the time at which a Timed Action should be resolved, but that Timed Action cannot be resolved due to the resolution causing an illegal change to gamestate, the City who initiated that Timed Action may choose to revert that Timed Action and all of the gamestate changes that were made to initiate that Timed Action, with the exception that all gamestate values that were spent to initiate that Timed Action must remain spent for initiating that Timed Action.

Per an idea that Dooomed suggested, a way for a City to nullify a Timed Action if it’s clear that it can’t be resolved any time soon. The resources paid to initiate it are still paid, but any other part of the Timed Action can be reverted.

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Proposal: Use It or Lose It

Withdrawn. Failed by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 16 Jun 2025 13:51:55 UTC

In the rule “Timed Actions”, after the text “A Timed Action may not require a decision or choice be made at the time of its resolution.” add the following text:

If resolving a Timed Action would cause an illegal change to gamestate, the Timed Action is instead resolved by no changes to gamestate other than the Timed Action being considered resolved and completed, unless otherwise explicitly specified in the rules for that Timed Action.

Several of us have queued up Timed Actions to add Praxis to our Warehouses, which are already full. Rather than just leaving those Timed Action pending, they should simply be resolved with no effects to clear out the queue.

Telegram Office: 14 June 3225

The marbled back offices are heavy with quiet purpose.

Proposal: Direction without purpose

Timed out, 3-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 16 Jun 2025 13:37:09 UTC

Enact Proposal: Special Economic Zone, then remove the last paragrah from the rule Treasure Fleet.

Story Post: Harbourmaster’s Report: 14 June 25

The DaveKat, registered to DoomedIdeas, is due to make port in its home City today after a voyage to Darknight.

The Praxis farms of lendunistus, JonathanDark and DoomedIdeas are all set to produce.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Shipwrecked

I’ve started a summer class that’s turned out to be pretty intensive, much more so than I expected. I’m idling for the time being just for sake of sanity preservation.

Quorum drops to 4.

Proposal: Standard Format

Timed out, 3-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 16 Jun 2025 13:35:18 UTC

In the Tenet Syntax for Production Line, as well as in each City’s Culture, replace each instance of the phrase “every 3 days” with the text “concluding 2 days after it was initiated”.

If a quorum of EVCs on this proposal include the word “slow”, instead replace each instance of the phrase “every 3 days” in the Ruleset and each City’s Culture with the text “concluding 3 days after it was initiated”.

“Every 3 days” doesn’t fit with the format of the rest of the Tenet Syntaxes, so I recommend we change it. I also think it might help with player interest if we speed up the game a little, but if the rest of the playerbase doesn’t agree, we can keep it at 3 days using “slow”.

Proposal: Left to Rot

Timed out, 2-0. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 16 Jun 2025 13:29:25 UTC

In the rule “Culture and Tenets”, add the following Tenet Syntaxes to the table:

-
| Expiration Date || ‘As a Timed Action, every 2 days, remove two {x} from your first available Warehouse that contains the maximum Resources for that Warehouse type {y}’ || 2 || For 0 additional Praxis, {x} is the text “publicly randomly selected Resources”, and {y} is blank. For 3 additional Praxis, {x} is a Resource other than Praxis, and {y} is the text “and add 1 Praxis to that same Warehouse”

Add the Expiration Date tenet to the Capital’s Culture with {x} and {y} set as if 0 additional Praxis was spent when adding this Tenet.

A alternative idea to make room in your Warehouses. You can either use the Capital’s tenet to remove random Resources for no gain, or spent some Praxis to be able to convert specific Resources to Praxis.

Proposal: A Leg Up

Withdrawn. Failed by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 14 Jun 2025 19:04:34 UTC

Add the following Tenet to the Culture of the City known as Phosphatidylinositol:

As a Timed Action, every 3 days, remove two Coal and one Waste from your first available Warehouse and add one instance of Machinery to your first available Warehouse.

 

Chosen based on Phosphatidylinositol’s current Resources and Specialization. Should allow for some storage-clearing and a leg up after joining later in the Dynasty.

Proposal: Unanimous Fast DoVs [Core]

Popular, 5-1 with 1 DEF and Capital voting FOR. Enacted by JonathanDark.

Adminned at 14 Jun 2025 13:35:46 UTC

In “Victory and Ascension”, replace the following bullet point:-

* It has a number of FOR Votes greater than 2/3rds of the number of Cities, it has been open for at least 12 hours, and either the Capital has Voted FOR it or it has no AGAINST Votes.

with:-

* It has a FOR Vote from every City

A recusant proposal.

It seems a bit of a mismatch that we’ve slowed proposal enactment from 12 to 24 hours, giving more players a chance to contribute and to potentially turn the voting around on big issues, but a DoV (the biggest issue of all!) can still pass after 12 hours with some players yet to speak.

Looking over the last ten victories, this bullet fired nine times: seven of those DoVs were unanimous after 12 hours, and two were enacted after 12 hours with some players (in one case a single player, in another three) yet to comment on it. So setting the bar at “unanimity” for a quick DoV seems doable.