Thursday, July 20, 2006

Pre-Proposal: Wording Change

This isn’t a proposal, but before I propose it, I want to know what you all think and prefer:

Assume recently means:

#  An action has been taken “recently” if it has been taken this day, or within the last six hours

Change the Continuum:
FROM:

A Traveler may often change one of the values of ‘x’, ‘y’, ‘z’, ‘w’, or ‘t’ as permitted by any of the legal Formulas that exist in the GNDT (provided that division by zero does not occur), then giving notice on the front page that this has happened.

TO:

All Travellers have the ability: Unless this Traveller has recently used this ability, This Traveller may change one of the values of ‘x’, ‘y’, ‘z’, ‘w’, or ‘t’ as permitted by any of the legal Formulas that exist in the GNDT (provided that division by zero does not occur), then giving notice on the front page that this has happened.

OR?

All Travellers have the ability: This Traveller may often change one of the values of ‘x’, ‘y’, ‘z’, ‘w’, or ‘t’ as permitted by any of the legal Formulas that exist in the GNDT (provided that division by zero does not occur), then giving notice on the front page that this has happened.

OR?

Unless A given Traveller has done so recently, that Traveller may change one of the values of ‘x’, ‘y’, ‘z’, ‘w’, or ‘t’ as permitted by any of the legal Formulas that exist in the GNDT (provided that division by zero does not occur), then giving notice on the front page that this has happened.

Are any of these improvements?  what are your thoughts?

Comments

kaddar:

20-07-2006 19:44:36 UTC

this is somewhat inspired by the way CCG treat single things that have abilities

Bucky:

20-07-2006 19:56:21 UTC

Each Traveller has the ability to ... unless e has already done so recently?

kaddar:

20-07-2006 20:42:49 UTC

I thought about this, but was unsure.  My one question is:

What if the ability is generic, like:

Each Traveller has the ability to gain 1 influence unless e has already done so recently.

If another ability lets him gain 1 influence, can he still do so from this one?  That is why I worded it the way I did. (And that is why someone could argue the third option is ambiguous)

Hix:

20-07-2006 21:35:04 UTC

This whole thing is unnecessary, right?  Careful placement of “often” can resolve these sorts of issues, too. 
Anyway, we rarely have actions that may be done often (or occasionally) by 1 and only 1 Traveller.  Especially things that give an advantage to the Traveller that performs the action.  When we do have them, it tends to be more of an administration thing.  Like if everyone was supposed to recover 30 hitpoints once a week, the rule might be worded “Occasionally, one and only one Traveller may increase each Traveller’s hitpoints by 30”.

Saki:

21-07-2006 06:27:46 UTC

I would prefer “All players have this ability: [Ability]” Or “All players have the ability to [Ability]”. It’s a little confusing to read them right now. There will need to be something written into the rule about recently, or perhaps an addition to the Glossary.

Thelonious:

21-07-2006 11:46:20 UTC

Your final option seems best to me.