Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Proposal: Storytime

Self-kill Veto.—75th Trombone

Adminned at 14 Dec 2005 00:41:51 UTC

Create a new rule called “Narrative” reading as follows:

=== Narrative ===

This rule has a subsection called “Threads.” Each subsection of Threads contains a single Thread.

* A ‘‘Thread’’ is a collection of Prompts, Commands, and Results.  Threads may be created by direct Proposal or as dictated by a Rule or Rules.
* A ‘‘Prompt’’ consists of a right angle bracket ‘>’, followed by a space.
* A ‘‘Command’’ consists of a string of text not exceeding one paragraph.  A Command always immediately follows a Prompt.
* A ‘‘Result’’ consists of any amount of text.  A Result is always preceded by a Command.  A Result always ends with a blank line.  A Result is always followed by a Prompt.

Each Protagonist may ‘’‘often’‘’ add AND/OR ‘’‘occasionally’‘’ delete:

* up to two Commands, OR
* up to two Results (along with the following Prompts), OR
* one Command and its following Result.

Neither Commands, nor Results, nor Prompts may have any effect on the gamestate other than their own existence, unless a Rule allows it.

When a Protagonist adds a Command or Result, the text e adds may be arbitrary, unless a Rule dictates otherwise.

If a change to a Thread would make any part of it break the conditions in this Rule, that change may not be made under any circumstances.  This paragraph takes precedence over any other Rule.

==== Threads ====

The rendered version of the wiki markup is available here.

posted by Seventy-Fifth Trombone at 14 Dec 2005 04:08:50 UTC Comments (15)

Comments

The Lone Amigo:

14-12-2005 04:38:07 UTC

for

The Lone Amigo:

14-12-2005 04:41:59 UTC

Wait…
* one Command and its following Result.

doesn’t seem to allow you to add the prompt after that result.

Seventy-Fifth Trombone:

14-12-2005 04:47:51 UTC

CRAP.  I merged the add/delete conditions into one paragraph, and that’s what happened.

My original intention was that adding a Result added the Prompt automatically because of the conditions; maybe it can still be interpreted that way.

I’ve already Proposed twice, so I can’t fix it.  If someone wants to fix this with a new Proposal, feel free.

In the meantime, I don’t think this problem is worth failing the Proposal; it restricts what may be done until it’s fixed, but it doesn’t break anything.

Salamander:

14-12-2005 05:05:10 UTC

for

Saurik:

14-12-2005 06:15:03 UTC

Is there some sort of delimeter between Commands and Results? Results have to end in a blank line, but what about Commands?

Seventy-Fifth Trombone:

14-12-2005 06:24:26 UTC

Man, I suck.  I had a paragraph that said Results started on new lines, but THAT got nuked in my rearrangements too.

Well, I won’t CFJ Results that start on new lines if no one else does.

Saurik:

14-12-2005 07:23:55 UTC

It is indicated that Threads are created by direct Proposal, but (and I think this is mostly a question from my having just started playing) how about modifying Threads? The text indicates that Protagonists can add and delete parts of a Thread, but that has to be done as a Proposal as it modifies the Ruleset, no? If not, is it just a matter of modifying the wiki page? Is there a reason that that was explicitely specified?

Saurik:

14-12-2005 07:30:19 UTC

Results are any text string that ends with a blank line. I should then be able to add the following result:

result\n
\n
> result?\n
result\n
\n

At which point it would be impossible to determine whether the ‘> ’ is a new Prompt or a subset of my added Result. Am I missing something? (And once again: am I being too specific?)

Also, would it be generally frowned upon for me to type up a somewhat more formally specified version of this proposal and submit it as a Proposal: Storyline or Plot or something with a “If proposal “Storytime” does not pass,” tag on it?

Cayvie:

14-12-2005 07:56:27 UTC

against  i think it needs to be cleaned up :/

Saurik:

14-12-2005 07:57:32 UTC

(Ok, in case I was being a bit difficult to understand in my last comment: I mean for that example result to be a single result, which is allowed under the “any amount of text” wording, which doesn’t seem to disallow embedded newlines or right brackets at the beginning of lines. This would allow me to add a single Result that looked like a Result/Prompt/Command/Result.)

Cayvie:

14-12-2005 08:07:05 UTC

also i think commands should be limited to two or three words at max.

Cayvie:

14-12-2005 08:08:54 UTC

and don’t put often and occasionally in quotes >:o

and make me pizza while i’m complaining lots

Quazie:

14-12-2005 08:21:24 UTC

its a bit messy… not sure how i feal, and diferential won’t cut it for me at the moment… hmm..

Moonwryn:

14-12-2005 08:28:24 UTC

against

Seventy-Fifth Trombone:

14-12-2005 08:41:07 UTC

Saurik,

You’re being as specific as I wanted to be when I got here, so you won’t get any jabs from my direction.  :)

that has to be done as a Proposal as it modifies the Ruleset, no?

No.  Law 1.1 says “The Ruleset and Gamestate can only be changed when the Ruleset specifically permits their being changed.”  Proposals are one mechanic enabling Ruleset change.  This Proposal would create another.  :)  If we Enacted a Ruleset-change mechanic that completely hosed the game, we’d deserve what we got.

Regarding your Result-posing-as-Prompt loophole, you’re quite right.  My definition of Prompt almost—but not quite—makes your hack illegal, by almost defining ‘> ’ as always a Prompt. 

Regarding rewriting Proposals, that’s absolutely fine, as we discarded rewards for Enacted Proposals long ago.  :) 

However, I think I’ll rewrite this myself right now.

My first Initial Mechanic, a failure.  Ah well, live and learn…

vetowned