Rules Redraft 2018 Forecast

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Rules Redraft 2018 Forecast

Postby lewiselder1 » Sun Sep 16, 2018 7:49 pm

Hello!

As you may be aware, Moderation is currently drafting new rules for Particracy. The upcoming redraft covers a wide variety of areas and aims to introduce a number of significant changes to current systems while introducing new ones; in addition, a number of minor alterations and clarifications will also be included. In other words, it's a pretty huge set of changes, and will take some time, given our limited amounts of free time to work on this. However we intend to get these new rules out ASAP, and so we have elected to release the rules in three smaller chunks. This ensures that all of the rules can be implemented as soon as possible, and all of the rules can receive the same level of scrutiny in consultations without things getting too confusing.

While the following list is not necessarily accurate, with some concepts being added, removed, changed significantly, delayed or moved forward before release, hopefully this can give you an idea of what we're planning to implement and how:

Release One:

- Behaviour Policy
- Inactivations / Reactivations
- The GRA
- Minor changes regarding the GRC
- GRC Mediation Process
- Mod Powers: Clearer Boundaries
- Appointment Transparency
- Culturally Open Nations
- New Foreword


Release One is expected to be out very shortly, likely within a week to two weeks, expected to be implemented after a short consultation.

One's changes focus mostly on minor adjustments to the game and some of the more immediately necessary changes. This is one of the least significant releases and mostly comprises the areas we feel are near completion at the current point in time and ready for release. They are very unlikely to change.

Release Two:

- RP Laws
- Changes to the GRC
- Cultural Protocols: Basic Changes
- Expanded Transparency Alterations
- Clarifications and Simplifications of Various Former Rules


While Two's changes are less vast, they are more significant. These can be expected fairly soon, but do not be surprised if they are still several weeks, even a month or more away before entering consultations. We need to make sure we get them right. While some of these are as of yet uncertain and may be reviewed, this should still function as a strong rough guide of our thinking. The list is far shorter, but the importance of changes to the GRC and RP Laws are far more significant.

Release Three:

- Political Protocols Style System
- Nation Playstyle Categories
- Improvements for New Players
- Tutorial System
- Possible Cultual Protocol Overhaul
- Third World Nations
- Final Minor Alterations


Release Three is the most vaguely defined, most significant, and least certain set of changes. Our ideas for these areas' changes are still embryonic and will require significant thought, while they are also likely to impact the game massively. Additionally these are the most likely to change vastly before release. Expect these much further down the line. Three will require the longest consultation and may be split into a fourth release if necessary and practical.

Please note that none of this is set in stone -- the lists may change, the timing may change, everything may change. Still, hopefully this gives you an idea of where we are now. We may update this list if anything is added or changed, but don't take it as gospel.

Additionally, while your gut reaction may be of pure joy or, alternatively, pure disgust at some of the more radical ideas here, please be aware that the specifics are as of yet undefined and we are always aiming to reach a good balance that has the interests of all community members at heart. While you may strongly dislike other players' versions of, say, political protocols, you may find our ideas far more attractive. Plus, you can always have your say in the consultation, where many of our ideas will likely change and develop further with the full viewpoint. In other words, don't jump to conclusions at this point -- these are very vague titles for many embryonic ideas, so please don't be immediately reviled or overjoyed if you see something you feel strongly about and reserve judgement for now!

Finally, if you have anything else you'd like to see us discuss regarding the redraft, please give us a heads up and we'll add it to our internal to-do list (though there's no guarantees it'll end up in the final release).

Thanks!
I go by Ashley now and use she/her pronouns. This is a really old account, I don’t play now.

I was a mod in classic for a bit, then I helped make Marcapada and WM there for a while. As of 2020 I’m co-ordinating Pachapay’s development.
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Re: Rules Redraft 2018 Forecast

Postby Aquinas » Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:07 am

Okay, so I've been thinking about this for a little while, wondering how best to respond - hopefully without being seen to have made too much of a nuisance of myself :).

Whilst obviously I do not have the full details in front of me, I am instinctively uneasy at the mention of "Political Protocols" and "Nation Playstyle Categories". My concern is this will further complicate the game, further estrange gameplay from its basic game mechanics, and not take sufficient account of the reality that every nation is in a fluid state of flux in the sense that at any moment, a party can leave, a new party can join or an old party can reactivate.

As some of us will recall, in Jelbania we recently had an unprecedented situation where a player was obliged by Moderation to acknowledge most of his nation was occupied and controlled by other countries, despite the fact he was the only player in that nation and despite the fact he vociferously objected to that RP and experienced it as unfairly intrusive and limiting. For my own part, whilst I have no doubt the Moderators and players involved were acting in good faith, I felt strongly that this was an example of pushing RP too far and without due consideration to those who would be impacted by it. I find it difficult to imagine these proposed "Political Protocols" and "Nation Playstyle Categories" would not push further in the same direction.

If it really is felt there is a need to regulate the character of nations more, then my suggestion would be that instead of going down the route of "Political Protocols", Moderation should focus instead on more fully enforcing the existing system of Cultural Protocols. At least from my perspective, there has been some surprising laxity in this regard lately, for example with rulings relating to extremely odd and scarcely RPd religious situations in Dorvik and Badara.

If "Political Protocols" is the item I would rather see taken off the agenda, the one I would like to put on the agenda in its place is the whole topic of the Third World Nations. The development of this area of the game, with players being able to directly RP the ex-colonies, is one of the most exciting innovations we have had in recent years, and it presents us with a lot of opportunities - not all of which have been fully tapped yet. I would like to see us go further in terms of developing Third World Nation RP, and I have some ideas about how the current oversight could be improved. In my view, some of the regulation and some of the RP which "Political Protocols" are designed to facilitate is probably much, much more suited to the Third World Nations, where individual players have full RP control over the nation and do not have to worry about elections and shifting coalitions.

This is not to suggest Third World Nations are better for RP than in-game nations, BTW, just that they are different, and that there are some things we can do with Third World Nations which we would be wise to be much more realistic and cautious about doing with in-game nations, where players are regularly entering, leaving and returning.

BTW I am willing to offer my services in this area (re: the Third World), if Moderation/GRC thinks there could be a role for me in that, so please don't think I'm one of those people who asks for things to be done but isn't willing to help to achieve them :).
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Re: Rules Redraft 2018 Forecast

Postby lewiselder1 » Sat Oct 06, 2018 1:46 pm

Hey!

I appreciate your thoughts on this Aquinas, and would be glad to detail our ideas on specifics elsewhere but don’t wish to clog this forum up with debate if possible!

For a similar reason, I’d like to ask that in general we wait for the consultation, with specifics in front of us, to make judgements and conclusions.

What specifics we do have are very liable to change drastically especially for the third and to a lesser extent second releases. However, what I will say is this: our Political Protocols are not expected to be as severe as some others had proposed and, in conjunction with the Nation Playstyle Categories, not even applied in all parts of the game. The point of the third release is to accommodate all of the different playstyles in the game without causing the tension and issues that arises out of having a very loose melting pot of different versions of PT all competing for attention in the same places.

In other words, players who prefer a more casual environment might go to one nation, while players who prefer strict political and cultural protocols and hardcore RP will be able to go to a different nation. Of course, these will be broad churches, and there will be probably some system by which to change the category of a nation based on changing circumstances. With these systems in place, alongside the revised RP law rules, I find it doubtful a situation like that seen in Jelbania could ever arise in this new system, because Jelbania would either be a casual, game-mechanic focused nation, or a hardcore nation, or somewhere in between (probably most nations will fall into this third category). It is, yes, a very big and radical change, and will probably require work and revisions, but I think that if PT Classic is not merely to survive but to continue to thrive after the new game releases such a significant change is necessary.

As I said, we’ll be releasing specifics much later down the line and having a long public consultation on the third release where we can discuss and debate the system in more detail, but I wouldn’t judge the specifics until we reach that point — these handfuls of titles only give a rough idea of our to-do list, and the final rules will probably only slightly reflect your own or our own interpretations of them at this point in time.

I added Third World Nations to the third release also (we may bump it up).
I go by Ashley now and use she/her pronouns. This is a really old account, I don’t play now.

I was a mod in classic for a bit, then I helped make Marcapada and WM there for a while. As of 2020 I’m co-ordinating Pachapay’s development.
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Re: Rules Redraft 2018 Forecast

Postby cm9777 » Sat Oct 13, 2018 11:56 am

Unfortunately, due to the resignation of Lewis amongst other reasons, we may be delayed somewhat in putting these out to the public. We would still like to obviously get it all done promptly though and will do our best to ensure it happens. The content of the changes will remain unchanged at this stage.
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Re: Rules Redraft 2018 Forecast

Postby Rogue » Fri Dec 14, 2018 8:23 am

Hi everyone!

While you havent heard from us in a while regarding the Redraft we have recently resumed working on it after me and Luis learned the basics of being a moderator.
Currently we are right on schedule on finishing release one of the redraft as outlined by Lewis before.

Release One:

- Behaviour Policy
- Inactivations / Reactivations
- The GRA
- Minor changes regarding the GRC
- GRC Mediation Process
- Mod Powers: Clearer Boundaries
- Appointment Transparency
- Culturally Open Nations
- New Foreword


According to our estimations release one will be ready within a week and if it is it will be put up for a consultation period of approximately 2 weeks in which we can revise Release One and hear all your opinions on it.
If you have any questions beforehand feel free to ask them.

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