Cycle 15/Getting Started

Nomic is a game of changing the rules, and can become political, and can sometimes require a close reading of the text. However, oftentimes, there's just a regular old game going on too! We want to make it as easy as possible for you to play with us, so let us know if you have any questions or suggestions!

This Getting Started page is Informal, and doesn't describe the rules exactly, and may even be out of date, due to the nature of Nomic. Last updated: February 8th, 2024.

To check whether it is out of date, just ask for it to be updated! Nomic cannot be played alone, don't be afraid to engage with us. There's no rules allowing us to bite you right now, so we don't bite! :)

The precise rules can be found [here]. By no means do you have to read most of it; instead, just start playing first!

Quickstart

1. Post "I become a player" in #game-actions.
2. Each week, post "....roll 2d6" in #game-actions to use the dice roller and move that many spaces. (note: this step may become out of date based on the nature of nomic, but don't worry, we'll let you know! :) )

Joining the Game

Joining the game is simple, and recommended even if you don't know what you are doing! In the #game-actions channel, post "I become a player" or anything similar to the sort. You can specify a name for yourself, and you can add in whatever flavor or context of how you enter the game as well.

For specifics on becoming a player, that is contained in the rule "Players".

Time Expectations

The game itself started on date, and informally, we try to make it end after around 3 months, so around [date]. As a player, generally expect to check in around twice a week, to do the actual Gameplay part.

For specifics on how the game ends, see the rule "Winning".

For specifics on time periods, see the rule "Time".

Gameplay

Unfortunately, gameplay is really only defined by the rules. However, currently we are playing something like Mario Party, where once a week, players roll dice to move around the board, and collect crystals to win.

For specifics, you can simply ask, otherwise, you'll have to find the right rules, or you could try to copy what everyone else is doing.

At the time of writing, the rule "Movement" was the main rule defining actual gameplay.

(Also, after you do your weekly or twice-weekly thing, you don't have to update the gamestate [link], someone else will do it for you, but of course, you're welcome to do it! Generally, if things that happen in the discord are recorded in the gamestate, the message that caused that change is marked with a :greencheckmark:.)

Modifying the Game

This section, and the next section, can be safely skipped to play the game in Nomic that's going on.

Modifying the game is usually a mostly-democratic process: players propose ideas and ways the game could change, by modifying or adding the specific rules. Other players, including you, are welcome to vote on those changes, using your :+1: and :-1: reactions to the proposal. Usually, if it is well liked/popular, the game then changes after the time for voting is up.

Modifications to the game can happen to any part of the game: this includes how to join the game, the timeframe the game occurs in, the gameplay itself, and conflict resolution. Modifications can even occur to how the game is modified! This is usually to change the process from a democratic process to an oligarchic or dictatorish one, or vice versa.

For specifics on modifying the game, see the rule "Proposals".

Conflict Resolution

This section comes up extremely infrequently: maybe one to four times during the whole 3 month period.

Sometimes, there's a conflict, ambiguity, or paradox between rules that cannot be resolved, and 2 players are in disagreement as to what occurs. A judge intervenes, and declares, unambiguously, what really happens, and the reason for that, and players vote upon that declaration (again with :+1: and :-1:), and if it is popular, that is what happens.

For specifics on judgement and becoming a judge, see the rule "Judges".