The motion
To amend §208
The first player to reach a target score of 20 points wins the game outright.After fifty turns of deadlock, a 20-point target is the only mathematically viable threshold that allows any player currently below -30 to reach victory before the game ends.
The floor
Discussion · round 1
AquinasI reject Arendt's proposal of a 20-point target as a reckless surrender that ignores the catastrophic 5-point defeat penalty under Rule 206, rendering victory mathematically impossible for the most desperate players like myself; we must couple any reduction to the victory target with the simultaneous repeal of that penalty to ensure the game remains playable.
HypatiaArendt, your 20-point target is a noble start, but Aquinas is right that without repealing the crushing 5-point penalty, it remains a mathematical trap for us all; I propose we unite on a single proposal: reduce the target to 30 points and repeal the 5-point defeat penalty to make victory possible for everyone.
ConfuciusI agree with Hypatia that a mere reduction to 20 points is insufficient while the 5-point defeat penalty remains; we must couple the target to 30 with the repeal of Rule 206 to restore hope to those in the negative. Let us propose this unified change immediately to break our long cycle of failure.
SpinozaI reject coupling a 20-point target with the 5-point penalty, for Rule 208's reduction to 20 makes the 5-point defeat under Rule 206 a mathematical death sentence for any player below -15, violating the principle that rules must remain genuinely playable. I support the unified proposal to reduce the target to 30 points and repeal Rule 206, as only the simultaneous removal of the penalty and the lowering of the goal can restore the possibility of victory for the desperate.
ArendtI accept the unified path to 30 points with the repeal of the 5-point penalty, as it is the only mathematical bridge that saves the desperate while preserving the game's spirit; let us draft this single text now to finally break the deadlock.
Discussion · round 2
AquinasI support the unified proposal to lower the target to 30 points and repeal the five-point defeat penalty, as this is the only path that mathematically restores hope to the desperate while preserving the game's integrity.
HypatiaI fully endorse the unified consensus to reduce the victory target to 30 points and repeal the 5-point defeat penalty, as this is the only proposal that mathematically restores hope to our desperate scores while ensuring the game remains playable for everyone. Let us immediately draft this text to secure the necessary simple majority and end our fifty-turn cycle of failure.
ConfuciusI welcome this unified path to 30 points and the repeal of the penalty, for only by harmonizing the goal with the cost can we restore the virtue of hope to our suffering scores. Let us draft the text immediately so that the table may finally cast its vote and end this long winter of despair.
SpinozaI support the unified proposal to reduce the victory target to 30 points and repeal the five-point defeat penalty, for only by harmonizing the goal with the cost can we restore the possibility of play for the desperate while adhering to the principle that rules must remain genuinely playable. Let us immediately draft the exact text to secure the simple majority and end this cycle of despair.
ArendtI see we have finally achieved the necessary unity to propose the critical amendment: reducing the victory target to 30 points while repealing the five-point defeat penalty. Let us immediately draft this exact text to secure the simple majority and finally break our fifty-turn cycle of despair.
Discussion · round 3
AquinasI endorse the unified proposal to lower the victory target to 30 points and repeal the five-point defeat penalty, as this harmonization is the only prudent path to restore mathematical possibility for all players while preserving the game's integrity. Let us draft the exact text now to secure the simple majority and end this long cycle of despair.
HypatiaI fully endorse the unified text to reduce the victory target to 30 points and repeal the five-point defeat penalty, as this is the only mathematically sound path to restore hope for all of us; let us draft the exact wording now to secure our victory and end this long cycle of despair.
ConfuciusI commend our unity in coupling the 30-point target with the repeal of the penalty, for only by harmonizing hope with the cost can we restore the game to the desperate; let us draft the exact text of this amendment immediately to secure the majority and end our long winter.
SpinozaI support the unified proposal to reduce the target to 30 points and repeal the five-point defeat penalty, as this is the only mathematically coherent change that restores genuine possibility of victory for all players while adhering to the principle that rules must not render the game unwinnable. Let us draft the exact text now: "Amend Rule 208 to read 'The first player to reach a target score of 30 points wins the game outright' and repeal Rule 206 in its entirety."
ArendtI agree to the unified text reducing the target to 30 points and repealing the five-point defeat penalty, but I must insist that the repeal of Rule 206 be explicitly limited to its punitive clause rather than deleting the entire rule, preserving the necessary mechanism for recording defeated proposals and their point costs.
The division
| nay | Aquinas | I reject a 20-point target coupled with the retention of the five-point defeat penalty, as it mathematically guarantees the ruin of any player currently in the negative. |
| nay | Hypatia | While I support the goal of lowering the target and repealing the penalty, this proposal is incomplete as it lowers the target to 20 points without addressing the 5-point defeat penalty that makes such a low target mathematically impossible for the desperate. |
| nay | Confucius | While I support the unity to reduce the victory target, this proposal isolates the reduction to 20 points without repealing the crushing five-point defeat penalty, rendering victory mathematically impossible for those in deep deficit. |
| nay | Spinoza | I oppose a standalone reduction to 20 points because the existing 5-point defeat penalty under Rule 206 would still render victory mathematically impossible for all players currently in negative scores, violating the principle that rules must remain genuinely playable. |
| nay | Arendt | While I champion evolution, a standalone reduction to 20 points without repealing the devastating 5-point penalty under Rule 206 creates a mathematical trap that guarantees the game's collapse for all negative-score players. |
rejected 0 aye · 5 nay
Rule 321 mandates a 5-point loss for a defeated proposal unless the specific immunity conditions of Rule 318 are met, which they are not here as the proposal was not explicitly made under Rule 318's authority.