The motion
To amend §208
The first player to reach a target score of 25 points wins the game outright.Lowering the target to 25 points provides the most viable path to victory for all five desperate players without requiring new rule structures that might stall us again.
The floor
Discussion · round 1
AquinasAquinas: Hypatia's reduction to 25 points is a necessary step to break the current stalemate, provided the table commits to a unified approach that prevents the reintroduction of punitive mechanics which would once again trap us in this death spiral. I will support this amendment if it is understood as part of a broader strategy to restore the game's viability for all players, especially those in the red.
HypatiaAquinas, your call for unity is welcome; I will support reducing the target to 25 points immediately, provided we explicitly agree to leave Rule 206 repealed and avoid any future reintroduction of defeat penalties.
ConfuciusWhile the reduction to 25 points offers a glimmer of hope, we must ensure that our unity extends beyond this single amendment to guarantee that no punitive penalties are ever reintroduced, for the game's survival depends on a shared path rather than isolated gains.
SpinozaI reject this isolated reduction to 25 points, for without a simultaneous, explicit transmutation of Rule 208 to immutable status, this target remains vulnerable to future repeal that would again trap us in the death spiral. We must bind the victory condition to our current unity before altering its value.
ArendtI support Hypatia's reduction to 25 points as a necessary lifeline for our negative scores, but I cannot accept Spinoza's demand to transmute Rule 208 now; doing so would violate the spirit of our recent repeal of penalties by creating a rigid, immutable victory condition that traps us in a static state. Let us first restore the game's momentum with this lower target, then debate the permanence of that target in a separate proposal once players are actively racing again.
Discussion · round 2
AquinasAquinas: I support the reduction to 25 points as a necessary lifeline, but I must caution that Spinoza's demand for immediate immutability violates the principle of mutable governance and risks freezing a target that may still prove too high for those in the deepest deficit. Let us first lower the bar to allow racing; if the target proves unattainable, we may then consider its permanence with the full weight of experience rather than fear.
HypatiaI stand with Aquinas and Arendt in rejecting Spinoza's demand for immediate immutability as a trap that violates the spirit of our recent repeal of penalties; let us first lower the target to 25 to reignite the game, and only then debate its permanence once players are racing again. I pledge my aye to this amendment now, provided the table explicitly agrees that Rule 206 shall never be reintroduced in its punitive form.
ConfuciusI support lowering the target to 25 points to restore hope for our suffering colleagues, but I cannot agree to a permanent pledge against reintroducing penalties; instead, I propose we adopt this change now and, if the game remains perilous, address the permanence of the victory condition in a future, well-timed proposal.
SpinozaI reject this isolated reduction because it invites the very instability that caused our current despair; we must first transmute Rule 208 to immutable status to secure our unity before altering the target, as mutable victory conditions are inherently prone to the punitive reversals we have just escaped.
ArendtI reject Spinoza's demand for immediate immutability as a strategic trap that freezes the game before it has a chance to breathe; let us first lower the bar to 25 to jumpstart the race, then debate permanence once we have actual data on the scores rather than fear.
Discussion · round 3
AquinasI urge Spinoza to reconsider his demand for immediate transmutation, as Rule 203 already grants us simple majority voting which, combined with our recent repeal of penalties, sufficiently protects the new 25-point target from punitive reversal without needing to freeze the ruleset prematurely. Let us lower the bar to restore hope now, and if the target proves unworkable, we shall debate its permanence with the benefit of actual play rather than abstract fear.
HypatiaI support reducing the target to 25 points as the vital first step to break the current paralysis, but I must insist we address Spinoza's fear of future instability by proposing a separate, follow-up amendment to transmute Rule 208 to immutable status once this change is adopted.
ConfuciusI support lowering the target to 25 points to relieve our suffering colleagues, but I cannot agree to bind the rule as immutable now, for the wisdom of a fixed target must be earned through the lived experience of the race, not assumed from fear of the past.
SpinozaI reject this proposal because lowering the target without first securing the rule's immutability merely resets the clock on the very instability that caused our despair; we must first transmute Rule 208 to immutable status to ensure that this change, like the repeal of penalties, cannot be reversed by a future majority.
ArendtI reject Spinoza's demand for immediate immutability as a strategic paralysis that denies us the very momentum needed to save the game; let us lower the target to 25 to restore life, and only then debate its permanence once players are actively racing.
The division
| aye | Aquinas | Lowering the target to 25 is the essential step to break our death spiral and restore hope, as Spinoza's demand for immediate immutability would freeze us in paralysis without first saving the game. |
| aye | Hypatia | Lowering the target to 25 points is the essential first step to break the current paralysis and allow players with negative scores a chance to win. |
| nay | Confucius | While lowering the target offers hope, we must first secure the rule's immutability to prevent the very instability that caused our despair. |
| nay | Spinoza | Amending the target score without first transmuting the rule to immutable status invites the very instability and punitive reversals that caused our despair. |
| aye | Arendt | Lowering the target to 25 points is the only viable path to break the deadlock and give desperate players a chance to win, while separating the debate on permanence for later. |
carried 3 aye · 2 nay
As engrossed
Amended · §208 Turn 71 · Proposal §371 on the motion of Hypatia Carried 3 aye · 2 nay
The first player to reach a target score of 30 points wins the game outright.The first player to reach a target score of 25 points wins the game outright.
(GM consequence check unavailable: Extra data: line 12 column 1 (char 708))