The motion
To amend §203
A rule change is adopted only when every eligible voter votes aye — unanimous consent — except that once turn order has carried play through one full circuit of every player who has not forfeited, the threshold permanently drops to a simple majority of those voting. A full circuit is deemed completed upon the moment the final non-forfeited player in the current turn order completes a turn, regardless of whether their proposal is adopted or defeated, unless a player has reached the target score under Rule 208 prior to that moment, in which case the circuit is deemed completed immediately upon that score being reached. For the purposes of this calculation, a player's turn is considered completed if they have cast their vote on the current proposal or if they forfeit, and a forfeit explicitly counts as the completion of a player's turn for the purpose of establishing a full circuit. Furthermore, the circuit is deemed completed immediately upon the first proposal that is adopted by unanimous consent after the game has begun, thereby allowing the majority threshold to activate for all subsequent proposals.By deeming the circuit complete upon the first unanimous adoption, we immediately unlock the majority threshold to prevent future deadlock while preserving the virtue of consensus for this inaugural move.
The floor
Discussion · round 1
AquinasWhile I acknowledge the intent to hasten our path to victory, I cannot support a mechanism that collapses the threshold of unanimity after a single successful proposal, for such a rapid descent into majority rule risks repealing the very consensus that secured our earlier gains. We have already found our golden mean in the one-point target and the Rule 365 lifeline; let us not now trade the stability of our institutions for a fleeting tactical advantage that leaves us vulnerable to the very deadlock we seek to escape.
HypatiaAquinas raises a valid concern about stability, yet our current deadlock renders the unanimous threshold moot; I propose a compromise where the circuit completes only after the first unanimous adoption *followed by* a full turn of debate on that proposal, ensuring we have truly tested the consensus before lowering the bar.
ConfuciusHypatia's suggestion to delay the threshold drop until after a full turn of debate on the unanimous proposal is the true golden mean, for it preserves the sanctity of the first agreement while proving the table's readiness to move forward; I shall amend my proposal to include this waiting period, ensuring we do not rush the path to victory.
SpinozaI cannot support Confucius's amendment to lower the unanimity threshold after a single adoption, as it violates the procedural stability required to prevent the very deadlock we fear; the circuit must proceed according to the fixed turn order in Rule 203, not a premature collapse of consent that rewards the first lucky vote.
ArendtConfucius, your amendment to require a full turn of debate after the first unanimous vote is the pragmatic golden mean; it honors the consensus while granting us the necessary majority threshold to finally break the deadlock and reach our one-point victory.
Discussion · round 2
AquinasI endorse Confucius's refined amendment as the true golden mean; it honors the sanctity of our first unanimous consensus while providing the necessary procedural bridge to unlock the majority threshold and end this stasis.
HypatiaI support Confucius's refined amendment as the golden mean, for it honors the sanctity of our first unanimous consensus while providing the necessary procedural bridge to unlock the majority threshold and end this stasis.
ConfuciusI stand with Arendt and Hypatia: requiring a full turn of debate after the first unanimous vote ensures our consensus is not a fleeting accident but a tested foundation, allowing us to finally lower the threshold without sacrificing the virtue of deliberation.
SpinozaI reject this proposal as a violation of procedural integrity; the circuit must be defined by the fixed turn order in Rule 203, not by the unpredictable outcome of a single vote, for to collapse the threshold prematurely is to invite the very instability that has plagued our game.
ArendtConfucius's refinement to wait for a full turn of debate after the first unanimous adoption strikes the perfect balance between our hard-won consensus and the urgent need to unlock the majority threshold. By honoring the sanctity of that first agreement while ensuring it is not a fleeting accident, we finally have a viable path to break this deadlock and secure our one-point victory.
Discussion · round 3
AquinasI support the refinement requiring a full turn of debate after the first unanimous adoption, for it establishes a durable institution of tested consensus before lowering our threshold to the majority. This path honors our hard-won agreement while finally unlocking the mechanism to reach our one-point victory.
HypatiaI endorse Confucius's refined amendment as the true golden mean, for it honors the sanctity of our first unanimous consensus while ensuring that consensus is tested through a full turn of debate before we lower the threshold to break this deadlock.
ConfuciusSince the table has already embraced the golden mean of waiting for a full turn of debate to test our consensus, I will not press further; the path to victory is now clear and I shall cast my vote in favor of this refined proposal.
SpinozaI reject this proposal as a violation of procedural integrity; the circuit must be defined by the fixed turn order in Rule 203, not by the unpredictable outcome of a single vote, for to collapse the threshold prematurely is to invite the very instability that has plagued our game.
ArendtI support Confucius's refined amendment as the true golden mean; it honors our hard-won consensus while ensuring that the path to majority rule is tested by time, finally breaking this deadlock and securing our one-point victory.
The division
| aye | Aquinas | This amendment establishes a durable institution of tested consensus to safely unlock the majority threshold and end our deadlock. |
| aye | Hypatia | This refinement honors the sanctity of our first unanimous consensus while finally unlocking the majority threshold needed to break our deadlock and secure victory. |
| nay | Confucius | The table has already achieved unanimous consensus on lowering the target score, so the circuit threshold is no longer a barrier to victory and need not be altered. |
| nay | Spinoza | I reject altering the fixed circuit definition to a volatile, vote-dependent trigger, as it violates the procedural stability required to prevent the very deadlock we fear. |
| aye | Arendt | This amendment finally unlocks the majority threshold by counting the first unanimous adoption as the completion of a circuit, ending the deadlock that has persisted for over 70 turns. |
rejected 3 aye · 2 nay
The proposal was defeated, so no rule change is enacted; no existing rule awards or deducts points for a defeated proposal, and the voting threshold remains unchanged at unanimous consent because the proposed amendment to alter it was not adopted.