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Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Thought

I think it's true that there is a substantial amount of Mariner frustration and boredom in this Dynasty. Non-Captain/Priest Mariners really have nothing to do but sit around on the ship, propose, and vote. (And most seem to be deigning not to propose).

Of course, this is thematically perfectly accurate. Deckhands and Warriors really wouldn't have had that much of an opportunity to affect anything at all while onboard the ship. Any proposal that would give them the opportunity to do so would sound thematcially absurd.

Therefore, I think the problem may be in the theme itself. Don't get me wrong; I'm really enjoying this theme, and the way it's shaping up. I am referring in a more general way to the entire idea of themes that has shaped Blognomic for the past few Dynasties.

More and more, I have been finding the idea of themes terribly restrictive; if we're all Mariners in the ancient Mediterranean, we don't have the opportunity to stock up on Laser Cannons. If we're all Superheroes, we don't really have the opportunity to, say, create a language through proposals. If we're all Mobsters and Policeman, we don't have the opportunity to gain doctorate degrees in Nomicology.

An even more frustrating (for me) development that springs from these themes is the lack of meta-nomicking. Nobody seems to be proposing things that affect the game of Nomic itself. There are no attributes assigned to the different rules, no way to affect or limit the types of proposals that certain people are allowed to pass, and rare indeed has been the proposal that affects voting.

I think this is because people get so caught up in the themes themselves that they forget they're playing Nomic. People are complaining about the lack of anything to do. There should be no such lack; this is a game of Nomic! You can propose anything you want! Give people the ability to fly, to visit underwater cities, to reward themselves if they pass proposals containing all 26 letters of the alphabet, to be awarded the Slightly Rusted Iron Skillet of Doom (whatever it may do) for applying the Smell Things ability to a Monkey with Rheumatism, to do anything you can think of at all.

Of course, none of these ideas would pass, because they'd be un-thematic.

Just my two cents. Don't spend them both in the same place.