[v5.0] Poll guildlines

From: Peter Ramos <primarch_at_...>
Date: Wed, 8 May 2002 21:13:00 -0400

Hi!

As I decided to bring the core rules polls to an end I realized that
unless members were around since the Net Epic's beginnings that members
would not know what results would mean or what are the standards.

So here they are:

1. The golden rule is the so called "2/3" rule meaning that a "measure"
becomes "core" if it gets a vote of 66% or more.

Now, this needs some expansion. A core rule is one that is the standard
and was either there in the original rules or the first draft of Net
Epic. These represent what everyone using these rules should use
regardless of add-ons.

So anything optional that wants to become core needs this 2/3 approval.
This is usually an optional rule with a couple of years of solid
playtesting. Needless to say we don't get a lot of those.

All new ideas with very few exceptions should start out as optional.

2. The "golden rule" does NOT apply to rules that are already core rules
and all that is in question is a change/modification in definition or
clarification. This is germane since quite a few polls have to do with
interpretation of core rules. Note: although a simple majority suffices
in most cases it is our custom that if the winning alternative does not
win by a 66% or more margin that the "runner up" automatically becomes
an alternate rule, side-by-side with the winning one. This is done to be
realistic, since an alternative that wins by one vote isn't all that
more "core" than one that fell short.


Admittedly, there is a grey area here. When does a change/modification
become so different that indeed it's a new idea and thus should only be
optional and not core. No easy answer, but use as a guideline that if
the proposed change looks a lot like the original one with one or two
changes its basically a change/modification and a simple majority
suffices, otherwise it's a big change and should either be optional or
core, but with a requisite 2/3 majority.

Stat changes is also a grey area since how much of a change is just
modification or a full blown re-write. As a rule, I use that a simple
stat change of adding CAF, attack dice and such usually needs just
majority vote, since results of performance are predictable. Major
additions like new powers and abilities needs a 2/3 majority.

In the end if there's doubt, just ask and I'll give my opinion on it
using previous precedent.

Please keep in mind that what I have laid out is what I have used over
the years and that most of those "decisions" were in the past left up to
me. I welcome any scrutiny and recommendations to this procedure so as
to streamline it and make it more coherent and consistent.

It's great to have such high levels of participation and enthusiasm so I
really would like to "decentralize" a lot of the decision making so as
to make the process a lot more open. While it may be necessary for me to
make "a call" once and a while I'm glad to see that this is increasingly
unnecessary.

I'd like to thank everyone, especially the project leaders for jumping
in and making this a great revision so far. I'm real happy with how
things are going and it's a dream come true for me to see how much
cooperation and drive everyone has.

It has TRULY become NET epic!

Peter
Received on Thu May 09 2002 - 01:13:00 UTC