Round 111: Summary to date. Theme - Disease (perhaps now mutated into 'Binary fever'). With five days gone, here is a summary of the rules to date. Note that I am suffering from the effects of virus 0010! Doctor Cox Player Eligibility expires Style --------------------------------------------- Aron Wall Sun 04 Apr 01:00:22 +100.0 David Fisher Fri 02 Apr 00:05:17 +1.0 Andrew Stefanski Wed 31 Mar 16:54:28 +1.1 Everyone else Wed 31 Mar 00:00:00 +0.0 Rule Player Date Validity Style ----------------------------------------------------- 111:1 Aron Wed 24 Mar 00:24:24 VALID +1.0 111:10 Andrew Wed 24 Mar 16:54:28 VALID +1.1 111:11 Aron Wed 24 Mar 17:38:20 INVALID +0.1 111:100 David Fri 26 Mar 00:05:17 VALID +1.0 111:101 Aron Fri 26 Mar 05:23:53 VALID +0.1 111:110 Aron Sun 28 Mar 01:00:22 VALID +10.0 >>>>>> 111:1 - Aron Wall - Wed 24 Mar 00:24:24 - VALID - +1.0 >>>>>> Hack hack cough wheeze.... This used to be a regular cold, but it after I caught it, it mutated into a hideous version of itself. Now I have FRC virus 0001. By coughing into the mailing list, I have now infected everyone who reads this rule. This virus is very difficult to stop, because in every rule it mutates into a new form. After the rule is posted, the poster of that rule will automatically receive the mutated virus in place of whatever form of the virus they used to have. At the moment, the only symptom is severe coughing in each rule posted by the host. Fortunately no one may receive any form of the FRC virus unless a rule specifically says they do. >>>>>> Validity: No problems. Style: A nice start to the round. Should lead to some fun rules, although it does have potential weaknesses (which I shall not advertise!). Small deduction for the poor grammer. I like this rule, so +1.0 Style. >>>>>> 111:10 - Andrew Stefanski - Wed 24 Mar 16:54:28 - VALID - +1.1 >>>>>> Whew... with the introduction of the new rule, just as predicted, the virus has mutated. Fortunately, it's not causing the horrible coughing anymore, and just in time - my throat was starting to hurt badly. My research on the latest version of the virus has yielded some interesting discoveries. When the virus infects a host, it can cause permanent changes - killing the virus will not repair the damage. Fortunately, most effects are not permanent, lasting only until the next mutation. The only effects that are permanent are those that are stated to be permanent. This latest mutation has added in the first of these permanent changes that are caused by the virus. We've lucked out, though, as the change is pretty benign. My research indicates that the virus has somehow made use of the round number, and as a result is causing all rule numbers, and numbers used within the text of a rule, to be in binary. The research also shows that when the virus made use of the round number, it also used it as a transmission method - so everyone who uses the round number will be infected by FRC virus 0010. >>>>>> Validity: Fine. Style: Combines the two suggested themes well. A little long, but not too bad. I would have preferred the default damage to be permanent not temporary. Effect of the virus is nice - though who uses the round number *in* their rule? I dont think one can count the headers of rules, nor those sections outside of the rule proper. It would be nice if players would explicitly mark where their rules begin and end in this regard! Binary is good idea, so +1.1 Style. >>>>>> 111:11 - Aron Wall - Wed 24 Mar 17:38:20 - INVALID - +0.1 >>>>>> Cough cough cough... Research shows that any symptom caused by a virus one has at the beginning of a rule must be obeyed throughout the whole rule, even if they lose the virus as a result of the rule. It also shows that it is in fact possible to have more than one virus (I now have both FRC viruses 0010 and 0001). However, FRC virus 0010 will now mutate into FRC virus 0011. FRC virus 0010 used its protein binarylase to cause all numerals of the host to be in binary. This virus uses the same protein in a different way. Examination of 111 in binary will reveal that it is a quite different quantity than 111 would be if it were not binary. In fact, anyone with FRC virus 0011 will be forced to act as if we were in round 1+1+1+1+1+1+1... the Shorter Rules Round! All their rules must be shorter than all previous rules posted by a host of this virus . Anyone who posts a rule with less coughing than this one will catch FRC virus 0011. >>>>>> Validity: Virus 0001 does not mutate in this rule, contrary to the requirements of 111:1. Thus this rule is INVALID. Style: For some reason Aron tries to give himself 0011. Very much a self inflicted wound! 111=8 was a pertinent remark - though encouraging excessive coughing is not so desirable. There seem to be several redundant sentences here, which increase this rule's length unnecessarily. This is however made up for by the shorter rules idea. In summary, +0.1 Style. >>>>>> 111:100 - David Thomas Fisher - Fri 26 Mar 00:05:17 - VALID - +1.0 >>>>>> Uh-oh... that sneeze can only mean one thing. Yes, kiddies, FRC triple-oh-one has mutated again! I'm suffering from the early symptoms of FRC virus heebie-jeebie, meaning the virus has not completely mutated, so I currently have both 0001 and heebie-jeebie in my system. After I post this rule, in accordance with 111:1, 0001 will be completely replaced by the heebie-jeebies. (ahhh...CHOO!> Uh-oh... it seems that the sole symptom of the heebie-jeebies -- the sneeze -- is also the means of transmission. Each time someone who is infected with this nasty virus sneezes, they will infect one other member of the FRC. The first time I sneezed, I infected Aron Wall, and the second time, I infected Andrew Stefanski. Fortunately, we can now cure each other of all forms of 0001, by specifically posting in a rule that we do so. However, nobody can cure themselves, and permanent effects are still permanent. In the spirit of goodwill, I cure Andrew of 0010, though he still must use the binary system. >>>>>> Validity: A couple of close calls, but fine. Style: There is much to like in this rule. Deliberately infecting oneself with the binary virus is most appropriate - and I like the double edged cure of Andrew. Giving viruses names is good, and may help later. It is however a shame that the heebie jeebies do not have a more exciting effect. +1.0 Style. >>>>>> 111:101 - Aron Wall - Fri 26 Mar 05:23:53 - VALID - +0.1 >>>>>> Ah...ah...ah...chooooooo! Oops, sorry Doctor Cox... FRC virus 0001 has mutated again! And I am afraid I may be the first case. My doctor says that you catch this disease merely by failing to spell corectly! This disease has no effects for 111 days... but if it goes untreated for 111 days, you become dead! Fortunately, my doctor says that since I came in so early, he can probably find a cure before then. I sure hope so. On the happier side, he told me that once you have had and lost a virus, you become immune. You can't ever get it again. >>>>>> Validity: Fine. Style: Another nice case of self-infection, which keeps the round firmly on theme. The new virus sounds rather more severe than it actually is, I think, which is a little bit of a shame. A fair enough rule, but nothing to thrill, so +0.1 Style. >>>>>> 111:110 - Aron Wall - Sun 28 Mar 01:00:22 - VALID - +10.0 >>>>>> I went to see my doctor today, but he was busy for some time. I therefore spent a long time in the waiting room. When I finished my book, I grabbed a pamphlet on the subject of genetic crossover. A crossover is a type of mutation that happens when genetic information leaks from one virus to another, creating a virus that has some qualities from both. A crossover virus will have the transmission mode of one virus and the symptoms of another. From now on crossover will occur whenever anyone has multiple viruses. All possible crosses of those viruses will be created, and given to that person. >>>>>> Validity: Took a while to work out, but fine. Style: There is more to this rule than meets the eye! It was stylish of Aron to identify the unique person who is currently infected by more than one virus. (You may wish to consider why this is so.) Crossover is nice, as it will lead to temporary effects lasting much longer. It is a pity that there now exist several un-named and un-numbered mutations - it may make the round rather unwieldy. A good rule, which seems to remove the main weakness of the round (concerning temporary effects) so +10 Style. Remark: Since it may mislead, I think I should expand on my previous judgement. Why was 111:101 valid given that Aron did not cough? Temporary symptoms last "until the next mutation", which I take to mean 'the next mutation that occurs in one of the infected person's rules'. Aron had not had any mutations occuring in his rules between 111:1 and 111:101 (as no such rules occured), so should have the symptoms from the mutation at the end of 111:1. But coughing was the symptom he had before the virus mutated - he never told us what the mutated version did. But he did infect everyone else with the old version, so they had to cough. Finally, why was 111:1 not invalid for the same reason as 111:10? For 0001 to mutate in a rule, I require some statement in the rule to this end. But I took the remark (in 111:1) that 0001 will mutate in each rule as (just) enough to satisfy this. >>>>>> This virus, FRC virus ASCII is best viewed using a fixed width font electron microscope: _ \ ___________________________ \______/This virus, a mutant strain\ of FRC virus 0001, inserts its | ______ DNA into all future rules.| / \___________________________/ _/ >>>>> Validity: As I was by far the most infected member of the FRC before Aron's last rule, and we both gained all combinations of those viruses, the main threat to validity is that he should not display one of those many viruses' required symptoms. Most are clearly satisfied, the only possible ommision is a sneeze. But nowhere in 111:100 does it say that the heebie-jeebies (and hence crossovers from it) cause sneezes in every rule - unlike coughing for example. So I think this rule is VALID. Style: It's short, and I like the fixed font microscope. But I am afraid that there is little else I am keen on. The effect of the new virus is unclear - and it is so vague that it seems unlikely to have any real effect anyway. This feels suspiciously like a restrictionless rule, which I dislike very much. The only effect I can see is to remove the plethora of bugs that were previously infecting Aron. So not only has it no new restrictions, it seems to remove some. Ascii art is not stunning relevant to the round theme and was better done in the, admittedly classic, ASCII art round. As you will have guessed, I am no fan of this rule, so I award it -1.1 Style. Doctor Cox