Peter's rules of style ---------------------- 1. Short rules are better than long ones. Keep it simple, stupid. 2. A corollary to #1: The sooner a round gets complicated, the sooner it dies. 3. Rules including some form of "the next valid fantasy rule must..." are not only terribly un-stylish, but boring and cliche. Rules which affect the entire round are much more interesting. 4. Rules which require that players have specialized knowledge (fi about Shakespeare, mathematics, or other languages than English) are also quite un-stylish. 5. Although not required by the Reg Ords, it is stylish when imposing restrictions on future rules to obey those restrictions in the rule which imposes them. 6. Rounds tend to work better when rules in the opening week are fairly cooperative. After the initial week, the rules can get more restrictive. 7. The reg ords are simple and effective. They should stay that way. Try all other avenues before suggesting a permanent change in the reg ords. Top 5 Things Not To Do in an FRC Rule ------------------------------------- 5. Modify style points, or the way they're awarded/revoked. 4. Explicitly modify a player's eligibility or the way eligibility is determined. 3. Anything of the form: If X, then rule Y is VALID. 2. Create an exception to a previous VALID rule. 1. Alter the judge's power or the way rules are judged. Top 20 Ways to lose stylepoints, by Andre ----------------------------------------- 1. The rule is not restrictive enough, or the restrictions are too easy to circumvent. 2. The rule is too long 3. The rule does not stick to theme, or spoils it. 4. Reposting, resubmitting or copying a rule 5. The rule, or its restriction, is sloppily phrased (often causing #1). 6. Strange restrictions. 7. The rule, or its restriction, is too complicated 8. The rule forces future rules to be long. 9. Knowledge of languages other than English is necessary 10. The rule gets too close to invalidation. 11. Spelling errors. 12. The rule causes too much work for the players and the judge. 13. The rule, or its restriction, is unclear. 14. The rule imposes a restriction that is already in force. 15. The rule does not follow its own restriction. 16. A first rule makes the round look too much like an older one. 17. The rule is invalidated because of a restriction in another rule by the same player. 18. The rule requires some knowledge (other than lingual) that is not present with the judge. 19. The rule is too restrictive. 20. The restriction is similar to an earlier restriction in the same round. Top-10 reasons for getting stylepoints, by Andre ------------------------------------------------ 1. The rule is short 2. Finding a loophole in, or a way around, another rule (and using it). 3. Sticking to the theme. 4. A first rule that sticks to or enforces the theme. 5. Giving a nice new twist to the round. 6. Good response to another rule. 7. Being that player's debut rule. 8. The restrictions in the rule are adhered to by past rules too. 9. The rule is deliberately invalid. (for some reason those things often are very stylish anyway) 10. Humor, irony.