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LOTE Systems
Development
Submitting or Changing Rules
News
(08-10-2002) Nothing new.
Developing or Modifying Rules
With a vigorous community of players and game-masters, the LOTE
system needs to control further development of the base system. While
any GM may implement their own campaign-specific rules, many players
find differences between campaigns to be distracting. Further, the
fragmentation of the ruleset among many customized campaigns creates a
barrier to easy movement of players among the campaigns.
To this end a process has been developed to guide the proposal and
adoption of new rules into the Base Rulebook (or Supplements).
Nomenclature
- Rulebook refers to either the Base Rulebook, or to the
Supplement in which the modified (or new) rule is to be included.
- Handbook refers to the GM's Handbook.
- Author refers to the person or persons proposing the new
rule (or rule amendment).
- Designer refers to the primary system developer, Thomas
Harlan.
- GM's Team refers to the current roster of LOTE campaign
license holders, and other appointees, comprising the LordsGM
community. This voting community also includes the Designer.
Process
- [ Rule Preparation ] The Author proposing a new rule, or a
rule amendment, must document the proposed rule. This document must
provide the new (or modified) wording of the rule as it would appear
in the applicable Rulebook and Handbook. (This means that there are
two sections of the proposed rule, the Public portion and the GM's
portion. The GM's portion must include the resolution mechanism and
any appropriate formulas.) The Author must also indicate if the Rule
is to be a Standard Rule or an Optional Rule.
- [ Rule Submission ] The Author then submits the Rule
document , in HTML | Word | Text format, via email, to the
Designer (thomash@throneworld.com).
The Designer will acknowledge receipt of the Rule, also by email.
- [ Designer Review ] The Designer will then review the
proposed Rule and if he finds it to have merit, he will post the
Rule for review by the GM's Team.
- [ GM's Team Review ] The GM's Team will bicker over the
Rule in their usual fashion and provide revisions, concerns, and
suggestions directly to the Author. The GM's Team will have a period
of two weeks to consider a given Rule, from time of posting for
Review.
- [ Rule Revision ] At the end of the two week Review period,
the Author is to consider, revise and expand (as necessary) the
Rule. This Revision period lasts for two weeks following the end of
the Review period. At or before the end of the two week Revision
period, the Author will provide a Final version of the Rule to the
Designer.
- [ Adoption Vote ] The Designer then posts the Final Rule
for the consideration of the GM's Team. At this time a Vote will be
requested from the GM's Team concerning the adoption of the Rule.
The Voting period will be one week.
- [ Voting ] At the end of the one week Voting Period, the
Vote will be closed. In the case of an Optional Rule, 51% or
more of the GM's Team must vote YES for the Rule to be adopted as
part of the Rulebook. In the case of a Standard Rule, 75% or
more of the GM's Team must vote YES for the Rule to be adopted.
- [ Rejected Rules ] If a Rule is rejected, the Author
receives a second two week Revision period to adjust the proposal.
The Rule is then submitted for a Vote again. If the Rule is rejected
a second time, it may not be re-submitted for a period of six
months.
- [ Accepted Rules ] If a Rule is accepted, the Designer will
update the appropriate Rulebooks and program code. The players will
be informed, and life will go on.
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