Justicar Elections

Damion Schubert/ Last modified 5 September 1996

• Rationale
• To provide a means of non-lethal competition between the players.
• To provide a PC-guided way for outlaws and murderers to be elected, since an automated way will almost certainly be abusable.
• Description

The election process of a justicar occurs every six days (so that election day will continually be on a different day).

• Day 0 (6): Election Day
• Day 1-3: Uninterrupted rule of the Justicar
• Day 4-5: Players nominate other players to be the Justicar. All nominations must be seconded, but players may nominate themselves. A player may nominate only one person at a time. Justicar still rules during this time.
• Day 6 (0): Next election day. New justicar is initiated immediately.
• Powers of the Justicar
• The Justicar has the ability to hand out a 'pardon'. This 'pardon' will reduce a murderer to outlaw status, and an outlaw to free man status. The justicar may only use this power 12 times, and never twice on the same person in the same six day period.
• Other notes
• Murderers cannot vote. However, the ballot box is placed in a non-safe room, so murderers can attempt to affect the election results.
• The Justicar election can definitely be something that NPCs hint and rumor about (is XX doing a good or bad job, etc).
• Justicar election results should be something that goes in a changing MOTD.
• A Justicar should have some significant insignia, at least in their look description.
• Resources needed
• Room file: A city clerk's office, where a player may nominate another player.
• Art (NPC): a 'city clerk' bureaucrat.
• Art (object): A justicar insignia (like a sheriff's star).
• Art (object): A ballot box or 'mystical voting device'.
• Significant Client/Server Mods
• Way to nominate someone who is not in the room.
• The ballot: Way to cast your vote for Justicar of your choice.
• Insignia in the player's look description
• Changeable MOTD

Rob Ellis opines: Six days seems like too quick a period of time for a justicar to rule.
I respond: A good point but not one that I am convinced of. Six (real-time)days seems like forever in the game. However, this is up for testing, and these values can be made to change quickly.

Ed Halley suggests: A justicar should only be able to pardon someone in a 'courtroom' in Barloque.
I respond: A good idea. Not only does it give our roo designers a chance to show off, and a reason to go to Barloque, it also makes the court a public forum. I might also suggest that a system-wide message be sent - a MUD should know precisely what their elected official is doing or has done at qany given time.

I suggest: perhaps a good check and balance for murderers is that they can attack him without impunity.
Ed Halley responds: not sure that's a good model. Should be more punishment for attacking the 'president' of the mud.
I respond: a good point. On further reflection, don't think any change is justified enough here.

Ed Halley suggests: A justicar shouldn't be allowed to pardon himself.
I respond: I'll buy that.