SENATE BILL: Game Engine Reconstruction Act (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AN ACT
to invest and establish the Game Engine

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia, in Congress assembled:

Section 1: Title & definitions
i. The title of this Act shall be, the “General Investiture Potestas Facere (Reconstruction of the Game Engine) of 2019.” It may be cited as the “General Investiture” or as the “Game Engine Reconstruction Act.”
ii. As it appears in this legislation, “non-playable entity” shall refer to all parties, including but not limited to foreign governments and non-state actors, minor agencies, state and municipal officers, and public interest groups, which may be presumed to exist within the context of Atlasia, the functions of which are not performed by any person registered with the Census Bureau.

Section 2: Separation of powers
i. All powers and prerogatives which shall by grant of Congress in the game engine reside, shall be divided among the several officers of the same, that is between the game moderator and the comptroller general.

Section 3: Game Moderator
i. The president shall appoint the game moderator with the advice and consent of the Senate.
ii. The game moderator shall have power, except where limited elsewhere by this legislation:
(a) to simulate the effect of domestic and foreign legislation of the government of Atlasia and of the several regions;
(b) to simulate the actions of non-playable entities;
(c) to simulate domestic and global events;
(d) to be the final arbiter in all questions of the reality of events which occur during their tenure;
(e) to be the final arbiter on the reality of the status quo with respect domestic and global conditions.
iii. The word of a game moderator, once spoken, is Canon, and may not be revoked by their successor.
iv. The game moderator may be removed from office according to the same provisions set in place for the impeachment of executive officers.

Section 4: Comptroller General
i. The president shall appoint the comptroller general with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall serve at the pleasure of the president.
ii. The comptroller general shall have power:
(a) to project the cost of legislation passed by Congress or by the several regions, and the amount of revenue raised by such taxes as they may levy;
(b) to publish unemployment numbers and other economic statistics for the nation and the several regions;
(c) to report the state of the national and global economy.

Section 5: Repeal of old legislation
i. All previous Acts of Congress as they relate to the structure, powers, and officers of the game engine are hereby repealed.

Sponsor: Peanut
Senate Desigination: SB21:17 I think

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The sponsor has 24 hours to commence advocacy on this bill. All other members have 48 hours to respond.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This is literally a Works Document saved on my computer, dated June 10, 2009 composed with the help of Purple State and Vern:

Game Moderator Reform Act

The Senate understands that the Game Moderator is a position essential to the operation and performance of Atlasia and the movement of the Senate. Therefore the following shall be enforced.

Section 1: Appointment/Removal of The Game Moderator

1. The President must appoint a Game Moderator who is then to be approved by a majority of the Senate of Atlasia
2. The Game Moderator may be removed by the President with agreement of two thirds majority of the Senate.
3.  If the Senate of Atlasia believes The Game Moderator has failed to perform his/her duties, the Senate can remove the Game Moderator by a two thirds vote.

Section 2: The Duties of the Game Moderator


1. The Game Moderator is responsible for providing the Senate with the necessary information to conduct debate and create legislation responding to the events and information provided by the Game Moderator.
2. The Game Moderator is also responsible for providing weekly updates to the citizens of Atlasia on how the nation's economy is performing, natural disasters, wars in and around the globe and other reasonable events at the Game Moderator's discretion.
3. If the Game Moderator feels like some events in Clause Two of Section Two does not need to be in the weekly update (s)he may provide bi-monthly or monthly updates on said events, but (s)he must let the Senate know what those said events are.
4. The information to be provided by the Game Moderator should include but is not limited to wars, natural disasters, Foreign events, Economic events such as bankruptcies, and basic economic information including Unemployment and Inflation.
5. The Game Moderator is giving the authority to provide other information and events at his discretion. Also, The Game Moderator is encouraged to use creativity and ingenuity in crafting said events and information to improve the game play of Atlasia.

Section 3

The GM Act (FL 16-1) is hereby repealed

Ultimately, it was not this bill that solved the problem. It was Purple State becoming Game Moderator.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

My thanks to Peanut for introducing this. I'll start by acknowledging, as I have myself reminded others countless times in the last four years, that structural reforms alone will never be enough to resolve stagnation and a culture of neglect. Just as we saw nationally in 2015 and in Frémont in 2017, however, there are times when the existing game infrastructure makes significant reform difficult or impossible: and this is one of those times.

The game engine established in the summer of 2016 has been fraught with disfunction almost from the beginning of its existence. The breadth of the duties placed on the game moderator, together with the expectation that in this new era the GM would play a far more active and important role than in years passed, when the position had often served as a glorified and rarely-used calculator, meant it was virtually impossible for one individual to address every responsibility of the office personally —a fact repeatedly noted by then-GM Kalwejt at the time. Congress eventually responded to this complaint by authorizing the game moderator to appoint first one, and eventually several deputies who could assume whatever part of the job he had the least time for or the least interest in.

This solution is logical from the perspective that all functions of the game engine derive from the same need for a god figure and therefore the correct hierarchy of labor should resemble a pyramid. In practice it has been a disaster. The existence of a GM and multiple deputies all holding essentially the same portfolio has created confusion that breeds inactivity and hinders transparency. Furthermore, the modifier "deputy" ahead of the title "game moderator" seems to have encouraged a perception that the DGM is a less time-consuming or important role within the game engine, leading to the appointment of deputies who continue to serve as legislators or in other positions within the government, a practice that poses a clear conflict of interest and at best compromises their ability to act on all issues before the game engine. Fundamentally, however, the problem with the present arrangement is that the portrait of a game engine where the GM is a conductor and the deputies are his subordinates is a fiction. In practice, a division of labor already exists within the game engine: but while the deputy model persists, it is a sloppy and uneven division which leaves neither Congress nor the people easily able to ascertain where the canker lies when the machinery of the game engine grinds to a halt.

Vesting all powers of the game engine in a single official assisted by one or several deputies has bred the additional evil of thinning the pool of applicants to near-extinction. In practice, few are able or interested to perform both the storytelling and accounting functions of the game engine, necessitating the problematic delegation between GM and deputies already described. Because the GM is still responsible for these financial projections, however, we constantly must balance one set of responsibilities against the other; even when you have a clear division between a "story" GM and a "numbers" deputy, the GM cannot be entirely divorced from calculations and vice-versa. I have personally been witness to several conversations during and after my tenure as game moderator in which individuals have declined positions within the game engine due to unfamiliarity with one of these aspects, where they would otherwise have been interested in coming aboard.

This bill addresses the failure of the game engine in two important ways. First, is recognizes the narrative and accounting functions as separate and co-equal arms of the game engine —a necessary distinction towards establishing respect and appreciation for their importance among Congress and the general population. Second, it divides these responsibilities cleanly between two offices, recognizing the reality of the modern game engine as a dual creature and allowing each branch to do what it does best instead of one person performing both roles to mediocrity. By treating GM and comptroller as separate positions, we may hopefully restore clarity and transparency to the game engine, a necessary first step towards accountability.

This Act will not eradicate inactivity and it will not magically make citizens pay attention to the game engine. What it will do, is allow for a more efficient division of labor and allow Congress to hold a specific individual to account when one of these two functions is neglected, rather than the uncertainty and confusion that has pervaded in recent months.

I apologize if I have stolen the senator from Lincoln's thunder, but as a former game moderator and a "true believer" in the potential of this office, I felt compelled to speak.

[Devout Centrist]

I support this bill and I will motion for a final vote as soon as possible.

[ON Progressive]

I also want to state my support for this bill.

[Peanut]

I thank Truman for his excellent advocacy of this bill, and I thank him for his hard work.

This bill is a very broad measure, but it is, at this juncture, a necessary one. I may have only one year of Atlasia experience, but in that year I helped change a region's government system, and while yeah, laws don't create activity, they can (and should) foster it. Restructuring and nurturing a healthy engine is quite literally fundamental to the survival of our game.

Really, there's scarcely more I can say that Truman hasn't already said. I urge my colleagues to support this: it really is a good change.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

In practice, a division of labor already exists within the game engine: but while the deputy model persists, it is a sloppy and uneven division which leaves neither Congress nor the people easily able to ascertain where the canker lies when the machinery of the game engine grinds to a halt.

This is because there is no concept of Congressional Oversight in this game and disclosure or promises of transparency fall victim to the same inactivity that harms the general productivity of the officer itself.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

iii. The word of a game moderator, once spoken, is Canon, and may not be revoked by their successor.

In the abstract I would agree with this, but I can remember several instances where a successor overturned an action by a previous GM that broke the story line beyond repair. One of them involved Atlasian cities being nuked. The other was in regards to the British Political situation. And then of course, the Aliens story line...  And then there is the whole Sirnick and DemPGH situation.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Furthermore, the modifier "deputy" ahead of the title "game moderator" seems to have encouraged a perception that the DGM is a less time-consuming or important role within the game engine, leading to the appointment of deputies who continue to serve as legislators or in other positions within the government, a practice that poses a clear conflict of interest and at best compromises their ability to act on all issues before the game engine.

I don't see where the present bill bans the GM or Comptroller from holding such offices, though.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

iii. The word of a game moderator, once spoken, is Canon, and may not be revoked by their successor.

In the abstract I would agree with this, but I can remember several instances where a successor overturned an action by a previous GM that broke the story line beyond repair. One of them involved Atlasian cities being nuked. The other was in regards to the British Political situation. And then of course, the Aliens story line...  And then there is the whole Sirnick and DemPGH situation.

This came up in drafts as well. Ultimately I won't protest too strenuously if the Senate decides to scrap this particular provision, but I really do think it's an all-or-nothing kind of thing —I can't think of a way to introduce safeguards without compromising the independence of the game engine.

Furthermore, the modifier "deputy" ahead of the title "game moderator" seems to have encouraged a perception that the DGM is a less time-consuming or important role within the game engine, leading to the appointment of deputies who continue to serve as legislators or in other positions within the government, a practice that poses a clear conflict of interest and at best compromises their ability to act on all issues before the game engine.

I don't see where the present bill bans the GM or Comptroller from holding such offices, though.

I would welcome an amendment in this line.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I will be thus offering an amendment when I get home from work tonight.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AN ACT
to invest and establish the Game Engine

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia, in Congress assembled:

Section 1: Title & definitions
i. The title of this Act shall be, the “General Investiture Potestas Facere (Reconstruction of the Game Engine) of 2019.” It may be cited as the “General Investiture” or as the “Game Engine Reconstruction Act.”
ii. As it appears in this legislation, “non-playable entity” shall refer to all parties, including but not limited to foreign governments and non-state actors, minor agencies, state and municipal officers, and public interest groups, which may be presumed to exist within the context of Atlasia, the functions of which are not performed by any person registered with the Census Bureau.

Section 2: Separation of powers
i. All powers and prerogatives which shall by grant of Congress in the game engine reside, shall be divided among the several officers of the same, that is between the game moderator and the comptroller general.

Section 3: Game Moderator
i. The president shall appoint the game moderator with the advice and consent of the Senate.
ii. The game moderator shall have power, except where limited elsewhere by this legislation:
(a) to simulate the effect of domestic and foreign legislation of the government of Atlasia and of the several regions;
(b) to simulate the actions of non-playable entities;
(c) to simulate domestic and global events;
(d) to be the final arbiter in all questions of the reality of events which occur during their tenure;
(e) to be the final arbiter on the reality of the status quo with respect domestic and global conditions.
iii. The word of a game moderator, once spoken, is Canon, and may not be revoked by their successor.
iv. The game moderator may be removed from office according to the same provisions set in place for the impeachment of executive officers.
v. The game moderator may not hold any other elected or appointed office in either the Federal or Regional Governments.

Section 4: Comptroller General
i. The president shall appoint the comptroller general with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall serve at the pleasure of the president.
ii. The comptroller general shall have power:
(a) to project the cost of legislation passed by Congress or by the several regions, and the amount of revenue raised by such taxes as they may levy;
(b) to publish unemployment numbers and other economic statistics for the nation and the several regions;
(c) to report the state of the national and global economy.
iv. The comptroller general may not hold any other elected or appointed office in either the Federal or Regional Governments.

Section 5: Repeal of old legislation
i. All previous Acts of Congress as they relate to the structure, powers, and officers of the game engine are hereby repealed.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Nitpick, shouldn't it be regional governments? (Unless we are all in favor of Frémont annexing everything. )

[Pyro]

Excellent measure. This has my full support.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Nitpick, shouldn't it be regional governments? (Unless we are all in favor of Frémont annexing everything. )

Would it in this case? For a single person, they can only live in one region at a time though?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Anyway, modification made.

Also sponsor feedback? Peanut?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Nitpick, shouldn't it be regional governments? (Unless we are all in favor of Frémont annexing everything. )

Would it in this case? For a single person, they can only live in one region at a time though?

If that is the thought it should read "any regional government." The use of the definite article implies only one exists, which only makes sense from the perspective of a regional Act.

I approve of the amended amendment.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senators have 24 hours to object to the amendment.


Sorry Peanut.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The amendment is adopted.


Final vote?

[Dr. MB]

Yeah. Motion for a final vote. 24 hours to object.

[Peanut]

I profusely apologize for sponsoring and then basically being MIA on the debate and Amendment process: my activity constraints are winding down somewhat. Now, as it stands, I'm in favor of the bill of course.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

A final vote is now open on this legislation, Senators please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Devout Centrist]

Aye