If you want to join in our self-moderated system testing, find a
partner, get started, and email me your status reports and/or comments.
These rules were initially written for 2-player tournament battles, but
are now expanded to handle more-than-2-player games.  We're sharing some
of our game reports, to provide examples of the system in action.

The primary goal is to release the moderators' time, so that everyone
might play more often, given the same time commitment.  A nice side
effect of this system is that the synchronization delays and non-SFB
interruptions of the moderator's time are eliminated.  As soon as one
player yields control of the game, the next may start immediately.



See all or part of some battles:

Twirling Aces battle 6.01
Twirling Aces battle 6.02
Twirling Aces battle 6.03
Twirling Aces battle 6.05
Twirling Aces battle 6.06


Self-moderated SFB PBEM rules:

INDEX:
1. STRICTLY AN APPENDIX TO OFFICIAL RULES
2. SELF-MODERATING
3. GAME REPORT
4. BEING IN CONTROL OF THE GAME REPORT
5. MAKING PROGRESS
6. GETTING BACK CONTROL AFTER YIELDING IT
7. SIMULTANEITY


1. STRICTLY AN APPENDIX TO OFFICIAL RULES
   Official SFB and SFB PBEM rules apply, except as stated otherwise.

2. SELF-MODERATING
   There is no third-party moderator.

   A. Exactly one player is always in control of the game.  It does not
      matter much who starts in control, so simply choose by mutual
      consent or by die roll.  An ordering "around the table" of the
      players must be defined up front, if there are more than 2
      players.  The specific ordering does not matter much, either, so
      simply choose one that is convenient, or determine by die rolls.

   B. You need to pay extra attention to the game activities and
      reports, because nobody else is watching them for you.

   C. Secret information, such as each turn's Energy Allocation, targets
      and nature of seeking weapons launched, etc., needs to be sent to
      a secure location as play progresses, then retrieved and verified
      at the conclusion of the battle (for EA's) or when a seeking
      weapon impacts, is identified, etc.  A neutral person may act as
      escrow agent and hold emails for both players.  A protection or
      encryption feature of a software program available to all players
      may be used to encrypt the information file, the encrypted files
      are sent to other players during play, and the passwords to
      decrypt are revealed at the appropriate time, for verification.
      (Cheaters are then tarred and feathered!)  Two examples of such
      encrypting software are Microsoft Excel (a popular commercial
      product) and PGP (a public-domain top-of-the-line encryption/
      decryption tool that can be hooked into many email tools for
      automatic encryption/decryption of emails -- automatic once the
      other player's "password" is known, that is).  If there is only
      one possible target, or the information otherwise does not need
      to be kept secret, this secret procedure can be skipped, and the
      information recorded in the game log itself.

   D. To roll dice, visit the web page www.irony.com/mailroll.html and
      use the email dice server.  You must send a game report to all
      players, indicating what dice rolls are about to be made, with
      "about to roll dice" or a similar status, BEFORE rolling
      the dice.  On the web page, use a 6-sided die, rolled singly
      with no adjustments, for a number of times that matches the number
      of dice rolls needed.  Make sure (!) to clearly specify what the
      dice rolls are for, including specific ordering when needed (such
      as with phasers of different types, some overloaded disruptors,
      etc.).  Provide your own and your opponents' email addresses,
      then press "roll them bones."  You will see the results online
      immediately, and all players including you will soon receive an
      email with the same results.  If you discover that more dice rolls
      are required before you yield control of the game, simply repeat
      the procedure just for those additional rolls.  If it turns out
      that something was invalid about one or more dice rolls whose
      results are in a single email (such as accidentally including
      weapons that are not in arc), then re-roll that ENTIRE email's
      worth of dice rolls.  This standard is defined, so that you don't
      have to argue over how to handle the situation when it arises.

3. GAME REPORT
   The game report, which may look like any other PBEM game report, is
   public information, and is filled out cumulatively by the players as
   play proceeds.

   A. When a player is in control of the game, he updates some
      portion of the game report, as described below, then sends a
      copy of the updated game report to all other players.  He yields
      control of the game explicitly to another player with a status
      message near the end of the game report.

   B. When one of any opponent's "break conditions" are triggered, the
      controlling player stops adding to the game report, and a "break"
      occurs at that point in time.  The next player to gain control is
      the one whose break condition is met.  If there are multiple
      players who qualify, the next player is the next one (from among
      those with break conditions met) in the ordering of players that
      was determined before the game started.  Each player whose break
      condition is met will gain control of the game, in turn.

   C. The "firm to here" marker in the game report indicates the point
      before which all actions are firm and cannot be changed (other
      than potentially to correct errors).  A line such as "<-- firm to
      here -->" is actually to be inserted into the game report, and
      moved on as game time progresses, by each player.  It is located
      at the point in game time that is earliest among all players'
      current break points.  If there are other players with break
      conditions met at the current point in game time, then the "firm
      to here" marker is not moved forward, yet.  It is possible that
      actions listed in the game report after the "firm to here" marker
      will still be altered, depending on interactions among all
      players' actions in the meantime and all players' listed break
      conditions, as described below.

   D. Any player may (and usually will) have actions listed in the game
      report that are past the "firm to here" marker.  Since actions
      after the "firm to here" marker may still trigger a break
      condition for other players, and another player may in turn
      trigger a break condition of the current player, those future
      actions are not yet firm.  They may be changed, if control comes
      back to the current player while the "firm to here" marker is still
      not past those actions.

4. BEING IN CONTROL OF THE GAME REPORT
   Whenever a player gains control of the game report, he follows this
   procedure:

   A. Review the game report for errors up to the current "firm to here"
      point.  Promptly bring up errors with other players, to resolve
      them before the situation gets any worse.

   B. Update none, any, or all of your previously supplied actions in
      the game report, but only those that are after the "firm to here"
      marker.  Add any more actions beyond those.

   C. You must now make progress, which means that you must either take
      action or forfeit the right to do so for at least one step in the
      sequence of play.  Whenever multiple players may participate
      "simultaneously" in game time (in the same step of the sequence
      of play), each gets a chance to do so, so it is possible that the
      progress one player makes is just one step as far as he's
      concerned, not necessarily as far as all players are concerned.

   D. As soon as your actions cause the game to trigger any opponent's
      break condition, if one was met already when you got control, or
      as soon as you voluntarily yield control of the game, clearly
      state the current break point status near the end of the game
      report (the next break condition met and whose it is).

   E. As far as is desired, the player provides his units' actions into
      the future beyond the required break point.  This is optional, as
      it reveals intentions, though it speeds progress of the game
      whenever there's nothing "interesting" going on that isn't
      harmful to reveal to the opponents.

   F. Send the game report to the next player, including any desired
      break conditions explicitly listed for actions that will occur
      when you are not in control of the game.  This send of the game
      report gives control of the game to that next player.

5. MAKING PROGRESS
   The controlling player may list explicit or variable actions.

   A. The player may always list explicitly the actions of his units.

   B. The player may choose to supply a simple and clear, but variable,
      action for his future actions.  For example, his movement for the
      next several impulses might be given as, "Forward towards ship X,
      but slip right or left as needed to try to keep him centerlined."

   C. If a player's variable action is not clear when a definite action
      is needed, then the player who is in control of the game notes
      the ambiguity, and a special break is declared at that point in
      game time.  Control of the game passes to the player whose action
      it is, and he must provide an explicit action in its place, then
      pass control of the game back to the current player, so that
      progress may continue. [[Note: May need to add that the player's
      clarification in this special break must be one of the possible
      actions he had specified with the vague variable action.]]

6. GETTING BACK CONTROL AFTER YIELDING IT
   The controlling player may list explicit or variable future break
   conditions.

   A. The player may always list explicitly a future point in the
      sequence of play as a break condition, such as "end of all movement
      for turn 1 impulse 12."

   B. A variable break condition may be provided, as well.  For example,
      "any damage to my shields or any internals," or "enemy ship X at
      range 8 or less."  Any of the player's units are referred to,
      unless stated otherwise.

   C. The following are possible break conditions that may be useful
      to players who don't have lots of SFB PBEM experience:

      1. Internal damage to any ship, or damage to any shuttle or
         fighter. -- The number of internals or damage points is known
         at that break point, but the actual resolution of internals is
         delayed, so that the player could take any action simultaneous
         with the one causing the damage.  [[Note: Need to clarify
         what exactly is allowed as simultaneous... firing decision vs.
         firing resolution, etc.]]

      2. Shield damage (or PA panel absorption) on any of my ships.
         This is normally the point at which shield reinforcement is
         performed.

      3. Any enemy ship fires a heavy weapon.

      4. Any ship shows a down shield to any enemy (to it) unit that is
         capable of firing, performing H&R raid, or attacking it in any
         way, and either the ship or the attacking unit is mine.

      5. Any ship utilizes, ceases to utilize, or makes an announcement
         for a system or weapon (select from ESG, DisDev, Cloak,
         Transporter, Tractor, Probe, Shuttle/Fighter/PF launch/land,
         Seeking Weapon launch, Scout Channel, Web Caster, Satellite
         Ship launch/land, etc.).

      6. Speed change by any unit.

      7. Course change by any ship within 10 hexes of friendly ship.

   D. The following are some common break conditions that are to be
      interpreted liberally, unless stated specifically otherwise by
      the player:  (The purpose of this rule is to have the best
      application of tactics win, not just whoever phrased the break
      conditions properly.)

      1. Any reference to "range X" -> at or less than range X.

      2. Any reference to "turning" or "course change" -> turning left,
         turning right, performing an HET, or otherwise changing facing.

      3. Any reference to "enemy" -> any enemy unit of any type, whether
         or not on the map at the time the break condition was given

      4. Any reference to "fire" -> any direct fire, seeking weapon
         launch, or other utilization of any weapon that can cause
         damage, whether immediate or delayed

7. SIMULTANEITY
   Simultaneous game play within a step may invoke an action auction
   (which is similar to a tractor energy auction).

  A. Results are always resolved (& damage scored, etc.) so that the
     actions that are simultaneous in normal game play really are
     simultaneous, as in the official rules.  For example, a weapon may
     fire that is destroyed by enemy fire in the same impulse's direct
     fire step.  The actions simply aren't decided upon & revealed
     simultaneously.

  B. Whenever one player has control when an opponent's break condition
     is met by his own action, and that action is simultaneous within a
     game play step with a potential action by the opponent, the
     controlling player commits to and records the action(s), but does
     not resolve any dice rolls, damage, etc. at this time.  An action
     auction is commenced among those players whose break conditions
     have been met.

  C. Whenever a player gains control and an opponent has outstanding
     actions to resolve, pending possible simultaneous action, the
     player commits to any action(s) he desires, or passes on the right
     to take any in this step of the sequence of play, and yields
     control to the next player in the action auction.

  D. Each player with a triggered break condition may in turn commit
     to take any legal action(s) within that same step (or may pass).
     Another round of "me too" decisions is commenced when needed, as
     long as any player other than the one in control at the moment has
     added an action in the just-concluded round.  Once an opponent
     passes in an action auction, he is out of any future rounds, as
     well, for that triggered break condition of his.  Only those
     players continuing to perform "simultaneous" auctions continue to
     get a chance to add actions.  It is possible that another break
     condition will be met, then that player joins in the action auction
     (even if he's already gotten out of it for a previous triggered
     break condition).  Eventually, all but the last player will pass,
     once there are no more weapons to fire, transporters to use, etc.,
     and the action auction will end.

  E. Whenever a player gains control while he still has pending action
     auction actions, the player resolves his actions within the step,
     and yields control to the next player, so that the other
     simultaneous actions may be resolved, before game time resumes its
     progress.

  F. It may be argued that in some tactical situations, it is an
     advantage to know what the enemy will do before having to commit to
     actions within the same step of the sequence of play.  This is
     alleviated by these factors:  An appropriate break condition must
     have been supplied by the opponent.  This situation should tend to
     occur for both sides, so it is still mostly fair.  Not knowing the
     results of the known actions keeps the later player(s) from knowing
     everything.  The series of "me too" decisions provides the capability
     to have a "one-upsmanship" series, when desired, rather than having
     one player reveal all decisions before any are revealed by another
     player, as would be the straightforward approach.  If players are
     still not comfortable with this method of handling simultaneous
     actions, and the opportunity is present, then a neutral escrow agent
     or an exchange of encrypted orders for the step can be utilized, as
     for EA forms and secret information.

  Please let us know about any experiences with this system and new ideas
  you might have.

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