Re: Rules Q&A Forum - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Re: Rules Q&A Forum

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
sillyrobot
Apr 19, 2008 9:27:35
Gamer_Zer0;15655287 wrote:
#2
gamer_zer0
Apr 19, 2008 9:33:05
Rule questions will receive official answers on the rules forum?

Not all of them, of course. But we want the rules Q&A forum to be a place where our R&D and CS teams can give official answers to rules questions. This is something that is used more with miniature games, which are a bit more structured, but our goal is to have one place where those teams can provide answers.
#3
sillyrobot
Apr 19, 2008 9:38:26 Will such answers be comipled in the Rules Database?

If not, you run the risk of "forking" -- providing multiple "official" answers on different publications.
#4
gamer_zer0
Apr 19, 2008 10:25:11
Will such answers be comipled in the Rules Database?

If not, you run the risk of "forking" -- providing multiple "official" answers on different publications.

CS updates our Knowledge Base periodically, but I don't know exactly how that process works.
#5
sillyrobot
Apr 19, 2008 11:47:22
CS updates our Knowledge Base periodically, but I don't know exactly how that process works.

Just to be clear, I'm referring to the Rules Database which is being exposed as part of the Digital Initiative.

I believe CS has had a Knowledge Base to help with consistency of answers for a while which is something else entirely.
#6
gamer_zer0
Apr 19, 2008 13:00:49
Just to be clear, I'm referring to the Rules Database which is being exposed as part of the Digital Initiative.

The forum is for answering rules questions, not changing the rules. So any answer given in the forum will be consistent with all the existing rules out there, in all forms.
#7
Seeker95
Apr 19, 2008 14:25:35
The forum is for answering rules questions, not changing the rules. So [eds: in an ideal world] any answer given in the forum will be consistent with all the existing rules out there, in all forms.

I have added the part in the brackets to clarify what I am about to respond with.

We have had plenty of experience with rules Q&A to know that the ideal world does not exist. There are multiple supplements that end up creating multiple conditions under which one answer to one question no longer works. We have also seen the capacity for question askers to word questions in such a way as to practically force an answer that will contradict the rules when used in a specific context, or that generates a very specific answer that contradicts the rules in the general context.

I believe that is what SR means by rules "forking".
#8
sillyrobot
Apr 19, 2008 14:51:56
I believe that is what SR means by rules "forking".

That, and an official answer on the boards that contradicts the Rules Database, that is contradicted by the Sage in yet a different way and then new books being published which are dependent on differing interpretations of the ruleset to function correctly.
#9
calronmoonflower
Apr 19, 2008 16:44:33
That, and an official answer on the boards that contradicts the Rules Database, that is contradicted by the Sage in yet a different way and then new books being published which are dependent on differing interpretations of the ruleset to function correctly.

Yes, that will happen. The FAQ has several points here and there that contradict the rules, and customer service frequently makes mistakes.

The best you could hope for is that the questions are used in the future to make the rules clearer, and that too many contradictions do not happen.

When contractions do exist then the problem needs to be gone over until the mistake is founds and dealt with. That is the only way to properly deal with the problem.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 sillyrobot Apr 19, 2008 9:27:35	Gamer_Zer0;15655287 wrote:
#2 gamer_zer0 Apr 19, 2008 9:33:05	Rule questions will receive official answers on the rules forum? Not all of them, of course. But we want the rules Q&A forum to be a place where our R&D and CS teams can give official answers to rules questions. This is something that is used more with miniature games, which are a bit more structured, but our goal is to have one place where those teams can provide answers.
#3 sillyrobot Apr 19, 2008 9:38:26	Will such answers be comipled in the Rules Database? If not, you run the risk of "forking" -- providing multiple "official" answers on different publications.
#4 gamer_zer0 Apr 19, 2008 10:25:11	Will such answers be comipled in the Rules Database? If not, you run the risk of "forking" -- providing multiple "official" answers on different publications. CS updates our Knowledge Base periodically, but I don't know exactly how that process works.
#5 sillyrobot Apr 19, 2008 11:47:22	CS updates our Knowledge Base periodically, but I don't know exactly how that process works. Just to be clear, I'm referring to the Rules Database which is being exposed as part of the Digital Initiative. I believe CS has had a Knowledge Base to help with consistency of answers for a while which is something else entirely.
#6 gamer_zer0 Apr 19, 2008 13:00:49	Just to be clear, I'm referring to the Rules Database which is being exposed as part of the Digital Initiative. The forum is for answering rules questions, not changing the rules. So any answer given in the forum will be consistent with all the existing rules out there, in all forms.
#7 Seeker95 Apr 19, 2008 14:25:35	The forum is for answering rules questions, not changing the rules. So [eds: in an ideal world] any answer given in the forum will be consistent with all the existing rules out there, in all forms. I have added the part in the brackets to clarify what I am about to respond with. We have had plenty of experience with rules Q&A to know that the ideal world does not exist. There are multiple supplements that end up creating multiple conditions under which one answer to one question no longer works. We have also seen the capacity for question askers to word questions in such a way as to practically force an answer that will contradict the rules when used in a specific context, or that generates a very specific answer that contradicts the rules in the general context. I believe that is what SR means by rules "forking".
#8 sillyrobot Apr 19, 2008 14:51:56	I believe that is what SR means by rules "forking". That, and an official answer on the boards that contradicts the Rules Database, that is contradicted by the Sage in yet a different way and then new books being published which are dependent on differing interpretations of the ruleset to function correctly.
#9 calronmoonflower Apr 19, 2008 16:44:33	That, and an official answer on the boards that contradicts the Rules Database, that is contradicted by the Sage in yet a different way and then new books being published which are dependent on differing interpretations of the ruleset to function correctly. Yes, that will happen. The FAQ has several points here and there that contradict the rules, and customer service frequently makes mistakes. The best you could hope for is that the questions are used in the future to make the rules clearer, and that too many contradictions do not happen. When contractions do exist then the problem needs to be gone over until the mistake is founds and dealt with. That is the only way to properly deal with the problem.