Changing signups to hydras

[Toomai]

It's almost like a 13-player game should have 13 players in it.


But more seriously, to me this looks like: "Plan your hydra-ness before you /in. If the game fills up, and you try to hydra after that, you're being a nuisance."

[Toomai]

I mean the rule refers to people jumping the line. But I don't understand where the line jumping is taking place. The hydra is taking a spot in line that one of the people in the hydra already has isn't it? Changing that just feels like it's a rule meant to be openly hostile to hydras.

Consider the following:

• Game is for 13 players.
  
• 16 players /in. Obviously, the first 13 get in while 3 are left out for now until things are finalized.
  
• The playerlist looks like this: [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M] {N, O, P}
  
• P joins a hydra with F.
  
• J /outs.
  
• Because the rule exists:
  • The playerlist is now: [A, B, C, D, E, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O] {FP}
• But if the rule did not exist:
  • The playerlist is now: [A, B, C, D, E, FP, G, H, I, K, L, M, N] {O}
    
  • Note how O /inned before P, but because P joined a hydra with someone already /in, P jumped the line.

All the rule is really saying is "The position of an inpromptu hydra in signups matches the position of its

latest

head, not its

earliest

head."

[Toomai]

I mean I wasn't trying to make a judgement as to whether it's a good rule, I just constructed a situation that seems to explain the "jumping the line" remark. Though frankly it's how things would work from a raw technical perspective (e.g. automated signups^TM); A /ins, B wants to hydra, and in order to do that A must /out so that AB can /in.

But really, as long as the mods are on the ball and signups are closed/the game begins the instant the game fills, I don't see how this rule can have much of a practical effect. (insert a few billion grains of salt)