Re: Measurements...

Beth,

 Yes, you are right. It's about the time it takes. 

 As tournaments go, you MUST plan for the <insert demonic figure of
choice> showing up and doing absolutely *everything* you thought no one
would but isn't actually forbidden in the rules.

 A simple example: Figure you have no time limit to finish a player's
turn. However, the actual event must have a time limit. Therefore, you
probably have a "if time runs out..." clause. A gamesman, seeing things
currently in his favor, might choose to stall the game for a
win-by-default, simply by not finishing his turn. 

 Likewise, a gamesman might choose to spend ridiculous time "measuring"
things just to unnerve his opponents. Or he really might be running that
computer simulation... Deep Thrust ;-)

 Now, before the chorus cries out "don't play with a**holes like that", 
two things:

 - I don't think most "problem players" are out to spoil the game on
purpose. But they *are* out to win. Some people follow the spirit of the
rules, others follow the letter. Only when the spirit and the letter are
one, can these two groups peacefully co-exist.

 - Rigid rules sometimes sound stupid, but they do make life easier for 
everyone. The control freak gets to know exactly what he can do, and 
the laid-back gamer can rest assured that off the wall stunts are
forbidden.

 This is how competition sports works. Take chess. The actual game rules
were invented how many thousands of years ago? Every chess player knows
these rules by heart. Then why do tournaments have extra rules? Why do
these rules need to be amended every now and then?

 Because they're not really rules about the game itself. They're rules
about your conduit while playing the game. It's these metarules that
make
it possible for all sorts of people to enjoy the tournament.

To recap:
- In tournaments, you MUST have a rule for EVERYTHING
- If you decide to allow something, you MUST account for the
possibility that someone takes it to the UTMOST RIDICULOUS EXTREME

 Brian, it looks like you've adopted my other choice, time limits. Which
is just fine.

 Bonus points for those who noticed the crooked dice "hint". But crooked
sheets went unnoticed, no?

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