Last Scythe wins!

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Scythes, we’re making a big change to the reaping process: going ahead, when a Scythe reaps a cube, that reap will override the given consensus. If more than one Scythe reaps it, last Scythe wins!

What exactly does this mean?

  • Scythes now modify cubes “Wikipedia-style,” just like admins do. What you reap takes the place of the last reap, which took the place of the reap before, and so on.
  • If Scythe A reaps a cube with differences from the consensus, this will overwrite the consensus and force those changes.
  • If Scythe A reaps a cube and then Scythe B reaps it differently, whatever Scythe B added or took away will automatically replace what Scythe A did.
  • The Grim Reaper still has “supreme executive power,” i.e. admin reaps overwrite Scythe reaps and cannot be re-reaped except by an admin.
  • This new system will only apply to cells launched from this date forward, not older cells.

Why are we doing this?

When our consensus system was originally coded, Scythes did not exist as a player role. Long story short, this resulted in Scythes having no trouble adding new segments while having a lot of trouble removing them. Before today, we had reached a point where usually only two Scythes were needed to add an extension or nub, but many more Scythes were needed to destroy a merger. With a “last Scythe wins” rule, usually it will only take one Scythe to edit inaccurate consensus. This will make reaping much more efficient, and HQ has enough trust in you, the Scythes, to wield such power.

Stuff to bear in mind

  • Please continue to log the cubes you reap. If a cube is reaped, others may need to know why. If you’re sure the cube is good after you’ve reaped it, you can label it Scythe Complete in the Scouts’ Log. If you are not confident about the changes, feel free to use the Watch label or something similar. By continuing to log, Scythes can still fix imperfect reaps and get feedback from one another when they’re not sure about what to add.
  • When inspecting a cube that a Scythe has already reaped, the segment colors will be one uniform color, as with admin-reaped cubes. This is because segment confidence has been replaced by an ultimatum of sorts. While this eliminates one way that you can identify and discuss specific segments, please note that you can still use Explore Mode for that purpose, and the image annotation tool in the Scouts’ Log is your friend. We know this is a trade-off, but it should be a fair one since fewer cubes should be getting multiple log entries.
  • If you’re worried about being the first Scythe to reap a cube and overwrite its consensus… please don’t worry! In the past, if you were just adding a segment, there’s a good chance it would have the same impact then as it does today. You won’t break anything!
  • If you’re worried about being the last Scythe and having your version be what’s set in stone… please don’t worry about this either! Once again, this is exactly why Scythes still need the Scouts’ Log. Use it liberally and your fellow Scythes will be able to help you out.

That should be all you need to know for now, but please keep us informed about any new bugs or challenges you encounter. For science!