Specification and synthetic worlds
Games
What does the world specify?
Games proposes small, controlled worlds for comparing rules and incentives. The sequence begins with specification, then follows access rules, shared resources, authority, institutional persistence, bargaining, and taxation. Civilisation is the longer-term question within this series: what shared arrangements can a population sustain?
Reading stream · 8 entries
Games Agents Play
Two settlements, a few delivery agents, and a reward that might teach the wrong lesson.
Read the noteProtocols as Rules of Play
Compare prices, reputation, referrals, and identity rules in the same crowded inbox.
Read the noteThe Minimum Viable Agent World
A small trading world for testing whether coordination lasts beyond a single task.
Read the noteGoverning the Agent Commons
Everyone needs the same service. A few agents fill the queue. What would make access fair?
Read the noteWho Governs a Synthetic World?
Move rule-making power between a platform, local groups, and their participants, then compare the consequences.
Read the noteCan an Institution Survive Its Agents?
Replace the participants in a small market and test which records and procedures keep it functioning.
Read the noteA Coasean Democracy
A shop needs deliveries. Its neighbours need quiet. Could their agents help them reach an agreement?
Read the noteTaxing
Can we tax agents? Harberger taxes, transferable rights, and what it means to say: I own an agent.
Read the note