State of Exception Gaming Salon

Come be part of the conversations that grants us a common view of the levers of power shaping our democracy.

I experienced the Atoll Society State of Exception Gaming Salon personally with my daughter, a high-school senior in March by chance. The experience hit me like ripping off a bandage off, it shifted my mind from being lost in the constant terrifying rush of political and AI news into a clear focus on what is at stake and what I, as an individual can put my energies into.

For those that know me, I am both excitable and efficient when it comes to executing new ideas. I learn to take action. At this moment, I feel like the most valuable thing that I can personally do for my democracy is to get as many of my neighbors to experience the mental shift the Gaming Salon offers to help us all move towards investing our enegies in our personal highest and best use as part of the bigger democracy puzzle in which we now live.

The Gaming Salon experience makes the levers of power, including those available to us as citizen community members very clear. It also brings to stark relief the seriousness of the financial levers our government officials have allowed to concentrate within Capital by exploring the same scenario from thier perspective. Sneak peak - When concentrated Capital has enough money to treat the American economy as a distressed asset, it is not a good thing for the rest of us.

This Gaming Salon experience is as grass-roots as it gets. We are just planting the seeds and I want you to be a part of it so many flowers can bloom.

The State of Exception Gaming Salon is a fictional near-future America haunted by centuries-old demons. Three factions compete to shape the country's trajectory: the Nationalist, the Capitalists, and the Institutionalists. The simulation runs under the Chatham House Rule : you may discuss what you learn, but not who attended.

Each Team hasa public goal known to all and a Secret Win Condition revealed only to that Team. each Team has raised a $1 billion Slush Fund to spend over the entire game. Teams also wield inherent institutional power, ranging from position statements to federal and state budgets, that can be deployed without dipping into this liquid Slush Fund. each Team's Handler will offer "default Moves" generated by typical consultants for that Team, but those can be discarded entirely; in practice, each Teams' Moves are limited only by creativity and the laws of physics.

Simulations are not designed to make the underlying assumptins of a scenario seem possible, plausible, or palatable.

Simulations simply explore how to respondif assumptions prove true.

For more details, look at a recent Salon Players Handbook https://www.atollsociety.org/programs/gaming-salon-case-study

Registration is required by June 15 to allow time to prepare the Salon participants.

Info: Arrive, and find your team. Locate where you might want to move for breakout discussions and review the Players Handbook and first News Drop.

Info: Participants sit at thier assigned team table for the overview of the day. The group will review the initial public NEWS DROP before teams decide where they want to strategize together.

Info: Participates gather with their assigned team to strategize moves for the round. All moves MUST be submitted by 12:50 to be considered by the Game Kernel.

Info: The Game Kernel, run by The Atoll Society will calculate and prepare the May 2027 NEWS DROP which will be distributed via Signal.

Info: Participants gather with ther assinged teams to strategize moves for the round. All moves MUST be submitted by 1:45 to be considered by the Game Kernel

Info: The Game Kernel, run by The Atoll Society will calculate and prepare the November 2028 NEWS DROP which will be distributed via Signal.

Info: Participants gather with ther assinged teams to strategize moves for the round. All moves MUST be submitted by 2:40 to be considered by the Game Kernel.

Info: The Game Kernel, run by The Atoll Society will calculate and prepare the December 2030 NEWS DROP which will be distributed via Signal.

Info: Participants gather in primary meeting room to discuss the final NEWS DROP and Key Takeaways before breaking for the day.

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Host or Publisher Lisa Howard