| Thanks, Nack, for another razor-sharp explanation.
I couldn't help but notice, however, that amid a sea of precision, the definition of L (Lift) is still a bit fuzzy. It's kind of a give-away when you write things like, “If there were an enemy blot on the 9pt, you could ... reasonably support capital L for 13/9*/6.” [italics added] What the hell does that mean? Reasonably support? (LOL!!!) Sounds like an argument in court! But it's not fair for me to tease. You are generous beyond any requirement in the time you spend explaining, and then explaining again, the rules of Nactation. In another post I commended your willingness to venture into the churning waters of a still forming Nactation. I repeat that praise here. I know well that there is a reason you did not say, “If there were an enemy blot on the 9pt, the Nactation for 13/9*/6 would be captial L.” The reason is that you have not yet finalized the updated formulation of L (Lift). You say as much in the post entitled Nactation Questions — Which families use Hit/Most/Six?. Here’s what you wrote: “Any situational parameters not yet clearly defined (because they arise so seldom I haven't yet confronted them) are being worked out for the updated tutorial. In the case of T (and possibly L, still deciding), I will insert "fewest blots" either in the underlying definition or as a letter-specific convention (either before hit or after most in the hit/most/6 rule).” It looks like you are trying out the idea in your Nactations of 63R-42P-43.
Consider the two members of the L (Lift) family, 15/8 and 13/6. Under the Hit/Most/Six Rule, it is clear that 13/6 would be ranked first in the family. It is the play that lands a spare directly on the 6pt; under the 6pt Convention, you cannot do any better than that. Yet, you have ranked 15/8 as the top play in the family. That can only make sense if you are applying a “fewest blots” convention to the L (Lift) family. 15/8 picks up a blot; 13/6 does not. Does this mean that you have finalized your decision? Fewest Blots in the L (Lift) and T (sTack/Tower) families is now part of Hit/Most/Six? To be applied after the Most-Points Convention? I gather this last bit by your discussion of T (sTack/Tower). There you state that, “... fewest blots overrides the 6pt convention.” The implication is that a Fewest Blots Convention is part of Hit/Most/Six, and that it is being applied before the 6pt Convention. It is also suggested by the fact that the hit in 13/9*/6 might be relevant in any way to the ranking of that play. So why the fuzziness? If that is where the Fewest-Blots test will go, why not state flatly that, “If there were an enemy blot on the 9pt, the Nactation for 13/9*/6 would be captial L?” The only answer I can think of is, “Because I haven't decided.” Mike | ||||||||
