[Arcs] Should Populist Demand, et al place zero marker?

[turmoilbyrd]

It was pointed out that unlike Galactic Bard and Tycoon’s Ambition, many cards that can declare ambition don’t say “Do not place the zero marker”.

• Populist Demand and Populist Demand
• 5 Liaison
• 4 copies of Lesser Regent
• Witnesses

if this is a mistake can maybe add an errata.

If however this is actually intended, then it’s an interesting aspect that I have not considered. It’ll be possible for a non-leading player to place the zero marker on the lead card. This will allow all the player after them to treat lead card as 0. And if he zero marker is already placed, this will just be a no-op (apply the “place as much as possible” rule). We can add an FAQ for it.

[emptierset]

The broader issue is that it is unclear what exactly it means to declare an ambition. Some amount of the following section applies when you secure Populist Demands, but clearly not all of it, because Populist Demands (or Tycoon's Ambition) don't have anything to do with cards played (presumably). If the intent is something like the following, then "do not place the zero marker" should likely actually be italics, because it's just a helpful reminder not to do something that you shouldn't do.

To declare an ambition, take the highest-number ...

If not, then Populist Demands most likely needs unitalicized "do not place the zero marker".

[turmoilbyrd]

The way I read it, the declaring an ambition step is described by the two paragraphs "Take the highest-number ambition marker......its card number is now 0."

The rest are just telling you one way you may declare an ambition (the most common way), and when you cannot declare an ambition. Besides these rules, cards can provide other ways to declare ambitions.

The ambition marker manipulation is the important part. The zero marker placement is a side-effect, but still mandatory. That's why the cards need to explicitly supersede it.

[turmoilbyrd]

I came around to see that there is a possibility that this is intended but I have not played in the correct way by RAW

[emptierset]

There's also Lesser Regent, Rebuke of the Keepers, Judge Sets Agendas, and Witnesses.

[turmoilbyrd]

There's also Lesser Regent, Rebuke of the Keepers, Judge Sets Agendas, and Witnesses.

Rebuke of the Keepers and Judge Sets Agenda are kind of moot because they happen in Edict. By that time all players have taken their turn.