The central issue is one of timing, when can Old Road be played?Old Road:
Allows a character at a Haven [ ] to attempt to bring a faction into play. The length of the site path from this Haven to the site at which the faction can be played must be two or less (this must be verified by an available site card). The influence check for this attempt is modified by -1 and is not modified by the influencing character's direct influence.
But the wider issue is clarity about which conditions for a normal attempt to play a faction are circumvented by Old Road. Is this considered a normal influence attempt (with the exception of altered conditions on Old Road), or is it a special case alltogether?
That this is unclear is evident from the fact that several times the issue has been put to the NetRep (or similar institutions).
This ruling was repeated in several later Rulings Digests ( #23, #47).CoE weekly Rulings/Clarifications 11 wrote:
3. I can't find anything that tells me I can't use Old Road in the org phase, or even that it results in the Haven or the remote site tapping.
*** CRF Site Phase/General: "Items, factions and allies must be played during the site phase."
*** CRF Site Phase/General: "The site taps upon successful play of the resource that would tap it."
[...]
18. What are the site tapping rules with regards to Hour of Need and Old Road?
*** In Van Norton's old digests, 581 and 582, he says that both require an untapped site and will tap the site at which they are played."
Though it was ruled thus, that Old Road is played during the site phase, and it taps the site (Haven) at which the faction is played successfully, discussions about other resource short-events and their issues with timing or implicit altering of normal playing conditions leave this card in an unclear state. Moreover, this ruling is considered contradictory (or inconsistent) with the MELE rules, stating:
BALLOT ITEM # 36:...you may play resource cards anytime during your own turn unless specifically prohibited by the rules or the cards themselves.
Are you in favor of issuing the following erratum?
OLD ROAD
Change This:
To This:Allows a character at a Haven [ ] to attempt to bring a faction into play. The length of the site path from this Haven to the site at which the faction can be played must be two or less (this must be verified by an available site card). The influence check for this attempt is modified by -1 and is not modified by the influencing character's direct influence.
(relevant part bolded)Tap a character at a Haven [ ] during the site phase. The character makes an attempt to bring a faction into play (reveal the faction with the card). The length of the site path from this Haven to the site at which the faction can be played must be two or less (this must be verified by an available site card). The influence check for this attempt is modified by -1 and is not modified by the influencing character's direct influence.
CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR VOTE:
If you vote YES, then it will be established that Old Road is playable only during the site phase at a Haven, and that Old Road does otherwise not circumvent any rules for making an influence attempt against a faction (other than those listed on the card).
If you vote NO, then Old Road will remain unchanged. Debate and ambiguity will remain, and it could be maintained that Old Road can be played at any time.
REFERENCE TOPICS: viewtopic.php?f=143&t=3331