Some schemes are voluntary, some are not?

[Maniacal_cackle]

I've just been looking into bluffing schemes (for example, can you choose to not score Spread Them Out if you want to continue bluffing Runic Binding), and I noticed something odd: the optional part of revealing a scheme is embedded in the scheme text, and it isn't always there.

For example, all the rulebook schemes say "you may reveal this scheme" to score. Spread Them Out says "you may remove three such Scheme Markers to gain 1 VP."

However, Research Mission does not mention the word 'may'. If you qualify for Research Mission, you score it.

Does this mean you can voluntarily choose to not score some schemes, but for stuff like Research Mission it is mandatory to score? Is there anything in the rulebook about choosing to score schemes? It seems like a silly technical mistake, so wondering if there is a method to the madness at all.

EDIT: Oh, and there's another common time this comes up - being against Qi And Gong where they penalize you for revealing schemes, delaying scheme reveals can be a tactical option there.

[Maniacal_cackle]

I mean, the sensible way to play this would be just to have all schemes be voluntary to reveal, right?

Is that how most people play?

[solkan]

Mandatory schemes have been around for a while:

 

 

[Maniacal_cackle]

Oh right, so if it was a thing in 2E, I guess continuing it here makes sense.

Bizarre though.

[NoisyAssassin]

Did a Ctrl+F through the rulebook, and there definitly doesn't seem to be a 'may' clause built in. Although it does feel like a very odd design choice to make some optional and some mandatory.

[Morgan Vening]

I don't like the idea of schemes being mandatory, mainly because it complicates the game state.

Player realizes they were able to score the first point on Turn 3, during the middle/late of Turn 5.

How do you resolve that? If it was mandatory, you've either got to ignore it (in which case it isn't mandatory), award the point (which means the Opponent missed out on a turn and a half or more of activations to prevent the scoring of the second point, or was bluffed into defending another scheme, because if they had of scored, they would), or you have to rewind the game state to the end of Turn 3 (which besides having it's own problems, if other schemes had been revealed for example, would be a MASSIVE pain in the groin).

If it's may, then it's simply "Tough luck, better remember next game". Sure, it sucks when that happens, but that's what happens with all the "may" schemes anyway.

I mean, I'm fine with early during the next turn, "Oh crap, I could have scored X", and allowing that. But once more than an activation, maybe two (as long as it's not massively disruptive), then it's just too bad. I'm often penalized by this more than my opponent.