The purpose, development and operation of real world TRIADs is explained in more detail in the book, TRIAD, but here we shall explain them simply as they apply to the game.

The purpose of TRIADs, both in the game and in the real world, is for consultation. In both the game and in the real world you can consult with your TRIAD members about anything you wish to consult about.

In the game the intention is to discuss how to make the game better in achieving the goals of the game. For the game itself, one of the goals is teach people to use TRIADs and to consult, but (The Game which Is Not A Game) has real goals also and it is about those that one wishes to consult.

In the game, in order to form or join a forming TRIAD, you simply go to your TRIAD dashboard and highlight an 'empty' TRIAD location. You will then be shown the list of members of your LERN and you can select someone to invite to join you in a TRIAD. If they accept - then that slot in your TRIAD will be filled. On the other hand you may see a forming TRIAD that has only two members, and ask to join.

You should try to be a member in THREE TRIADs. You cannot be in two TRIADs with the same person. Everyone being members of multiple TRIADs is what forms the TRIAD net and gives it, its power. How the network forms is not described, just in the same way as we cannot describe how the freemarket is organized or the connections between the synapses in the brain. We just know that they all work.

If you join a different LERN in the game, the TRIADs that you have in your previous game LERN - will be lost to you. This not prevent you from setting up real TRIADs in the real world with friends that you have met through the game TRIADs, so that you do not lose your friends.