[Ruatha]

Jul 13, 2004 9:26:24 PM CEST: Greetings all.
We have a problem and I am in need of your opinions.

This is the situation:
Long ago an ancient wished to downgrade his trade treaty with a minor to a NA treaty, he offered this but the minor did not accept, so he cancelled the treaty with the intention of establishing a NA treaty, but the minor refused to accept a NA treaty despite several proposals.
In the following turns the ancient and the minor stumbled into some fights where mostly the minor lost ships.
Then the minor captured a stellar manipulation ship from the ancient and started haressing his ships and bases with some success.
The rules stipulate that the Ancient cannot attack the minor before turn 120, only defend.
This anceint also doesn't wish to gather large forces together with every ship he sends out as that would attract the other ancients large forces into battle, something he wishes to avoid at present.

The result is that the minor can refuse to accept a NA treaty, and attack the ancient and take his ships at will, without fear of retribution.
This is something I hadn't foreseen, I had expected the minors to be afraid of the ancient and always accepting the NA treaties, otherwise the ancient would have to use his minors to fight this offending minor.
The rules clearly stipulate in favor of the minor, he can continue to fight the ancient and the ancient is not allowed to willfully attack the minors ships or planets.

For me this does seem as an awkward situation but well within the rules.
The ancient in my opinion would have to withdraw his ships from the area where this minor operates or guard them better (Self destruct devices?), and recruit his minors to do battle, opening wormholes for them etcetera.

None of the parties involved are in any way hostile, both are very polite about the situation.
I cannot see any other way than to let the situation continue as described above without violating the rules set down before the game started, something I am very reluctant to do.

Your opinion can help me in this but the final decision will reside in me, so any results of this will have to be "blamed/discussed" with me, not any other player.
Either way this will propably result in some player/s leaving the game.

The game is on no auto turns anyway as I'll have to run the turn manually to reset a password.

Speak up.
Ruatha (ruatha)