I meant
this post when I spoke of Baalz' position in Artifacts. Of course I don't know what happened there but WL is referencing graphs here and I remember myself looking at them then.
As for your second point... Well, perhaps you're right but it would be very hard for me to act this way. Very hard to lose turn by turn and understand it's inevitable when you always aim to win.
However, there was one game long ago when I was ready to quit being pressed by 3 nations with no chance of success. Leaders were far far ahead and there was absolutely no light in the end of the tunnel. And the same turn I decided to quit my biggest enemy suggested eternal peace because of "senseless war". Well, that was when I decided I should win and did it.