Scorched earth

[RedWurm]

I agree, and while it may have the additional benefit of discouraging aggression in other MP games, it is quite justifiable in terms of the game it is employed in.

For the losing nation, I don't doubt that, even in a relatively fair one-on-one fight, there is an understandable appeal in doing whatever you can to nobble your conqueror before your defeat. Your god is dead, your armies are slaughtered, your country is occupied. There doesn't yet seem to be the option of settling things in an amicable manner over drinks before retiring to the country with your last few worshippers. However fair the fight, you are dead, and however much the opponent deserves the victory, they sure as hell don't deserve to keep anything of yours that they are unable to take from you by force in the course of the war.

For the winning nation, during the next game you play - whoever it is against - you will realise that it would be sensible to consider that your opponent can use these tactics. If you're not prepared to prevent your opponent using it effetively and the overall gain of fighting a scorched-earther is not worth it, then don't go to war.

For the other nations, it may well end up critically weakening a dominant opponent and boosting a nation that was a little more polite to the losing player. If it doesn't, the only player who has lost is the conquered one, and it takes a bit of nerve to complain about winning a war without effectively disadvantaging yourself. If it does, maybe everyone will be a little more realistic about the cost of warfare in future.

So how is it annoying? If it is the investment of time and resources that worries you, surely it would be preferable to extort whatever you can from them and keep them alive if you can't conquer them easily. You know what's really annoying? It's when a nation with a decent shot at winning decides to destroy you and your country because you don't look like too much trouble and your gems might come in handy. If you want sportsmanship, set up an inter-pretender tennis tournament.

[vfb]

I think in the specific example Baalz gave, it sucked. He said the player didn't attempt to put up a fight at all, the player just did whatever he could to destroy his own lands and infrastructure. And that's even before any actual fighting began -- Baalz gave warning that he was terminating the NAP, and the other player started razing. The other player should at least try to be better than the AI.

How much fun would the game be if every time you invade a nation, instead of fighting back it just goes all Jonestown on you.

[jaif]

The devs could take a hint from civ and add client states to the game. If you are at war with someone and losing bad (say 1/2 income and 1/2 gem income and 1/2 army size, as a rough factor), then you get an option to surrender. If you do, your dominion disappears from all but your capital, you territory counts as your opponents, you pay a percentage tribute in money and gems (random gems every turn), and then you can fight on with your new ally.

That's just a rough sketch, but I think it would give an option to going AI and scorched earth. It also allows players to play to the bitter end.

-Jeff

[Agema]

Possibly. But then, you could just offer some of your gold and gems to someone every turn and fight on as a client state anyway - you don't need a specific game mechanic to from the developers to do that.