Opinions on ethics of this PBW move

[geoschmo]

Be careful of selective application of your realism criteria.

The Allies would have been tickled pink to have Germany surrender to the Swiss in WWII. Anything to end the reign of terror of the Nazi's and eliminate them as a military force. Now of course if it weren't really surrender, but just a political manuver to stop the war yet allow them to maintain power over the European nations they conquered, then of course the allies wouldn't have stood for it. But if the Swiss had agreed to something like that it would have demostrated a distinct lack of neutrality and would have been more than enough justification for a declaration of war.

It doesn't translate directly into SEIV terms, and trying to force it to doesn't help. I hate discussions of what is or isn't "realistic" in terms of a game like SEIV, but if you insist don't try to apply historical situations to future events when they don't corellate.

The Allies in WWII had no desire to "conquer" Germany in the sense that you are trying to conquer your opponent. They were fighting to repel the Nazi's from conquered Europe. The invasion of Germany was to remove the Nazi's from power and to punish them for their actions, and partly to prevent the Soviet Union from occupying Germany. The allies did not intend to keep Germany as part of their "empire" as you are intending.

The only way the metaphor is appropriate is if you intend to conquer the enemy, and then allow another player to take over the empire and run it as a peaceful one. Since that's not really the object of the game (And for that matter it's not even possible under the current system) it doesnt' fit the situation.

If you think of it from the point of view of the race trying to avoid slavery or anialation as I said in my other post, it's quite "realistic" to assume they would surrender to an ally first. It would actually be suprising if they didn't.

If the empire they surendered to is an ally of yours, then insist they turn over the planets and technology that you rightfully earned in battle. If they don't, or if they aren't an ally, then you need to decide if you continue the war against them. If they don't like it or whine that you are too aggresive remind them what the 4X's in "4X Game" stand for.

Geoschmo

[ May 20, 2002, 19:33: Message edited by: geoschmo ]