Scorched earth

[PyroStock]

Don't self destruct on first contact.

This sounds more of a problem due to him just giving up far too soon and not attempting any method, including the ones you listed, to survive. I doubt the other players enjoyed seeing him give up so soon either, especially next to your giants.

[KissBlade]

Oh yeah, belated thanks foodstamp for the happy 777 xD.

[Baalz]

Reverend Zombie said:

To put your position positively, then, you want the player who you have attacked who is about to go down to defeat to

• refrain from pillaging his provinces
• reserve undefended provinces for your armies
• leave all standing castles for you to take over

Is that an accurate statement of your position?

No, it's not. These are examples of symptoms of an attitude and it misrepresents my point on more than one level to list them like that as it's much more about the intent than the behavior. Being a poor sport can be as trivial as whining in the forums about how unfair your loss was, and I feel actions taken under the justification "you beat me, therefore I hope you lose" are weak sauce. Clearly, on your last turn sending all your gold/gems to someone you have no previous relationship falls into this category, as does begging other neighbors to invade you before player A gets all the spoils, and clearly plenty of people raze/pillage etc. for the same reason. Nobody is suggesting you can't pillage your own provinces, nobody is suggesting the invader is entitled to you reserving anything for them, and nobody is suggesting you make things easy on anybody when they're trying to beat you. I am suggesting you congratulate the guy who bested you and thank him for a good game rather than whatever petty things can be done to sabotage him. That's what sportsmanship is about.

And with that, I'm done beating this dead, dead horse.

[sum1lost]

Not scorching earth away isn't the same as not putting up a fight. For the record. I haven't "rolled over" in any battle, but I have refrained from burning down my own lands in ways that make it harder for me to survive.

[Reverend Zombie]

Baalz said:

No, it's not. These are examples of symptoms of an attitude and it misrepresents my point on more than one level to list them like that as it's much more about the intent than the behavior.

I'm not sure how you can determine intent, or police it.

[thejeff]

You can't. And I think that's a large part of the problem with this discussion.

You seem to be looking for a specific list of things that must always (or never) be done and wondering how to enforce it. I don't have such a list and I don't want to enforce anything. Do whatever you want. Some things I'll think are cheesy tactics and poor sportsmanship. Oh well, I'll deal with it.

When you kill me, I'll fight to the end, defend any castles I can to the last man and try to pull tricks out of my ... hat to surprise you, but you'll probably get most of my castles in the end, since I can hold out longer in them. I probably won't pillage my provinces much, since I'd rather throw my troops at you.
If I beat you, it'll be quicker but I'll get less out of it, since you'll have killed off your population and destroyed your castles. I think it's petty, but whatever works for you.

[DonCorazon]

I won't scorch the earth if there is nothing for my country to gain personally by it e.g. it is not part of an overall path to victory.

So feel free to attack me.

I respect those who beat me - there is no better teacher than defeat.

[duke_commando]

Part of me always hopes the guy who attacked me ends up losing...
that said, I try not to be bitter, and I do see scorched earth with the sole purpose of seeing the other guy lose with no benefit to yourself as pretty lame. Particularly, as in Baalz' example, when you haven't even been invaded yet, the other party just canceled the NAP.
There no way to enforce something against this, but that doesn't mean we can't encourage people not to do it.

[Meglobob]

I always want those who beat me to win (usually), then I can claim 2nd place...

[Sombre]

duke_commando said:
There no way to enforce something against this, but that doesn't mean we can't encourage people not to do it.

That would benefit you, but if you want to convince people not to go scorched earth, you need to point out a benefit to them. I can't think of one. I don't think anyone in this thread has brought up a legitimate benefit of not doing it either.

I don't like the way people NAP up with two neighbours then attack the third, every time, with the help of their buddies. But there doesn't seem to be a good way to convince them not to do it.

Except maybe,.. scorched earth?