Fight to the bitter end...

[Louis de la Ferte Ste Colombe]

Probably the most interesting answer so far

Quote[/b] ]I have to disagree in parts here, Louis. I don't think it's rude or disrespectful if one player chooses to fight on. It always depends on the overall situation.

In my opinion, and I'm, sorry if I was not clear, it's only rude if the HOST is already routed and had no unit left. Everybody else can quit whenever they want. But the host can't. It's a loss of the host valuable time to keep playing a lost battle.

Quote[/b] ] Also the argument about different timezones doesn't hold much value, whoever started a game at 10 pm should know it could drag on... Same goes for peeps still online at 4am, their choice...

Sometimes, I catch some of my euroclanmates online (not to mention Annie needing a 'quickie' )... Usually it's early morning for them, and they might go for 'one last game', just because we might not have played together for some times.
And this last game for them might be long and enjoyable, and all for the better. But it might also drag on for nothing... Sometimes, there is better thing to do than chasing a couple of units on the other side of the map... that's wehn I would appreciate a decent withdrawal rather than a 'i'll stand until I die'.

Quote[/b] ]I don't think you can liken MTW to chess, for various reasons (most of all the random nature of encounters, you cannot really make a move and take the enemy's piece like in chess, because just against the odds, the enemy unit might win. As such, you cannot plan several moves ahead with certainty as you would do in a chess game), MTW battles aren't turn based and not necessarily the best strategist wins, but also a cheap rusher or a person who just can click faster than you.

Thats a very good argument. MTW is not as clear cut as chess. In both games there are 16 units; it is fairly common to stop in chess if there is, for example, a bishop material difference without compensation (positionnal or otherwise).
The randomness and more dynamic nature of MTW increase the threshold a lot... Noone (well, not me) is going to give up just because there is a unit difference between the two armies (or two teams). I personnally need much more than a unit difference to consider that I don't have a chance... But seriously, when you have 6 units of half depleted guys all very tired against twice that number of units, of better quality and some at full strenght, chance that you are going to win are pretty damn close to 0. You know it, your opponent knows it. It's time to recognize who the winner is.

Quote[/b] ]But anyway, about routing, it's up to oneself, really, but if the majority of the other players (even your allies)involved in the game start telling you to give it up, it's worth to reconsider. I don't want to see whole armies rout, but as said before, if you have just two or three depleted units left, you can safely rout them and don't fear to lose honour by denying your opponents the pleasure of routing them by themselves.

Denying my opponent the pleasure of routing them by themselves.... Interesting choice of word Hilde...
I must be a very specific kind of pervert... I'm the kind of guy who stop chasing when I read the 'rout out of field' message (then I regroup and move to the next target). I find pleasure in winning the game, but I can't care less about overkilling my opponent. Kills are the last of my concern. Sometimes winning manoeuvers are not rewarded by high kills, and high kills are just the result of router chasing.
I am also a very specific kind of pervert for another reason;

There is an important notion in 'withdrawing'; that's the notion of acknowldegement. You may have pleasure in killing a few half depleted guys... I have a lot of pleasure when someone acknowldege that I/we (as a team) are better and see no way to win. The withdrawer guy recognize your value in a way that no 'stander till I die' can.
The 'stander till I die' does not acknowledge he has been defeated by you...

Quote[/b] ]For those who rout whole armies, at least make it a challenge by choosing to withdraw instead and trying to cover it with part of your forces. This would be a challenge for both sides. If you manage to escape with a large percentage of your forces, you might feel a sense of accomplishment.

I don't think I'll ever withdraw a whole fresh army (even severly outnumbered... a fresh army can do wonder vs tired opponent... Those kind of game has been won before...). In any case, yes, if nobody is in a hurry, it's more fun to withdraw than to rout.
If you want to start a rematch soon; then just rout yourself, and move on to the next game.

Louis,