Unification of the Isles: Britannia Hotseat (completed, winners Myth and Zim)

[phonicsmonkey]

BOOM!



Something like this came up in another game where a player asked me discreetly if he was allowed to block all the mountain passes providing escape routes from a territory before defeating an army so that it would be destroyed if it lost the battle.

I said if it happened by accident that's one thing, but to do it deliberately was another and he should leave an escape route - he countered by pointing out that in this exact situation there would be no escape route (because no fleet) and I admitted I didn't see a way around that...it's just hard luck.

[Zim]

I think there would be a difference between spreading small units around to prevent an escape and an army dying because it was on an island. Still, it does raise some questions.

If he had had ships parked at shore would it be an exploit if I had defeated ro sunk them? What if his army had retreated to them but the ships were then sunk, somewhat more like actually chasing an army down?

I'd like to hold the save for a bit. Since Scotland is right before me we could rearrange things somehow (I think that army had two fms, maybe keep one back off the island?) if Cecil would like. I know I wouldn't want to go for such a small mistake...

BOOM!



Something like this came up in another game where a player asked me discreetly if he was allowed to block all the mountain passes providing escape routes from a territory before defeating an army so that it would be destroyed if it lost the battle.

I said he should leave an escape route - he countered by pointing out that in this exact situation there would be no escape route (because no fleet) and I admitted I didn't see a way around that...it's just hard luck.

[phonicsmonkey]

If he had had ships parked at shore would it be an exploit if I had defeated ro sunk them?

I don't think so - you can't constrain someone from attacking a fleet for this reason. What if another (allied?) player who couldn't see the army on land drove off the fleet? My feeling is this is a risk you take when attacking an island or a province far away by sea where you have no continguous territories. You can always build a fort to retreat to.

What if his army had retreated to them but the ships were then sunk, somewhat more like actually chasing an army down?

Still think this would be fine.

I'd like to hold the save for a bit. Since Scotland is right before me we could rearrange things somehow (I think that army had two fms, maybe keep one back off the island?) if Cecil would like. I know I wouldn't want to go for such a small mistake...

That's very gracious of you. I think the best option, if you want to give him an out, is to let him replay but simply build a fort there on the island that he can retreat to once defeated.

[Zim]

That's fine with me, although it will be sad to see my destruction of his army to try to turn things around become an ok military victory.

So in that case I would agree not to siege the fort this turn?

That's very gracious of you. I think the best option, if you want to give him an out, is to let him replay but simply build a fort there on the island that he can retreat to once defeated.

[phonicsmonkey]

That's fine with me, although it will be sad to see my destruction of his army to try to turn things around become an ok military victory.

So in that case I would agree not to siege the fort this turn?

It's up to you but by the rules you would be allowed to siege it. He can always reinforce it with another army to relieve the siege...

[Ignoramus]

Ouch!

[Cecil XIX]

I say let it stand. I appreciate that everyone's willing to roll back the save and let me continue on, but I've been feeling like I'm in too many PBEMs to balance between V&V and Shogun 2 anyway. Besides, this kind of behavior is perfectly normal for the game, isn't it? I seem to remember armies sent to besiege small islands like Corsica and Sardinia also suffered complete destruction if they were were defeated while attempting to seize a province. This isn't the first time I've suffered a catastrophic defeat from a painfully obvious mistake (see my avatar and custom user title), and like those before it this failure provides a vivid experience to ensure I learn an easy lesson. Certainly it would have been perfectly easy to avoid, at the very least I could have accepted one of the many adoption offers I had received (didn't want to go any further in debt then I already was) and kept a family member somewhere safe. Besides, how often can we expect a Brittania hotseat to turn out this way? Unique situations like this should be taken advantage of and enjoyed.

And if you still feel bad for me, then write a public AAR like with the Levantine Struggle. I'd enjoy watching what happens to Scotland now.