Seriously? You're joking, right?

If you are susceptible to increased losses due to bottom-feeding being retaliated, you might need to have some defenses on hand, you think?

Or you aren't going deep enough to be safe with your bottomfeeding. You can't actually do that fluff in the light, you know. You gotta go deep where there is no light so that no one sees you scumming repeatedly for land from some clown that just started playing and he can hit you back with a 28 jet PS and take land. LOL

Perhaps, you should just stick to an all-X strategy. There are many great players doing that these days.

Cerberus,

I think you should read my original post again and ask yourself why you made the assumption I was the Bottom feeding country?

A couple of points:

1. I posted that message after a retal on someone who bottom fed me, I effectively gained 2000 acres net from the exchange, as a result I was curious how likely it would be for the recipient to come grab back some of his land.

2. For a game that is appearing to create "bots" out of necessity due to dwindling numbers, it would be of value to the community and all who enjoy EE for experienced members to avoid miss guided sarcasm, especially to people who are relatively new to the game.

That been said I am happy to recognise that you miss understood my original post and do agree with your points, in fact the last 2 sets I have been on either side of the top/bottom feed scenario which has proved a valuable lesson.

Sarcasm and sneers are par for the course on the EE forums, wrecking Ball. Not sure why - perhaps it says something about those of us who play. :(

But you get used to it and even sort of get to like it - in a twisted sort of way. :)

The Express server does not have deeply entrenched mores and the reaction to the case you cite will depend, primarily, on the particular make up of those playing at the time. But in Alliance issues somewhat similar are adressed often and make their way into the policies which the various clans adopt and seek to enforce.

The policies are silent about the particular case you cite. However it does happen that someone bottom feeds a "spam tag" (a recently formed clan with no reputation) and suffers a really damaging retal as a result. I have experience of this over the last three or four sets and what has twice happened in this case is for the bottom feeder to detag so as to seek their vengeance on the "spam tag". Which tends, incidentally, to be a bad idea. But what you can readily see from this, is that the experience is one people don't like and which leads them to adopt extreme measures.

The only very slightly different case of someone hitting a country with a whole lot more land but not a lot of defence is very well considered in Alliance. It nowadays goes by the name of "topfeeding" and clans have developed a way to cope with it by retalliating enough times to recover all the land lost (or at least 80% of it).

There is a very long history to this. Land for land retaliation was very controversial for a loing time and led to many wars. But now, a decade or two on, it has become pretty standard.

So you raise an interesting question. :)

Oh I agree on the sarcasm front, that is primarily why I try to take part in the forum and additionally enjoy reading all the exchanges between individuals throughout the sets.

My point was merely with regard to when it's accidentally miss guided and could put off someone recently showing an interest in the game.

Having said that just like in life it doesn't hurt to have a little back bone, so it could be argued a game with brilliant mechanisms for creating conflict are not suited to those who can't handle it :-)

I went to AA for several years, and they helped me quit drinking. I was a drunk. But one of the main principles that AA teaches is "Acceptance". We shouldn't argue or fight. If we argue and fight we will lose our serenity and be cast out of the Light of the Spirit, and likely return to drink :(

Well fluff that.

Thanks for sharing that, Getafix. Wife and I shared that experience through our son, and today is his birthday. Congratulations to you, and great advice for all of us.

Thanks Hammer! I'm sober, and I am thankful to the people at AA, even though I don't fit in

Congrats to you both, I had alcoholic family members, EVERYONE SUFFERS.