[Appocomaster]

Those planets closed for covert op // support planet related issues have been reopened, for those not aware. Those ships removed that were "donated" by a "suicide" on the top planet were restored. The main reason for this is that there was no consultation or warning and litte real basis in the EULA, despite opinion to the contary. The action was taken due to a mixture of some previous prescient and in keeping to some extend with the spirit of the EULA. The planets are to be considered as warned, and repeated actions of the past will result in closure.

Having consulted with alliance HCs in the relevant communication channels last night, the following changes to the rules have been decided as of tick 480 for this round:

Though it may seem "unfair" to the top planets, we will formalise the actions seen chiefly at the end of round 16, namely that any planet seen to "suicide" on another planet is can have his or her ships / salvage removed from the target and even be closed, even if there is (apparently) no connection between the planets.


The "support planet" rule will be simplified to some extent. Trying to avoid the alliance limit with planets including passive "inactive" planets, scanners and covert op planets is not allowed.
In less serious cases a warning may be issued; however, it can result in anything up to closure of any and all planets seen to be hiding out of their tag to avoid the alliance limit for their alliance at that time. Covert op planets and scanner planets are considered alliance planets, and while being a scanner or covert op planet and not in tag as such is not against the rules, actions ingame for or against one or a few alliances are deemed enough to see that planet as an out of tag planet. Avoiding alliance limits involves placing your members in other tags, where they act for their "real" alliance instead of their in-game alliance, for example by spending most of their time defending out of galaxy to an alliance other than yourself, or seemingly attacking with other alliances more than your own. This involves a majority of actions not being with an alliance.

This does not forbid battlegroups as such - battlegroups within alliances have no problems. Battlegroups made up of different alliance members have some issues - if too involved in attacking / defending with each other and no one else, especially depending on alliance representation (i.e. 50 of one alliance and 1 of another), could cause warning and eventually being closed.

It also is not meant to cause issues with NAPing or otherwise joining forces with another alliance or alliances. It does mean; however, that "junior wings" of alliances should be (almost) completely separate in-game.

As a note, support planets for a particular planet / galaxy are still not allowed.