The morals of attacking with structure killers

[furball]

I originally wrote this in response to a suggestion to abolish structure killers on the Suggestions forum. However, I think that the use of structure killers is also a topic for proper discussion, and so I am re-posting on this forum as well.

----

This is a war game.WAR. This means that people attack each other, they fight in order to grow in score. The only reason that people don't usually try to kill all of someone else's fleet is because it's ineffiicient and there's no good cause to allow for that inefficiency. It's better to use those killing ships for defence, among other things.

As zen said, structure killers are most useful when fighting an enemy, typically another alliance. When you do that, it is beneficial to send structure killers because they hurt your enemy: by destroying structures such as factories, you are able to prevent them from growing in value as quickly, because they cannot build ships to fight you. In turn, your attacks are more likely to be successful due to the enemy having fewer ships available for defence.

I see no reason why we shouldn't be allowed to kill structures. It adds that extra spice to the alliance wars - and these wars are what I play Planetarion for, above almost anything else.

However, I do have my own personal moral code about sending structure killers. I have no interest in killing the structures of an alliance-less newbie (although frankly I don't even know the last time I attacked one). In contrast, I'm perfectly happy to hurt any member of a decent alliance, especially of an alliance hostile to mine. You live by the sword, your structures die by my sword.

You can argue that it is justified to send structure killers at any one you like: that planet may be a future defender of a planet (in a decent alliance, etc) you attack, and so halting their growth can only have long-term benefits. There are merits to this - to paraphrase Machiavelli, the ends justify the means. However, this has to be balanced against the future of Planetarion. Despite PA being more secure at the current time than it has been since the introduction of pay-to-play, I do not wish anyone to quit the game because of me.

My solution: to only own a moderate number of structure killers (not enough to kill 20%), but to send them on all missions. If they happen to kill a factory, so be it. If they don't - fine. This is the best compromise that I can find.


furball

[Cannon_Fodder]

couldnt you have posted this in the sk threads?




like your sig btw

[barney]

Originally Posted by furball

I originally wrote this in response to a [url=http://pirate.planetarion.com/showthread.php?t=185823]You can argue that it is justified to send structure killers at any one you like: that planet may be a future defender of a planet (in a decent alliance, etc) you attack, and so halting their growth can only have long-term benefits. There are merits to this - to paraphrase Machiavelli, the ends justify the means. However, this has to be balanced against the future of Planetarion. Despite PA being more secure at the current time than it has been since the introduction of pay-to-play, I do not wish anyone to quit the game because of me.

surely it is also the same logic then that that planet could also be a help to you by attacking a planet you attack and because they have more fleet drawing more defence from your attack

[furball]

Originally Posted by barney

surely it is also the same logic then that that planet could also be a help to you by attacking a planet you attack and because they have more fleet drawing more defence from your attack

Not really. Think about who you are attacking:

Usually its a planet hostile to you. If so, structure killers are perfectly allowable there.

If the planet is not actually hostile, he is probably in a hostile galaxy. Since he will provide defence to his hostile galmates, structure killers have a use in limiting his ability to do so.

If the planet is neither hostile nor in a hostile galaxy, then his galaxy is probably roid-fat. This is a general theme for a galaxy - for example, my galaxy this round has consistently been roid fat compared to other galaxies. It is therefore likely that you will attack that galaxy again, in which case in-gal defence is something that would also need to be limited for the future. This is best done via structure killers.


Certainly it is rare for me to attack friendly galaxies. Since I often pick targets for my alliance, it would be illogical for me not to take part in those attacks. Those attacks focus on either hostile galaxies or roid-fat galaxies, and so all of my attacks would follow the 3 rules I set out above.

This round Vengeance had clear defined enemies at almost all points in the round. Perhaps Vision did not, given that you went solo . It was, however, logical for me to use structure killers consistently, since all of my targets fitted the 3 rules.

[barney]

planets and alliiances switch sides, and also enemies may not necisseraly be a 2 sided thing anymore, 2 enemy allies could hit the same target has happened to us , so it is a possibility. tbh with us going solo everything was hostile to us so i sent structure killers everywhere i went . tho the general rules are sound, i am in no way anti struc killaz and love using them myself but they are a pain in the ass when they hit meh :P

ahh well you reap what you sow

[lokken]

structure killers are for war only.

typically in my normal play i only hit enemies of my alliance hence they're welcome to have their structures killed

atm i am playing at newbie level with a freebie, and it'd just be plain unfair to kill structures.

as far as i'm concerned it's up to any player to dictate their own personal etiquette, a nasty piece of work only attracts attention to himself and gets himself attacked.

[Melesse]

I don't use structure killers. I personally hate them, and my own moral code does not let me use them. Even in alliance wars. I strive to do as little damage as possible in each attack. I usually play Cath because of this, but I had to try Zik this round, it was just too tempting. This is both because of the way I like to play, and also because I consider it a challenge. Additionally, I would never want to be responsible for anyone quitting. We need as many people as possible here lol.

Melesse

[Cannon_Fodder]

I went cath, hence I needed revenge on those ziks once i had enough tarants. Termites are my best friend.