[Slynky]

Very true. If it were something other then mines, something that couldn't be disallowed by setting and was simply a case of a pure gentleman’s agreement from the start that he forgot about, I would be totally in agreement with you. But I can't get past the fact that two things happened that he had absolutely no control over, the setting wasn't turned off by the game owner, and you didn't bring it up as soon as you noticed it.

But what he DID have control over was remembering the settings that were discussed and agreed upon in the forum. But excuses have been made for that below, I see.

but a reasonable argument could be made that once the game owner forgot to disable them that item went out the window, unless you guys brought it to each others attention after the fact and made a gentleman’s agreement.

I disagree. And I would present another analogy: I have two daughters. They fight constantly. SO I tell them there is a new rule in the house…NO MORE HITTING each other! And to emphasize my concern, I tell them I’ll place a big sign in their room as a reminder. But, I forget to do so. A week later, one coms crying because she got hit and when questioning the other and referencing the new rule, I’m told the sign was never put up, so she thought it was OK to hit. Well, you know and I know that excuse will never fly with any parent. Just as I didn’t think for one moment the guy who left his wallet on the counter wouldn’t have a right to be upset if I took it (after all, he had left it there…couldn’t that have been interpreted as giving it away?). Give me a break! As a person somehow plagued with having ruins left on in their games, I can tell you no one ever saw an artifact and decided “Well, it must be OK after all!” Someone always said something as soon as it was discovered. I might also point out that saying so didn’t reveal any unnecessary information about their game plans, either. Finally, I might also point out that noticing the discrepancy in your scenario above, he chose not to ask to be sure using mines wasn’t a problem. But, then that might have tipped his hand in a revealing manner, would it not? Apparently it’s OK for him to not want to tip his hand and to not ask for a clarification.

I know you would probably say to this, "But he agreed not to use mines." but actually he didn't. What he agreed to do was play a game in which mines were not enabled. He didn't agree to a gentleman’s agreement not to use them. When it became clear that mines were in the game but you didn't bring up the point, he could have easily assumed that meant you knew about it and were planning on using them too.

This must be the kind of logic and reasoning behind OJ being innocent (rollseyes).

I see your perspective and I don't discount it Slynky. I merely see it from a slightly different angle. That's why I am simply saying that restarting seems the most fair in my opinion. Restarting damages you both in that you lose current progress, and you have to adjust your strategy to regain the element of surprise. But to the extent that it damages you both, it does so equally. And it's the only solution that doesn't cause unrecoverable damage to either of you.

I’m not restarting (and for the following reasons) As a matter of fact, I’m withdrawing:

(1) I hate the beginning part of the game. It’s boring. 20 turns of researching the same thing every game. (except mines, of course).
(2) When 2 players meet and the deficiencies in the way you have designed your empire as well as the deficiencies in the way you have conducted your play become apparent, but you get a chance to start the game again, you get a second chance react to the superior empire design and to, to give one of his errors away, research and place PD weapons on ships so that one doesn’t rely on PPB IVs and Vs to shoot down fighters. You also learn the vulnerability of forward-placed colonies without any defenses and make adjustments there. One may also consider fighters now as a more viable tool (although any player worth his salt knows they are just a “temporary speedbump” *cough, cough*). He should also realize he is behind on research (seeing my ships outfitted with ECM/Sensor 2’s while he has nothing I’ve seen yet).
(3) And speaking of research, 50,000 points should be a drop in the bucket at turn 35 as it’s less than half a turns research to me (I have over 100,000). If 50,000 is a burden to him, then he has (had) much bigger problems than he realizes. He just now has LCs coming off and I’m producing cruisers. I’m well on my way to 100 colonies in Rock only and have been chipping away at another colony tech with leftover from my other research gains. So, if 50,000 points is a problem for him, it’s worse than he thinks!
(4) To be blunt about it, I have reservations about whether or not he forgot about the settings we agreed upon because, it’s quite contradictory of a person who says mines are a temporary speed bump and then researches them so late in the game. I’d also say it’s peculiar that (giving more of my game away since it doesn’t matter now) it took him 13-15 turns AFTER I glassed his first colony to decide to research mines. If he really thought mines were now legal because the research item appeared and he assumed that was an override to our agreed settings, why wait so late? And, why haven’t I ran into any mined warpholes with my stealth ships that have been running all around behind his lines watching all his ship movements? And if mines were legal, did he not think it strange he had never wandered into any from me? Finally, the mines I encountered were at his most forwardly-paced colony and most vulnerable. Almost as if he decided he needed a loophole to try and hold on to it. If mines are legal, it’s one of the highest priorities I have in research…I don’t begin research on them 15 turns after meeting the enemy and having colonies glassed. So, I’m not saying my opponent deliberately and knowingly violated the settings we agreed upon because I don’t have any proof. All I have is reservations enough to wonder if he simply forgot mines weren’t allowed and decided he needed the temporary speedbumps since he couldn’t defend his forward colonies in a conventional way (or not).
(5) Considering I’m currently winning the game (it would appear to me), restarting only adds another benefit to him.
(6) Since I didn’t want to play on a random roll of the dice in the first place (wanted the Balance Mod), I’m not real keen on putting the dice in the galactic cup for another roll. Of course, it would be probably be a good thing for him.

A game is supposed to be fun. When it isn’t fun (because of surrounding events), then my time is better spent with some other form of recreation. This match isn’t fun any more. I’ll just withdraw and somebody else can be moved to the top.