[Micah]

I think a large part of the distaste over VP gifting is because they're a somewhat artificial measure. In theory they are supposed to roughly correspond with control of territory and the overall position of the player that controls them. Because of this it is very uncommon to see a game with non-cap VPs, because players have found that a single turn teleport win is detrimental to the enjoyment of the game. Similarly, a VP gifting scenario causes the game to end abruptly, with no recourse for the losing player. Stating that late-game VP gifting is able to be countered is, frankly, a load of crap, especially if the colluding players plan things properly.

1500 gems sure sounds like a lot, but is only about 3 turns worth of income in the example scenario or any large late game.