This is a list of all the unwritten rules that exist in MK.
These rules tend to make the game a much more enjoyable experience for everyone.
There are a lot of players who follow most if not all of these unwritten rules,
especially the old breed of MK. My motto in this sense, has always been, "don't do
to others, what you wouldn't want them to do to you". In short, just like you
wouldn't want to be crowded, don't crowd someone yourself either!
Bare in mind, these are rules that I personally follow, but not everyone else
in the MK realm necessarily does. In my view, I want to know that I beat someone
fair and square with a level playing field. How about you?
No crowding in single-player games. There is no need for that. Ultimately it leads
to disaster and destroys the game for the both of you. And despite what everyone says,
there is no real protection against crowding. Because ultimately crowding is a
disruption. So, even if the person who crowded you fails, he might still cost you the
game, because everyone else was free to expand while you were busy spending valuable
resources getting rid of the goon.
No Locking out. Some players, even ex-Metalknights, tend to stay in the game until
after the time has elapsed - on purpose - and then end their turn normally, thus causing
the turn to flip and locking someone out. There are also those who don't do it
deliberately as such, but when faced with the situation would still refuse to hang the
turn and let you in. I once characterised this as a situation where the Bus driver should
or should not wait for that last person - who was late - running to catch the bus.
Everyone sympathises with that person, so why not here? Similarly ofcourse, that person
shouldn't make a habit of being late.
Allow for a game to restart if something such as server problems, screws up the game
or causes players to miss a turn. Basically, if a problem occurs and one or more players
lose their turns, you should allow them the choice for a restart, unless the game has
progressed so much, that it would be impractical to start a new one. If the affected players
decide they are fine with carrying on, then so be it. Otherwise, you should respect their
wishes. As long as you know they didn't do it on purpose in order to get a restart! This
is also something where reasoning and common sense should be used.
That is, it's far simpler to restart a game when it's in its early stages rather than half-way through.
In peace treaty games, sign peace with everyone and sign it on turn 0 with
enough time for everyone else to come in and accept it. Learn to level the field and not
try to gain an unfair advantage. One of the reasons the "No peace Treaties" was introduced
was because some players would wait until the last few minutes of the turn (G-Money) before
accepting the other players' peace offering and thus, would start off turn 0 with several
100s of $$$ more than the rest of the players, which would give them a clear advantage. The
only way round that, was the introduction of a setting to disable peace treaties altogether.
Ever since then, very few peace games have been created. You will usually see peace games only
in specially arranged games between honourable players such as the Crap Game and the
Flame Game or any other House-Rules game.
Speaking of House Rule games; these are games whereby special rules have been introduced
that are not part of the game itself as such but are there to produce a nice,
interesting and most importantly challenging twist to the game, just to break away from the
norm. If you have no intention of following the house rules, then don't offer to join it!
You will simply end up ruining the game for the rest.
In allied games, don't crowd unless it's a special case. The cases where crowding is
acceptable in allied games are:
When trying to break a tech-swap
when trying to nullify a clear advantage because of the map, such as a 2v2 game on
Mixtery. If one of the opposing players has placed in the gold mines, it will undoubtly
force your alliance to do the same.
Otherwise allied crowding is just as lame as in single player games. Usually the need to
crowd in allied games was due to playing games on bad maps. A lot of the better alliances
have an understanding of "containing" but not crowding other alliances.
Don't make ANY form of deals in single player games with other players (or with other
alliances in allied games). Just play your game until your last soldier breaths out his
last gasp of air. Learn not to give up easily and more importantly, don't try to help other
players either because you are friends with them or because you happen to hate the other
person. Remember, how would you like it, if you were in that player's shoes!?
If you wish to surrender a game, go ahead, but make sure to porc your Base up
pretty well before you surrender, so that you don't give any players an unfair advantage by taking
over a lightly defended Base. Again, show respect for the rest of the players. Don't ruin
the game for them! No excuses, it only takes you a few minutes.
If everyone else is dead or have surrendered and you have also lost the game, then don't
just pile up 100 porcupines in your Base just to irritate your opponent. It IS a lame move
that serves no purpose whatsoever. Learn to take your loses like a man. This is only in cases
where the game has effectively ended. Otherwise you should try to fight until the end!
Don't hold the turn for hours on end just to wait it out for someone to leave. It might
force others to miss their turns, as real life can get in the way.
Don't hang the turn and then claim you had problems with your modem, just so
that you would get an undeserving double. Some players (Barak), would hang the turn and
wait until the opposition would give up waiting and would then go back in to end the turn
properly and get an undeserving double.
If a player lost his connection while playing, let him come back on and play.
Especially when that player is the last one playing his turn. There are clear tell-signs
of when that happens. Don't cause that player any unnecessary grief. Just remember, that
could some day happen to you. My computer once crashed when Stonehead and I were hammering
to get in. Stonehead had the decency to let me in, when he saw that I had entered only for
my computer to crash only a few moments later. Yes, it was crucial as it meant he'd lose
the game. Yet, he exited the game and let me in, effectively handing me the game.
If you have a personal problem with a player, don't try to take revenge by stalking his
alliance. Don't try to get even either. Simply contact the
MKC, that's what is there for.
If someone shoots your dog - whether deliberately or accidentally - would you go and shoot
theirs too or would you report them to the Police (=MKC)? I'd do the latter. Some players
out there unfortunately, feel the only way is to get even. No, it is not. In addition,
trying to get even, may spark even more attritions between the two parties and then it
becomes both of the players' fault and not just the one who had started it. Soon enough, more and
more innocent players get dragged into it, turning into one big mess. Ice600 and TheRuler
are two of the most notorious players for taking matters into their own hands whenever they
feel they have been wronged by someone, yet ironically, they are also the two players in
which most other players seem to have a problem with. Coincidence?
If all the players in a game agree to restarting (or ending) a game and having everyone
surrender so that no-one would claim an unjust/undeserved victory, then you expect everyone
to abide by it and not break their word. Staying "silent" while everyone else agrees to it
doesn't serve as an excuse either (Ice600!).
Never offer your base to others. It's unfair to the rest of the players. Always remember
that you wouldn't like to find yourself in a similar situation either.
If a player offers you his Base, resist the temptation and say a stern "no" to them.
The best way to combat such a pathetic display of morals is to say "no" to those guys
who wish to either favour someone or to get something in return, or even to think that
you would actually owe them, by offering their Base to you. Give them the middle finger and tell them to
porc up and surrender if they don't wish to carry on playing in that game.
In the case of resorting to Skyven deleting a game for you. Before you send Skyven a
request, make sure you have discussed this with the rest of the players and that ALL the
players agree to it! Even when you are winning the game, it might be the case that the other
player(s) may wish to continue.
Finally, if someone does one of the above and you are upset about it, don't try to get
even. Getting even will only make things worse. Flame his sorry ass instead and ensure that
everyone else knows what kind of a player he is. Just remember, ultimately we are here to
have fun. Yes, the intention is to WIN, I am one of those who fights until the end and will
try to pull every ace from my sleeve in order to win, BUT only as long as these "aces" are all
honourable means by which to play the game. At the end of the day, I like knowing I beat someone
fair and square and most of all, with a level playing field with my opponents having given their
100% to try and beat me. Don't you?
