Originally posted by gwagers:
Perhaps, but don't the rules of the game provoke grabbing? And, following that logical train of thought, wouldn't playing the game itself be a provocation for a land grab?
Doesn't look like the rules provoke grabbing.
Rules
Dear player,
Welcome to Earth Empires, an online game which continues in the tradition of one of longest living text based web games on the net.
Before you read the brief information on our different game servers in Earth Empires we would like you to take a moment and read the following general rules for Earth Empires (latest revision: May 14th 2010). The following policies and rules apply to every Earth Empires player. Any player who does not agree to these policies should stop playing immediately. Players caught breaking these rules may be subject to country deletions or other penalties. Game moderators are happy to explain why country deletions occur and will overturn deletions as necessary.
Players are only allowed to have one (1) game account.
One account provides full access to the game and creating multiple accounts is not permitted. In addition, players may not login to another player's account for any reason. Players violating these rules may suffer country deletions and account closures.
Proxy use
The use of proxies to login to your account is not allowed. Some players, such as those using satellite internet, may require the use of proxies to access the internet. We ask those players to contact us to request special exemption. We generally do not allow proxies because they can be used to facilitate ingame cheating.
Automated scripts, bots and macros
Earth Empires does not allow players to use any form of script, program, macro or other software tool to perform user actions in an automated manner. Scripts that enhance game play by helping users complete actions quicker, such as auto-form fill fields, are permitted. However, these must not play the user's country without user input.
In addition, players are not permitted to collect news, scores, or market data with scripts or bots. For players who wish to use such data, the Earth Empires team grants API keys to developers. These keys can be obtained by contacting Earth Empires Staff directly via e-mail or through live chat. API codes are given out on a case-by-case basis: applying for a key does not automatically mean a user will be granted one.
Bugs and exploits
Earth empires is undergoing aggressive development. The developers try their best to prevent bugs and exploits but occasionally one may slip through. Our players are expected to immediately report any bugs or exploits they find. Deliberately exploiting bugs for player gain will result in country deletion.
Ingame behavior
We understand that competition can get fierce and emotions may get heated, but we expect all players to show sportsmanship and to remain civil when dealing with other players. Players should behave appropriately in all areas related to the game, including ingame messages, affiliated websites, the game forums, and irc. Players who send offensive messages ingame will find their countries deleted and players who post offensive messages on the forums will find their forum accounts banned. In extreme cases, such as hacking or breaking other laws, players may find themselves banned from all game related areas.
Advertising
Advertising on the Earth Empires forums or in-game messaging system for products, services or other areas not directly related to Earth Empires will result in immediate deletion and account banning, along with the removal of subject messages from the Earth Empires site.
Spirit of the rules
Players should strive to play according to the spirit of the rules, especially on servers without clans. These servers are designed for individual play. To make the game fair for all players and accessible to new players, players in the primary, express, and tourney server should not engage in any outside of game organizing which gives them an advantage over what can be accomplished through normal, ingame diplomacy. Warnings will be issued to countries suspected of breaking this rule, and in extreme cases, the offending countries may be deleted.
Safelisting
In order to accommodate players who are playing from the same household or workplace, Earth Empires has a safelist system to ensure legitimate players are not deleted upon suspicion of game rule violations. When playing from the same household or office, players should email the Earth Empires staff with the information of the multiple accounts from the same household or router. Please note that safelisted countries are under more scrutiny than countries not on the safelist. Countries associated with each other through the safelist are not allowed to interact with each other in-game. Examples of prohibited behaviors include allying together, sending FA, doing market buyouts, or attacking the same target. Countries created by safelisted users can, however, play in the same tag and participate in clan-wide kill runs. This policy is subject to review on a case-by-case basis as Earth Empires staff deems appropriate.
Please note: these policies are subject to change at any time.
Enjoy!
-The Earth Empires Team.
EE Patron