[Stormhall]

Originally Posted by kaffis

I support non-player-controlled WMD-style orbital strikes as the culminating climax of special events.

Like a New Year's battle where, at midnight, server local time, the game assesses the "winning" empire (based on whatever criteria were announced for the event), and all territory (or, at least, the areas immediately surrounding structures) held by losing empires is obliterated from on high by high command of the winning empire.

It's a one-time shot, not something that ever gets spammy (though it could be repeated for the next big event 6 months down the road, or whatever), it's not being used by players to grief, and it's not being fought over to simply rack up killcounts for anybody. As a nice bonus for the winners of the event, they get a brief head start on taking the devastated territory, as there are no defenders present until they arrive from their foothold.

Perhaps some kind of building damage that can (and must) be repaired to begin reaping resource benefits again from the obliterated regions could be instituted, too.

+1