Re: [eia] please read the whole thing before responding

[Michael Gorman <mpgorman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 10:34 PM 12/12/2002 -0500, you wrote:
> 6.3.1 
> WHO MAY FIGHT:  If enemy fleets of more than one major power occupy
> a sea area, blockade box, or port, only one major power's stack can be
> attacked (for this purpose, all major powers who have declared combined
> movement and are at war with the attacker are considered to be one major
> power).  Other major powers in the sea area, blockade box, or port
> can be ignored (even with combined movement declared, if not at war with
> the attacker).
>  
> This rule is written badly.  It covers the
> situation where the defender's combined stack has fleets which are, and
> fleets which are not, at war with the _single_ attacking major power
> (that is, fleets not at war with the attacker do not participate). 
> It does not cover the situation we have here, where the fleets of the
> defenders are at war with at least one of the combined
> attackers.
>

        

There
is exactly one situation where the rules allow forces not at war to
engage in combat and it is very explicit that it is an exception. 
Barring an explicit statement that forces not at war can fight, I don't
see any justification to allow them to.

        

The land
combined movement rules only reinforce this notion.  As normal naval
rules allow for enemy fleets to coexist in one sea space, there really
isn't a need for the rules in the land combined movement which have to
clear out non-combatants as the land rules do not allow enemy units to
coexist unless there is a city for one side to be inside of and one side
outside of.

        

If I
painted anyone into accepting a version of the rules they don't agree
with, I apologize.  I thought they were painfully clear on how
things are done and didn't realize there were multiple readings floating
around on this one.

Mike