KLONDIKE, CP Army Headquarters – The Water Vikings and the Templars concluded the Second Golden Seas War a few days ago. While both sides already received closure on this war, there remains a lot of confusion in the air. Let’s take a look at why these wars were, in crude terms, a ‘failure’. 

Disclaimer: This post may contain certain parts that are the personal opinion of the writer. These views do not represent the standing of CPAHQ as a whole on the matters they address. 

The Golden Seas War between the Water Vikings and the Templars began on March 3rd. Both sides seemed to be equally passionate about winning battles and proving themselves right.

One could say that this ‘passion’ is why the two wars that these armies fought failed. 

In the first war, each side hotly contested the results of the battles. This came despite battles being officiated by CPAHQ judges who were agreed upon by both sides. A total of two battles occurred in this war, excluding a third invasion that the Templars never showed up to. The Water Vikings won these skirmishes according to CPAHQ judges, but the Templars claimed victory. According to the Templars, the Vikings violated their own “no allies” term, rendering their wins invalid. However, the picture used by them as evidence varied from the actual terms of war on the Vikings website.  Note that the first term is different between the two screenshots.

Screenshot used as evidence by Templars leadership. Click to enlarge.

Screenshot taken from the Water Vikings war declaration. Click to enlarge.

In the end, the first war resulted in no actual conclusion. Both sides continued to squabble over the results. The armies both claimed victory, and the war soon died down. 

However, the Templars didn’t vibe with dropping the hatchet yet. On April 19th, the Templars released their second war declaration against the Vikings. Among other terms, the knights included a rule that needed to scheduled all invasions only for 7 pm EDT. Then, they proceeded to book invasions for that time for the rest of the week. This action received heavy backlash from the Water Vikings. The Vikings didn’t agree with fight at that particular time and threatened to not attend any of the battles. However, after some talks, both the armies did meet for battles.

On April 23rd, the Water Vikings released a post claiming victory in the war, citing the Templars not showing up to their scheduled battle as the reason. Three days later, the knights released a post claiming victory as well. Thus, once again, the war ended in utter confusion. 

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What could be the reason behind these failures? The main reason could be the community suddenly reverting back to its original style of warfare. Back in original armies, wars were not necessarily fought over a server map. This contradicts the comfort of a prominent server map, a privilege we enjoyed for the majority of the year 2020. However, in the old days, armies fought wars for nothing but bragging rights. But despite the toxic community of that time, the armies kept their honor and admitted it when they lost a war. This clearly isn’t the trend with these two armies, whichever side may be vanquished.

However, a server map certainly presents its own problems. For example, the aspect of force treaties. Bigger armies invading smaller ones easily invade all their servers and pressure them into a harsh treaty. This can’t be termed as just, as it binds the army in ways that aren’t relevant to whatever crimes they committed. 

Something that comes into the picture of this deliberation is the World War Rewritten. The reason this war is even considered as a world war is owing to its contributions to the society. One of these is the rise in popularity of the practice of requesting league-appointed judges for battles. 

This same practice is now a mere service provided by CPAHQ. The ruling provided by a judging panel isn’t considered as official. Subsequently, this results in a lot of conflicts. May it be a tournament fiasco or a simple, irrelevant practice battle, there’s always armies challenging the judges’ verdict after they have been ruled as the losing side. Of course, if an army has reason to believe that the verdict may be biased, an investigation must be launched. Otherwise, the method that we implemented to make sure what happened in WWR never happens again is failing. Some of the readers might disagree with the word “failing”, but if the very mechanism that helps us determine the results of a battle is always in doubt, how is it successful? All the community needs to do is place their faith in the judges. It’s our job to display our sportsmanship when we lose. Otherwise, ideas to find replace judges are always welcome. 

One thing readers might notice lacking in the war declarations of both wars, or even the recent war declarations of Help Force and Red Ravagers, is that there is no actual provision to end the war. There exist sections titled “End of War terms” but these are related more to a surrender or a force treaty. There is no limit as to how many actual battles are fought. For all the armies know, the war could go on forever, with no side ready to accept defeat. As simple as this all sounds, it’s actually quite scary and could end up making war a new normal. This is terrifying considering the implications it has, most importantly the rise in levels of toxicity in a community where good outweighs the darker aspects by a thin margin.

Would it really have been a much more defined battle had both armies agreed upon a certain number of battles to be fought? I think yes. 

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In conclusion, there are several ways we can make sure that our wars don’t fail in the future. Had the Vikings and the Templars decided on a certain number of battles to decide a victor, had they placed more faith in the rulings of the judge, this battle may not have been as chaotic as it was. Most importantly, had there been a definite clause for the end of the war, it may not have been as abrupt as it was. All we can hope is our armies take this matter to heart, and ensure that wars do not continue falling short of expectations and follow steps to ensure both sides are given a fair chance to win. The two armies did get involved in the two wars. But what did both wars score in terms of actually getting something done for both armies? A Golden Duck (it’s a cricket term, Americans please don’t yell at me).

What do YOU think about this war? Let us know in the comments section below!

Scorpion Demon

CP Army Headquarters Editor

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