I'll add my 2 cents, just because as usual I have a slightly different take than some people. Then we can see the posts from possibly anyone that might agree, and almost certainly from a few forum tough guys who will spout off and indicate how hard-core they are when posting on a forum.
First, I agree with Jason that I'm no fan of the WWs......BUT, i definitely see where it may help to have an end-game. First, players that have played for quite some time and may be getting tired do deserve a chance to actually "win." Second, I think we've all seen these types of games where a server just drags on too long and becomes nothing but absorbing inactive players and ghost towns. Then we look back and see tons of fairly mediocre players with several million points - points they'd never have gotten had normal play continued. That kind of makes a mockery of the accomplishments of everyone who played hard when there were enough players to make things matter.
All that said, it certainly seems a foregone conclusion that One will complete their WWs first and "win" this server. As they probably deserve to - I think there's little dispute that as a whole, they've been superior to any other group. So will that be a bit disappointing to many others ? Yes. But it's hard to argue that it would be unearned.
Once that happens, of course, the server will totally and completely die. We've already seen certain One players that are preparing to exit after the WWs are done. And it's hard to fault them as they've put in a ton of effort. So....yes, the server can still play on....but what will be the point ? Even IF someone or some group can then defeat One after WWs are completed....it will be against a group that has probably seen quite a few members check out. To play on would simply to be playing for a hollow victory. What is to be gained by (possibly) defeaeting an enemy that has largely retired after the server has declared them winners ? It's pointless.
So, yes, we should all prepare for this server to come to an end. But it's certainly no fault of the alliance One, who DOES deserve the victory they will soon claim.
Again, though.......and here's where the forum tough guys will start to take offense, lol.........I see a beautiful and delicious irony in the way this server has played out. Specifically - as we all saw, very recently One recruited away quite a large number of cowards from my former alliance, GSA. Nearly all the larger active players, in fact. It seems pretty obvious now that that was an astute move by One ahead of the WW period....to eliminate threats to their completing WWs.
The funniest thing about it is this though; those players that sold out their mates by leaving GSA to join the enemy largely did so for two reasons - to be on the winning side and claim victory, and to continue playing. What is ironic and funny though, is that in their effort to continue playing.....they've enabled the world to be won, and to die off. So they actually will likely NOT be continuing playing. Will these traitor players then legitimately be able to claim "victory" ? Only if you consider selling out your mates and joining an enemy for about a single month, after competition in the world had really dried up, to simply remove a threat to One completing WWs to be a "victory." I know that I don't.
So I've said it before and I'll do so one last time - congratulations to One not only for playing well for the duration of this server and beating very many of your foes..........but also for degrading some of them - the GSA coward sell-outs. For enabling a situation where they sold out their mates and forfeit their dignity by joining the enemy for a victory that is meaningful to One, but hollow and meaningless to those late-comer sell-out coward traitors. Funny funny stuff. Well played, One !!