I have players that need to move on and I am one.
This is what I was referring to in my post.
We have a good fight going now. If people are handed 4, it often kills a server.
TF giving us notice before ghosting and dropping their wonder simply evened the playing field after the two other biggest alliances worked together splitting wonders from the start.
They viewed it as a fair way to leave the world--no different than the deals the other two alliances had already made. If they left and Cleo got their wonder, the world would end as a result of them leaving, which would be game-changing. But TF also ghosted and left us vulnerable to enemies in the south, leaving the world split nicely for a fair fight. 2-2-3. They didn't merge into us to create an MRA, or hand anyone a victory. They walked away. Then the two biggest alliances started actively working together against us, and moving in easily to TF's ghosted cities. Entirely different scenario. A good fight. I have never, and will never, accept a backdoor WW victory.
Unfortunately there isn't an easy equivalent for you now if you don't want to stay and fight, unless you hand a wonder to TS or another alliance that doesn't already have 2-3. But that would be the honorable thing in my mind--make the remaining alliances duke it out to get a win.
I do find it interesting that months ago I said that your alliance's long term plan appeared to be handing your wonders to Cleo. Tig strongly protested at the time, and I said time will tell.
My how much closer you've grown in that time.
KH, I apologize for commenting on this world so much. It's just easy to use things here as examples. In general, I've often said that I think not only should alliances lock down at WW (you can't switch), but no new players should be allowed in worlds after the era starts, and you should be prohibited from sending support and resources to anyone outside your alliance. That would significantly change game play for the better in my mind. Oh, and spies would be hung in the town square.
IMO the morals of players in general have declined significantly through the years. My theory is that the more we can buy in game without earning it, the less we value the hard work and ethics side of the equation, and the further we fall from the spirit of the game itself. I'll get back to you after my next 5 years of research is complete LOL. But that means it'll get worse, not better.