Quote:
Throwing a tantrum or deleting after being defeated is bad sportsmanship.
Grey area.
People have been 'accused' of doing this when looking for a final IC reason to just fade-to black. It may look inherently like they left in a tantrum, but they could have been planning to 'get on with it' for reasons OOC (new job, family things, health issues, RL relationship changes) that weren't clear (and should not have to be made clear.) A person already could have been planning to delete 'the next time they died,' and since they mightn't have been in leadership/prominent/whatever, they may not have communicated. Personal reasons are personal. The fact someone isn't told shouldn't be a factor. Ever forcing someone to communicate such things (open as I can sometimes be) should never be mandatory.
Sometimes there had been other issues/reasons a player had to bow out - perhaps more related to the game or their character's treatment (IC.) Sometimes it's just best to leave than become a negative center of attention. Better to go and get some space and breathe than submit oneself to what could be (albeit) mis-construed grieving. I left a character once over some pretty [REDACTED] things going on - but made it clear to staff and the other players involved why, and taking a needed break. I don't want this to start becoming considered a rules violation, when it could lead to some constructive evaluation; the gap left by my character was relatively restored in game quickly.
I do agree sometimes people leave in tantrums. I think a far better focus, especially leadership-wise, there should always be a plan B agreed upon within any organization. Whatever succession rules or voting system established IC, but communication in the group's forums so those gaps are closed as swiftly as possible, should they occur.
On the flip - having kept a character after a major war, on the losing side, 'surviving' negotiations as the losing leader with all factions, and making hard decisions and choices with that character remains one of the best experiences I had with the game. My leadership did not survive terribly long after that (someone wanted to bring fresh PVK back into the group a bit sooner than the group rebuilt, so I bowed out), but even then I kept the character as 'a guard of
a village,' who never forward stirred up the pot, as I was happy enough keeping him retired. More characters should hang in there. Losing can build character.