Roleplaying vs greifing?

[Professor Frink]

Pretty much concur. 

Even in RL, certain sets of opponents a "code of honour" even when fighting each other.  Formally, these are embodied in such things as "The Law of Armed Combat" and some of the gallantry exhibited in the early air war of World War One.
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Is there much of anything you can do in WoW that would be a violation of the RL law of war? The only thing I can remember off the top of my head would be surrendering, but is that even possible in WoW? It's not like you can be captured or even put your weapon down and return to civilian life, and soldiers aren't required to let the enemy get away just because they have the advantage.

Unlike D2 where everyone was on the same side and non-duel PvP was automatically a form of betrayal, this really is war and the game mechanics seem to be trying to encourage that sort of aggression (you can't communicate with the other side; mobs will happily kill lowbies and camp their corpse)

The trouble is, one can't count on one's enemy to try to do anything but win.  Therefore, as you suggest, any "code" one adopts is undertaken for one's own reasons, and not out of any expectations that the foe is obligated to mimic you.  I find that a lot of people, RL and Gameside as well, completely don't "get" that.

Occhi
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I think the RL laws of war only obligate you to follow the rules if the other side keeps their end of the deal. Aren't you allowed to shoot surrendering troops if the other side doesn't honor the rules of surrender? (for example, WWII Japan)

-- frink
P.S. I'm not at all an expert on this and probably wrong