the game instead continues for one more round if any player has bought Fleet
[...]
when the last Fleet turn has been played, the game ends immediately
To me, those two statements verge on being mutually contradictory.
Consider the case where there are players A,B,C,D. A and C have bought Fleet, and D triggers game-end. The former statement suggests there is a moment between C's turn ending and the game ending, during which D is passed over before the game ends, opening the spectre of C being able to Donate, Outpost, etc.
But the second statement closes that door.
Is this a clearer alternative?
"The game enters the about-to-end state when, at the end of someone's turn, [Provinces/Colonies/piles]. Once the game is about-to-end, non-Fleet players miss their normal turns and the game ends when, at the end of someone's turn, every Fleet player has taken one more normal turn."
Just to check the corner case on the corner case, am I right that if someone plays Possession during the Fleet round and makes the Possessed player buy Fleet, the Possessed player
does then get a Fleet turn, and this could even prolong the game by a turn in the ridiculous situation that A and B have Fleet but C doesn't, then:
- A plays Possession on their Fleet turn
- A makes B play Possession on their Possessed turn
- B makes C buy Fleet on their Possessed turn
- B takes their Fleet turn
- C does get to take their Fleet turn?
Taking the corner case on the corner case on the corner case, what happens if B and C have Fleet but A doesn't, in a three-player game with C triggering game-end:
- (A doesn't get a Fleet turn at this because they don't have Fleet. Yet...)
- B Possesses C on their Fleet turn
- B has C Possess A on their Possessed turn
- C has A buy Fleet on their Possessed turn
- C takes their Fleet turn
- Now, does the game end, or does A get a Fleet turn?