ORIGINAL: obvert
At some point you are playing for honor, but not in a Japanese sense most likely, probably more to give the game it's full conclusion, out of respect for your opponent's interest and dedication, and simply out of curiosity to see how it goes. Then there is always that glimmer of hope in the most optimistic of us that something might still give a positive result.
This sums up exactly why I play Japan to the bitter end. Of course having a good sense of gallows humor helps a lot too [:D]. "Wow, another 300 planes destroyed in the air today! That is amazing. I wonder if that can be topped on the next turn?"

