How to resolve Loser Wild Flare

Question

The Loser wild flare lets the player declare that both sides lose the encounter. The actual text is:

As a main player, before encounter cards are selected, you may declare that both sides lose, sending all involved ships to the warp.

I am not clear on how exactly to resolve this. The loser flare must be played before encounter cards are played, but it doesn't explicitly state that encounter cards don't get played even though the outcome is already determined. Should the main players still play their encounter cards? This could matter for example for the Oracle super flare:

As a main player, you may end an encounter after your opponent reveals his or her card. Your opponent takes back his or her card, all ships in the gate return to colonies, and play continues as if a deal had been made.

or perhaps for the Vacuum wild flare:

For each main player other than you who reveals an attack card, you may retrieve one ship from the warp.

and the Chosen super flare:

You may keep any non-encounter cards drawn from the deck while drawing for divine intervention.

If cards don't get played, is there still a Reveal phase? I haven't read every card in detail so it's possible that this actually doesn't matter, but I would still like to know.

Answer 1

One of the main things to remember here is that you "play" your encounter card face down, and then reveal it after both main players have done so. For reference, the rules for this phase are the following:

1. Play Encounter Cards: After alliances have been formed, the offensive player and the defensive player each choose an Encounter card (Attack or Negotiate) from their respective hands and place them face down.
2. Reveal Encounter Cards: Encounter cards are turned face up simultaneously. Or as close to simultaneously as possible in this imperfect universe.
3. Determine Outcome: There are three different outcomes to an encounter, depending on what type of Encounter card (Attack or Negotiate) is played by each player. After Encounter cards are revealed, the encounter is resolved. Then Encounter cards are discarded. Details of encounter resolution are shown below:

The Loser Flare needs to be played before any player even selects encounter cards, as emphasized below.

As a main player, before encounter cards are selected, you may declare that both sides lose, sending all involved ships to the warp.

This would move the turn to the Determine Outcome phase since the outcome has been determined already (i.e.: both players lost, sending all ships to the warp). Since no cards are selected, no cards are played so no cards can be revealed.

Should the main players still play their encounter cards?

No. It specifically says that you must play it before encounter cards are selected. This creates an outcome so there is no outcome to be determined by playing encounter cards.

If cards don't get played, is there still a Reveal phase?

Again, no. If there are no cards selected and then played face down, there is nothing to reveal. An outcome has already been determined.