I have seen this happen multiple times when playing with/against races such as Locust and The Claw...
There have been games where a player has been reduced to only 2 planets existing in his home system as a result of these powers (or the Guerrilla wild flare and the Omega Missile tech).
In this case where he is permanently incapable of ever regaining/using his power, debate has arisen over what should happen.
One camp insists its just bad luck and that he ought to continue playing and hope he gets good cards to compensate.
The other camp appeals to the premise of the game. Considering that this entire game centers around various racial powers and their interplay, a player without this ability undermines this foundational concept of the game. This player would be severely disadvantaged and unable to compete, essentially making him nothing more than a place filler for the rest of the game. In light of the precedent set by The Entropy Beast hazard, which states that when any system is reduced below 3 planets all players lose the game, this camp suggests that if all players don't lose, then at least the current leader(s) ought to be declared the victor(s)
Now I have personally been on both sides of this and understand where both sides are coming from. However, this debate has gotten rather heated the last few times this situation has come up, so we have decided to ask others what their opinions are on this and what they have done when they have encountered this situation.
Thanks in advance.