What difference does it make? They can use IM and there won't be a record of what they said. I say allow it and those foolish enough to form secret alliances using that system will be all the easier to bust.
Oh, since there's some room here for ambiguity, what if, in a game, you announce an alliance, but then discuss the finer points of it via PM? If you discuss it in-game, then the other player(s) are obviously going to be on to your plans.
I don't mind if people discuss by PM, as long as I know they're doing it and know the general nature of their agreement once they've come up with it. For example, is it an alliance against one or all other players, is it a complete NAP, a NAP over one border, limited to a certain number of rounds, to a certain round and so on.
Once that is known you can act accordingly against it together with the other players or start a propaganda offensive in the game chat.
So a line like "Player X and I are negotiating a pact" in the game chat would be sufficient for me, because the other players can hold back on the attacking until they know what's up.
And then when they've reached an agreement a line where they tell the others what they agreed to.
If they came up with an agreement to carve up the world between them, ok, just tell the others so so they know not to attack each other.
The rules are somewhat ambiguous there, some people say it's ok, others say it isn't, I once got a negative when I asked another player whether he wanted to discuss the finer points of a pact by pm (I asked in the game chat) and a third thought I wanted a secret alliance, we managed to resolve the issue peacefully though and he removed it.
yea the only time i pm someone during a game is to either get them to take there turn or if its a friend of mine that i know on here jsut to chat nothing game related of course .
the black knight enemy of spamalot
11-2 againts spamalot
There is ambiguity, yes. Currently, it is considered "legal" to work out an alliance outside of the game, so long as it announced before it happens in the game. Details don't have to be announced. Now, I personally don't agree with all that, but oh well.
What I do vehemently disagree with is restricting PMs in any way (as long as you're not abusing them), and I don't foresee that ever happening as long as I'm around.
no no no....that would be very bad...i play games with people that i talk to all the time...it would be horrible...i would have to stop playing games with them...that would be so bad...
All my game related discussion occurs in game chat. That's the only place I believe it is appropriate.
I will PM someone asking that he read the game chat if it is apparent to me that he is not reading the game chat. Other than that all my communication is in the game chat.
Honestly I find someone PMing me to let me know its my turn plain annoying. If I was able to play I would. In one of my current games a player has pm'd me twice and I explained that I do not have the time to sit at my computer playing CC all the time. I work & during those hours I can not take my turn. Today he PM'd an hour after I had played my turn. Sorry bub I was on my way to work.
Medea75, as far as I'm concerned in a regular game you have 24 hours to make your turn end of story. No one should be hassling you for that!
However, it's agreed RT games with passwords that tick me off. In RT you really should take a minute or two to start your move. I tend to PM people after 10 mins to politely remind them.