[Cainehill]

Still, it's a very good reason for why the previous anonymous / rand game was hosted via email - not only does it keep you from guessing who your friends might be, it keeps you from figuring out a nation is someone you despise and want to cause hate and discontent to.

Even without any PMs or diplo, figuring out who a player is can give some definate advantages if you know something about their play style : whether they rush aggressively, or if they're more likely to leave other nations alone while independents are still available, etc, etc.