[johnarryn]

Well, I agree with you in part, Ewierl. I think having a good reputation is part of a game... at the same time, I feel it is necessary to again stress the difference between a person and their in-game nation/persona... certainly if a person is consistently untrustworthy and just a jerk, other people might mistrust them. However, using deception in a game is not, I think a reason to distrust everything that person does.

I also like your point about explicit pacts... people who have encountered me in other games may have noticed that I make very very explicit pacts most of the time, because I want to be able to say when and how a pact has been violated, if that happens. I deliberately made my diplomacy with Frank vague because I planned to attack him... more importantly, I feel he read into my words and decided I had "promised" not to attack him, when in fact I had done no such thing.

Anyhow, perhaps i'm just being touchy about my pride or somesuch. I will let other people judge as they wish, although I reserve the right to defend myself =)