[JimMorrison]

Well, I thought the 2 competing MP schools of thought were -

All treaties made in game are made by players outside of game - therefore if you break one, you the player, are a bastard.

and:

All treaties made in game are made by in game "pretenders", so don't blame me if my god breaks his word, he's a bastard.


So bottom line - you'll only get so far if you trust everyone once. Best rule of thumb, trust no one, but do what you must to survive, whether in your eyes that means keeping your word, or breaking your word. There are obviously benefits to both, depending on how you reap them.