Communication ethics in PBW

[ckotchey]

Speaking only of my experiences with multiplayer playing the game Stars!, I have to agree that using e-mail outside the game for discussions and coordinations can be a very important, vital part of the game.
In games like Stars! and SE4, diplomacy plays a vital part of the game. The longer you can negotiate peace, the longer you can hold off battles and/or defense of any kind, the more you can expand your empire and grow unhindered. The more you can coordinate your actions, the more likely you are to be victorious over another single player or another alliance of several.
In one of my best alliances, it was me (NY) and two others (one in Idaho, and one in Australia) - we used to meet ever other day or so using MSN Messenger and have very good productive game discussions.
One may think that this is unfair in someway, but everyone is free to choose to do it or not to do it. For me, it's all a matter of how much free time I have to dedicate to "advanced planning" in this way.

[Growltigga]

My personal view is that any communications should be held through the mechanism of the diplomatic communicator in the game... In a PBW game, each of you are masters of your respective empires and naturally, you should only be able to plot once you have met your oppo and via that mechanism..

Outside of the game I just dont think is right or proper

[Suicide Junkie]

I agree that you shouldn't communicate until you've met in-game, but i think most of the players here are referring to after an in-game meeting.

[Gryphin]

Yes, what SJ said.

[Growltigga]

SJ, you may be right but my evaluation of the thread (interstate phone calls etc) is that such discussions are held outside the fora of the game itself ie I call Mac or email him separately to make an alliance to swap 4 battlecruisers for his phaser technology and a treaty to bushwack Gryppho..

I have no problem with treaties, alliances, pacts and galactic machtpolitik, just that they need to be carried out via the mechanism of the game diplomacy engine.. not by independant media

[Gryphin]

What is the limit in the Diplomatic screen?
255 characters?
Tigga,
Your job exisit because that little space would not be enough to make an understandable sentance.
It is not reallistic to think that if you can send 255 characters across space, that you could easily send 255,000 of them.

[tesco samoa]

email is fine...

That way you can get many communications done in one turn... as apposed to just one

[Mephisto]

There is no limits on the # of characters IIRC. I have sent really big Messages without an error in the past.

[Suicide Junkie]

SE4 v1.41 fixed the political Messages so you could scroll down and read an unlimited-length message.

[Gryphin]

Ok with unlimmeted, I am more willing to use the message system, I would rather use email.