And would basically defeat the idea\premise of an “anonymous” game as one would have to ‘know’ the person he or she was coordinating orders with, right?

Dunecat: That is a pretty big "chance" and if you have played as many games as your point count indicates I find it hard to believe that you ‘magically’ knew where another country was going and inserted support without solicitation or comunication. And if so, tell me in what games so I can view them on your account.

Basically, you look at past turns, and if there's been one country moving to one place over an over, it can be assumed that they'll move there again.

Even a recent game linked on the forum has support-holds used as peace offerings once in a while. You can see a "stab" of England by France in the first few turns: England's army in Belgium support-holds a French army; France supports back the next turn; France rams into Belgium and destroys the English army. gameID=13235

There was another game posted a few weeks ago where Italy's Italian army supported a move by Austria back to Trieste every fall for several turns. I didn't keep the link; maybe somebody else can provide a game if you're looking for proof.

I'm not good enough at this game to do it yet, but I imagine it's like chess in that good players sometimes see a few moves ahead. If you can see someone's best moves and want to act friendly, why not support the move?

I should add, it's even more of a stab since France supported England's army into Belgium in the first place. So this gunboat game has both support-moves and support-holds.

@Carpysmind
I'm a really good guesser at moves. I'm sure there are a lot of good guessers out there.
Do not assume that they are cheating.
If they are allied throughout the whole game without speaking... THEN something might be suspicious.

I had one gunboat (that's what no press games are called) where I supported in the fall of 01 two other nations successfully because their spring 01 moves indicated their intent. We got accused of cheating but the Mods confirmed we had not communicated when I gave them my account info and let them have full access. Carpy, you haven't played enough games to even think you have a clue of what could and couldn't be done in a gunboat without cheating.

My apologies, it was Spring 02, I supported the two nations. gameID=12505 and I was Germany. There was no communication in this game until the three of us were left, then there was some "blackmail" that has since been banned (two of us refused to unpause and forced the third to draw), but up until that point, it was completely gunboat other than accusations by the sore losers who were handed their asses on silver platters.

Carpy, support holds are easy to do and are a way to communicate wanting to work together, such as one can. Of course it can also be a ruse and lead to a stab, just as in a normal game.

Support moves are all about educated guesses. You look at what the other player is likely to do. If you like it and can help, then you do so. Same goes for cutting support of a common enemy.

If you do not throw out some support holds/moves where you can, you are just hurting yourself, just like if in a normal game you didn't send messages to other countries.