As always, should you suspect cheating, email the mods as soon as possible. If incidents don't get reported, the offending players will only continue to cheat and affect more games.

WebDip Admin

I will email the mods. But I'm within the rules with this discussion aren't I? I've not named names, nor a specific game, just talkin' here.

There are always cheaters. There is nothing that can be done other than reporting them when you spot them. Players are already directed to the rules of the site as part of the sign-up process and that certainly makes the rules more "prominent" - what else would you propose?

Bo_Sox,

For example, when you sign up for a GB game, have something LARGE AND BOLD saying that communicating with other players, whether on-line, in person, or over the phone (etc.) is considered cheating and will result in a ban from the site.

That's not a bad idea. Maybe a message like that automatically displays in the global chat pre-game or something?

That wouldn't annoy absolutely everyone at all!

If you want games without cheating and without people dropping out, help us make a good GB community.

I suggest creating an IRC channel to advertise games and have an effective way of making passworded games. Would anyone else be on board with this?

Yes, exactly. For example, in a previous game I suspected (and wrongfully posted in the forum about a "Fishy Game") of communicating in a GB game, admitted he was, but said he didn't know it was prohibited. He he was just playing with some friends. If we take his comment at face value, he obviously aware that the #1 rule of GB games is NO COMMUNICATION between players. Now, whether he and his buddies would have communicated after such a message was displayed remains unknown. Some people are going to job the system no matter what, but some are just ignorant noobs (as he claimed to be).

Global chat pre-game sounds better, yeah. LARGE AND BOLD would make me feel like I'm being attacked for something.

LARGE AND BOLD is for emphasis Phil, don't be so emo.

The global chat already has gamemaster text that is automatically posted given certain actions, such as if someone is banned during the game. On vDip, there is an option where people voting to pause/cancel/extend/concede/draw gets posted too so people know when a bandwagon is forming even in non-communication games. It wouldn't be difficult to implement the same kind of feature where the first message in global chat in gunboat games is a gamemaster message that says no press is allowed and no communication of any kind outside the game is allowed until the game concludes.

I don't think that would cut down on multis and I doubt it would have a large effect on metagaming, but if it stops a few every now and again, it's still beneficial.

If there is such a huge problem with people not knowing what Gunboat means, it might be necessary. I wasn't aware of the whole situation.

I don't necessarily think there is, and gunboat games are called "no messaging" games by the system, so it is pretty clear that no press is allowed and all but eight of us have no way of posting press in gunboat games. However, there is technically no place in-game where it says not to communicate outside the game. It could help.

As I said in my OP, it seems to increase this time of year, and has (IMO) recently. When you play enough GB games (as I have) it's pretty obvious when players are communicating actively or have agreed to not attack each other outside the game.

I think the message should read as follows:

"OUT-OF-GAME COMMUNICATION IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. IF YOU'RE CAUGHT COMMUNICATING OUTSIDE THE GAME YOU WILL BE SHAVED, STERILIZED AND DESTROYED!"

The mod team has chosen not to moderate body hair at this time.