It isn't against the rules to have a discussion in the forum about an ongoing game as long as that game is not a restricted press type. So for example public press only or no press games cannot be discussed here. Otherwise it's free game. Though do note it is considered impolite to discuss ongoing games if you're looking for strategic advise.

Please note I am not a mod, but that is the last ruling made by the mods on the topic that I've seen.

Jmo is the usurper so you can trust his word.

By the sounds of it, you're fine pastoralan.

Adding on to what jmo said, you also can't break anonymity as in an anon FP game.

Are you allowed to break anonymity in the game?

PF that is false.

Anon is not a protected part of the game mode. You are allowed to break anon. You are allowed not to believe someone when they say who they are or who someone else is. Many many people will find it very poor taste and impolite since the whole point of the game mode is to try to lower such impacts.

But for a variety of reasons it's not technically against the rules to make (True/False) claims about (Your/Others) identities (Publicily/Privately) in an anon game (while still following the press rules! So anytime/method in a full press game, or in global chat in a public press game, or during a Diplomacy Phase of a Rulebook Press game, or Never in an ongoing gunboat game). On webDiplomacy. Other sites such as Bounced it *is* against the rules.

Which of course isn't quite the question OP had.

Asking without revealing specifics is tough. Almost exclusively this means you're asking about some kind of tactical situation (i.e., what is the optimal move set for a given position without regard to long term strategy or diplomacy). There, its fine to just make an imaginary but equivalent scenario and ask. Shouldn't be a problem.

If it's a philosophical question like "should I solo or 2WD" then, again, especially if it doesn't reveal specifics at all, then it should be fine.

If it reveals any specifics at all:
Asking for advice publicily is hugely in poor taste.
This would be "kibitzing" that would get you kicked out of a chess tournament or violate the spirit of a F2F tournament.
I highly suggest even for non-anon FP games you don't publicly post about them in the forum, as a participant, or especially as a non-participant.

Let's talk a bit about private advice.
This is much less ethically and community-spirit objectionable.
For Gunboats, make sure you two aren't in the same game.
The person giving advice has a moral obligation to not advise/talk to more than one person per game; it's just too hard to separate knowledge you should have and knowledge you shouldn't have.

(these are all more wishy washy thoughts of mine as a member of the community, note I don't talk about rules. As always, follow the rules of
Don't Violate Press-Type
Don't Create Undue Work On Mods
Use Common Sense)

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Valis. I assumed wrong about breaking anon in FP. I assume that breaking anon in GB *isn't* allowed, though?

No communication between participants is allowed for GB at all. Theoretically one could play a non-anon GB game. But, again, it has such a strict press type that it's hard to imagine breaking anon without communicating.

Did the Forum rules change at some point? I thought that discussing games in progress as a player in such games was against the rules if you went into specifics.

Nope, it's never been forbidden unless it was a press limited game.

So I'm curious. What was your question pastoralan?