[The Saucepan Man]

Well, I suppose that I ought to open up the debate on hidden messages.

My own view is that nothing in this regard should be ruled out. For Wolves, deception and bluff are the name fo the game, and for innocents and Gifteds, hidden messages may also have their uses. Past games have seen Gifted hints dropped through the use of particular words, word combinations and icons. I see little difference between this and innocents using coded messages (acrostics, anagrams and the like) to declare their innocence.

Given the nature of the game, coded messages can, in any event, no more be relied on than an open declaration of innocence (or Gifted-ness). So I am not sure how they affect the game any more than the standard use of hidden messages.

The other aspect of the debate, I suppose, is whether players should use ploys which only those who have played with them in previous games will recognise (such as Nilp and I exchanging anagrams). Again, I see little difference here than using ones' knowledge of peoples' playing styles etc from previous games to make deductions.

But I think that the most difficult issue here is where, if we start ruling out particular ways of communicating or certain ruse, the line should be drawn. Each game would require a plethora of rules as to what may be done and what may not and there would no doubt be matters arising which were not covered by those rules or which fell into grey areas.

So, my own view is that, subject to those rules which have already been established as standard (no PMs except where specifically allowed, no discussing the game outside the game threads, strict honesty in the admin thread etc), the game does not require further regulation.

Clearly, it will be up to the mod of each game to set the rules as they see fit, but I nevertheless think it useful, given the issue that arose in WWXVIII, for those who have views on these questions to air them here, before the next game starts.