Disable private messaging during a game in which a player can give secret info to another

[_stronny]

Hello

I think this feauture would be useful for a better guarantee of fairness of gameplay for such games as Love Letter or Saboteur (and for sure in many others) in which private messaging can really ruin a game.
Players can divulge some info that should be unknown for another.

For a better flexibility, It can also be a "game-table option" so that host decides if he applies the prv messaging disabling or not, when he/she configures the hosting. The other players should be warned at the beginning.

Thank you

[diamant]

Hello

I think this feauture would be useful for a better guarantee of fairness of gameplay for such games as Love Letter or Saboteur (and for sure in many others) in which private messaging can really ruin a game.
Players can divulge some info that should be unknown for another.

For a better flexibility, It can also be a "game-table option" so that host decides if he applies the prv messaging disabling or not, when he/she configures the hosting. The other players should be warned at the beginning.

Thank you

You should consider that players can always communicate by mail. Private messaging on BGA is only a practical way to communicate between BGA members. If you exchange hidden infos when you play a game, you cheat. You cannot prevent cheating ; however, you can make cheating more difficult. When a member plays a real-time game, he can discuss in the chat with other players, so there is no need to use messaging between players, except for cheating.
However, it is not necessary to disable the private messaging when you play a real-time game ; add a delay before sending or receiving a message is enough. So, when two players at the same table exchange private messages, the delay is doubled.

[Ankeszu]

If someone wants to cheat by talking with another player, he will find a way to do that with or without private messages on BGA. Especially that, hm, if someone wants to help another player by secret info, it usually means they know each other outside BGA, thus - they have another ways of contacting each other?

I don't think it's needed to try to avoid this kind of cheating by action that hits the innocent too. (BTW as far as I noticed, in Love Letter, Hanabi and Secret Moon, sometimes players assume secret info sharing instead simple logic&guess.)

When a member plays a real-time game, he can discuss in the chat with other players, so there is no need to use messaging between players, except for cheating.

I chat with my coplayers. Many times not even about the game (or about games or anything concerning BGA at all). And in 3+p games or 2p with spectators, it's pretty normal that I sometimes don't want the other guy(s) to know what I am talking, despite
a) it's not connected to the game (it's just private and I don't wanna share it with unknown player)
b) it's not influencing it (but it could influence if I speak on table chat).

Disable or any delay in messaging I would find quite annoying.
(And maybe even forcing me to play more 2 players game instead 3+ and/or asking spectators to go somewhere else; or playing less generally, because social interactions around are a part of BGA fun for me and that can make them harder.)

[Nanaki404]

And for turn-based game, this is a terrible idea : Preventing a player from sending private messages to another for 1 month just because they have a slow turn-based game in progress is awful !

[Liallan]

I have to agree with Ankeszu on nearly everything. If people want to try to cheat in this way, they'll find a way to do it. This never even occured to me, that anyone would be doing this. I have to wonder if this goes on enough to worry about it. You can't prevent all cheating, only try to keep it to a minimum, and I agree it's not worth it if it's harming the innocent.

And that it wouldn't work for turn-based is a very good point. I'm ashamed I didn't think of that.