Cheating or just 'unfair'

[Sminoch]

Please, can you explain something to me. I wonder if a player cheated, or is this behaviour normal,, and I am too sensitive?

Case:Carcassone, Inns and Cathedrals.
Four players.
Two players start to compete on one city and as it grows they start to cooperate. I am fine with that.
What I am not fine with is that one of the players after his move tells to the other one in the chat which tile he has. It was directly leading and enabling the other player to finish the city on their mutual benfit.

Thanks for thoughts

[CB Droege]

In the rules, it explicitly says that you can say whatever you want at the table to try to get people to put their piece where you want them to put it. You shouldn't be allowed to actually show your piece, but the game doesn't allow that anyway. I don't think this was cheating, or even unfair. If two players choose to cooperate like that, it's a legitimate strategy. Though they should each be wary of the other trying to trick them.

[Sminoch]

You say that game doesn't allow showing the other person a tile... but if a player says: ((strategic game, visible 3 tiles in advance) ... if they say 'I have a cap to close this city' ... and that makes the other not put the new extension to the city but harvest the points... doesn't that count as 'showing' the tile?

[RicardoRix]

the tile is either visible or not.

if it is visible then it's only re-iterating information already known.
if it's not visible, then they guy might be lying.

[CB Droege]

Exactly. There is a vast tactical difference between seeing another players hand, and having them tell you what is in it.

[Sminoch]

Thanks for thoughts and answers... Much appreciated

[T72on1]

Maybe it is not cheating, but I definitely find something like that cheesy, if not to say unfair. But that's only my opinion of course.

Also, in the rules of conduct, I read this: 'On BGA you should not provide information about the current game that interferes with normal progress of the game (translation mine, from Dutch). I'd think that something like what the OP here tells about, is exactly this, no?

[FabWolf]

Dunno if it is cheating in bga, for me it is. For sure I would stop playing with these players

[Andy the Nerdherder]

In the original rules of the game, you don't draw your tile until it is your turn to play, having a tile in advance is a variant intended to speed up play by allowing you to consider your options while other players turns unfold.

Thus the circumstance in question, as well as the 3-tile variant, are not accounted for. IMO it is not in the spirit of the game or decent play to reveal your tile in advance to help another player. It probably isn't strictly cheating, but since you can't disable the ability to see your tile in advance, I would probably strongly object to this being done, especially in a tournament or arena game.

I'd say you're within bounds to chide the players, suggest it is inappropriate play, and use the red thumbs down if they respond poorly.