But perhaps it could ask the server what the valid positions are?
That's even not necessary. If you try to place the tile at an invalid position, you get an error message. There is no network traffic. So the client can determine by itself if a position is valid or not.
I think this is a question of philosophy. Do they want to assist with gameplay, or not? Showing only the allowed places is a playing assistance. Same goes for the meeple positions. You are offered all places that are available on you newly placed tile, even if the zone is already occupied.
It's like the board game. You are on your own. You don't get help. Or if you get it (from your opponents), you shouldn't trust it.
On the Koch Media PC game (which is out of sale and has no game server any more), there was the option to turn on hardcore mode - making gameplay equal to that on BGA or Brettspielwelt. Without hardcore, they showed you the possible places for your tile, they showed you a fat red X where none of the remaining tiles can be placed, and they showed you a list of all tiles that are still in the tile stack (sorted, of course, by tile type, not by stack position). That makes game play a lot easier, but if you are used to that cushioned world, you are steamrollered at the real table.
Robo
