Then there is IM services like MSN and Yahoo Messenger (anyone actually still use that?)
Back in the heyday of Perdan and the Great War on EC, we did a
lot of military planning via MSN. On top of that, the messages flew hot and heavy IG, as well. Our 20+ member military council was hyperactive, with members available to handle all turn changes.
But, again, that kind of thing is not forbidden. You can use OOG forums, IRC, IM, e-mail, etc., to discuss the game. The key point still remains that those who are not part of that cannot be excluded from opportunities to participate in the realm and the activities of the game in the realm. If
all your military planning is done OOG via a private forum, or an IRC chat room, and people not in those venues are excluded from participating, then you are in violation of the social contract, whether you're a "clan" or not.
Can this stuff be gamed by simply lying about what you're doing? Probably, if you're the sort to lie about what you're doing. But if you're caught, you can expect to be treated with extreme prejudice.
