The problem I have with even limited PMs is that a single message can form an impregnable alliance. For example: "Hi Witness, I'm the Sage." You now have two people that the assassins can *never* break apart, no matter how good they are. And no, I won't consider the possibility that an assassin could fake that message. At least 99% of the time that would be suicide. "Hi diplomat, I'm the Sage" could work by an assassin, but you probably have a 3 in 6, or 3 in 7 chance of being wrong in the Masahakon game.
Speaking of the Masahakon game: That's almost certainly what happpened. Lefanis never had to say one word in public, thus preventing the assassins from ever twigging to the fact that he could be the Sage. He appears to be just another bandwaggoner, or random voter. And every turn either the trusted network grows by another member, or another assassin is pegged.
Things like this completely negate the need for people to use politics, indirect influence, etc, to actually play the game. And yes, the things said in PMs are not the things you would say in public. That's really the whole point. Doing it in private removes much of what I, in my newbness to this game, consider to be the true point of the game.
