Sunspot activity rules

[Snowflake]

What are common rules regarding sunspot activities in a pbem? For example, is communication allowed at all? What about probing activities?

[Rubin]

Some thoughts...

FYI. Here's part of an e-mail I sent to HongHu (Gufnork's Rumble).

1) Sunspot activity is mostly a nuisance to all players. The disability to engage in diplomatic and strategic discussions clearly reduces the 'fun-factor' to a certain degree. Additionally, I believe we are all interested in improving our situations via the diplomatic 'meta-game'. I see this as an important difference between single player games and multiplayer games.

2) To allow the players to 'communicate' with each other during sunspot activity is somehow a circumvention of the rules of the game. I believe we are all honest players -- any kind cheating is not accepted. This may sound redundant based on our earlier agreements. However, I often feel the urge to re-open a saved game and explore in a different direction in order to gain additional knowledge of my surroundings. Also, I sometimes have to struggle trying to 'forget' any information that I was not supposed to have access to in the game -- mainly based on our brief comments in the turn thread.
The point I'm trying to make is that it may be hard to restrict ourselves not to communicate during sunspots. As I see it though, sunspots are simply a part of the game -- although it does not occur that often. Let's be 'true' to the game, IMHO.

3) I anticipate a few problems regarding Chip's 'adjacent communication rule'. Example: By M.Y. 2165 I move a unit next to one of Chip's units, enabling communication. As the turn progresses I may be communicating with Chip although he may already have played next year's turn. Chip moves away from my unit by M.Y. 2166, thus preventing communication. However, the same year I move next to Chip's unit again. At what times during M.Y. 2165 and M.Y. 2166 are communications allowed? Should I ask Chip NOT to play his turn to prevent a communication breakdown? Should Chip inform me after playing M.Y. 2166 that he no longer is able to accept diplomatic information from me? I find this somewhat complicated, but maybe I'm missing some simple fact that eliminates the kind of problem I'm trying to describe.

(What am I supposed to do if HongHu during M.Y. 2166 defeat my unit using, say a clever airstrike? I wouldn't know this, neither would Chip?!? And HongHu may be unaware that she just prevented the communication between the Rubinites and the Gaians?!? Either I am missing something or we may face ourselves with a complex issue...)

4) I'm not sure how probe team actions are handled during sunspots. Should we pass on information regarding probe team actions (i.e. what was stolen etc.) or is this information considered unavailable during sunspots? Also, are we allowed to NOT choosing the declare vendetta option during sunspots? Under normal conditions I believe we are to inform the 'target player' and declare vendetta (or renounce pact) ... I could be wrong on this, though.