Right now they are, but I propose they shouldn't be, and for two reasons.

1. Because PMs are routinely used for things like forming alliances, they potentially give Premium account holders a significant advantage.  I can't think of any other Premium feature that gives players such a strategic or tactical advantage.  Luck Stats and Unit count type info is convenient, but these perks offer nothing that a regular member can't figure out for themselves.  Non-premium member should not feel pressured to get a premium membership in order to be competitive, and I think they are as a result of this restriction.  WG should offer the carrot, never use the stick ..imo.

2. When I play in games/tournaments where i am teamed with a non-Premium member, I feel like I am penalized because though I can communicate privately with them, they can not reply in like fashion. 

agreed

Well, you can always give them your email address via a public message, and then discuss strategies over email.  Or, you could buy your poor teammate a premium membership (only $10!)

Tom hasn't really talked about wargear's finances, but I want to make sure he is making money from the site, because although I'm sure he loves wargear, and is enjoying working on it, the best chance of it being around & supported well 10 years from now is if Tom is at least not losing money on it, and hopefully making some decent money from it.

So basically, I'm wondering how many people are premium members?  Is it enough to pay the sever bills at least?  As you mentioned there is not a lot of reasons to be a premium member as it is.  Maybe non-premium members could have a small advertisement at the bottom of the screen? 

The reasoning behind PMs not being available to Standard members was because Private Messaging within games is not available to Standard members - there's not much point in blocking one without blocking the other as they can both be used for the same purpose.

As for why private messaging is not available to standard members - the same approach was taken on ToS and incorporated here and I think it's a nice extra for Premium members but does not give a significant gameplay disadvantage. After all you can still contact other members by posting on their wall.

This all comes down to there not being many ways in which Premium membership can be promoted without unfairly impacting gameplay and in my view the two most valuable Premium features are the game Stats and Private Messaging. I'd be reluctant to take away either of these as it might affect the long term viability of the site.

Private Messaging is a major reason that I have had a Premium account since I started here.  I learned it's value over at ToS and use it here. 

All "free" game sites have at least one feature that is not available to the basic user and it is that feature that can help make you a top player.  I think WarGear fits in very nicely with other similar gaming sites.   A basic player can still have fun on the site and do just about everything in limited amounts.   However, If they want to make the leader board they need to pay in and get the features that come in the premium package.

Lack of Private Messaging does not restrict you from using the site it is just another tool for becoming a top player. 

tom wrote:

 ..but does not give a significant gameplay disadvantage. After all you can still contact other members by posting on their wall.

I can PM non-Premium members for that matter; the problem is that they cannot PM me back.  So what you're effectively saying is that I should avoid playing with non-Premium members if I want to retain maximum advantage in ranked games and tournaments.

This all comes down to there not being many ways in which Premium membership can be promoted without unfairly impacting gameplay and in my view the two most valuable Premium features are the game Stats and Private Messaging. I'd be reluctant to take away either of these as it might affect the long term viability of the site.

PMing is a great value, I can't disagree, but because it gives Premium players a tactical advantage at the game level, I am uncomfortable with it.  Personally, I think the limit on number of open games is one of your more powerful draws.

M57 wrote:

2. When I play in games/tournaments where i am teamed with a non-Premium member, I feel like I am penalized because though I can communicate privately with them, they can not reply in like fashion. 

Right now if you are actually teamed with a non-Premium player you can message the team and communicate with them.  I used to do this before I purchased the Permium account.  The only thing you can't really do is easily count the units and bonus, emphasis on easily.  And PM a person who is not on your team.

Beastlymaster wrote:

Right now if you are actually teamed with a non-Premium player you can message the team and communicate with them. 

But they can't PM you back -- this can be a significant disadvantage to your team.

Yes they can.  By using the PM feature.  As I said I used this team PM feature before I became a premium member.

Beastlymaster wrote:

Yes they can.  By using the PM feature.  As I said I used this team PM feature before I became a premium member.

Aye, I think this is true.  If I remember, it may have even been added/allowed for the reason you're mentioning M.

Ah, so they can't individually PM, but they can team PM?  That would be fair ..at least for me, but they're still at a disadvantage in games where they are flying solo.

It's really just a convenience. Yeah, it helps, but if a standard member really wants to PM, they can post to their wall. Before i got the premium it was kinda annoying not to have the feature, but it didn't prevent me from doing well.

May be private messages should be banned for everyone ? Alliances could be done through public messages. When you play risk at home, do you go in the kitchen to offer a truce to a player ?

Toto wrote:

May be private messages should be banned for everyone ? Alliances could be done through public messages. When you play risk at home, do you go in the kitchen to offer a truce to a player ?

Agreed! That's the single biggest diplomatic difference between real Risk and online Risk. IRL people make deals all the time but you could see it happening and then even make counter-offers. Here you cant even tell IF it's happening.

There are ways around all this. Play with friends, and email alliances. Start a private 2P game with that person and exchange emails, or ally there then terminate the game etc,etc. Shadily bucking the system is the hallmark of the internet experience.

And this perspective comes from reading ATTACK! threads, when it was still on FB. 99% whining/counterwhining about cheaters. There were about 60,000 active members at its conclusion. Once the site is big enough, cheating WILL abound.

How about if a private message was sent, other players saw "Player X whispered something to Player Y!"

Ozyman wrote:

How about if a private message was sent, other players saw "Player X whispered something to Player Y!"

It's a nice idea but what if they are sent out out of the game with the private messages function ?

It could be a fun way to make people feel paranoid by just sending "Hi Ozyman, how are you doing ?".

This game is War...anything goes.

Now one feature I think would be amazing is a "SpyGear" that could be used maybe once a week or once every 10 games or something.  Enabling your SpyGear would allow you to read all other players' PM's in a particular game.  Could be used in the event some people have allied against you or you suspect as such.

Getting rid of PMs is a bad idea.  If WG doesn't have them, enterprising players will use other means to communicate.  If communication is frowned upon, or even declared illegal, cheating will become rampant.  Having PMs in-game is good because it levels the playing field.  I've said this before but I need to say it again.  Not giving ALL players access to PM is unfair.

As a Premium member, I don't want to be given any special advantage other than my playing (and perhaps negotiating) skills.  If there are other players at the board who do not have these same tools at their avail, then the game is unfair. 

Luck stats, automated unit counts and other analytical tools, lack of advertising, free drinks, etc., do not give me any advantage over my opponents.  There are people here who have stated that they think they should be able to pay for an advantage.  I have a big problem with this.  Where do we draw the line?  How about a Super-Premium membership for $100 that gives you a +1 mod on all of your attack dice?

In a team game, I am told that everyone (including non-Premium members) is able to PM their teammates; this is good, but the feature really should be extended to all players in all situations.  Unless someone can convince me that the current setup is not advantageous to Premium players, I would again ask Tom to reconsider his position on this as a Premium-only feature.