PlanetsCentral

Does trading ships constitute a form of cooperation?

Yes. See my post above.

Please, show some sportsmanship. This is not a rule-bending contest. It says "no cooperation", so contacting other players to coordinate complex operations like a ship trade should be off-limits, even if it is not technically forbidden.

Honestly, how would that even work? I do not want to infest your computers with trojans that scan your emails for "forbidden" communication. And I do not want to bury each of you in a bunker for the duration of a game.

Some things are forbidden even if there is no technical prevention. Taking your neighbours package from their porch is theft, even if they didn't put up a guard or camera.

On the other hand, the neutral area is a wide field. If you accidentally capture a freighter with your outpost, but want to remain on neutral terms, of course, go send it back. If your neighbour needs fuel and refueling them is the better option than them invading you and taking the fuel by force, go ahead. Just apply common sense: would this make us allies forever, or is that just a one-time action to keep the game (and your fights at the other edge of your empire) flowing. Be egoistic.

And, finally, if you think rule interpretation (or game configuration) should be different, say so! With the current software abilities, I believe the interpretation I sketched above simply works best. We could increase the level of non-cooperation a bit with truly anonymous games, but even then, nothing would prevent you from outing yourself "hey, I'm the Lizard".

--Stefan