Communication is so underused in most games I have played. My last experience in an unrated room:
The middle player insisted on a wall between he and I on 3v3. Fine. I thought his efforts could be put to better use, since I was involved in a 2v1 on land and losing the sea to the other. I call for help, telling the other players what troops he has where and even which enemy has no defenders left in his town (Cost my whole strike force). My losses are horrific during the 15 odd seconds. (the f10 idea would work great. As would taunts, if there was a reasonable and consistent assignment of taunts available... But when my computer says "Give me some food", one player's computer has a WAV of Bart Simpson, and the other ally has a tastefully done homemade WAV of a particularly long burp.) Anyway, I have resigned myself to the fact that I am facing a 3v1, with my two "allies" off in some chat room. No they probably aren't communicating there, either, just watching the letters go by on the screen. However, then the cavalry arrives! One player tribs 150W to me, the other sends 3 upgraded scouts to my camp. I quickly send "WTF?" Anyway, the middle guy neglected walling the water route, so soon his town is filled with enemy troops. He doesn't say a word. I just kind of surmise it watching the scores changing. The only way I find out that he is under attack is on the achievements screen. I run my newly created forces up to his wall. I send "Del ur wall!" No response, so I send "Boom" and rubbleize it. Then 2 things happen. Middle guy changes me to enemy (and his towers and military attack me instead of the guys sacking his town, and the other "ally" begins building a wonder. Apparently this turn of events evokes the same confusion in the opponents that it did in me. They clear out everything mobile and charge after the wonder. At least he is fairly well defended and finishes the wonder in about 5 minutes, but is then completely overwhelmed by the massed armies. This gives me the opportunity to tranny in my forces and harass the rear of his onslaught as well as decimate all the opponents villies, while my middle "ally" is rampaging through my villies.
After the game, I try to make some sense of it all, and all I get from one is "You attacked my wall first" "I asked you to open it up" "I was being attacked" "I was coming to help" "Then why destroy my wall?" and on and on ad nauseum. The other had no explanation for why he didn't bother to inform us of the wonder. He had been planning it from the start, and that is why he didn't bother attacking. He wanted to save all his forces in reserve.
Anyway, an extreme case, but my experience with most players you don't know is that they don't tell you jack.
Sorry this went on way too long. I will reread it and see what I can drop. (Cut it by about a third.)
Keep your stick on the ice.