So… when the game is over… is that it?
In a face-to-face game, calling the game is hardly the end. That marks the time to head out to the pub for a pitcher and kibitz over what just happened. Frankly, that is my favorite part of playing in-person! Do we lose that when we play online?
Certainly not! (Well, we do lose the beers together.) The remote Diplomacy hobby has had a long history of players continuing to issue press after the game ended. In the internet era, these became End of Game Statements, or as we call them here are PlayDip, After Action Reports (“AAR”). These post-game communiques give us a chance to get to tell game stories and commiserate.
Why write an AAR?
* they are fun to write for the creative types;
* to reflect on your own play in a structured way and learn from it;
* to give feedback to and ask questions of the other players;
* to patch up any hard feelings from the game, or vent your spleen if you need to;
* to ask advice of the PlayDip community since there are a handful of players that will post in AARs of games they did not play in.
Diplomacy games last weeks, even months. They are worth investing a little time with your fellow gamers when the pressure of competition is lifted. It’s part of what makes the Diplomacy community a community and not just a bunch of anonymous gamers.
***** OPTIONAL READING *****
You should all consider participating in an AAR for our game after it ends. I will be happy to give a few of my own observations, but they will not be nearly as valuable as what comes from each of you. This would be a good time to ask final questions and evaluate play together as a group. I hope to see all of you in the forum after the game.
AARs at PlayDip are all posted here: