A relative encouraged me to join WebDip a year ago. This site has allowed me to play many, many times a game that, before joining the site, I had literally played two turns of in college. My wife got the boardgame for me for Christmas a few years ago, and I basically (rather pathetically) played it against myself on the coffee table since I could never find six other players with enough patience or time to gather in realspace. I was not trusted after foisting "Britannia" and "Twilight Imperium" on unsuspecting passersby.
Some reflections after a year of play:
--CDs and NMRs are the biggest single frustration. I took a three-month hiatus in the spring because I was tired of games being head-kicked by absentee players.
--The community of gamers here is strange, interesting and generally a lot of fun. The best games are those in which players are trading diplomatic inquiries, puns, bad pop-cult references, and obscure tidbits of military history all at once. Generally, I've found folks to be patient with new players, generous with time, willing to play down the DipPoint food chain as well as up, and funny.
--Fondest game memory: Strangely, a WorldDip session, a game I've played just two or three times. As the US I made peace with a Quebec who had unwisely stabbed me to little gain. We worked really closely together to beat back a Eur/PR alliance from North American waters. In the end, my flag was planted on the Med and Quebec's on Arkhangelsk.
--Best variant: Classic 1901.
--Favorite territory: Serbia. I love the ability to support or thwart naval maneuvers in three directions without being touchable from the water.
--NMRs and CS
--Best thread title: It was something like, "People who resort to hyberbole should be shot!"
Thanks to all mods, fellow players, and technical folks who make pursuing this hobby possible and enjoyable.