This is the letter I wrote to include with the board. I'll have scans of it with the picture, but for now you can at least read it. Not sure how it's going to copy-paste, and this may not have been the final version, but it's close.
Mr. Calhamer,
The first game this board ever hosted will go down in history as the second most memorable game I’ll ever play. I did not win the map in a tournament or receive it as a gift, and the game in question was nothing to write home about for anyone on the board; we weren’t even fully aware of the rules. And yet this board is special, because on the day I first played with it, three strangers became three of the most important people in my life.
We were able to field two games each day for almost a week until we ran out of acquaintances willing to play. Diplomacy gives you an endless treasure-map into another person’s mind; winding around political opinions, dipping under childhood stories, and camping for the night with fits of frustrated smiles. If only the world’s diplomacy made best friends so easily we might not have had the history that inspired you to create the game in the first place.
When the list of potential newcomers was exhausted, and an entire campus too intimidated by our enthusiasm, we discovered an online community that welcomed us with open arms, amplifying our new-found fascination for the game. Three friends became twenty, fifty, two-hundred, warranting trips across nations and oceans just to put names to faces.
My story is not at all unique. Since 2004, the WebDiplomacy community has hosted nearly thirty-thousand games with players from all parts of the world. Life-long friendships begin on our pages, and continue to grow as we continue to host more live events.
If we could send you a dollar for every game of Diplomacy ever started, it wouldn’t put a dent in the value behind how many minds you’ve inspired, bouts of laughter you’ve let loose, or nods of respect you’ve earned. The words ‘eternally grateful’ come up short in our thanks to you.
If I were able to present this game board to you in person, it would be your autograph that I would request. Instead we send you all of ours as a small token of our appreciation for the favourite pastime of so many. These signatures hail from every continent; transcending the obstacles of religion, politics, and language. Every corner of the world has been touched by your Diplomacy and is better for it.
The most important game of Diplomacy my friends and I have yet to play will belong to our sons and daughters. The unbearable excitement from announcing orders, the wide grin from that first successful backstab, and the pride from an alliance carried through to the bitter end are all experiences no one else could give as well as you have for generations to come.
For every past and future convoy, stalemate, and support hold, a thousand thank yous!
Happy Birthday Mr. Calhamer,
The WebDiplomacy Community
)
Goodbye
)
)
)