How (and Why) To Write an End Game Statement (EGS)

By Martyn Webster

Why write an End Game Statement?

Why would you spend a few hours writing about a game that is over... especially one in which you took little part, had no chance and got "unfairly" eliminated for no good reason? Whether you won or survived the game, or whether you got knocked out early, there are several good reasons to write an EGS:

A Diplomacy game with no EGS is like a movie or book without a conclusion. This applies to everyone. One of the most frustrating things about diplomacy is not knowing why your opponents did what they did. When reflecting on the game, most players feel much more satisfied with the time spent if they can learn something from it.
Writing an EGS helps you review your strategy and improve your game. It is easy to focus on the end result of the game and lose sight of how it got that way. Reviewing and analysing your strategy will usually help you improve your game.
Reading EGS from your games (and from other games) helps everyone become better players themselves and improve the hobby in general. You may find that players who have read your EGSs from other games want to ally with you because they like the way you play. An EGS is your opportunity to add your bit to history and (unlike in real history) you get to say your bit even if you lose!
Lastly, it's a chance to thank the other players and the GM for making it a good game for you. If it was not a good game, you have an opportunity to say why you didn't enjoy it so that they might learn from it. Remember that all EGS are simultaneous and any subsequent discussion will probably not be included, so make sure your comments are constructive and fully supported by the facts. If you have to express a subjective view, make sure you indicate that it is just your opinion or perception.

Preparation

To write a good EGS, you really have to start at the beginning of the game!

The first step is to keep records throughout the game. I try to include a short summary of my perceptions and plans with my orders. This makes the game interesting for the GM, but also acts as your personal diary of the game. It is easy to forget what your thoughts were about a game many weeks later, especially if there were many changes in alliances and strategies during the game. By saving all of these documents, you form a game diary on which to base your EGS. You can either save emails in a folder or print them out and put them in a paper folder.

For standard diplomacy (i.e. not gunboat) keep all emails to and from other players in the same way. Highlight correspondence of particular interest so you can find them at the end.

The maps and orders are generally archived for you by the game hosts for on-line games, but it may also be helpful to keep your printed maps, especially if you jot notes on them. If significant phone conversations are involved, make notes on your map or other printed documents - eg "Austria called and we worked out a plan to stab Russia. I don't trust him".

At the end of the game, you can have a great time reading all of your accumulated data and recalling the game and your involvement in it. To organise your thoughts, go through these steps:

Step 1

Sum up your view of the game in a single sentence. Here are some examples:

"I started off under pressure from all sides, but survived long enough to get a good ally and we almost won."

"I made a good ally early but he stabbed me at first opportunity and I never recovered from it."

"It started with a stalemate on most borders and got bogged down in ever-shifting alliances in my area, while the winner took over the other side of the map."

Step 2

Divide the game into significant parts (for you). There may only be one if you got knocked out early, or there may be many in a long game of shifting alliances. Try to group these "periods" into no more than four if you don't want to write your own "War and Peace". Try to recall and describe the situation in each period of the game, and your perceptions and strategies. You will probably need to refer to your records to be clear on the timing of events.

Step 3

Review the critical turning points, and key decisions you made in the game. Consider whether you think you made the right decisions in hindsight. Also recall the key decisions made by other players and your perception of why they made them.

Step 4

Review your opinion of how the other players played. Be positive and forgiving. Remember that they were just trying to win (you were trying to win too, I presume), and while their decisions may not have been the best, or may not have helped you, people usually have rational reasons for their decisions. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

Writing the EGS

Now you are ready to write a great EGS!

Here is the layout I use. It's based on standard that seems to have emerged over time.

Introduction

This should be 1 or 2 paragraphs. Summarise the game from your point of view, using your single sentence summary as basis.

Strategy

This should be one or two paragraphs per game period (as you defined earlier). For each period, describe what happened, who did what, how you interpreted it, how you responded and why, and what level of success or otherwise did you encounter.

Players

This should be one paragraph per player. Review your interpretation of each player's strategy, how it affected you and how you responded.

Remember that while it is polite to make positive remarks, it is more interesting to most readers to include relevant analysis rather than empty praise. If you find that your comments don't relate directly to game moves, you are probably ranting and should just send the people a love-letter directly!

It is sporting to congratulate anybody who is responsible for knocking you out of the game, even if you didn't like it. That is the point of the game after all. Long term allies should be thanked and you may like to reveal your thoughts as to why you stayed loyal to them for a long time... or perhaps why you stabbed them in the end!

For players who you had little to do with, a brief note will do, perhaps a collective comment in a single paragraph.

Try to keep this constructive. If you can't say anything nice, then at least be constructive in your criticism. For example, rather than:
"Russia did a stupid stab on me in A04 that got him killed in the end"
Try:
"I was very disappointed in the stab from Russia in A04 because it was clear that France was going to take advantage of the situation and ended up winning the game as a result."

If you have been soundly defeated by someone, rather than putting the player down, congratulate them on a good game - either for out-guessing you or just for playing well. If they have played well (to your benefit or detriment) thank them for a good game. It's just being a good sport.

Anybody you can't say a good word about, don't say anything. Nobody likes anarchies but people do sometimes have real-life emergencies that interrupt their game so bear this possibility in mind when criticising people for dropping out.

Thank the GM

This should be one paragraph at most. Nobody likes a suck-up!

Consider that the GMs are volunteers and are generally players who don't get to play in your game, but they still spend their time process turns to a deadline.

Help them get interested in the game by providing some insight into your view of the game as it runs. A GM who is following the game is less likely to make errors in order entry because he can read the moves in the correct context and might re-check any that are unexpected (especially yours, since he knows what your intentions are!).

Just like the players, try to find something positive to say, and if you can't, at least state your opinions in a constructive manner.

Send it!

Actually you should probably spell-check it and have one person proof read it first. I don't know if you can get your EGS modified after it has been published, but it is sure to mean some work for someone, so it's better to get it right the first time!

I look forward to reading some great end game statements in the future!

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