ABOUT THE DIPLOMATIC POUCH

Another year, another Pouch Zine. Not quite the pace you're accustomed to, but such a hiatus does have its upsides. It's clear that the means of publication and public outreach are shifting away from the single website that in its heyday summoned all the talent of the Hobby, to a much more diverse and tech-savvy platform, epitomized by the rise of Discord, the Diplomacy Broadcast Network (a.k.a. the DBN) and the weekly Diplomacy Briefing. They are so indulging and so omni-present that no weekend goes by without either of these offering new games, new tournaments, new coverages, that it's simply impossible to keep up with. So we cherry-pick whatever it was that stood out, pool it together, and then suddenly there's a lull in our schedule and a desire to once more push out a Zine's copy.

This past year has been dominated by virtual Face-to-Face, culminating (for some at least) in the virtual World Diplomacy Classic (a.k.a. the vWDC), played out at the very end of 2020. One of the driving forces of this event has been Bill Hackenbracht, organizer, player and Top Board finalist. Bill proposed to me to do a recap of this thrilling clash of titans, an offer I couldn't resist. And so it is that we once more can publish a player-commented recap, not on a WDC event, but on a vWDC event, which is close enough. Because, alas, the WDC 2020 event (on the site of the Carnage tournament, which did go virtual, but was not considered a WDC) has been postponed a year, pushing back also the WDC in Bangkok.

I don't think I have made a secret of my own involvement in the Bangkok Diplomacy Club and its Thai Diplomacy Championship. This involvement bore fruit even, as I ended the 2020 season at the top of the standings. Credit goes not only to Lei for organizing all these games, but also to the other players, especially those that played in several games throughout the year. As you get to know each other better, you also pick up a few facts about their way of life. Most of them are expats from different countries in Europe. Being a polyglot helps a bit, but they're all very comfortable in English as well. Some can speak the native language of their adopted country, some can't and some are still learning. But they all can talk the Dip lingo, which is why once this pandemic is over, they can return to their game venues and teach the locals. Because in order to get a truly global audience you need missionaries. Of the brain, rather than the spirit. But what's the difference?

Enjoy the Pouch!