Closing a long-term, online Kriegsspiel has a lot in common with ending a theatrical production. You work for months, even years, with a terrific group of people, to tell a story. Players have to drop out and new folks come along. There are exciting bits and days that seem to last weeks. There is certainly a fair amount of effort put into it all and, at times, you wonder whether it will ever stop. In the end, the world is not changed, but you get to keep memories, even as the thing itself vanishes into smoke.