When anyone is interested in a wargame, their first question is often "which army should I choose?" To which many respond "whichever army looks best to you!" Unfortunately, this advice rarely comes with a footnote.
Years ago when I was interested in 40k, I did a huge amount of research in to which army I'd theoretically choose if I were to start. I really liked the look and flavor of Orks, but I liked the small-but-powerful-units playstyle of Space Marines. I frequented a few popular forums, and everywhere I went people stuck by the tried-and-true "pick what army looks best to you." So years before I even had someone to play with, my mind was settled on Orks because looks seemed to be the big decider.
It's an easy answer to default to, but I'm not sure everyone considers the weight behind what they're saying. In a hobby with several factors to it, it's dangerous to assume that one answer will apply to everyone. I'd like to talk about three guys in my group and how this single answer would affect them.
Fritz: Fritz is a gamer first, rules-monger second and hobbyist third. In the year I've been playing with him, I've hardly seen him lose. It's also a running joke in our group that he has never had a painted army (although there is a legend that he painted some 40k stuff back in the day).
If he were to play an army solely based on looks, he'd be miserable. He approaches wargaming for the game more than the story. Although he will play (and win) with any army, and he knows every piece of 40k lore imaginable what they look like isn't a factor. So to him, this concept could lead to a very bad purchase because it doesn't address what he's looking for in the game.
Chris: Chris is at the opposite end of the spectrum (as the current discussion on our Facebook page can attest to). Chris sees games as a more narrative experience, and everything he brings to the table needs to make sense to the game's story. In Warmachine, it means bringing tier lists (a restriction that gives benefits for only bringing models that go with a certain leader). In 40k, you can hear him talking about how a certain army list doesn't make sense because it wouldn't happen in the story.
To Chris, "play what looks good" is the driving factor in his purchases. Chris will only play "good guys" in a wargame. Even if Chaos Space Marines fit his playstyle perfectly, he won't play them. Likewise, he'll agonize over how his army is painted. Everything has a purpose, and no amount of work is too much if it gives his models the look he wants. Yes, that includes 100+ layers of glaze just to get a good white color on this Thunderhead.
Josh (and me): We are somewhere in the middle of these two wackos. We both love having painted models whose looks we enjoy, but the army needs to play how we like it. I'd argue that Josh leans more toward Chris while I allign closer to Fritz, but we both like to win with good looking miniatures.
Regardless, "whatever looks best" only tackles half of our decision. Josh may like how Khador (my primary Warmachine army) plays, but if he doesn't like the Russian inspiration of the army then I can guarantee he won't play them. Likewise I love the look of Cryx (steampunk zombies!!!), but I simply can't wrap my mind around the idea of shrugging when your paper-armored pieces die, so I don't play them.
My point is that there is often more to it than just the looks of the models. It's also important to point out that the onus for explaining what type of gamer you are falls solely on the shoulders of the person asking the questions. No one should be expected to answer such a shallow question with a thorough answer. If you want to know what to play, you need to tell people how you want to play.
That leads me back to Orks. When I finally decided to make the plunge in to 40k, I already knew what army I wanted. I liked the looks and story of both Orks and Space Marines. However, Orks were crazy and full of character so I chose them with little regard to their playstyle. I knew they were random and died by the masses, but I figured that since I liked their models I would learn to love their playstyle. I made the mistake of not studying both parts of my "army criteria."
Mistake.
I played a few games with them and I nearly lost my mind. If I got shot, I died. If I shot them, my bullets harmlessly bounced away, sometimes laughing at my audacity in actually shooting with Orks. But if I engaged the enemy in melee, whoo buddy were they in trouble! And that's about what the army demanded - running everything forward, ignoring casualties and trying to get to them with enough troops to do something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the idea of acceptable losses. In any game, you know that some of your things will die. Chess, Magic, wargames... if you control multiple pieces, you must accept that some will perish.
But with Orks, I wasn't prepared for just how many things needed to die in the name of "acceptable losses." I could lose half my army before getting in to melee, and that was deemed lucky. Each round I was tossing Orks back in my box, and everyone else just raised their eyebrows at me as I tried to rationalize how this was considered a close game.
In all my gaming history, I've always used a powerful few over "strength in numbers." I like knowing just how powerful an individual piece is, and how many I can lose before I no longer have the upper hand. With my poor math skills, that always meant that "swarm tactics" never worked with me. I don't like the idea of having power in numbers - I want each card, each model, to have a powerful, direct purpose in my game.
With Orks, no individual piece brought power to my list. They worked through eventuality - throwing enough bodies at the problem until it eventually succumbed. My mind doesn't work that way, and although I enjoyed Orks and their randomness, I just couldn't get them to work with the other half of what I need to enjoy the game.
But I've learned my lesson. I can't be all things in all games, and I need to maintain balance. So I'm selling my Ork stuff, painting up my Grey Knights (which are the epitome of small, powerful models), and only playing what I'll enjoy; models I love with a playstyle to match.
See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Losing Steam
With most of the painting out of the way, my competition piece for Wyrd Miniatures is starting to stagnate.
For those who were here the day I discovered the competition, you know how excited I was about it. It's no secret that I love the things Wyrd Miniatures produces. It's creepy and awesome, and the only bad thing about them is that I don't play their games.
But after I finished painting up Hamelin and his Stolen, the only thing I had left was the modeling aspect of my piece. I've never done much modeling, so from the idea's inception I had no idea how I'd feel about the piece as a whole. It turns out that I'm nothing more than an overly-passionate painter and not the well-rounded hobbyist I hoped I was.
Over the past few days I've been working on my rat swarm. I lost my original mold, so I had to spend some time making two more acceptable pieces before I could start. From there I got my greenstuff and starting making rats. It was drudgery, but it was progress.
Yesterday, however, I had 0 interest in messing with greenstuff or working on the sewer. Instead, I decided to work on my Play It Painted pledge for the month.
When I finished these up this afternoon, I felt good. I don't mind the odd bit of terrain-making or basing, but painting is my passion, and my competition piece just isn't jiving with what I enjoy. That isn't to say that I won't finish the piece, because I plan to. It just won't be done with the enthusiasm I was hoping to put in to the entire thing.
I shared this with my wife this evening, and she gave me some really good insight in to my problem. When I was planning this piece, it was a cerebral experience. I was thinking of all the intricacies I could add to really make the piece look fantastic. I was dreaming, and I was loving it.
For those who were here the day I discovered the competition, you know how excited I was about it. It's no secret that I love the things Wyrd Miniatures produces. It's creepy and awesome, and the only bad thing about them is that I don't play their games.
But after I finished painting up Hamelin and his Stolen, the only thing I had left was the modeling aspect of my piece. I've never done much modeling, so from the idea's inception I had no idea how I'd feel about the piece as a whole. It turns out that I'm nothing more than an overly-passionate painter and not the well-rounded hobbyist I hoped I was.
Over the past few days I've been working on my rat swarm. I lost my original mold, so I had to spend some time making two more acceptable pieces before I could start. From there I got my greenstuff and starting making rats. It was drudgery, but it was progress.
Yesterday, however, I had 0 interest in messing with greenstuff or working on the sewer. Instead, I decided to work on my Play It Painted pledge for the month.
When I finished these up this afternoon, I felt good. I don't mind the odd bit of terrain-making or basing, but painting is my passion, and my competition piece just isn't jiving with what I enjoy. That isn't to say that I won't finish the piece, because I plan to. It just won't be done with the enthusiasm I was hoping to put in to the entire thing.
I shared this with my wife this evening, and she gave me some really good insight in to my problem. When I was planning this piece, it was a cerebral experience. I was thinking of all the intricacies I could add to really make the piece look fantastic. I was dreaming, and I was loving it.
But when it came to the execution, I lost my momentum because I wasn't doing anything "flashy." The rat swarm will look thematic, and the sewer (if I go that route) will look great. But for me, the greatest excitement for the terrain came from the dream stage.
I loved planning out how the rats would look, the details of the sewer, etc. But soon there were no characters to bring to life, and all I was left with was an idea and no drive to execute it. I'm not doing something big and spectacular, nor is it something I will get any use out of later (which is my only drive for doing terrain in any capacity).
Sadly, I'm the kind of learner who needs to make mistakes to learn. In theory, I probably knew working on the rats and sewer would drag me down. If I'd planned my time better, I would have saved the painting for the end. But I didn't, and now it's like mentally crawling through mud to work on it.
I think I just needed to get that off my chest. If the kids weren't home I'd probably just verbally unload on my rat molds and unpainted sewer walls. But alas, you all are my Frustration Relief: Plan B. But lesson learned - if I'm doing a competition, I stick strickly to painting and basing.
See you tomorrow!
I loved planning out how the rats would look, the details of the sewer, etc. But soon there were no characters to bring to life, and all I was left with was an idea and no drive to execute it. I'm not doing something big and spectacular, nor is it something I will get any use out of later (which is my only drive for doing terrain in any capacity).
Sadly, I'm the kind of learner who needs to make mistakes to learn. In theory, I probably knew working on the rats and sewer would drag me down. If I'd planned my time better, I would have saved the painting for the end. But I didn't, and now it's like mentally crawling through mud to work on it.
I think I just needed to get that off my chest. If the kids weren't home I'd probably just verbally unload on my rat molds and unpainted sewer walls. But alas, you all are my Frustration Relief: Plan B. But lesson learned - if I'm doing a competition, I stick strickly to painting and basing.
See you tomorrow!
Monday, March 4, 2013
IKRPG Side Quest - Thievin' Pigs!
Last week I only had one player interested in IKRPG, so I decided to run a one shot, one man adventure for another character he'd created.
He crept closer to the mouth of the cave and focused on the gambling pig nearest to him. He closed his eyes and forced his will into the primitive brain until the body became his own. The beast resisted, but Izak's will was too great to fight against. The pig's companion looked confused as Izak's puppet walked towards him, and could only shriek in surprise as his head was lopped from his body.
Izak released the pig before his mind became too exhausted, and smiled at the ensuing chaos. The pig in the Cygnaran coat stalked toward his confused ally, and Izak could only imagine the insults being hurled at the helpless creature. Normally he would have continued toying with these simple minds, but Izak had a mission. Refocusing on the elements around him, the pigs' attention immediately snapped to the mouth of their cave and the thin, powerful being approaching them.
The wind whipping around the cave was deafening, but if there's one thing these creatures knew it was that they needed to kill anything they didn't like. As they charged through their mess of stolen goods, Izak released the hurricane churning around him. The pigs were lifted from their hooves and pounded against the back wall as all their boxes splintered and followed after them. All the boxes but one.
The cave calmed, and Izak reclaimed his prize. He offered one final glance at the red stains on the cave wall and walked back to the road, the box under his arms and his focus set on returning home.
I hope you enjoyed this little side adventure. Who knows, you may just see Izak again.
See you tomorrow!
A quaint cart rumbled along a rarely-traveled road. The young Thamarite priest had been awake for too long, but his mind was still buzzing with excitement. The rogue Grey Lord who'd originally owned this cart was going to be his way in to the Thamarite Order. The foolish wizard had thought himself safe in that little barn with the arcane tome, never realizing the guard who'd helped him smuggle it was an information broker. The information hadn't been cheap, but it was worth it.
Izak Bloodfellow tapped the smooth wooden box with the side of his foot for the tenth time this hour, again reassuring himself that the tome was safe. He had thumbed through it as he waited for the shallow breaths of the dying grey lord to slowly end, and knew it to be yet another theory on raising the dead. His order had perfected the technique long ago, but the Thamarite Order was nothing if not hungry for knowledge.
The serenity of the abandoned countryside was cut short as he began crossing a small bridge. A small explosion that rocked the cart and sent Izak tumbling backwards and crashing to the aging planks below. Dazed and disoriented, it took the priest a moment to realize he was buried beneath the scraps of wood that were once his cart. As he sought to push himself up from the wreckage, he heard what sounded like a pair of pigs who had just seen a ghost.
Rising up and taking in his surrounding, he saw a pair of brutish, humanoid pigs holding several of his ruined belongings in their arms. Both were dressed in tattered clothes that were two sizes too small. One had a small ax strapped to his side while another had an old rifle slung across his back. Looking past them, he saw three other pigs jogging away with his food and, to his disgust, the box holding his tome.
Cold rage billowed up inside him and Izak turned it to the two creatures. He calling upon his innate magical abilities, his cloak started whipping around him as the air around him began to churn. Before their could squeal in surprise, the Thamarite forced the furious wind out ahead of him, striking the two farrow with a thousand invisible blades.
Stepping past the two fresh corpses, he looked to where the trio had carried his prize. He spied a small cave off the road and set out to reclaim his property. As he approached the cave, he could only assume they'd stolen this from a large bear. The ceiling sat low, and the pigs' manes gently scraped it as they moved about. There were only three here, along with a chaotic mess of garbage. Looking at the loot they'd acquired from several different kingdoms, it was apparent that his wasn't the first cart that had been waylaid on this small stretch of road. It mattered little to him - they had stolen what was his, and they would pay for it with their lives.
Two pigs appeared to be taking part in some kind of gambling using several stones. On the floor beside them he could see his belongings that they'd pilfered. In the corner, another pig wearing a Cygnaran officer's coat was picking through his food sack as he wandered aimlessly around the cave. It was clear these creatures were expecting their comrades to dispatch of any survivors from their recent attack, which would mean their minds wouldn't be on alert. Perfect.
Izak Bloodfellow tapped the smooth wooden box with the side of his foot for the tenth time this hour, again reassuring himself that the tome was safe. He had thumbed through it as he waited for the shallow breaths of the dying grey lord to slowly end, and knew it to be yet another theory on raising the dead. His order had perfected the technique long ago, but the Thamarite Order was nothing if not hungry for knowledge.
The serenity of the abandoned countryside was cut short as he began crossing a small bridge. A small explosion that rocked the cart and sent Izak tumbling backwards and crashing to the aging planks below. Dazed and disoriented, it took the priest a moment to realize he was buried beneath the scraps of wood that were once his cart. As he sought to push himself up from the wreckage, he heard what sounded like a pair of pigs who had just seen a ghost.
Rising up and taking in his surrounding, he saw a pair of brutish, humanoid pigs holding several of his ruined belongings in their arms. Both were dressed in tattered clothes that were two sizes too small. One had a small ax strapped to his side while another had an old rifle slung across his back. Looking past them, he saw three other pigs jogging away with his food and, to his disgust, the box holding his tome.
Cold rage billowed up inside him and Izak turned it to the two creatures. He calling upon his innate magical abilities, his cloak started whipping around him as the air around him began to churn. Before their could squeal in surprise, the Thamarite forced the furious wind out ahead of him, striking the two farrow with a thousand invisible blades.
Stepping past the two fresh corpses, he looked to where the trio had carried his prize. He spied a small cave off the road and set out to reclaim his property. As he approached the cave, he could only assume they'd stolen this from a large bear. The ceiling sat low, and the pigs' manes gently scraped it as they moved about. There were only three here, along with a chaotic mess of garbage. Looking at the loot they'd acquired from several different kingdoms, it was apparent that his wasn't the first cart that had been waylaid on this small stretch of road. It mattered little to him - they had stolen what was his, and they would pay for it with their lives.
Two pigs appeared to be taking part in some kind of gambling using several stones. On the floor beside them he could see his belongings that they'd pilfered. In the corner, another pig wearing a Cygnaran officer's coat was picking through his food sack as he wandered aimlessly around the cave. It was clear these creatures were expecting their comrades to dispatch of any survivors from their recent attack, which would mean their minds wouldn't be on alert. Perfect.
He crept closer to the mouth of the cave and focused on the gambling pig nearest to him. He closed his eyes and forced his will into the primitive brain until the body became his own. The beast resisted, but Izak's will was too great to fight against. The pig's companion looked confused as Izak's puppet walked towards him, and could only shriek in surprise as his head was lopped from his body.
Izak released the pig before his mind became too exhausted, and smiled at the ensuing chaos. The pig in the Cygnaran coat stalked toward his confused ally, and Izak could only imagine the insults being hurled at the helpless creature. Normally he would have continued toying with these simple minds, but Izak had a mission. Refocusing on the elements around him, the pigs' attention immediately snapped to the mouth of their cave and the thin, powerful being approaching them.
The wind whipping around the cave was deafening, but if there's one thing these creatures knew it was that they needed to kill anything they didn't like. As they charged through their mess of stolen goods, Izak released the hurricane churning around him. The pigs were lifted from their hooves and pounded against the back wall as all their boxes splintered and followed after them. All the boxes but one.
The cave calmed, and Izak reclaimed his prize. He offered one final glance at the red stains on the cave wall and walked back to the road, the box under his arms and his focus set on returning home.
I hope you enjoyed this little side adventure. Who knows, you may just see Izak again.
See you tomorrow!
Sterling on Cage
Not that I ever thought I'd have performed the definitive "takedown" of David Cage; but if I or anyone else HAD harbored any pretense toward doing so we must now concede that Jim Sterling has now definitively taken the crown on that one:
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Is WAAC Wack? Pt 2 - "What is WAAC (to me)?"
Here is part 2 in my series that looks at my experiences as a casual and "win at all costs (WAAC)" player. Although I've spent less time trying to be competitive, I think many can still relate to being "that guy" who will do anything it takes to get that W.
Before I progress, I want to implore the veteran gamers to remember that this is my personal take on the casual vs competitive debate. When I wrote my first article, I didn't fully consider all the baggage that came with the term WAAC. While the gaming community was fairly supportive overall (even if they didn't agree), I think there was a miscommunication on my part with the purpose of the articles. My goal isn't to be divisive - I'm merely sharing my experiences on both extremes, and where that journey placed me.
Now then, I'd like to start this the same way I began my casual article and define what WAAC meant to me. These are a bit harder to pin down, because I wasn't the most mature, rational person during this part of my gaming years.
Before I progress, I want to implore the veteran gamers to remember that this is my personal take on the casual vs competitive debate. When I wrote my first article, I didn't fully consider all the baggage that came with the term WAAC. While the gaming community was fairly supportive overall (even if they didn't agree), I think there was a miscommunication on my part with the purpose of the articles. My goal isn't to be divisive - I'm merely sharing my experiences on both extremes, and where that journey placed me.
Now then, I'd like to start this the same way I began my casual article and define what WAAC meant to me. These are a bit harder to pin down, because I wasn't the most mature, rational person during this part of my gaming years.
- Know all the rules and use those to help you or hurt my opponent. If I can win on a technicality, or undo something they did because they made one small, harmless error, you can believe I'll do it.
- Don't give "take backs" or "do overs" unless I'm were offered one first.
- Play to beat my opponent in any game setting, whether in a tournament or in relaxed game. Even if they're brand new, I'll take that win because they need to know what it's really like to play the game.
- Blatant cheating isn't allowed, but anything I could justify as "soft cheating" is fair game. More on this later.
- If something is overpowered, I'll use it if it gets me a win (especially if it requires less skill to use)
- If someone makes a small error in a setting where they can be disqualified or banned for it, tattle on them and tell myself I just want an honest game.
- At the end of the day, a W is a W no matter how I get it
Admit it, you would have punched me if you knew me then. It's fine, because if you had I would probably call you up today and thank you for it. Pardon the language, but I was a complete "douche" in my teen years! But at the time, it didn't matter because I was feeding my ego.
I'm really not sure how I got to this point. My first article in this series pretty well reflects who I've been for the majority of my life. I've always been that quiet, passive guy who doesn't make waves. I was raised on "play for fun, winning isn't important," and I've almost always held to that. But from the age of 17 to about 24, I would go through these inexplicable periods of "competitive douche-baggery."
My main games at the time were YuGiOh (stop laughing), World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty. To this day, Call of Duty threatens to bring "that guy" out of me, which is why I have to walk away as soon as I stop having fun with it. But at the time, fun wasn't a factor in my playing.
I'm really not sure how I got to this point. My first article in this series pretty well reflects who I've been for the majority of my life. I've always been that quiet, passive guy who doesn't make waves. I was raised on "play for fun, winning isn't important," and I've almost always held to that. But from the age of 17 to about 24, I would go through these inexplicable periods of "competitive douche-baggery."
My main games at the time were YuGiOh (stop laughing), World of Warcraft, and Call of Duty. To this day, Call of Duty threatens to bring "that guy" out of me, which is why I have to walk away as soon as I stop having fun with it. But at the time, fun wasn't a factor in my playing.
I robotically approached each game as "must win," without any real reason why. Within a short time, winning wasn't even fun anymore; it was just something I felt I had to do. So I'd spend hours on the Xbox, I'd visit the YuGiOh tournaments twice a week, and every minute of my "fun time" would be a miserable drive to beat anyone no matter what.
The worst part is that I wasn't any good at these games. In YuGiOh I could hit 2nd or 3rd place on a good day, but I'm terrible at first-person shooters. So I resorted to some things that people (rightfully) look down on.
In YuGiOh, I copied winning decks. Originality went out the window - I didn't even like the decks I played until Zombies became competitive. This is known as "net decking," where you take a winning list and just run it without any testing on your part. While not wrong in and of itself, it completely disengaged me from actually knowing the intricacies of the game, and after years of playing I had only created one original deck (which I still have in my closet somewhere).
On top that, I would do the most unsavory things to win. If I finished shuffling my deck and saw my best card on the bottom, I'd shuffle it one or two more times to get it closer to the top. If someone drew too many cards, I'd call a judge over. If they added lifepoints wrong in my favor, I'd keep quiet. I wouldn't outright do something I considered cheating, but my need to win clouded my sense of morality during the game.
In Call of Duty... I did everything you hated to see the enemy team do. I camped, I noob tubed, I boosted for kill streaks, I used map glitches... as long as I got to see that "You Killed xxxBadKidxxx" I was happy because I was "winning." For those who aren't familiar with the terms, it all boils down to fighting dirty.
Warcraft is hardly worth mentioning because I was terrible in player vs player content. Most of my time in that game was spent using my max level characters to constantly kill lower-level enemies, or using map glitches to feel all-powerful and kill people I'd otherwise have no chance against. My skill level was abysmal, but it does contribute to the overall picture of how I approached WAAC.
In the end, this all boiled down to immaturity. It's not just that I wanted to win, because that's what games are about. I had this fantasy of being a top-level player in my games, and I did whatever I could to make myself feel like that goal was coming closer. I went so far as to start planning a signal system a friend and I could use for when one of us was playing a game and the other was behind the opponent.
Sadly, this is the image many people have of WAAC players. Obviously people like that exist, but I like to think it's a "corner case" situation. But no one ever called me out on it, so I continued in blind stupidity until reality finally set in.
I was playing in a YuGiOh league that had no real prize for the winner. I was playing a kid who was barely in the double-digit years of his life, and he clearly had no idea what he was doing. The win was obviously mine in this game, and I used a card that required me to shuffle my deck. I did so, and saw a card on the top of my deck that I knew was useless to me. So I hesitated and shuffled once more so that I wouldn't have a dead draw.
That's when it hit me. I was a grown man trying to beat a kid at a game. Not through skill alone, but by any means necessary. It was embarrassing, and it was the last time I played YuGiOh for years. After years of periodic WAAC gaming that punctuated my extreme casual style, I took an objective look at what I was doing and realized how truly silly I had been. And just like my realization about playing to win, I had an epiphany that was a mirror opposite of what I hated about myself as a casual player.
If you don't play to have fun, why play at all?
(Interestingly, someone on the Privateer Press forums also said this as a response to my first post)
However, I wasn't ready to be a balanced player. I retreated back to a heavy state of "casual" play and stayed there, perhaps in penance for the monster I felt I'd become. I played games, but again I just went through the rules of the game and didn't challenge my friends. I made it a point of only playing cooperative games so that I wouldn't have to play a game based on me trying to beat someone.
I later joined my gaming group and soon discovered wargaming. It sounds silly, but I really struggled. The games aren't just 10 minute duels using cards, but 1-2 hour-long slugfests full of strategic maneuvering and a little luck. I played to win, but I found myself not playing aggressively for fear of ruining someone's fun or falling back in to my habit of "playing to win" (not that anyone in my group would believe that).
I had become scared of competing, and I wasn't sure why. I told myself I wanted to play a relaxed game where it didn't matter who won, but I knew that if I started trying to win, I'd become that stupid, WAAC player who didn't care about honor, fun, or the fact that my opponent was a person and not an obstacle to be overcome.
In my next post, I'll wrap this up by discussing the balance I think I've found, and my thoughts on the sometimes hostile debate between casual and competitive players. I've become engrossed in the book Playing to Win by David Sirlin, which was recommended to me by someone who read my previous post. It's really helped put words to what I've been thinking, and I think it will be a great resource as I write my final article in this series.
See you tomorrow!
The worst part is that I wasn't any good at these games. In YuGiOh I could hit 2nd or 3rd place on a good day, but I'm terrible at first-person shooters. So I resorted to some things that people (rightfully) look down on.
In YuGiOh, I copied winning decks. Originality went out the window - I didn't even like the decks I played until Zombies became competitive. This is known as "net decking," where you take a winning list and just run it without any testing on your part. While not wrong in and of itself, it completely disengaged me from actually knowing the intricacies of the game, and after years of playing I had only created one original deck (which I still have in my closet somewhere).
On top that, I would do the most unsavory things to win. If I finished shuffling my deck and saw my best card on the bottom, I'd shuffle it one or two more times to get it closer to the top. If someone drew too many cards, I'd call a judge over. If they added lifepoints wrong in my favor, I'd keep quiet. I wouldn't outright do something I considered cheating, but my need to win clouded my sense of morality during the game.
In Call of Duty... I did everything you hated to see the enemy team do. I camped, I noob tubed, I boosted for kill streaks, I used map glitches... as long as I got to see that "You Killed xxxBadKidxxx" I was happy because I was "winning." For those who aren't familiar with the terms, it all boils down to fighting dirty.
Warcraft is hardly worth mentioning because I was terrible in player vs player content. Most of my time in that game was spent using my max level characters to constantly kill lower-level enemies, or using map glitches to feel all-powerful and kill people I'd otherwise have no chance against. My skill level was abysmal, but it does contribute to the overall picture of how I approached WAAC.
In the end, this all boiled down to immaturity. It's not just that I wanted to win, because that's what games are about. I had this fantasy of being a top-level player in my games, and I did whatever I could to make myself feel like that goal was coming closer. I went so far as to start planning a signal system a friend and I could use for when one of us was playing a game and the other was behind the opponent.
Sadly, this is the image many people have of WAAC players. Obviously people like that exist, but I like to think it's a "corner case" situation. But no one ever called me out on it, so I continued in blind stupidity until reality finally set in.
I was playing in a YuGiOh league that had no real prize for the winner. I was playing a kid who was barely in the double-digit years of his life, and he clearly had no idea what he was doing. The win was obviously mine in this game, and I used a card that required me to shuffle my deck. I did so, and saw a card on the top of my deck that I knew was useless to me. So I hesitated and shuffled once more so that I wouldn't have a dead draw.
That's when it hit me. I was a grown man trying to beat a kid at a game. Not through skill alone, but by any means necessary. It was embarrassing, and it was the last time I played YuGiOh for years. After years of periodic WAAC gaming that punctuated my extreme casual style, I took an objective look at what I was doing and realized how truly silly I had been. And just like my realization about playing to win, I had an epiphany that was a mirror opposite of what I hated about myself as a casual player.
If you don't play to have fun, why play at all?
(Interestingly, someone on the Privateer Press forums also said this as a response to my first post)
However, I wasn't ready to be a balanced player. I retreated back to a heavy state of "casual" play and stayed there, perhaps in penance for the monster I felt I'd become. I played games, but again I just went through the rules of the game and didn't challenge my friends. I made it a point of only playing cooperative games so that I wouldn't have to play a game based on me trying to beat someone.
I later joined my gaming group and soon discovered wargaming. It sounds silly, but I really struggled. The games aren't just 10 minute duels using cards, but 1-2 hour-long slugfests full of strategic maneuvering and a little luck. I played to win, but I found myself not playing aggressively for fear of ruining someone's fun or falling back in to my habit of "playing to win" (not that anyone in my group would believe that).
I had become scared of competing, and I wasn't sure why. I told myself I wanted to play a relaxed game where it didn't matter who won, but I knew that if I started trying to win, I'd become that stupid, WAAC player who didn't care about honor, fun, or the fact that my opponent was a person and not an obstacle to be overcome.
In my next post, I'll wrap this up by discussing the balance I think I've found, and my thoughts on the sometimes hostile debate between casual and competitive players. I've become engrossed in the book Playing to Win by David Sirlin, which was recommended to me by someone who read my previous post. It's really helped put words to what I've been thinking, and I think it will be a great resource as I write my final article in this series.
See you tomorrow!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Rest Time Reviews - A New Series
I've been trying to come up with a weekly or bi-weekly series for the blog. After some brainstorming, I think I may have come up with a good one.
Ever since my daughter stopped taking daily naps at the age of 3, we had to institute what we call "rest time." Since wasn't sleeping, we still wanted her to have that time to sit and chill. Two years later, she still has her rest time while her brother (and maybe daddy) takes a nap.
In the past year, my wife has been enforcing that rule on me as well. I have a nasty habit of not slowing down when there are things to do, and I don't really notice until my brain is running on fumes. So for an hour or two every day, I have been doing something to relax. Usually this involves painting, but video games and reading have crept in there as well.
It's during this "rest time" that the idea for my series came about. Rest Time Reviews will be a regular series that will look at games and apps for those who don't have much free time to devote to them. I'll look at them for their content, but also how well the game/app will fit in to a busier schedule. Some things may be no-brainers, but I hope some of you will see something that piques your interest and helps you relax during your own down time.
I'm still hammering out the format details, so let me know if you have any thoughts on what you'd want to see in a series like this. I'm hoping I can figure out some objective criteria that lets you quickly decide if the game/app is for you, and then doing my normal jibber-jabber for those who want specifics and bad jokes. I'm also thinking of some sort of banner/logo/whatever to put in each article, so ideas there are also welcome. This is still in its infancy, and I think with some outside ideas this thing could be really enjoyable for the busy gamers out there.
See you tomorrow!
Ever since my daughter stopped taking daily naps at the age of 3, we had to institute what we call "rest time." Since wasn't sleeping, we still wanted her to have that time to sit and chill. Two years later, she still has her rest time while her brother (and maybe daddy) takes a nap.
In the past year, my wife has been enforcing that rule on me as well. I have a nasty habit of not slowing down when there are things to do, and I don't really notice until my brain is running on fumes. So for an hour or two every day, I have been doing something to relax. Usually this involves painting, but video games and reading have crept in there as well.
It's during this "rest time" that the idea for my series came about. Rest Time Reviews will be a regular series that will look at games and apps for those who don't have much free time to devote to them. I'll look at them for their content, but also how well the game/app will fit in to a busier schedule. Some things may be no-brainers, but I hope some of you will see something that piques your interest and helps you relax during your own down time.
I'm still hammering out the format details, so let me know if you have any thoughts on what you'd want to see in a series like this. I'm hoping I can figure out some objective criteria that lets you quickly decide if the game/app is for you, and then doing my normal jibber-jabber for those who want specifics and bad jokes. I'm also thinking of some sort of banner/logo/whatever to put in each article, so ideas there are also welcome. This is still in its infancy, and I think with some outside ideas this thing could be really enjoyable for the busy gamers out there.
See you tomorrow!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Blogging Giveaway - February
Another month of flawlessly posting flawed posts can only mean one thing... free stuff!
Click this link to be taken to the actual YouTube page so you can enter.
See you tomorrow!
Click this link to be taken to the actual YouTube page so you can enter.
See you tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)