Comments | treemonkey75: Just some food for thought...

treemonkey75

Just some food for thought...

Nov 16, 2007 09:13

Game: Noun
1. a contest with rules to determine a winner; "you need four people to play this game"
2. a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours"
3. an amusement or pastime; "they played word games"; "he thought of his painting as a game that filled his empty time"; "his life was all fun and games ( Read more... )

Comments 5

hidenplainsight November 16 2007, 19:22:42 UTC

Very good points, all of them. And one that has pundits pondering perennially, but which is different for each person.
For example, I can be cripplingly antisocial (although that's gotten better) and becoming someone else for awhile gives me a good way to meet people and get to know them. Plus, like you say... gaming is a fun environment that's usually fairly relaxed, and where a good time can be had by all.

Of course, if I have the opportunity to nuke a nest of baatezu by breaking the game mechanics in my favor for humor, I'll do it, and can be a horrible rules nazi (I like structure). But I like to have fun, get people working. Hell, I can be a good walk in protagonist in a LARP; just give me a silver shovel, some glass bottles, a sock, and a gas can. Hilarity.

Meanwhile, I've had to resort to using a UFC "pajama party" to hopefully meet people in this town. "Pajama party" and "combat controllers" didn't go easily into my head, but evidently it happens....

nagash4life November 16 2007, 21:17:05 UTC

For every game I think its a little bit different, and also ones true reasons for gaming. For myself, 13 years ago (holy cow that makes me feel old), I started playing Magic, then Star Wars CCG. It was about the competition and winning prizes at tourneys. Then when I started playing at the Wall and started playing Warhammer, the old habits from the CCGs kicked in and winning was the main thing. That's why I played some pretty cheesy armies at first (5th edition undead for example). At some point, this "winning is everything" mentality started to fade away a little bit and I decided to play armies that other people didn't think could win (SoBs) and find ways to win. Needless to say, 2 days in Atlanta showed me that winning isn't everything with warhammer (INFERNO CANNON RULES TRUMP WAAAAGGGHHH RULES FOR PETE'S SAKE). At that point fun was a little more important with 40k, but coming out the winner was always something that made me "feel good." Now that I'm older and I'm teaching my step-son how to play 40k, things are WAY ( ... )

oneearrabbit November 18 2007, 14:45:00 UTC

I always agree with keeping peace at the table over me "winning" or "doing what my character would do". You're playing with 3-6 other people. What your character would do works in a bubble, but it's a bubble only you share. There's been so many times if I "did what my character would do" I would have upset alot of people at the table. I don't try and kill other players and can really only think of a few rare instances that my actions have brought actual conflict with another player. One was in a joking manner and me or the other guy could have gotten killed and neither of us would have cared. But we knew what was going on before hand and out of character could have said "Hey, let's not go down this road". And I would have found something else and reasoned it out with my character. Your character isn't black and white, most people in almost ANY given situation can have multiple avenues of action. It isn't "Well this was all I could do", bullshit. That's a cop-out. And even if your character does see things only in black and white, give ( ... )

wolvi87 November 19 2007, 05:28:43 UTC

Games are supposed to be fun. Too many times the competitor in me has come out, and the game seems to be more about success then fun ( ... )

hidenplainsight November 19 2007, 16:05:18 UTC

Hi again. Found something interesting via Slashdot that looks interesting, and is tangentially connected to the theme here....
How D&D the cartoon makes you think this way.

The interesting part is how the "parent's groups" were involved, and looking back it does seem to be a recurring theme of the times. It really doesn't have that much to do with you're post (play because it's fun, or run because it's fun, but don't if neither are because you have limited time in life to have fun) but like I said, was tangentially related. (Am I even using that word correctly? I need coffee...)