Thursday 25 August 2011

A Beautiful game

And not about football either!
I saw a game of 40k the other day A tourney style mechanized (really badly painted) grey knights army was facing up against one of the best 'Nid armies I've ever seen. I mean, truly stunning. Sadly, I didn't have my camera with me, but if I remember I will update the post with a picture or two.
And knowing both players fairly well, I felt incredibly bad for the 'Nid player. He's one of those guys who doesn't have a lot of free time, so anytime he does manage to get a game in is a big deal, but he wants to play. He wants a good friendly game with a couple of beers and a good laugh.
Sadly the other guy is a dick, he's jumped from army to army, whatever he perceives as the newest, best army, so nothings ever painted, which is fine I guess. But he brags incessantly about his newest list, and then whines when he looses, I'm sure you all know the type. And up to a point it's fine, you expect it of the little kids because they don't know any better, they just want to win. But he's 35. And I've seen him throw models across the store when he looses. One of those players who will mock you for taking a weaker list over whatever the Internet says is "the best". Sadly the 'Nid player didn't know this going in.
Obviously he got annihilated. Swarm 'Nids aren't the most competitive army anyway, especially against a mechanized list, and doubly so against grey knights. I think it took three turn to table them, for no considerable loss to his opponent. Which is ok, it happens sometimes, but the gloating, ohh Gods above, I've never seen such poor sportsmanship. Ever. Constantly belittling the poor guy for having the nerve to take "poor" units over "better" ones. Praising his own list and clever use of tactics.
Words are failing me to describe how much of a dick this guy was being.
Now, don't get me wrong, I like tournament level games, I like that level of competitiveness. But at tournaments, or when I know the guy opposite me doesn't mind, and isn't a complete dick.
But even at tournaments, I enjoy the playing more than the outcome of the game. For me, and for a lot of guys I game with, (which is why I game with them) winning and loosing is irrelevant, it's all about playing a beautiful game.
And it's something that I think is missing from, specifically, a lot of GW stores and clubs. That it is always better to lose a good game, than to win a bad one.
It used to be called "the most important rule", that both players should be having fun. But it seems to have been dropped somewhere along the way. You see little kids now, and some not so little, for whom winning is everything, and who will throw massive tantrums if they lose. Not all, but enough.
It might just be that I'm getting older, that I didn't notice it as much when I was younger, and I hope that's true. But I can't quite shake the feeling that gaming is heading downhill.

In short, don't play to win, play for a beautiful game..





No comments:

Post a Comment