Have you seen these before? This may just be the seven deadly sins the will kill your gaming group, achtung!
Jennifer Derrick brought up several great points regarding “Fun Suckers” over at iSlayTheDragon.com, a board game community, and I thought I’d adopt those ideas and turn them into the seven deadly sins that will kill your gaming group.
The Seven Deadly Sins of Gaming
- Being a poor sport
- Taking yourself, or your game, too seriously
- Over Critiquing
- Adopting a Mean Girls Attitude with your gaming group
- Being a Snob
- Trying to be the Boss
- Adopting a Members Only attitude
1. Being a Poor Sport: If television has taught me anything, No one likes a sore loser. Similarly, no one wants to watch someone gloat. But being a good sport goes beyond how to behave in a game. If you’re bringing a tournament list make sure you’re opponent intends to bring one too. If you brought a face melting list to the club maybe bring a sideboard of some less than optimal units along with you. Fact: playing with less than optimal units, and finding ways to win, will make you a better player.
Kenny says I’m sub-optimal. Sad Face.
2. Taking yourself, or your game, too seriously: Let’s agree to never forget that this is a game. Don’t get me wrong, maybe your game is Grim and Dark or you’re playing out a battle in which real humans died in very real places, it’s still a game meant to be enjoyable. Conversely, if you’re gaming group takes joy in seeing all the unit heraldry accurately portrayed maybe don’t bring a My Little Ponies themed Army counts as White Scars to play a game. [Yes, somewhere in the universe My Little Ponies are probably sentient and kick major ass but respect goes both ways]
Via Joy Reactor
3. Over Critiquing: While we’re on the subject of Critique, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Everyone’s paint job has SOME redeemable quality; like the sheer amount of time they probably invested into it. New gamers especially simply don’t have the reps in to get amazing paint jobs. They’ll see your models, be impressed and either ask questions or figure it out themselves.
4. Adopting a Mean Girls Attitude with your gaming group: Also, don’t be so closed off that people are afraid to approach you. Smile, shake hands, and introduce yourself to new people. Keep the attitude friendly. We’re social animals and drama will be created eventually; do your best to squash it. If you really can’t handle someone it’s okay to let him or her know how you feel about his or her attitude in a civil manner. This isn’t high school and you’re not a 15 year-old.
5. Being a game snob: While we’re on the subject of attitude, don’t be a snob. You’re game isn’t better or worse than someone else’s game. It doesn’t affect me if you want to play Pathfinder while I’m making pew pew sounds while my plastic toy soldiers die horrible deaths; as long as we’re respectful of one another it shouldn’t affect us. If someone asks you to join them for a play thru of any game, be gracious, give it a shot.
“Sigmar? You’re playing Sigmar? That shit’s for 5 year olds, what’s wrong with you?” is the complete opposite of what you should be saying.
Nothing is wrong with me, I’m over here enjoying moving my round bases and bashing heads in assault and rolling dice same as you. I get it, you don’t like it and you’re game with square bases is SO great, it’s not for me. Let’s agree to disagree. If you want me to come over to your game maybe say something like, “hey man, I see that you like AoS, do you want to try a game of 9th Age with me? You might like it better; I know I do. It’s not for everyone but you never know.”
6. Trying to be THE Boss: Freedom to do what we want is important; you’re not my Dad, or my Mom, or my Nana, my Tata or in general the boss of me. [Yes, I channeled my inner six year-old comment for that. Yes, I’m aware I only act like an 8 year-old on most days. shush] Unless you’re the owner of the place, or I’m doing something harmful, emotionally or physical, don’t try and dictate the way I play; if I want your opinion I’ll ask for it.
7. Adopting a Members Only attitude: Finally, and this is probably the most important, this is a gaming club not a golf club from early 1900’s or a country club from the 50’s, everyone is invited regardless of race, creed, color, gender, or any other supposed means of differentiation. At the end of the day we’re all the same, we’re all nerds. (we’re also all human) so lets act like nerds. Embrace each others weirdness and eccentricities and understand that that human being you’re talking too loves what he’s doing just as much as you do. Let them know they belong and that he/she is welcome. Above all else make sure they know, the seven deadly sins of gaming just aren’t allowed.
What are your gaming sins?
