"Controlling Yourself" Topic

Our readers recently selected the top five commandments of the hobby, one of which was:

Thou shalt always remember 'tis only a game and fix thine temperment accordingly.

At the wargaming table, how hard is it for you to control your temperament? On a scale of 10 (incredibly difficult) to 1 (easy peasey).

2

5

1. I've gotten much better over the years due to factors outside of wargaming.

1, unless there is a muppet trying to stir things up during the game.

1.

2. Sometimes I use harsh language.

The more tired I am the harder it is for me to control my temperment

I might get worked up talking about other things, but not when talking about miniatures or while gaming.

1 or 2 during games. I have fun, no matter which unit is getting crushed.

Dan

1. I've improved with age. And experience.

2 these days. When I was younger I was more a 4 or 5. Age has mellowed me.

1

1.
I did embarrass myself once, that was enough. Now I'm all smiles and politeness!

1 I want people to join our group, not be scared to come back.

1

Inconsistent. A 7 when I was younger. I remember a particularly nasty game in which I lost my temper, very badly. To my eternal shame, I was wrong both in my interpretation of the rules and in my behaviour.

Nowadays is a 1. If I feel uncomfortable in a game, I leave the table discreetly and without any fuss whatsoever.

1. I agree with the others – Age improves this.

1

Temperament is not temper.

I control my temper easily. It was always been easy for me, but years of meditation, martial arts, and working in high conflict situations have made it easier still.

I would say 1-3, dependant on who I am playing! – I imagine they might say different!!!

1-2 Like others have commented, age helps.

2.

The more an opponent is clearly a rules lawyer/overly competitive type with an agenda, the nicer I become, but the less I care about the game.

2 now, probably a 4 or 5 in my younger days

1. IT'S A GAME!

I wouldn't game with anyone who acts like a child. It is supposed to be fun. Anytime I start taking myself too seriously I remember I am 53 years old and still playing with toy soldiers. That usually brings me back to reality.

4. I struggle with people slowing the game down.
Recent example: younger player had to make 7 threshold checks in Full Thrust (8 players around the table). The game pretty much stopped because every roll was a dramatic shaking of the die, then a dramatic "yeah" or "argh" at the result. Just roll the %$#& dice and let's move on!!

1

I'll go outside the scale and simply say "I don't know how my opponents put up with me, they must be saints"

1 – It is only a game. I actually become quiet as decisions get harder.

I've met gamers who've gone off the scale;myself,it varies.

1.

After all it is only a bloody game. I got over being argumentative around age 10. Now I just excuse myself for a few minutes and go outside and let the air out of their car tires. Much more satisfying.

1.5 I coach multiple sports… WAY harder to stay calm in that area than in tabletop gaming.

I tend not to get too angry – but our gaming group, The Furious Gamers Association (NE Ohio's premier gaming club for over 13 years) isn't really known for rational disagreement. Punches have been thrown, dice hurled in anger. Toys have been taken home.
In a world full of bathtub admirals, hindsight generals, barstool tacticians, and water cooler strategists, it can be hard to stay cool, so we let it all out. As Gaming Legend Gwyn Reeves says, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."
Factor in the always hated rules lawyers, dice nazis, and power gamers, along with various hangers-on, and you've got a perfect recipe for an explosion.

2

The rules lawyers, power gamers, min/maxers, etc. never make it to gaming at my table.

1

1 … as mentioned … it's only a game …

@FG
"Factor in the always hated rules lawyers, dice nazis, and power gamers,", dice nazis and poer gamers, new terms to me and I'm not sure what you mean. Please explain.

TIA,
Dave

1… I am Zen.

Don't really like foul language at the table tbh, but different folks etc.

The occasional hip-thrust is acceptable. Bonus points if the thruster connects to the buttocks of the thrustee…

1 – No real problems during the game. No real problems not playing with other people later, either.

@StoneMtnMinis

Dice Nazi – this person is literally a dice hog. When you look around for dice on the table, they are in this persons hand, or next to them, inexplicably. Rulers/tape measures are their prey as well. Totally annoying.

Power gamer – Think yuppie gamer, in terms of drive. There are no misunderstandings, or gentleman's agreements with this hated clown, only victory. They will take any cheap win to improve their imaginary 'stats'. Chutes and Ladders win vs 5 year olds – check! Cheap victory due to obvious flaw in game, or misunderstanding – they'll take your concession. Unfortunately, the only way of dealing with this one is to beat him mercilessly, then ridicule repeatedly.

Temper decent control. Gas, however, gets harder every year…..

5- I am getting more out spoken about poor behavior and wastes of my time!

#1 Players that show up late so we cannot complete the game.

#2 Players that have to have a smoke break every 30 minutes cutting playing time in half so we cannot finish a game.

#3 Players that are not engaged and want to talk about anything but the game then need to be briefed on what happened when its their turn.

#4 Players that were supposed to have their army picked and had 1 or more weeks to accomplish the task then show up for game night and need to spend an hour tinkering with the rule book.

#5 Game hosts that create scenarios that are unbalanced or impossible to achieve objectives. (i.e Even if my troops sprinted across the table and performed no other action they could not exit the far table edge to achieve victory conditions…)

#6 Players or Game Hosts that pledged to bring XYZ for game night then suddenly announce they forgot so we cannot play.

#7 AND THE ONE I HATE THE MOST! Game hosts that call the game before its complete and give their "expert" opinion as to who would have won. (i.e I know we are only three turns into the game but you failed to press the attack so you lose…) Hell it took two turns of maneuver just to get in range!