"What makes your blood boil? People who..." Topic

You were asked – TMP link

While playing a miniature wargame on the tabletop, what sorts of things upset you?

And in the final round of voting:

24% said "people who treat others' miniatures badly"

23% (tie) said "people who would rather argue than play" or "cheaters"

I ran three games of Hail Caesar at a con this weekend and in one of the games I turned around and a teenager had one of my Warlord Seleucid elephants and was trying to pull the parts off of it to see what it was made of! Then at the BKC game I ran I turned around and someone had a handful of my micro-armor to move up a road-literally. They had taken about ten vehicles (which are on bases) and they were just piled into their hand!

The other thing that drives me nutty and that seems to be increasing year by year, is the desire to get out into the middle of the battlefield and kill things. Screw the plan, ignore tactics, who cares about supporting teammates, just get out there and roll dice to have fun.

Lately I've found myself getting increasingly irritated with people who can't rip themselves away from their smart phones while we're in the middle of a game. Steve? Steve? Steve!!

A total stranger playing in your game & casually makes comment cutting down your paint job.

"Screw the plan, ignore tactics, who cares about supporting teammates, just get out there and roll dice to have fun."

Wait, are you saying that it annoys you that people want to have fun?

I've put a number of games together where the players completely ed up the way I thought the game was going to go.

The important thing to remember is that historically generals did this quite often as well.

Pictors that is an excellent point

I totally agree about people treating my stuff badly. I have no qualms about stopping it right out of the gate. I'm polite, but I let them now, please don't…

As far as people having fun, isn't that why we put on games? Give them the tools and let them have at it!

Depends on the battle and how it is done Scott. Making a mistake or taking a chance on an opportunity that appears to be in front of you, is one thing. We have all probably been there.

Ignoring the overall game plan you and your team just created 5 minutes ago right from the start is another. I don't think one participant should ruin a game for everyone else just to roll some dice.

Treating some one else's miniature badly is a definitely wrong.

I hosed up a game once. My cavalry was squared off against a small walled outpost. The only victory objective was on the other side of the board. I spent the whole game trying to get across the board, made one attack that didn't really decide anything. Everyone still had fun, though.

I would argue that if the plan involves one player doing nothing for most of the game then it wasn't a great plan to begin with.

Definitely mishandling of miniatures is complete disrespect for the person running the game. On many occasions during conventions I will state that people need to respect my work and pick them up by the base.

Never yielding a millimeter on take-backs, measurements, cocked dice or whatever but always expecting/demanding the courtesy of having the same granted themselves. I just picked up my stuff and walked away when it became apparent.

"Wait, are you saying that it annoys you that people want to have fun?"

No, but not at the expense of others who are equally trying to have fun. If one side of four players comes up with a plan, strategy, etc., and then one player just ignores everything, runs out and gets their command killed, everyone else gets flanked and destroyed, etc., and the game ends an hour or two earlier than anyone thought, how is that fun for anyone except that one person?

I think the crucial bit Ticonderoga's point was not really the actual act of running in and fighting like that, but the sticking point was disregarding the player agreement on the plan (as opposed to the character agreement). Failing, screwing up, innovating with, or not understanding the plan is one thing. Disregarding the plan (no matter how you do it) at the level of the human agreement in the metagame arena, is disrespecting the players. That said, how you react to being disrespected is a different discussion.

I have seen players who at a con state that the plan is boring and even obvious suicidal play is more fun. If you don't want to be the command ordered to demonstrate or defend in place don't agree to the plan or take another command. At a con, go find another game. if charging across a creek with Spanish mobs at Albuera just so you can roll dice more quickly is your idea of fun, kindlygo join my opponents team!

"(…) and then one player just ignores everything, runs out and gets their command killed, (…)'

Does that include taking them out of the game prematurely with "friendly fire"…?

"Screw the plan, ignore tactics, who cares about supporting teammates, just get out there and roll dice to have fun."

The important thing to remember is that historically generals did this quite often as well.

Pictors, does the name Lord Sackville ring a bell, battle of Minden 1759?

Back to the original question, mishandling or "Dissing" your figures or paint job, definitely gets someone disinvited from any future events.