"Humor in Gaming? 4.5!" Topic

You were asked – TMP link

On a scale of 1 to 5, how important do you consider humor to be in enjoying a game with your buddies?

Average response was 4.51

5 for me.

0 – You don't laugh playing golf or tennis or chess. Why war gaming? If you laughed too much you would never be or be taken seriously as a serious player.

We laugh when we can. When the situation is serious, we do not; when we can, we cut up as much as possible. Life is serious; gaming is our fun time. Cheers!

Oh about 11, you're out there to have FUN fer Christs sake!!!
If yer not laughing yer not doing it right!

I have a WFB character named "Ragnar the Unluckiest"
He has a tendency to consistently beat the odds with low rolls.
He usually hits on a 3+
Hard not to laugh when at least twice a game he goes 0-5
And never goes 5-5

Humor is of great importance to me when running a game. This is a hobby, and not to be taken too seriously. I enjoy the seriousness of scenario research and design. However, once we start playing, the entire idea is to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Without fun, humor, laughter and enjoyment, what is the point of having a hobby? If I want to be dead serious, I have that opportunity every day at my real job. By the way, if you don't laugh when you watch me playing tennis or chess, then you have no sense of humor! 🙂

Play with toy soldiers as you like. Several hours spent in a humorless attempt to re-create a battle would not be fun for me or the folks I game with.

Does fun have to be about humour?
I have had a lot of fun from things that have not been humorous.
If laughter arises naturally from the human interaction in a game that is great.
If the problem of the game and it's resolution work out to the satisfaction of all without a laugh being raised, then that is great too.

I would say humour is about a 2 importance on that scale to me. Nice to have and if it arises spontaneously it can make a game event feel great, but it isn't necessarily central to the experience.

You don't laugh playing golf or tennis or chess.

How do you know that I don't? Actually, I don't play golf, tennis or chess, but I have laughed at numerous events whilst playing wargames, such as when being compelled to drive one's own tank into a canal. The opportunities for laughter in a wargame are endless. I was a police officer for thirty years, a pretty serious job I'm sure you'd agree. But we managed to have a laugh every now and then, so don't tell me you can't have one when playing a wargame.

I laugh when I play golf. When I play tennis or chess we don't talk much, but certainly I laugh inwardly.

But we managed to have a laugh every now and then, so don't tell me you can't have one when playing a wargame.

Gwydion's point (with which I agree) was not that you can't have a laugh during a wargame (or other activities), it was that you don't necessarily have to in order to have fun.

We play a lot of games that are humourous and silly. And a lot that are more serious. The serious ones are not less fun.

My old group of gamer friends, now The Centurions, have generals with names like:
Conan the Bavarian – obviously Bavarian
The Earl of Garfield – very British
Count Tickmeoff – the Russian
The Duke of Earl – British
And campaigns with names like the Sarcastic Alliance (whoever is the most sarcastic SOB) against everyone, The White Hordes (Austrian French against everyone else). Its like gaming with a group of Stand-up comics. The night is not complete without someone laughing so hard they blow Dr. Pepper out their nose.

NOW THATS ENTERTAINMENT!!!

Almost forgot, the greatest commander in the SYW, Freddy the Adequate.