The phrase “I play to have fun, not to win” is thrown around quite a bit in one form or another. Why do people say that?
I play to have fun. I do not play to escape from my life. I LOVE my life. Gaming is part of that life, not some separate pocket dimension full of freaks and mutants. You mutants exist and I love all of you as well. When I am playing I often forget about other stuff as I concentrate on the game. That may seem like escapism to some of you but to me it is simply paying attention to the task at hand. It must really suck for the escapists when they go back to their miserable lives. It must feel like taking a nap on the couch in front of the AC and waking up to the sounds of your wife trying to start the lawnmower because she’s pissed about her lay-about husband and she’s making the point so that you’ll get off your duff and you take the push mower from her and then you realize it’s 99 and humid out there and the sun and the heat hit you as you squint at her and she berates you in front of your neighbor. That must be what it’s like for those “suspended reality” types. For me it’s a game about fictitious elves, dragons, good guys, bad guys and other stuff that should not be shared with your boss. You play the game in the real world with and against your chosen opponent.
I have always played games. I don’t play computer games unless I have a friend sitting there trying to stop my touchdown drive or receiving my killing blow as a sinister voice says “FINISH HIM!!!” Those games where you wander around for hours like a lab rat in a maze, pushing levers for cheese are not for me. I also do not read the “(Fri-)endless Quest books”. Games are meant to be social and competitive. I like competition. It’s what makes our nation great. Our legal process is built on competition. One side says “A” and the other takes the exact opposite position. The end result is supposed to be the best possible result. It is arrived at by two lawyers who do everything in their power to make their opponent look like an idiot and then they meet on the golf course and laugh their way to the bank. In games, you try to beat your friend and when it’s over, win, lose or draw, he’s still your friend.
Lawyers and players are bound by Da Rulz! Now there is a little more at stake in legal disputes and the limits of Da Rulz are tested in ways that are not appropriate in a game, that’s why we have disparaging terms like “Rules Lawyer” and the like. The goal of the legal process is to find the truth or something close enough. The goal of a game is to have fun. That is our truth.
So we have our rules and our goal and our distinguished competition and now what? We play the game! That’s what!!! I bust out my little toy soldiers and you do likewise. We may drift into character and run some smack that would be gibberish to those not so geeky. One of us may say “Hey now!” and the other will turn around to look for the hottie. Will it actually be a hottie or is Cap’n O just trying to get me to look at a size 30 stuffed into a size 16 corset and scorch yet another nightmarish image into my retina? I digress...back to the game. I owe it to my opponent to try to win. If we are not both trying to win, then why play? There are plenty of other FUN things to do. Why play a game? Why have the game governed by rules? Why have rules about victory points and conditions? Why not just get drunk? Why not just play “Sorry” and roll dice and run around a board while drinking beer and eating pretzels? I’ll tell you why… ‘cause competition is fun! It keeps you sharp. It compels the loser to try harder next time. It pushes the winner to raise his game as he knows the loser is gunning for him. My Sensei has a little sign in the Instructor’s Lounge. It reads: “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” The sign makes the point by being both inciting and insightful at the same time. Think about its more subtle meaning and you’ll see The Way.
There is a bell curve of winners and losers. At one end are those who always lose. Statistically it’s very unlikely to lose all of the time so that number is small. This group is made up of the mentally infirm and those who do not care, they just want to roll dice and get away from their lives. At the extreme opposite there are those who always win. This group is made up of tactical geniuses and cheaters who play against children and the mentally infirm. In the middle are those who win infrequently, sometimes, a lot, often and most of the time. That group describes the vast majority of gamers. Why do they play? They play for all of the reasons I mentioned. When they lose, they must accept the fact and either they say “I’ll get you next time Cap’n O you sly rascal!!!” OR they say “I suck and I’ll never be able to beat you but I’ll try anyway and learn a lot in the process” OR they say “Cap’n O you’re a dick and you care too much about winning. Me? I’m enlightened and I play to have fun.”
We should all be good sports. We should encourage good sportsmanship. We should be shining beacons of all that is good about wargames and personal hygiene! Don’t fall into the trap of echoing and perpetuating the myth that having fun and playing to win are mutually exclusive. They are one and the same. Play to win and to win for the right reasons and in the right way. I’d rather play the Cap’n and lose than play someone who doesn’t care and thrash them.
Which are you? or do you fall somewhere in the middle, let us know Here.
