Monday, March 3, 2014

Unlearning is Fun!

One of the things I like about wargaming is the release of a new edition and/or army/faction/crew book. Many of us really take it personally when something about their game or faction has changed, for the worse, or even sometimes even for the better. It happens all the time. And as those that looks to it as the worse seems to be more vocal about it and for the other school of people who seem to like it but tend to get beat down when voicing an opinion that it's best for them to stay quiet in the corner. I say change is fun and in this article, I'm here voice a little about that.

One of the biggest thing I see that goes around our hobby is the knee jerk reaction many players jump to when some change is coming up to their game or faction.  Without even giving it a chance - and most of the time, they can't because they ride on rumors or beta test rules - there's already assumption and grandstanding.

There's nothing to change that.  In fact, I love to watch it happen.  It's like watching the WWE. Everyone has a side and each match is set.  Match goes on and on until the main event and there's carnage. Then it's over, people go home, and surmise about the next thing that's going to come out.  Waiting for that next pay per view event.

One of the biggest thing going around now at the time of the writing of this article is the Imperial Knights from GW and you see the matches going on and the jump to conclusions based on the paper math that always happens during this point in time. Just wait in a few months and it'll all seem but a distant dream.

Some people take it so personally, they quit the game or sell off their faction and play something else (that in itself is fun!). They get so riled up that they stress out.  They turn it into a crusade and light the torches and seek out follower of similar interest to call for change! As if that ever worked.

Let's look at it in a different way. When a new edition or faction book comes out, I'm always curious to see what's going to happen to that faction. What's being taken away? What's being added? How will it play? If it's something I play, I can't wait to see what's on the table. To me, it's like playing from the start and that's what makes it fun.

Unlearn what you have learned and start again. Make it work again but in a different way. At least give it a chance and if you don't like it then fine.  But I see some people lose out on things because they didn't give it enough of a chance. I'm not talking to the egotastic gamers who already settled on their opinion. That's fine. I'm mainly directing this to the people that might be able to fine a way to make lemonade out of lemons.

One of the things that really put a good perspective into things is a conversation I had with the Coach from the FamilyofGamers777.  He's a coach for a High School and he's brought his team to some good wins.  He told me he treats it like a team coming up to a new season.  His stars graduates and he has to go through his roster and find and train new star players.  He treats the armies he plays the same way. When a new faction book comes out, he goes through the list, find out the strengths and weaknesses, find out how to play them again and put them on the table and try it out. He has to rebuild the team based on the players he's got for the new season.

The game, no matter which you play, will always change.  You have to roll with them or die in stagnation. Give it a chance and you might find your love for it again. That's all I'm saying. :)

Breath deep, smile, have fun by unlearning what you have learned.






4 comments:

  1. Well said. The tyranid tinfoil hats are just now coming off and it's on to knights now. The internet is the vocal minority on these things. What better way to sell a lot of these models than to design them to be used en masse! If I were a dirty dirty emperor's nut hugger I'd surely want a set of 5. But I'll wait to see what chaos stands to get from all this mess HAHA.

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    1. HAHA! But being a dirty dirty emperor's nut hugger is so much fun!

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  2. Dude! "It's like watching the WWE. Everyone has a side and each match is set. Match goes on and on until the main event and there's carnage. Then it's over, people go home, and surmise about the next thing that's going to come out. Waiting for that next pay per view event."
    You totally need to play Orks!

    Coach has the right idea too!

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    1. I have orks! I just need to finish painting them ;)

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