Many people who are "alpha-gamers", i.e. the people who buy and teach and suggest games will recognise the following phenomenon: because you're assumed to be good at games, people pick on you and you hardly ever win. Certainly when I play with my family I'm regarded as the biggest threat, and that's probably true in that group. As a consequence, a lot of ganging-up happens and if the game has elimination it will often happen to me. Is it any wonder I choose games that don't have elimination? When was the last time I played Bang! with the family?
Even with the various game groups I play in I'm assumed to be a threat. To be fair to CyberKev, he knows that if he doesn't deal with me as a threat then I will be dealing with him (as will everybody else). That is unless the Evil Count von Walduck doesn't come up with some plan that defeats both of us. The evil count has complained that he isn't as cunning as we make out, spending rather more time being confused than plotting, but there's just something about the man that worries me... and for that he must die early in the game.
The advantage of this form of positive discrimination is that people who wouldn't normally be able to win a game do have their chances enhanced - kids and stupid people, for example. But I wonder whether the people who are regarded as threats in different game groups are regarded as such for any good reason, or just due to superstition and/or respect. Feedback is welcomed.
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3 comments:
Hie there Farell!
I got a link here when I was reading up on your profile (coming from the octopusnet geeklist) and I just want to symphatize with your alpha-male syndrome or whatever its called. I go through the same thing every day (well... weeks.. months sometimes...). And I wonder have I to put up with it! Is it not enought that I spend so much of my time researchin up on games and then resources purchasing them... and now I've got to watch MY game being played on the sideline cause I've been eliminated 5 minutes into the game???
Well anyway enough of my rant. I'm proud to say I hosted a mini-con at my place a couple of days ago, played some non-elimination games and only got to bed by 6. SCORE!
I wrote it up on my blog lol
www.stevve15.blogspot.com
Have a look when you're free. And maybe we can link our blog to each others. Linking your blog to the geeks a good idea. I should probably get around to doing that. One of the main theme of my blog is to reach out to non-gamers, so a lot of the things there are going to be pretty basic.
If I have ever eliminated you maliciously I apologise. It has to do with:
a) The not insubstantial thrill of beating you and
b) How guilty I feel if I eliminate one of the children early.
In future however, I shall eliminate competitors randomly and deal with the guilt later.
Unless, of course, you start to win all the time and then I will have to review the situation...
Malice is fine as long as it is helping you win the game.
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