'Just because we have the internet doesn't mean we all have to play the same.'
-James S, of Warp Signal fame
Hey folks, SinSynn here.
I imagine if you look at any particular gaming 'community,' whether it be RPG's, mini games, or card based games...or board games or anything really, one might perceive it as 'fragmented.'
This so-called fragmentation can caused by anything, really, but here on the interwebz, we've got cutesy acronyms and nicknames for virtually everything...
Cuz our lil' fragment is L33T like that.
;)
*And we luvs da kittehs dat pwn da n00bs ftw...lmao*
In 40k we've got WAAC vs. FAAC, RAW vs RAI, Comp or No-Comp, Hobbyists, Competitive Types, Fluffy Bunnies...blah blah blah.
Flames of War has Rivet Counters, who apparently are the 'historical types.'
Pretty sure the RPG folks, and the Card gamers as well, go at each others throats over some trivial nonsense on occasion.
I betcha they got their own acronyms and cutesy names, too.
I once saw a fight break out when the banker in a Monopoly game was caught pilfering fundage, so I know board games can...get a bit heated.
We dubbed that guy 'Shifty McDoucheface,' but it didn't catch on, cuz the Monopoly community is so damn fragmented.
:P
I gotta be honest here, with Flames of War I find the actual 'history' thing to be...not my thing, and I'm more interested in the mechanics of the game.
I've got tiny grey aliens in bikinis as my HQ's, and hum a merry tune as I put four Brummbars and three Tigers in my Grenadier lists...
*shrug*
Waddayagonnado?
There I go, fragmenting communities and whatnot...
*sigh*
While it may fun to think that there's a community of...anybodies out there that are like all like, 'Oh my god our thing is so shiny and perfect! I never want it to change! It's just right as it is!'
I put forth to you that they most likely very closely resemble this:
In 40k we've got WAAC vs. FAAC, RAW vs RAI, Comp or No-Comp, Hobbyists, Competitive Types, Fluffy Bunnies...blah blah blah.
Flames of War has Rivet Counters, who apparently are the 'historical types.'
Pretty sure the RPG folks, and the Card gamers as well, go at each others throats over some trivial nonsense on occasion.
I betcha they got their own acronyms and cutesy names, too.
I once saw a fight break out when the banker in a Monopoly game was caught pilfering fundage, so I know board games can...get a bit heated.
We dubbed that guy 'Shifty McDoucheface,' but it didn't catch on, cuz the Monopoly community is so damn fragmented.
:P
I gotta be honest here, with Flames of War I find the actual 'history' thing to be...not my thing, and I'm more interested in the mechanics of the game.
I've got tiny grey aliens in bikinis as my HQ's, and hum a merry tune as I put four Brummbars and three Tigers in my Grenadier lists...
*shrug*
Waddayagonnado?
There I go, fragmenting communities and whatnot...
*sigh*
While it may fun to think that there's a community of...anybodies out there that are like all like, 'Oh my god our thing is so shiny and perfect! I never want it to change! It's just right as it is!'
I put forth to you that they most likely very closely resemble this:
*It was going so well. Then the whole 'Han shot first' thing came up...*
Ok, listen...
Not so long ago, I wrote a couple of posts, back to back (like the true idiot I am), that were a bit...dumb.
I could use a term like 'ill advised,' but that would probably be giving myself too much credit.
So I just wanna say:
LookI'mreallyfriggin'sorryIwrotethosepostsandIswearI'lltrytodobetter.
*whew*
Also, YesIknowitwasdumbandI'mfriggin'sorryok?
Besides providing the brilliant quote at the top, James S, he of the very excellent blog Warp Signal, left some smartly written comments on my 'comp post' that got me thinking 'bout this whole 'fragmentation' subject, so maybe some good will come of it...
Heh...'comp-post.'
Iz funnie....Hurr, hurr...
*ahem*
Right!
Back to the whole 'fragmenting communities' thingy.
Uh, lil' story detour here...
The other night I'm in the kitchen, gettin' some coffee (I can quit whenever I want. Nyah), and the phone rings (yes, our landline is in the kitchen...I dunno why. Not my gig).
My cellphone is off again...
DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!
The Crazy Lady I Live With had some computer issues, and we had to buy her a new one.
My phone is NOT OFF cuz I just had to have more hobby crack, for once.
...
Don't get it twisted...that'll happen NEXT month.
;)
Not so long ago, I wrote a couple of posts, back to back (like the true idiot I am), that were a bit...dumb.
I could use a term like 'ill advised,' but that would probably be giving myself too much credit.
So I just wanna say:
LookI'mreallyfriggin'sorryIwrotethosepostsandIswearI'lltrytodobetter.
*whew*
Also, YesIknowitwasdumbandI'mfriggin'sorryok?
Besides providing the brilliant quote at the top, James S, he of the very excellent blog Warp Signal, left some smartly written comments on my 'comp post' that got me thinking 'bout this whole 'fragmentation' subject, so maybe some good will come of it...
Heh...'comp-post.'
Iz funnie....Hurr, hurr...
*ahem*
Right!
Back to the whole 'fragmenting communities' thingy.
Uh, lil' story detour here...
The other night I'm in the kitchen, gettin' some coffee (I can quit whenever I want. Nyah), and the phone rings (yes, our landline is in the kitchen...I dunno why. Not my gig).
My cellphone is off again...
DON'T YOU JUDGE ME!
The Crazy Lady I Live With had some computer issues, and we had to buy her a new one.
My phone is NOT OFF cuz I just had to have more hobby crack, for once.
...
Don't get it twisted...that'll happen NEXT month.
;)
*I haz shame...but not a hell of a lot*
Anyway, I answer the phone and before I can finish saying 'Thanks for calling Domino's Pizza, may I take your order,' I'm rudely interrupted by the Ultimate Rival.
'You're lucky,' he says.
'Oh, am I,' says I, 'I don't feel lucky. I stepped in cat puke a lil' while ago.'
'I hope you had no shoes and socks on, and it was cold and oozed between all your toes and...'
'It did, thanks for caring...'
'...and then you tracked it all over the house on your way to the tub to wash it off and...'
'Sigh...are you done?'
'...and then the water was off...and the puke caught on fire...There. Now I'm done.'
'Well, thank heaven for tha-'
'Wait! ...Your lil' phone-answering jokes are stupid, too...Okay, NOW I'm done...I think.'
'Whatevs...you wanna tell me why I'm lucky?'
'You're lucky cuz the 155 millimeter artillery platoon I ordered just showed up.'
'Pfft! How is that lucky? That sounds horrible, in fact.'
'Yer lucky cuz half of the models were broken, right outta the box. Now I gotta return 'em.'
'Holy crap! That Voodoo for Dummies book really works!'
'Well...you're half right, anyway...'
'Wadda you mean?'
'You ARE a dummy. I hope that book is mostly pictures.'
We chatted amiably for a few minutes, and the conversation turned to a recent Podcast over at What Would Patton Do ,which featured a Battlefront developer discussing 3rd Edition Flames of War.
We quickly squared off in our usual corners...
Anyway, I answer the phone and before I can finish saying 'Thanks for calling Domino's Pizza, may I take your order,' I'm rudely interrupted by the Ultimate Rival.
'You're lucky,' he says.
'Oh, am I,' says I, 'I don't feel lucky. I stepped in cat puke a lil' while ago.'
'I hope you had no shoes and socks on, and it was cold and oozed between all your toes and...'
'It did, thanks for caring...'
'...and then you tracked it all over the house on your way to the tub to wash it off and...'
'Sigh...are you done?'
'...and then the water was off...and the puke caught on fire...There. Now I'm done.'
'Well, thank heaven for tha-'
'Wait! ...Your lil' phone-answering jokes are stupid, too...Okay, NOW I'm done...I think.'
'Whatevs...you wanna tell me why I'm lucky?'
'You're lucky cuz the 155 millimeter artillery platoon I ordered just showed up.'
'Pfft! How is that lucky? That sounds horrible, in fact.'
'Yer lucky cuz half of the models were broken, right outta the box. Now I gotta return 'em.'
'Holy crap! That Voodoo for Dummies book really works!'
'Well...you're half right, anyway...'
'Wadda you mean?'
'You ARE a dummy. I hope that book is mostly pictures.'
We chatted amiably for a few minutes, and the conversation turned to a recent Podcast over at What Would Patton Do ,which featured a Battlefront developer discussing 3rd Edition Flames of War.
We quickly squared off in our usual corners...
*The Ultimate Rival (yeah, that's him), versus my FoW alter ego*
The Ultimate Rival runs tanks, you see, and I run infantry.
That's like Motagues and Capulets, Sharks and Jets, Yankees and Red Sox...
...Tunas and Lions...
*Blame Lauby for adding the 'Multimedia Explosion' label to our Blogger thingy*
Pretty soon the Ultimate Rival and my (ever so humble and completely non-argumentative) self are shouting back and forth over rumors of changes and differences, perceived nerfs and power-ups and what have you.
I was actually up off my 'kitchen coffee chair' (Mmm..coffee chair...so cushiony and caffeinated), pacing back and forth like a madman, waving my arms about and yelling at this knucklehead.
Clearly, he's wrong- tank lists are DRASTICALLY overpowered and require severe nerfing, while my poor lil' foot troopies are overpriced and lack the ability to properly defend themselves against those big, mean ol' tankie tanks.
...I mean, really now...my poor lil' troopies die...sometimes.
-_-
Eventually I out-paced the length of the phone cord, and pulled the cradle off the wall in the kitchen...
(Yes, we have a corded phone. Again, I dunno why. Not my gig)
At which point the Crazy Lady had to intervene, on behalf of...sanity, I suppose.
She appears in a ninja-like puff of smoke at the end of the hallway.
'WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?'
Like many of the males on this planet, when caught acting foolish by an angry Terran female, I sorta locked up for a second.
'Uh....whoops! Something fell... Don't worry, I got it!'
Naturally, she ain't buying this for a second...
'YOU BETTER NOT HAVE PULLED THE PHONE THINGY OFF THE WALL AGAIN!'
Like many of the males on this planet, when confronted by the ever-so-perceptive, angry Terran female, I blustered.
'Pffft! What? Noooo...that was the cat, knocking over the...thigamajigger on top of the whosamawhatsis...Crazy Cat, huh? Heh, heh.'
Shush, you...Even a somewhat thick-headed Xeno like myself knows you don't mess with Terran females.
This lil' Xeno wants to live, man...Terran females are known to kill without provocation.
Fer realz.
THAT'S why I leave the decisions regarding landlines and corded phones up to her, ok?
I get to play with toy soldiers and live, so I'm good.
Nyah.
I returned to my conversation with the Ultimate Rival, suitably chastened.
'You pulled the phone off the wall again, and she yelled at you, right?'
'Shut up...and yes.'
The Ultimate Rival chuckles heartily at this. After a few seconds, we're chuckling together.
It is what it is...Friends, rivals, knuckleheads (phone breakers, community fragmenters).
I can't talk gaming with my best friend for like five friggin' minutes without some sort of...fragmentation occurring.
Why would I expect anything different, anywhere else?
Maybe our hobby, and all it's lil' sub-sects and what have you, can be called fragmented, if you'd like.
I'd like to think of it as more of like, this crazy, cool chaos.
Sure, it's a big ol' mess, full of...mess, or whatever.
But it's my hobby, and it's da awesome.
It's your hobby, too, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
Not some blogger (including, but not limited to, myself), or some self-appointed know it all (including, but not limited to, myself), or The Crazy Lady You Live With (Hobby is worth risking the wrath of an annoyed Terran female, I believe...but don't push yer luck).
The thing is, you're doing it right.
No matter how you play whatever game you play, you're doing it right.
The main goal of...any of this nonsense is to have fun, amirite?
Are you having fun?
If not, THEN you're doing it wrong.
Now I realize fun is a completely subjective thing, of course.
The Ultimate Rival runs tanks, you see, and I run infantry.
That's like Motagues and Capulets, Sharks and Jets, Yankees and Red Sox...
...Tunas and Lions...
*Blame Lauby for adding the 'Multimedia Explosion' label to our Blogger thingy*
Pretty soon the Ultimate Rival and my (ever so humble and completely non-argumentative) self are shouting back and forth over rumors of changes and differences, perceived nerfs and power-ups and what have you.
I was actually up off my 'kitchen coffee chair' (Mmm..coffee chair...so cushiony and caffeinated), pacing back and forth like a madman, waving my arms about and yelling at this knucklehead.
Clearly, he's wrong- tank lists are DRASTICALLY overpowered and require severe nerfing, while my poor lil' foot troopies are overpriced and lack the ability to properly defend themselves against those big, mean ol' tankie tanks.
...I mean, really now...my poor lil' troopies die...sometimes.
-_-
Eventually I out-paced the length of the phone cord, and pulled the cradle off the wall in the kitchen...
(Yes, we have a corded phone. Again, I dunno why. Not my gig)
At which point the Crazy Lady had to intervene, on behalf of...sanity, I suppose.
She appears in a ninja-like puff of smoke at the end of the hallway.
'WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?'
Like many of the males on this planet, when caught acting foolish by an angry Terran female, I sorta locked up for a second.
'Uh....whoops! Something fell... Don't worry, I got it!'
Naturally, she ain't buying this for a second...
'YOU BETTER NOT HAVE PULLED THE PHONE THINGY OFF THE WALL AGAIN!'
Like many of the males on this planet, when confronted by the ever-so-perceptive, angry Terran female, I blustered.
'Pffft! What? Noooo...that was the cat, knocking over the...thigamajigger on top of the whosamawhatsis...Crazy Cat, huh? Heh, heh.'
Shush, you...Even a somewhat thick-headed Xeno like myself knows you don't mess with Terran females.
This lil' Xeno wants to live, man...Terran females are known to kill without provocation.
Fer realz.
THAT'S why I leave the decisions regarding landlines and corded phones up to her, ok?
I get to play with toy soldiers and live, so I'm good.
Nyah.
I returned to my conversation with the Ultimate Rival, suitably chastened.
'You pulled the phone off the wall again, and she yelled at you, right?'
'Shut up...and yes.'
The Ultimate Rival chuckles heartily at this. After a few seconds, we're chuckling together.
It is what it is...Friends, rivals, knuckleheads (phone breakers, community fragmenters).
I can't talk gaming with my best friend for like five friggin' minutes without some sort of...fragmentation occurring.
Why would I expect anything different, anywhere else?
*Please display prominently wherever hobby occurs*
Maybe our hobby, and all it's lil' sub-sects and what have you, can be called fragmented, if you'd like.
I'd like to think of it as more of like, this crazy, cool chaos.
Sure, it's a big ol' mess, full of...mess, or whatever.
But it's my hobby, and it's da awesome.
It's your hobby, too, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
Not some blogger (including, but not limited to, myself), or some self-appointed know it all (including, but not limited to, myself), or The Crazy Lady You Live With (Hobby is worth risking the wrath of an annoyed Terran female, I believe...but don't push yer luck).
The thing is, you're doing it right.
No matter how you play whatever game you play, you're doing it right.
The main goal of...any of this nonsense is to have fun, amirite?
Are you having fun?
If not, THEN you're doing it wrong.
Now I realize fun is a completely subjective thing, of course.
*Just ask my lil' friend here*
Since we all have our particular tastes and preferences, our peeves and issues, we may all take a different route in 'getting there,'and we may very well end up all 'fragmented' and whatnot, and we'll probably never agree about anything, ever...but so what?
Mess that it is, it's still fun as hell.
Our very own twisted lil' microcosm, where we can splatter our imaginations about however we sit fit.
I certainly don't wanna be this guy, even if he is pretty funny:
*Two videos or several MP4's are required to earn the 'Multimedia Explosion' Label, apparently*
So go play and have fun.
If I could join you for a game, I'd love to.
We'll play your way, cuz I'm cool with that.
...
...as long as you agree that tank lists in FoW are ridiculously OP, Space Marines are stupid, Xenos are sexy, Megan Fox is da awesome and I can blame the cat when I lose...or break the phone thingy...or whatever...
;)
Until next time, folks- Exit with Catchphrase!
(New Year, new phrase...El Jeffe's orders)
-SinSynn
Mess that it is, it's still fun as hell.
Our very own twisted lil' microcosm, where we can splatter our imaginations about however we sit fit.
I certainly don't wanna be this guy, even if he is pretty funny:
*Two videos or several MP4's are required to earn the 'Multimedia Explosion' Label, apparently*
So go play and have fun.
If I could join you for a game, I'd love to.
We'll play your way, cuz I'm cool with that.
...
...as long as you agree that tank lists in FoW are ridiculously OP, Space Marines are stupid, Xenos are sexy, Megan Fox is da awesome and I can blame the cat when I lose...or break the phone thingy...or whatever...
;)
Until next time, folks- Exit with Catchphrase!
(New Year, new phrase...El Jeffe's orders)
-SinSynn
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