Gamers' attitude to gaming?

[ThePandaDirector]

So I've been reading through a lot of threads recently, most of which can be divided into; newb questions, wise advice and wide declartions that something is broken... including the word broken (can't make that **** up)

Now I don't even play Malifaux at the moment, never really did to be honest, but I hope to take the plunge eventually (have 3-4 crews and counting). Until then I have my precious Puppet Wars - I believe to be the closest thing to a balanced miniature game - but this discussian doesn't just apply to Malifaux.

Can't say I listen to a lot of rules talk here, because I like to just take what I want and make it work, rather than rely on a drip feed of advice from other people*. So yeah, I ain't winning a tournament anytime soon. I can't understand what enjoyment anyone gets out of beating someone, they know is not of the same skill level, in a landside victory. It's easy to fix that attitude in friendly play, but in tournaments I imagine that it's easy for fresh hate fodder to be supplied for the internet when the goal often seems to spam and capitalize on whatever will win you the game, even if it's not fun until someone comes along who can beat it and the wheel turns... I suppose it is a sign of a good game design that your wheel turns faster than others ;)

*In contrast to Malifaux (and other games) I love discussing combos in Puppet Wars, because as often as people try to say one combo is broken, it never sticks for long, the game always prevails =]

So this "poll" is to see whether it's possible that not only is Malifaux like every other miniature game in existance, i.e. perfect balance is impossible (unless it's restricted like PW), but in fact the closest thing to broken is perhaps the player's attitude to gaming, and their motivation for playing certain styles. I understand a certain hypocrisy with the first paragraph, but I'm not doomsaying here, merely conducting an experiment and debate - remember that when you reply ;)

So here's the options, feel free to add more. Quote it and add Y for yes and a N for no (alternatively just list the numbers), see how many people are honest.

1. I take what I want and play how I want, doesn't matter whether I win or lose.
2. I take what I want, but become fatigued if I don't win for too long.
3. I take what I want, but tend to sell off anything that loses too often (I tried)
4. I take what I want because if it doesn't work I'll house rule it till it does
5. I take whatever people tell me to take... I now own every model =[
6. I don't like to waste money on something that won't ever win
7. I don't like to waste money on something that will always win
8. There's no such thing as something that will always win or lose, my opponents will just have to wait and see
9. I take everything and experiment, self discovery is my goal
10. My local community collectively experiment every combo, together
11. I rely on advice, only to point me in the right direction
12. I need advice on a regular basis, because competetive considerations are not my priority or strength
13. I rely on advice, because I want to see what I've missed
14. I like to give advice, it helps me get better too
15. I like to give advice, to show I'm better
16. I don't give advice because people need to learn themselves
17. I focus my attention on one thing and try to break it.
18. I focus on one thing and am happy with whatever results I get
19. I like to push things as far as they'll go, if it's broken and wins me every game then my opponent will just have to try and come up with something
20. I like to push things as far as they'll go, if it's broken and wins me every game then I'll come up with a counter myself
21. I like to push things as far as they'll go, if it's broken and wins me every game I'll share it and move onto something else
22. I like to push things as far as they'll go, if it's broken and wins me every game I'll help my opponent or come to an agreement
23. Themes and staying in character is what really matters
24. I like to stay in character but be competetive
25. I destroy themes completely in my effort to find the best combo, themes don't win you games.
26. I consider the skill level of my opponent and then take a crew I think will be fun and will give me a chance to both win and lose.
27. Casually I play with what I like, but in a competetive enviorment what I like has nothing to do with it.

So which apply to you? Are you the inventor, the regurgitator, the storyteller, the brick, the nomad, the tutor, the bookworm, the tweaker or the whiner? =]

FIGHT!

[Ratty]

Can I go with option

26. I consider the skill level of my opponent and then take a crew I think will be fun and will give me a chance to both win and lose.

[ThePandaDirector]

Can I go with option

26. I consider the skill level of my opponent and then take a crew I think will be fun and will give me a chance to both win and lose.

Added, but what are your views on the tounrament enviorment?

[Ratty]

I generally take what I want to play. Normally for a big tournament, like back in the day I used to do 1 or 2 big Epic tournaments a year. I would paint an entirely new army and play it maybe 2 or 3 times before the tournament. I like using a Tournament as an excuse to do painting and try out something new. It gives me the boost I need to get painting done.

[Chucklemonkey]

Somewhere between 23 and 24 for me.

I tend to try to stick with the theme of the crew but will try to take as competitive a list as I can within that structure.

[ukrocky]

7 8 and 9, but my main aim is to take the stuff that people says doesn't work and make it work in a competitive environment

[Bucket Monkey]

Currently a mix of 1 and 5 for the guild for me, I own everything and I tend to try and take a variety of crews depending on my mood and qhat I feel like playing. I'm currently turning into a 9 as im building a variety of crews which all play differently from the guild.

[ThePandaDirector]

7 8 and 9, but my main aim is to take the stuff that people says doesn't work and make it work in a competitive environment

I would say I'm like this, but in a friendly enviorment. I like to show how effective a theme or underestimated modelcan be. Currently I can barely hold out on picking up Molly just to see what I can do with the wee lass. She is my Marcus =]

[Calmdown]

Depends. I like to mix it up.

Originally I wanted to see how good I was when I wasn't hampered by a bad master > did that whilst playing Dreamer and winning tourneys.

Then I wanted to prove I could *really* beat people > did that by continuing to play Dreamer and doing well in more serious tourneys

Then I wanted to prove people who said I only won because I played Dreamer wrong > doing that successfully with a 1st and 2nd place running non-Kirai rezzers so far


I like a challenge. The challenge varies based on the current goalposts. The scene and people's comments about me are currently the goalposts, and it's quite fun to constantly score

When I'm not at tournaments, though, I pick my master based on fun. Which is why I still own Rasputina, and why I've had Rezzers for so long even whilst playing Neverborn.

[Jewomie]

I am probably a 1 (I take what I want and play how I want, doesn't matter whether I win or lose)
and an 11 (I rely on advice, only to point me in the right direction)

Ultimately i like what i like, and the game itself is my favorite part. The winning and losing are back burner stuff for me. (i wont lie, i do enjoy a win... but i am not the type to scream broken after 5 consecutive losses to viktoria... lol) I also enjoy asking others for advice on things because while i am going to do what i want, i do enjoy getting a bit of information before i purchase. Not so much a terrible or amazing type of response, but a fun/complicated/heavy learning curve/easy to handle tough to master type response.

I would also maybe say, i stick with crews who i like, win or lose, but i do try to keep getting better with them all the time. Even a brutal loss teaches something. Maybe i find a fatal error in my hiring, or a poor match up, or maybe i find a new activation order that might allow me to get a little further toward a win.