L5R players who can't stand D&D or its players, Shaddowrun players who antagonize Call of Cthulhu, etc. Even games within the same universe. Classic Battletech vs. MechWarrior Dark Age, rivalries seem to sprout up among players who have a different opinion of the way their games should be played, and their escapism takes shape.
Sometimes, this is true of D&D, I've noticed. my main playgroup audibly groaned when I dropped a few Dark Sun plants and a Thri-Kreen into the campaign for a short period of time. I love Dark Sun, but it seems that my players (as discussion went afterward) couldn't stand it as a setting. By the same token, I abhor Forgotten Realms mostly due to Salvatore's writing.
Has any one else noticed this? any tends in rivalries that you've noticed?
any idea where this behavior comes from? think the naturally competitive nature of separate social groups has anything to do with this?
discuss
any idea where this behavior comes from? think the naturally competitive nature of separate social groups has anything to do with this?
I personally think its motivated by a natural dose of deeply-rooted inferiority complex displayed by a number of gamers.
As such they feel they must defend it and prop up their belief that what they have been doing hasn't been on something inferior. It is almost like where you see a artist or writer defending their work when it gets a bad review or skipped over for a reward.
But it just isn't gaming
Ford Vs Chevy
Sports Rivalries
School Rivalries
Apple vs PC
Op system wars.
360 vs PS3
Nintendo vs Genesis.
I actively try and purge these kinds of attitudes from myself, but am not always as successful as I want to be.
I personally think its motivated by a natural dose of deeply-rooted inferiority complex displayed by a number of gamers.
How so? What makes this natural to gamers?
people are close-minded..
also they (i used the 'they' word lol) tend to think their choices are superior to everyone elses.
this applies to everything from gaming to politics.
now what you should do is try to find a few of those 'rare' open minded friends.
Im down with any gaming from dnd to star trek, to BESM. For me its just hanging out with friends.
McCain vs. Obama.
:D
Cake vs. Pie
Bah! Cake is the only thing anyone can believe in anymore! Pie is always being deceptive as to what's inside; is it chocolate? Maybe peach? Apple?
At least with cake you always know that usually one or two type; regular or ice cream.
Cake rocks, pie suxxors!
Disclaimer: These are not the actual firmly held beliefs of this poster. Each confectionery delight has it's place and time for consumption and can be amazing or disappointing depending on quality.
No cake research went into the making of this post.
But seriously, I attribute a part of this to old tribalist tendencies that have yet to leave us.
-Joni
When you invest considerable time and monies into any form of recreation that you adopt and enjoy, you become indentured to it. Especially when you add the social element, other gamers/friends. That only reinforces the validaiton and identity moreso. Basically, it just gets more ingrained when you're getting real social discourse and growth and positive reinforcement from the participants, your friends. RPGs just arne't as disposable as video games in this light; easy to replace a machine and you, harder to give up your weekend ritual you've had w/ friends.
I'd say there are four different things going on:
* People assume that if you prefer a different game, you are attacking their choice of game. So they attack in response to anticipated attack
* A good player of one game has made a substantial investment of time in learning that game and creating his favorite characters. What if you convince his fellow players that the other game is better? So people who have learned a system have reason to defend their choice, even if it was initially made in ignorance and listening to a case that the other system may be better is theoretically in his interest.
* Often, the motives of the proponents of a different system are less than pure themselves. Glorantha, in both RuneQuest and HeroQuest incarnations, has had a tendency to recruit players who regards D&D players as not real role players, because of their choice of system. Players in explicitly storytelling games, or games which encourage "method acting", have a tendency to think that their play style is objectively superior, and that power gamers are roll players, not role players. When you look down on people, they usually sense this and often return the favor.
* It is possible that some systems really are objectively superior to other systems, in the sense that GM's and players using them will have more fun than those using most other systems. If they are right, know they're right, and tend to rub it in, players of another game system who prefer their system to yours can be really obnoxious.
This was a little long. If you want to read more of my work, I was a co-author of RuneQuest I&II back in the Dark Ages, and if you are a little dissatisfied with aspects of your current system you may want to have a look at it. It is called Fire and Sword, and is available as a free download under an open source license. There are also character sheets, a short version, a Designer's Commentary and the beginnings of a sample setting for the game. If you want to look at a promo sheet to see what Fire and Sword has to offer, go here.
Good luck with your games, whatever system you choose,
Ray,
I always feel bad for people when I see them playing chess and they're not in character.
And with checkers too! Seriously, it is totally inappropriate to don your robe and wizard cap when you get kinged. IT MAKES NO SENSE!
:D
Bah! Cake is the only thing anyone can believe in anymore! Pie is always being deceptive as to what's inside; is it chocolate? Maybe peach? Apple?
At least with cake you always know that usually one or two type; regular or ice cream.
Cake rocks, pie suxxors!
Disclaimer: These are not the actual firmly held beliefs of this poster. Each confectionery delight has it's place and time for consumption and can be amazing or disappointing depending on quality.
No cake research went into the making of this post.
Only because you people put vegetables and stuff in your pies. Meat pies rule all! Apple pie is alright, but someone crossed the line in the US with pumpkin, although here in australia some idiot decided to put peas in a meat pie, my campaign of frontal lobotomies for pea pie and pie floater lovers isn't going so well. Police and psychologists are annoying.
Edit: By the way, an aussie baker has set up shop with meat pies in the US and they're selling like hotcakes. Meat pies add a change from hot dogs when you're at your local sporting event.
I, for one, like both World of Darkness and LARPs (but not WoD LARPs), but that doesn't stop me from mercilessly mocking both.
Only because you people put vegetables and stuff in your pies. Meat pies rule all! Apple pie is alright, but someone crossed the line in the US with pumpkin, although here in australia some idiot decided to put peas in a meat pie, my campaign of frontal lobotomies for pea pie and pie floater lovers isn't going so well. Police and psychologists are annoying.
Edit: By the way, an aussie baker has set up shop with meat pies in the US and they're selling like hotcakes. Meat pies add a change from hot dogs when you're at your local sporting event.
Hear, hear! I motion that peas be banned from both pies and cake (have you honestly ever heard of someone putting peas in a cake?) for all eternity! Or until they make peas more palatable to the pie palate.
P.S. Pie sucks, Cake rocks.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: These are not the actual firmly held beliefs of this poster. Each confectionery delight has it's place and time for consumption and can be amazing or disappointing depending on quality.
No cake research went into the making of this post.
No cake research went into the making of this post.
Cow pies also rank up there in the category of not-containing-ingredients-that-the-name-implies-and-therefore-sucking.
totally on topic, btw
As for the peas in pies thing. What you describe is the occasional pea found in the pie. That's not too bad. I can live with that, but here in australia, someone has created two monstrosities that must be killed. The first; they mush up peas and basically make it the top half of the filling. The second; they put a meat pie upside down in pea soup and put tomato sauce on it.
Back on topic. If you want to look at severe rivalries, look no further than MMOs. EQ vs WoW was a big one.
Also I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it, but for some people on these forums at least the ULTIMATE gamer rivalry would be between AD&D, 3E, and 4E.