Subject: re: People who play for fun... Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 00:31:39 -0700 From: Jason Lauborough To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com CC: Crnicoloff@aol.com I just got back from a great weekend of "fun" Magic. Cathy tends to do a very good job of bringing up subjects that need to be addressed. I've always at the least respected her writings, and in some cases agree with them as well. Those that I disagree with I can at least see where the argument comes from and be able to understand her point of view. However, her article concerning "fun players" completely misses the mark. She tries to make it sound like people that play Magic without being completely serious are not true players; that you can't truly have fun playing Magic if you're not playing a tournament worthy deck. This is simply not the case. There are many kinds of Magic players. Many play the game with the sole purpose of winning the game. Whether they must always win because they're a competitive person, or because they want money, prestige, or nothing more than an ego boost, everything they do is towards the goal of winning the next tournament, or qualifying for the Pro Tour, or being number 1 in the world. They strive to be the best. Other people play magic because it is at its base a social game. For these players, much of the time they spend playing Magic isn't playtesting; it's spending time with their friends, catching up on time spent at work or classes, trading for that last elf for their set. The fact that there's a game going on there is secondary. They tend to care less if they're getting beat upon, they just love the game and the atmosphere that a comfortable setting can provide. The Winners look down upon the Socializers as scrubs. They know that they're better players, that they can take any deck they play and probably beat the scrubs 9 games out of 10. They don't blink an eye to tell their opponent that they've got to take mana burn from that extra land they accidentally tapped. The winners cherish their Sligh, their Necro; confident in their prowess of the game. The Socializers sneer up at the Winners as people in need of a life. They know that no matter the outcome, they'll enjoy themselves playing. If an opponent taps one mana too few to cast a buyback spell, they'll let them just tap one last land. They value their Turbo Deep Spawn decks and their Thallids; always knowing that every game they play will be interesting at the least. There are pros and cons of both sides of the coin. Neither is neccessarily worse than the other, it simply depends upon your mindset, and your reasons for playing Magic. Cathy's assumption is that every Magic player wants to be like the first. She states: "What saved me was a dose of reality. A deck. A simple deck. Built for me and loaned to me, a powerhouse of a white weenie deck that hummed like it was oiled." For her, she wanted to *win*. Her reality is that every magic player wants to go out and win every game they play, that their only goal is to win the next tournament. Her reality might be true for those on the Pro Tour scene, and for many players that rule their local tournaments, but it is by no means the reality of all, or even most, players. There are a sizeable number of players that are lucky enough to be able to see the merits of both sides. People that know how to be serious when it matters; to spend the time needed to work on a quality deck for a tournament run, and can focus on playing well when the time calls for it. People that can also take a few steps back and see the fun aspect of the game: spending time with people that share a common interest. They enjoy both aspects of Magic, being competitive and being social. These players know that while not always the best combination, they're not mutually exclusive either. It can be difficult to find that balance. In my own experience, the players that tend to be able to stand on both sides of the fence are the gamers; the role players, the board gamers, the puzzle solvers. They've learned to see games as both a thinking exercise and as a social tool. They can be competitive and enjoy themselves even in defeat. These players can be hard to find, as they tend to be older, with full time jobs and, sometimes, families. They're the players that have a regular night of the week that they meet with each other; sometimes at a workplace, or at one of their homes. They spend the time playing the game; dueling, practicing for tournaments, and playing variants of the game. Multiplayer games with specific rules to keep them from stagnating. The decks are diverse, spontaneous, and usually quite original. The Winners looked at Magic, and thought "this is a great game. I think I'll try to be the best I can be at it." The Socializers looked at Magic, thought "what a great game. I think I'll get my friends to play so we'll have something to do when we hang out." If you don't make the mistake of assuming that you have to be one or the other, if you play it for your reasons, and let others play for theirs, then Magic will always remain a wonderful game to you. It will remain fresh, different; truly the "Multiverse of Infinite Proportions" that we all read on those posters and booster packs. Jason Lauborough San Francisco Bay Area jlauboro@meer.net