Subject: Re:Playing like a Professional
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 07:58:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Glenn MacEachern <glennpop@yahoo.com>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

     I think that Cathy wrote a very good article, however, I think
she didn't address the reasons why certain people act like complete
assholes while playing M:TG. I think what it comes down to is that
there is 2 distinct types of players, and both groups might not be
mixable.

Group Number 1:

      This is your average player, who is quick to give his own
opinion, yet take the opinions of others. Is always willing to help
and teach new players to play the game, or to play it better. Treats
the opponent with the honor and respect he would like to recieve
him/herself. This is the grassroots of Magic. In all likelyhood
somebody else taught them the game, and are more concerned with having
fun than just winning (although, IMO, if you're not playing
competitvly, that is, playing to lose, then it's not as much fun). In
my opinion this grassroots level is one of the most amazing
side-cultures I've ever seen. Basically people of different groups can
get together and get along through a central source. This is the
reason the game has obtained it's wide base.

Group Number #2.

     This is simply the type of people that looks to take advantage of
the good nature of Group Number #1. Period.

      See, #2 is a parasite on the back of #1. It does absolutly NO
good for the game as it is, and the first group. They are the people
that are putting the poison in the game, the reasons why less people
are going to tournaments, (Who's going to want to go to a tournament
where their opponent won't let them have fun even?). However, even
though less people are going to tournaments, this doesn't mean that
the grassroots level is getting smaller, in fact, it means that there
are more people from #2 going to #1, and not wanting to bother with
it. Now, I don't mean to intend that ALL tournament players are in #2,
however, I'd say that only 5% are like that, and that's where they are
most vocal/annoying/bothersome, thus your casual players tend to stay
away. It gives the game a bad image. Not to the outside world, who
'prolly couldn't care less, but to the inside, to the grassroots
level. A lot of people think that EVERYBODY is like that, but that's
not the case.

     What it comes down to, is that we have to push that bad element
out, to show that it's not wanted/needed like it so often thinks. For
that, we need tighter judging on mind games/abusive trash talking
(mind you, when both players agree to trash talk each other, they
should have the option, it can be good for the spectators/players,
it's all in fun really), and we need to be more forgiving to small
errors. The rules are quite complicated, and if somebody calls over a
judge when the person makes an error, they shouldn't get a game loss
(unless it's obvious it was done in malice, or they should have known
better). We have to make a comforting enviroment to the casual/good
player, and a bad one for the abusive players.

      But the facts are, this has to be a grassroots effort, it has to
start at your local tournaments. By discouraging this type of
behaviour, less people will obtain this bad attitude, lowering the new
players who will get it, the new players will teach other new players
to be nice, and so on. This chain reaction will be pretty unstoppable
when it starts. I encourage each of you to try and be a good, fair,
honorable player, and to teach other players to be the same way.

Glenn MacEachern
Member of Full Auto Left
"Midnight is where the Day Begins..."

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