I have noticed that so many players take this game to another level that is beyond me. I guess this is with any game I've played, but holy cow, I just wish this game could be a little more "Let's fly casual" and a little less "win at all costs".

I may be overstating this, but does anyone else feel this way?

Don't get me wrong, I want to be a good player, but I lately at my local place I can't have fun mainly because too many people just want to win at all costs.

Whatever happened to just "fly casual"?

"Nerds: because -somebody- has to care!"

Joking aside it is a game that is played competitively. You're bound to get people who's sole objective is to win.

And as a counterpoint, although people are competitive with this (as with most any game), I have never found xwing players to be anywhere near as intense or as prone to tantrums/poor sportsmanship as people are in any other game or sport I've been involved with.

It's something that can bring out the worst in people - a competitive game. I used to play a lot of Blood Bowl, but then some of the guys I was playing against started getting way too over the top competitive. There seems to be a point where a casual gamer suddenly gets lost along the way, and the win-at-all-costs monster kicks in. It can be the death of a really good game if you let it.

I think X-Wing players tend to have better hygiene habits. Nobody I met smelled like elderberries. Can't say the same for some other games.

In terms of competition, it really depends on what level you play the game at. If you just play with friends, then no, you don't need to know the theory. But, if you play at high-level championships, you need to know at least basic theory - how Han Shoots First works, how TIE Phantom cloaking works, how formation flying works, etc. Otherwise, you could get smashed and not even know why you got smashed.

And as a counterpoint, although people are competitive with this (as with most any game), I have never found xwing players to be anywhere near as intense or as prone to tantrums/poor sportsmanship as people are in any other game or sport I've been involved with.

Agreed. There are some games which are taken to whole new levels beyond the worst you have seen in an X-wing or Warhammer Tournament.

But I get the concern. As X-wing grows in popularity so does the controversy. Think of the worst behavior from 40K players and note that many of those kind of players have crossed over to the "Dark Side" and put away their space marines for X-wing. They haven't changed much they only changed the game that they play. Expect more of this as popularity continues to grow.

Timmys, Johnnys, Spikes. They exist in every game, from Monopoly to D&D to X-Wing.

Why so serious?

Because there's nothing frivolous about galactic civil war.

It also depends on your community.

I was at a tournament today here in the Portland area (h/t Dice Age in Vancouver, WA), and we had a few guys down from the Seattle area. They were pleasantly surprised by the casualness of the games, and generosity of spirit in their opponents. I'd say that somewhat reflects local differences, if stereotypes are anything to go by.

Good point Mikael. I recently travelled 200 miles south to a game convention where I found the X-wing competition to be played with about the same amount of casualness as we play at our local club. I was expecting a somewhat more aggressive style of play, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Here in New Zealand, it still seems to have a casual pace to it. I can't say that for some other games here, though.

There was a story from the World Championships of someone setting the wrong move on a dial which would have flown them off the board and their opponent offered to let them change the move. At Worlds!

Doesn't get much more cordial and casual.

I guess it depends on the group

My local scene tries and police itself and make games fun and not cut throat and shank everyone in sight

IE: C3nutjob is basically never played due to bb is stupidity

Ofc everyone wants to win. I want to win, you want to win, we all want to win. The question is, "what do you do when you DON'T"?

Congratulate your opponent and shake his/her hand for a well played match! Discuss the game in a friendly manner and be able to laugh at yourselves. Have fun playing the game and never forget it is a game in the end.

Then ask the question to your opponent..."Another one?"

Fly Casual!

Why would you NOT play to win? that said I do like playing odd or different builds from time to time just to see how they pan out.. been messing around with a 4 shuttle build that i want to try... If I could some how get them into a wagon wheel kind of formation where one is always protecting the other as they make BIG LAZY circles around the board..lol problem is those darn asteroids!!! Personally I think the game would get stale fast if you only played builds that were the supposed enemy crushing meta of the day... Oh and the Imperials should be able to have DROIDS on their big ships as crew.. just saying..lol I still think it would be interesting to have "random squad" night or something. as well as random point squads as well just to shake things up...

Because nerds.

People who take the games they play too seriously tend to be the people that arnt very successful in life, so being good at that one thing is super important to them.

Usually it's just the early teens and people grow out of it as they become less introverted and confident in who they are, sadly though some never bloom socially and their being the best remains their overriding concern.

I've always been more about having fun, I like winning and try to do so no matter the game but if I do lose it doesn't ruin my day unlike a few irl friends I could name, I just see no reason to get so wound up over losing any game.

But but....This is SPARTA!

Nice thing about X wing is that it seems to mainly attract 20 somethings ans older...not many teenagers and their need to win at all coats mentality

Also most people twenty plus know what a shower is, sweaty nerds I don't miss.

As of late I've seen more people who while they play casual are super passionate about the game and the state of the game. They're not win at all costs people but they see certain things happen and worry the fly casual rug could be pulled out from under thier feet. I come from a 40k background and out of habit every I see something new I need to be assured that it wont break the game and I am ready to fight it until I am shown it wont

Might be time to break out the Epic play levels. Either that or scenarios. That tends to mellow people out a bit. I did a bunch of epic games and they were a blast. I used all generic pilots and not a single unique ship. Very fun.

Because nerds.

People who take the games they play too seriously tend to be the people that arnt very successful in life, so being good at that one thing is super important to them.

Best. Comment. Ever.

... or at least in the top three.

As others have said, once you put a 'prize' into a game it changes it massively.

So tournys with prizes be it something as super important as a card with a different picture of a plastic token... treasure like that makes all the difference.

Of course nearly everyone plays with the *intention* of winning but also with being easy going. Add status attainment or a prize and a lot of people lose their 'easy going' attitude

I played a lot of paintball in the 80 and early 90s and played semi pro (as in my marker, paint, fees were paid for but i never recieved a wage) in a sponsored site team. Paintball always had cheating but having a big red splay on your chest tended to make it harder to avoid pretending you were not hit, unlike airsoft which i play now which when you get hit there is no marker you just own up. People still cheated, people still subverted the 'base' of the game (playing army in the woods) by actually just wanging out as many thousand paintballs as possible a minute. Tournys with big prozes, you'd see people who were 'hit' dive to the floor and crawl forwards to 'wipe' their hit so by the time a ref paint checked it was hard to tell.

I ran GWs organised play from UK HQ for years, tourny play brought out the worst in some players, not all of them but there were some known gits. You'd see people in tears because they lost a game of toy soldiers. There were some great guys too but sometimes you'd be pulled over to make 'rules calls' and you'd be thinking 'really mate... you're *really* asking me if thats a legal move?' the worst times were when it was legal on paper but morally ridiculous and exploiting a rule.

But.... from what i've seen so far the Xwing community seems to be much more easy going.

Its easy to get a skewed perception from here as this forum attracts a dispropotionately high percentage of 'organised play' types as by their nature they need to be up to date on the meta, any potential loopholes with new cards to be aware/beware of etc.

I dont think most people do take the game overly seriously but you could be forgiven from reading these forums that most people do play in a highly competetive environment.

"If it's just a game, then why do we keep score?"

- Unknown Munchkin

I think X-Wing players tend to have better hygiene habits. Nobody I met smelled like elderberries. Can't say the same for some other games.

That's just another weapon in their arsenal.

The common powergamer (Munchkinus Obnoxiae) will use his stench to get an oponent to play faster (wich will cause him to make mistakes) in order to get the game over with and the hell out of there.

I did once put a proposal in for UK Games Day planning team that we included a mini deoderant can in the shows grab bag.

I pitched it as seriously as possible to the planning meeting but was clearly joking.

Scented matt varnish spray? Awesome!