Dudes...

I always like to start with a little perspective when I'm about to be honest and vulnerable, so please forgive me if I'm rehashing a tired old theme with the following.

This forum is about toys. Playthings. Little plastic spaceships, inspired by complete fantasy. The overwhelming majority of us are grown men that devote considerable amounts of time and money to a pursuit that, fundamentally, is not that different from our childhood diversions.

By definition, this makes us nerds, geeks, dorks, even losers to some. I expect that a majority of us have, at some point in our lives, been the subject of ridicule for engaging in such a pastime. I'll go a bit further and suggest that we have been hurt by that. Made to doubt ourselves. Made to be worry over any number of things, like that we wouldn't fit in, or be able to have the types of relationships that broader society tells us we should have. Even if we're lucky enough to have minimized those types of influences in our lives now, I feel safe in assuming that many of us, maybe most of us, still carry certain scars from it.

Those scars can make us afraid, and we all know what fear leads to (why I invoked the Master in the title of this post).

And so often the "men" of our subculture let fear rule them. We pick on one another, run each other down, do whatever we can to make these toys and this game less fun for others. Why? The answer is easy for a grown-up to see: to make ourselves feel better. To be able to say that we're somehow superior to that lamer noob that doesn't get it. Ultimately, to inflict the same pain on one another that's been inflicted on us.

This is not the Jedi way!

I imagine there are some of you trying to scoff at this, trying to tell yourself and anyone that will listen that you're somehow tougher, somehow immune to these injuries. You think you're Vader, or Boba Fett - the baddest of the bad and ain't nobody can tell you nothin' about how to be.

But remember, it was watching their mommy and daddy die as boys that started them on their paths. It was fear and anguish, that they concealed with rage and oppression. I see basically the same thing on these forums when the trolls come out. We pile our derision on one another in an attempt to pat ourselves on the back for being so much smarter, so much cooler, and so strong that we don't have to feel our own pain. It hurts all of us, though, and it makes this awesome game and these sweet toys that we all loven less fun. For all of us! I'm asking you to have the courage to be honest with yourself. To look in the mirror, and to put yourself in another's place.

So I'm asking all of us to just stop. We're all in this together, and we all share a love for this hobby. I watch football players knock an opponent senseless and then pick him up off the turf and slap his ass. I watch MMA fighters beat each other senseless and then hug each other. Why don't we build each other up like that more often? Why don't we honor each other for engaging in a hobby that asks us to use our brains? There's enough in the world to tear guys like us down without us doing it to each other.

I'm here to learn what I can, and to teach what I can. I do my best to leave my ego out of it, because if for no other reason, we're here to talk about toys! Let's help each other have more fun instead of trying to take the fun out of it.

Please.

QFT "Let's help each other have more fun instead of trying to take the fun out of it."

Hi Ken! Well, in my many wanderings around forums and subreddits I have seen all manner of brutal conniving and aggresive arguments - nearly all of them concerning games, books or films, and so therefore nearly all of them of very little importance.

I normally lurk, due to finding all that pretty distasteful, but I feel no need to do so here. For the most part this forum is a friendly, amusing and knowledgable place. I like the place, and don't see a great deal of what you're describing here. Peace.

On the bottom of every expansion:

This product is not a toy.

Can you dig it?

I'm no Jedi, never could be, never would be.

But your message rings true nonetheless, OP.

Good post. I'm at a point in my life where I'm comfortable telling pretty much anyone that I play the X-Wing Miniatures game (along with Dungeons & Dragons and lots of board games). But it wasn't always like that, and it does well to be reminded that we all need to be a little more positive to each other, rather than repeating the sort of treatment we've received.

I often think that someone who promotes themselves as superior is unable to do so without resorting to put downs and sarcasm they are undermining any percieved superiority they may hope to foster. Prove you are superior by explaining your views without trying to make your audience feel small and you'll get more respect.

Some of the posts I've seen on here (and received in reply to my questions as a new player):

"If you don't understand why you're wrong then God help you!"

"If you need clarification on a simple rule like that then I'd give up now."

"I'm not even going to bother trying to explain this, it's so obvious!"

None of the above responses are even remotely constructive, why anyone would bother to type out a reply stating that they can't be bothered to explain something is beyond me! Futuristiken is completely right, this community (While a whole lot better than many I frequent) could always benefit from a little extra forethought and respect.

This is not the Jedi way!

I'm not a Jedi. I'm an Imperial Agent.

Many people genuinely experience their passion through negativity.

Many people genuinely experience their passion through negativity.

That's their choice but visiting that negativity on others is still disrespectful and annoying.

Believe me. This forum is polite and civil compared to many others.

Even the trolls are amusing.

Many people genuinely experience their passion through negativity.

That's their choice but visiting that negativity on others is still disrespectful and annoying.

Newbies asking legitimate questions get slammed a lot on this forum, I've noticed. Sure, most of their questions can be answered by looking at the FAQ, but many times things can be ambiguous, or obscure. Yet some folks treat the OP like a moron and worse won't even answer the original qustion. Being offensive and rude served no purpose other than to alienate the person who asked the question and give the responding troll the 'satisfaction' of 'educating' the person seeking answers. Not everyone who plays his game has been doing so since 2012, and not everyone is adult. If this game is to continue we need new players coming in as often as possible, even 'kids'. For me, I will be 'over the hill' soon but hopefully I won't be so cynical or grumpy that I look down my nose any someone seeking knowledge about this game I love.

TL;DR don't be a jerk.

Er nerds and geeks haven't been bottom of the rung for years son, outside high school being smart isn't looked down upon given tech skills lead to some of the best paying jobs.

That's why hipsters came about cool people trying to look like nerds, and failing horribly buying tech with no concept how to properly use it or why the next gen is better.

Hobbies are important to people be it wargaming or fly fishing so they get passionate about them, that's a good thing when the passion is gone the hobby is dead.

So yeah people will clash over this like they clash over everything from how to make a cup of tea or which console is best (the answer is always pc).

I hated hipsters before it was cool.

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

Ironic.

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

No longer applies he's a sjw.

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

No longer applies he's a sjw.

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

Ironic.

So hipster.

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

No longer applies he's a sjw.

That's the opposite of being a d**k. SJW's of a different sort gave us weekends, voting rights and safe food. They're always vehemently opposed in their time.

Nah, a bunch of indignant assholes are trying to associate themselves with brave people from our history that risked their lives to help people.

SJW are not heroes. Telling someone what jokes they aren't allowed to laugh at because it is sexist/racist/specist/disabledist is not the same as marching in the streets with full knowledge that people are going to show up and physically attack or maybe kill you.

SJW calling in bomb threats any time someone tries to have an actual discussion does not make them heroes.

SJW making fake death threats to themselves to gain notoriety does not make them heroes.

The reason we have safe food and standards for work environment is because of journalism ethics.

SJW do not want to be held to any ethical standards, it is at the core of their philosophy. Their operations seem to be based on McCarthyism.

So yeah people will clash over this like they clash over everything from how to make a cup of tea or which console is best (the answer is always pc).

well said that man!

and just so my reply is on-topic;

I agree, being an a$$ isn't cool. I'm glad that, in the main, this forum is more supportive than not (although i still find it ugly and distasteful when it is...). I'm glad we have people like JBR7 and i'm glad i, like mortalplague, am past the embarrassment stage of my life where my gaming hobby, while not hidden, certainly wasn't promoted... I find it quite liberating when being pointedly scoffed at for playing tabletop games to reply with "i don't do it to impress you" and watch the smug superiority slip from their faces...

Enjoy your hobby and enjoy the company of your fellow players, filthy rebels, fascist imperials and backstabbing scum alike...

Wheaton's Law: "Don't be a d**k."

No longer applies he's a sjw.

That's the opposite of being a d**k. SJW's of a different sort gave us weekends, voting rights and safe food. They're always vehemently opposed in their time.

Sjw's are the people that made a grown man cry when he landed a satellite on an asteroid because he dared to wear a shirt made by a woman a friend of his wife's who asked him to wear it, because it had anime girls on it.

Sjw's call in bomb threats that disrupt conferences simply because it differs from their opinion the latest being the airplay meeting between journalists and gamergate, you want to see hate go on YouTube you'll find it all comes from their side.

Sjw's are not helping women's rights but setting them back in two short years they've managed to equate feminism with man hating, 4/5 women will now deny the label of feminist because they don't want to be seen as hating men, that's tragic.

Sjw's out of tumblr have caused nothing but negativity on every subject they touch.

And now Wheaton is nothing but a shill for sarkesian he's lost all credibility.