tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388453741033869908.post6904695225554690078..comments2024-03-17T01:39:05.808-07:00Comments on Whiskey & 40k: Exchange w/ a Friend ... Thoughts and Analysis of "Competitive" Player DevelopmentMike Brandt; mvbrandt@gmailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00818846784767602047noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388453741033869908.post-22597348315689114672010-12-20T16:31:54.620-08:002010-12-20T16:31:54.620-08:00Gamers will get from the game what they put into t...Gamers will get from the game what they put into the game. No matter how cheesy an army list is, or how hot the dice, if the gamer does not put in the hours to learn the game, through play and study. they will never be good. The players mentioned by Anonymous are thinking that the game is somehow 'intuitive'. They are wrong. Study and learn or get used to losing. And also evaluate your own view towards the game. If you have no motivation to improve your play, you may need to find another game. To Thine own self be true.<br /><br />Also Mike, yhould you start posting the URL for the NOVA Open Forum? which is <br />http://nova.tlsconline.com Hmmm. Looks like I just posted it. Oh well, edit it out if this is too soon :)G Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00180174897038108755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388453741033869908.post-71375505274728051472010-12-20T11:33:50.745-08:002010-12-20T11:33:50.745-08:00I think a big part of the problem is the community...I think a big part of the problem is the community as well as the individual. I consider my self an average to above average player. I am probably the best player at my LGS, and in the top 3 or 4 in my local area, on a national scale, I do about 50-50 in larger tournaments (this is where I go to learn to be better.) Often times I will beat newer players fairly badly (especially in tournaments). However, I always offer to go through the game with them afterwords, and offer advice if they are open to it. I think this is the key point. If people are getting stomped and recieve no assistance, or encouragement I think that they get discouraged. <br /><br />For example I won a local tournament yesterday. In the first round I tabled a new Tau player by the bottom of turn 3. After the game we talked about his army, deployment, and tactics. What could he have done differently, what worked, what didn't? I also followed up with him after each of the following 2 rounds to see how he was doing (he lost round 2, but tabled his opponent in the final game, likely another player around his level).<br /><br />I think what most people need to understand is that learning to be good at this game is a fairly long process, with lots of platues (especially if, like me, your local group is not filled with great players). I started the game back in 1993, but never really got into it as my group moved away shortly there after. I picked the game up with a new group at about the beginning of 5E, and only lost once amongst my group of friends over the next several months. Then I went to my first tournament (ard boyz) and went 0-3 with the same army I used to stomp my friends. But I learned a lot from that, went back to the drawing board and did better my next 2 tournaments going 3-4-1 overall. I think it helped that I have yet to play against "that guy", and that plenty of people have helped me along the way, some people don't have this, or are resistant to it (if help is offered you should always listen, and take from it what you find useful.)breng77https://www.blogger.com/profile/14856443949878311347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388453741033869908.post-78014049659631049462010-12-20T09:40:23.947-08:002010-12-20T09:40:23.947-08:00Ever since I started treating the competitive side...Ever since I started treating the competitive side of 40k like poker, I've found my game improving vastly. To me that means it is better to honestly assess one's skills, but that requires knowing the game, by which one can determine how much luck influences particular outcomes. I'm still a rookie, less than a year into the hobby, so a number of things veterans take for granted I still struggle with. But the more strategy and tactics I learn, the bigger difference I see in my own game. If anything, luck is my biggest hurdle, so I tend to blame the dice.<br /><br />That said, I'm still coping to grips with the fact not all codices are created equal. Some are better designed, and some are on the cusp of much needed updating.<br /><br />As a steadfast CSM player, I can present some rather interesting lists to provide a challenge for friends. There's one of our players (who's reading this, no doubt) gets the complaints about list cheese lobbed at him frequently. His lists are better, but he's also a better player. I believe the relationship between lists and players is very close, as a better player will come to the table with a better list, understanding what should and shouldn't work.<br /><br />So when I look across the table at what Space Marines and their various factions can do, it's daunting. Slowly, I'm figuring things out by playing to my strengths and those of my codex. Persistence pays off and I consider myself lucky in that regard. <br /><br />Saturday, I played my first game against a complete stranger, a friendly 1000 point CSM vs Necron game. I knew I would win from Turn 2 on. I realized every now and then, especially against strangers, it's good to kick some serious butt. Close, competitive game are more interesting, but my ego needs a good win every now and then. It's such a positive reinforcement of my ability to evaluate, which brings my comment (manifesto?) full circle back to your article.<br /><br />My next goal is the biggest one yet: to have fun! I get carried away with the competitive spirit, but I'm trying to divorce myself from the concept of "fun=winning". I don't want to be the players described, who sell out to an Internet list and live in perpetual frustration. Fun should equal playing! Once I loosen up, only good things can happen.<br /><br />Good article for me to read, thought-provoking as you can see by my wall of text. :DBenjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245451939976361103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388453741033869908.post-81443386267967277412010-12-20T09:23:52.505-08:002010-12-20T09:23:52.505-08:00Not 'the country' mike, 'the world'...Not 'the country' mike, 'the world'. The majority of players, in the world.<br /><br />Anyway, I find it very difficult indeed to play down. Taking a weaker list, sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean a thing against some of my opponents. A recent article of mine (http://hobbyinfobythekingelessar.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-such-fun-sarcasm.html) expressed this very problem I've been having, to be honest.TheKing Elessarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04981821487098781957noreply@blogger.com