I want to talk about the mornic concept of political correctness and it’s bastard step child – composition scores. I have to say that I am right with George Carlin ( who is probably having Jack on the Rocks with John Belushi in the Styx River Bar and Grill right now ) that the very idea of political correct language is the height of dishonesty. And I’m even going to apply this to gaming if you bear with me here.
First of all lets all be honest, really, for once. Political correctness is nothing more than the attempt of spoiled rich (usually white) hyper liberals to reform the world into the fluffy bunny paradise they all wish it could be. Now don’t get me wrong, im not going political here really and trust me I have plenty of vitriol for both parties, and both american political ideologies, that’s not the point here.
To these people, life is easy. They live in a world of priveledge and can’t really relate to the struggles and frustrations that the rest of us deal with on a daily basis. The very idea of having to worry about how you can feed your family is alien to them. They don’t have to worry about finding the money to fill up that gas tank one more time before you get paid again. And god forbid if they should have to find a new job, such struggles are alien to them.
So they have conspired to enforce a code of languge and thought upon us all in the idea that no one should ever have to be uncomfortable. Everyone should be happy all the time and if they are not they should pretend to be. This is not only an unrealistic view of the world, it is unhealthy. In the imortal words of Wesley as the Dread Pirate Roberts; “Life is pain, anyone who says differently is selling something.”
By trying to pretend otherwise we weaken ourselves before the harsh realities of real life. This is exactly what I belive the idea of composition, and to a lesser degree, sportsmanship scores has done to the hobby community. Im not saying that people should be rude or vulgar or insulting, but the idea that simply playing the game to win is somehow unsporstmanslike is absurd!
If you lost the game because your opponent brought a vampire counts army with the regeneration banner, or two lash princes, four falcons ect… just deal with it. The games allows these armies, they are perfectly legal and everyone knows about them. If you bring an army that can’t deal with a tactic that is common and well known, that’s on you. It is not the fault of the player who just kicked your butt. The fact that the looser of such a game can then punish his opponent for bringing a better army and playing well is, to me, ludicrous in the extreme.
I could go on about this for hours, but I will sum up and finish off for the day by saying one point. Playing to win is not wrong or cheesy or evil, it’s the point of playing a war game.
I damned sure don’t want our soldiers worrying about not bringing their best weapons to the battlefield because they want to give the enemy a fighting chance. That’s Bull Shit! In war you take every advantage you can get and press that advantage at every opportunity. If you don’t, you die! Our hobby is about WAR games. The point of war is to crush your enemy, and revel in the lamentation of his women! Not to whine like a little girl because you got your teeth kicked in by a better army.
If you disagree with me, well that’s cool, you have a right to be wrong (and I,m allways willing to accept another point of view if it is better reasoned than mine). I welcome opposing points of view and a little healthy debate is good for the soul!
Filed under: Daily Rant | Tagged: Samurai Gunslinger Daily Rant | 3 Comments »