The Casual vs Competitive Gamer Paradigm

          There seems to be a general consensus on the Internet that there are two camps within the 40k community.  On the one hand you have the gaming/ tactics/ army list player who enjoys developing lists and playing the game.  On the other you have the more hobby centric gamer.  There are your folks who tend to enjoy the hobby/painting aspect of 40k. 

I will pose the question: Why is this a polarizing issue? I will also propose a series of solutions.

Why is this a polarizing issue?

            It is a common fact that the Internet tends to bring out the worst in everyone.  This is why we have an abundance of moderators, flame wars, etc; The ability to remain nameless leads people to saying things that they would never say in their FLGS. I have to say that I have very seldom heard hyper critical and abrasive comments in person.

            This leads me to my next point. The Internet only serves as a forum for expression of words, thought, and ideas, the participants, including myself, are judged on the information they present.

            I feel that people are drawn to one aspect of the hobby over another and as a result try to present their best work to the World Wide Web.  This, combined with anonymity, leads to emotions running high and people crusading for their own opinions, determined to portray their point of view as the superior point of view.

Thus I have developed some bullet points for consideration.

·      Play the game- I feel like we should all play more, if your hobby is important to you, time will be made for it.

·      See how the other half lives, don’t be afraid to branch out.

o   Casual Gamers- don’t be afraid to loose, talk to your opponent and perhaps try new/ different units.

o   Competitive gamers: Why not make it a goal to get a fully painted army?  Painted miniatures enrich the experience

·      Meet up with a gaming group- by playing a few different people over and over, each opponent will provide a different experience.

·      Try team games- often times this takes the emphasis off winning and losing.  It is great to come together.

·      I feel that the point of the game is to win, thus, play to win.  However, talk to you opponent about the type of list you want to use.

That is all I have for now, what are your thoughts?

Is it possible for these two types of players to come together?

What can you do to bring the community together?  As a player?  As a community member?

Thanks for reading,

Dave