Hard to say really. We're usually pretty good, all things considered. The few issues we've had we usually stop the game long enough to discuss rule problems, but then we can typically come to a reasonable answer. Not all parties will be thrilled about the ruling, but they begrudgingly accept it as being most likely correct. There have been a few games that we had to stop and call it for the night because of heated emotions. I think it just comes with the territory.
A lot of our issues came from playing too often and getting too competitive over it. Prior to my aforementioned move, I was under a lot of stress due to various lifestyle related things, which, in retrospect, I think I tended to take out on those around me a little more than I realized at the time. We now play less and agree to be more friendly. Something else I came up with was the idea of talking over each game as we're playing; explaining upfront what we were planning on doing, why we were making each individual move, and how we felt the game was going so far. So far everyone has agreed that it's done a lot to take the competitive nature out of the game, letting us enjoy it more.
Sometimes I actually think that the blowing up can be constructive as well. (Cue longwinded anecdote.) There's been constant bitching about how stupid crazy
GK are, and it's been really getting on my nerves lately. I played a 2v1 game where my
GK were pitted against
IG and
SW. I did some experimental stuff with Mordrak and a handful of other units I infrequently use. They freaked out over Mordrak and the Librarian, as well as the rest of the stuff I brought, but between all the plasma and the
IG heavy weapons, they picked me apart. I ended up killing off one of their units and getting tabled in the process. Afterwards, I was angry and demanded that the tell me where the cheese was. I asked them if the cheese was the interceptor squads they chased off the board, or Mordrak's unit that the
SW player ripped apart due to stopping the librarian from casting Shrouding. I then repeated my demand. Afterwards, I suggested that perhaps we not sit around whining about other armies that come out due to a special rule one or two of their units because looking at a unit (or even an army) in a vacuum does make any of us better players. There's been less whining since and it's been amazing.
All things considered, I think if I had to sum up my experience with the nerd rage, it would be to deal with it on a case by case basis. Some things can be worked through, some things can't. Either way, it's important to clear the air afterwards because at the end of the day, it's only a game. Not very helpful advice though.
