Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

What is that makes people go to tournaments.

I personally have never been but considered many times going up to one of the GW Grand Tournies.

Are they really fun and full of people who are there for a laugh, or as I always feared, are they full of win hungry megalomaniacs who take it all a little too seriously.

Also I know you get a large variety of armies but generally in any one rule set there are a few combinations across a couple of the armies that are broken and far better than they should be. Do you see a lot of the same armies of people who have seen these flaws and take it to the tournament?

I am a rule hoar, in that I know the rules and am covered in fine, white hair.

Wow, really?

"Also I know you get a large variety of armies but generally in any one rule set there are a few combinations across a couple of the armies that are broken and far better than they should be. "

That statement is so wrong it's almost painful. In general tournaments are attended by people out to roll dice for a weekend, relax with friends, and bs all weekend. Best advice? Go to one, don't ask the internet it's opinion since 8/10 GT players I run into don't regularly head to the internet to post/read on forums.

I don't think you can fit everyone into any one of these choices, You'll find douche bags everywhere in life, and there are also a lot of nice people. Tournament go-ers, like everyone else in life are a complete mixed bag of people.

It depends greatly on the sort of tournament you pay in, a GT will generally have more competitive players than the weekly tourney at your local store, but that doesnt mean players at GT's aren't nice people.

Hulksmash wrote:Wow

Yeah, pretty much my thoughts. Not only are you trying to lump all sorts of different social archetypes into one arbitrary group definition, but you're asking the anonymous, unforgiving internet to do it for you. There is such a spectrum of people at tournaments, there for all sorts of reasons that there is no way you can try to pigeonhole them all into these sorts of explanations.

As Hulksmash said - go to one. Go to two or three. Then decide if they're for you or not.

it was just a question, forget I asked it. I just wanted to know what the general tournament players are like. My god people take things way tooo serious on these forums sometimes.

I was hoping this might invite some funny stories from people that go to tournaments but obviously not.

Then present it that way. The way it was asked makes some pretty large assumptions and lumps everyone into small groups. On top of that you're making assumption like this without any grounds which is worse, to me at least.

If you want silly stories about tournies ask for them. I know I have more than a few and most of my buds do too. So ask

Perhaps you are a tad younger, I know I've phrased things poorly before on the internet. Your initial post gives the IMPRESSION that you are one of the people who fear tournaments are full of Win At All Costs douchecanoes. They aren't, and you'll find just as many cheaty jerkfaces at your local pick-up game as you will at a tournament ... actually, scratch that, you'll probably find more.

People are people. Tournaments are people coming to compete. You've added competition, but they're still just people. Human beings just like you and me, and in many cases better spoken and more chilled out ... in many cases less.

They are certainly not very categorizable ... it's not like a different species of humanity attends tournaments than attends the local game store or anything.

I chose every option, because they're all correct.
Every type you mentioned is represented at many/most tournaments.

Eric

lukewild1982 wrote:
Also I know you get a large variety of armies but generally in any one rule set there are a few combinations across a couple of the armies that are broken and far better than they should be. Do you see a lot of the same armies of people who have seen these flaws and take it to the tournament?

What exactly is wrong with this question? Other than some grammer issues(if thats the issue then please please please forgive me) then I don't really see where I have so obviously and deeply offended you. In MTG tournaments you get a lot of decks made basically the same way using a few really awesome cards from that set. I wondered if you got the same in wargame tournaments. I am not tryiong to pigeon hole people. I know the poll (which was a last minute choice to make as never tried doing one) has a few options and I understand that not everyone falls into those exact catagories but really did it need you to jump on to your high horse quite so quick?




Automatically Appended Next Post:

MVBrandt wrote:Perhaps you are a tad younger, I know I've phrased things poorly before on the internet. Your initial post gives the IMPRESSION that you are one of the people who fear tournaments are full of Win At All Costs douchecanoes. They aren't, and you'll find just as many cheaty jerkfaces at your local pick-up game as you will at a tournament ... actually, scratch that, you'll probably find more.

People are people. Tournaments are people coming to compete. You've added competition, but they're still just people. Human beings just like you and me, and in many cases better spoken and more chilled out ... in many cases less.

They are certainly not very categorizable ... it's not like a different species of humanity attends tournaments than attends the local game store or anything.

I am not young lol


Automatically Appended Next Post:

MagickalMemories wrote:I chose every option, because they're all correct.
Every type you mentioned is represented at many/most tournaments.

Eric

and thats why I made it multi choice because I fully imagine there are a hige variety of people.


I think the problem is not what I asked or the way I asked it. Its that immediately people assumed I was asking it to be vindictive or insulting.

I think its a UK to USA thing. I don't mean this racially or anything like that but there seems to be something about the way I write that makes Americans have a go. I don't seem to get the same abuse or attacks from UK people or people from other places. I am not trying to have a go at Americans I just mean that they way I write seems to not read the same for you. We both speak English but a very different sort in many ways.

I think he assumed you were young because if not, your spelling and grammar are... less understandable.

You question also pre-supposed a homogenous makeup for tournament players, which while perhaps not offensive is so laughably naive as to make the question nearly pointless.

Checked all of the above and scratched my head at your post.

puma713 wrote:

Hulksmash wrote:Wow

Automatically Appended Next Post:

daedalus wrote:Checked all of the above

and facepalmed


Automatically Appended Next Post:

I think its a UK to USA thing.

I didn't notice you were british, so I'm sure it's not that. (I'm American)

I think it's the way you worded it that made everyone react the way we did. Basically, you put people into two categories with sub categories

"Good people"
Laid back people
Nice people
etc

"Mean people"
Rule wh*res
Douches
etc

The fact that we're talking about thousands of tournaments worldwide, with tens of thousands of people attending makes your post sound ridiculous. Like they said, anyone and everyone attends these tournaments, I've never competed but I sat through one. Also,

Are they really fun and full of people who are there for a laugh, or as I always feared, are they full of win hungry megalomaniacs who take it all a little too seriously.

I think that's the killing sentence, that sounds REALLY bad on your part, it sounds as if it's one or the other... No offense, I have nothing against you

I have played alot of tournaments and only had one game where i walked away thinking that the guy was a dick. Other than that the other 25+ games have all been amazing (though i dont usually win)

How about all of the above and it varies from time to time?

Sometimes I roll out the Guard and sometimes I roll out the Sisters of Battle. I know I am not alone in this (see Hulk and Reecius), but a given player might bring a totally relaxed list one time and a balls hard one the next time.

I've been going to Grand Tournments for the last 5 years regularly, and for the 5 years before that semi regularly. Most of the ones in the USA have around 80 people. Of those 80,

2-3 who are die hard rule boyz
2-3 people bringing the internet / broken army
5 who really are there to show off armies
1-2 who game strictly as their friends did and they really don't know the rules nor care
1-2 real jerks

Almost everyone else, is the average joe gamer, who likes to laugh, is slightly competitive, but ultimately is happy to be at a weekend away, with guys and gals who have the same interests. They can paint better then average, know the game pretty well, and could probably beat the pants off the people who are the "regulars" at a GW shop who have never stepped foot in a tournment. That doesn't mean they are jerks, it simply means, they have experience in the game, and know how to win by scenario and aren't going to play dumb. Most of these people can quote GW fluff off the top of their head, and pretty much know each other well enough to talk about stuff not gaming related.

My recommendation: goto to a tournment and become one of the majority. Because most of the time, you head back to a GW or LFGS with a new perspective on gaming, and some fun and interesting stores. Plus, most nights at a GT include the wonderful things of late night gaming, OR other worldly food/booze oriented experiences.

The easiest, and unlike most things in life, most accurate way to answer your question is, oddly enough, a one word answer...

"Yes."

It really does take all types. You'll deal with a lot of different types who play for a lot of different reasons, it's all a matter of the mix in your area.

Yeaaaah I've never had a bad game at a Tourney, and I've only seen one game go badly.

And it went... REALLY badly.

I suppose it's hit or miss, but in my experience, it's mostly hit.

I love tournaments. The chance to play new players outside your group is the best. Meeting great people is like frosting on the cake.

I have met some of the nicest people at tournaments. Alot of them I forget their names, but some are buds to this day and I find myself looking foward to tournaments they are attending.