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TheSecretSquig wrote:... I hadn't lost for 36 games in a row at this type of tournament over the course of 3 years, ...
If your playing cards or Monoploy and loose, you don't get hacked off or bitch, but stand round a table with toys, and suddenly its ego's and toys thrown out the pram time.

Why is winning so importent, that people will go to any lengths to ensure that win. Bitching and moaning just alienates yourself from fellow gamers in my opinion. Its a hobby, its supposed with be a way of relaxing and enjoyment.

Someone who wins as often and consistently as you may not understand the other side of the coin perhaps? I have almost your opposite record with zero wins and a single tie in the past 3 years----and that's mutliple types of war games.

Winning in a minis based wargame esp. where you have to model and paint is more psychologically investing than whether you are the racecar, shoe or top hat?

Is complaining about other peoples' "need" to win bitching or moaning? Just asking because somebody once said it alienates you from fellow gamers

When i started 40k, I was given a mates army, given an army list, and lost. I was completely indifferent to this loss, and very much the game. I had no investment in the game.

I then read more, got into the background, chose an army, chose my own list, painted my own models, and started a game. Suddenly I was agonising over every failed armour save, devastated when a tank exploded before It fired a shot, and crowing with delight when my CSMs slaughtered Eldar with bolterfire, or took down a Hive Tyrant with the last blow from my champion's powerfist. The effort I had put into my army - hours and hours of painting and pouring over which unit to run and how to fit it out - meant I was invested emotionally in the game, and the losses and wins became real to me.

So, this I think is my answer to the original posters question. Emotional investment is a direct factor of effort. It naturally makes you more competitive.

So far as 'bad behaviour' goes - Win at all costs cheating, interpretation of rules in obscure/devious ways to gain a benefit, sulking or bitching if you loose or a ruling goes against you - this is not competitive behaviour, its just being a jerk.

I play to win, my opponents play to win. We glory over our victories and declare vengence for our losses. We dont sulk over a loss - we learn from it and plot our victorious return.We are competitive. We enjoy the games win or lose because neither of us are jerks (or so I think anyway).

So far as the D6 uncertainty rule decider goes, it is a perfectly acceptable method of dispute resolution that have been used since people agreed to abide by a coin toss. But both players need to be happy with it. Because I dont play tournaments, I stop and look up the rules, discuss it, and agree a position with the opponent. We have the time. If the position is uncertain still, we make a call and look for FAQ's.

If I had $1000 riding on the outcome of a game, I would be more concerned with the ruling, but as yet this situation has not arisen.

Cheers
(Its really easy to ramble when youre avoiding work)....

I'd ask the opposite question: how can a person spend months painting an army, and hours playing a game, and not be emotionally invested in the outcome?

I'd never condone violence, verbal abuse, temper tantrums, or overly childish behavior, but even silly games can get competitive juices flowing. For a classic example, enjoy this footage from the 1976 Battle of the Network Stars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqWU9huMMco