Why I hate "fun"

[peo2223]

For me blood bowl appeals to all for different reasons. Despite all the crazy cards, 6+ dodges and 3 uphill blocks that can change a game dramatically it is no surprise that the top tables are normally filled with the same excellent players.

The random stuff that happens is integral to the game because it forces you to react and tests a true coaches ability to adapt their game plan and still come out on top. Cards or not a Blitz or perfect defence can really mess up your initial plans.

Anyone who complains about a random event or bleats on about how bad their dice / perfect their opponents were is being a sore loser.

[Heff]

To all of you who have called me on my behaviour, yes not my proudest moment! You know that moment when something happens and you just don't want to know any more? It was one of them. I have taken cards before and sometimes I have just sat on them because they are too much. Other times I have used them to turn that one dice blitz into a two dice (Then rolled double pow) or something similar. The point was not to major on that but to illustrate what got me thinking.

As an aside I have been a bit of an arse recently, clearly something going on with me at the moment and I am defaulting back to my arsholery of a few years ago. I am taking flings this weekend to reconnect with the recently more chilled me. I have apologised to my opponent since.

Behind all of that is the "Fun" versus fun debate. Yes a pitch invasion can wreck your day, sometimes the rock kills your star, perfect defence can screw you (BTW he got perfect D THEN played this card, so TWO massive swings his way) but that is within variance if you like. cards just push it too far. some of them are just massive crippling moves, I am thinking the one where a player will not assist or give assists, Or this player HAS to go first. THese are "Fun" but they are the antithesis of fun.

Chess is neither "Fun" nor fun for me. The thing that is fun is that I am riding a probability wave. Like I said a good player has a feel for the game, can sense the balance of it and play within it. Now "Fun" things mess with that. I can deal with a thrown rock because that is within the curve, I can deal with perfect defence because that is too. Perfect D plus a rock (which was what this was, and a KO rock at that) is OUTSIDE the curve. It is not within the parameters of the game as played THAT is "Fun" it is not fun.

It was NOT bleating about dice, It was not Being a sore loser, IT was being an arsehole. but it got me thinking.

[Regash]

Like I said a good player has a feel for the game, can sense the balance of it and play within it.

So it is all about definition then.
Because a good player, in my opinion, is someone who can take a loss, still have fun and just enjoy the game and the time spent with a nice guy on the other side of the board.

[Heff]

Like I said a good player has a feel for the game, can sense the balance of it and play within it.

So it is all about definition then.
Because a good player, in my opinion, is someone who can take a loss, still have fun and just enjoy the game and the time spent with a nice guy on the other side of the board.

For me that is a NICE player. A good player can be a complete arsehole, and a bad player can be nice, you even get good nice players and bad arsehole players. I would define myself as an average player who is trying not to be an arsehole (On this occasion I failed)

[sann0638]

Agree with heffs points in general but not the behaviour. Let's all strive not to be arseholes, even if we slip up sometimes.

[Joemanji]

Shut up Mike.

[Pipey]

I hear where you're coming from Heff.

Though in my experience games where blood bowling shenanigans don't intervene and create havoc are the exception not the rule. I'm with Peo on this. Embrace it, try to enjoy it. That's what I aim for.

Please don't shut up Mike, it's a fair point! Personal conduct is important. Players need to remember they're sitting opposite someone for two hours or more and there's a duty to ensure you're opponent doesn't find the experience unpleasant. Hell why not aim for them to enjoy the match! This is not an issue for 99% of players but I've seen (and personally experienced) poor conduct take away from the experience. Not you BTW Heff. Have enjoyed our matches.

[sann0638]

Shut up Mike.

Wait, this post was made before you tweeted about refraining from being mean today!

[Mystic Force]

I love bloodbowl, it just hits the right spot of tension and unpredictability I like. Bloodbowl is also a game that the exact conditions of play can be altered to emphasize different aspects. I think that this is one of the reasons that BB has stuck around such a longtime without the injection of new products that interrupt the “meta” to prevent something becoming stale.

That being said I think that different formats of bloodbowl benefit from different set up conditions. I personally have always been a fan of the cards, because to me it injects a variety to the game so its not so predictable. One of the key skills of 3rd Ed BB was in the maximizing the value of the cards. If you had a card in your hand the opponent could never guarantee his action, and had to think accordingly, you could pull off a play that your team would never normally attempt and the other team had to plan accordingly. Bluffing was a key strategy. Now consider the format this type of bloodbowl was envisioned for. Open league play, ie no standings just build your team over time, punctuated with the described tournaments. It’s for bragging rights among friends.

Over time the tournament scene has become very important, this is now a major driver of bloodbowl rules. It is meant as a test of skill, yes you are meant to manage risk, but how much risk is acceptable to be managed? Now we should all know what kind of event we are entering ahead of time, and choose accordingly, but just for a second imagine, you like playing bloodbowl, would like to play more bloodbowl, don’t have an opportunity to play as much bloodbowl of your preferred type of bloodbowl, playing any bloodbowl is then preferable to being bloodbowl less. Now knowing the rules we could adjust our attitude or we can bend the event to your will, but that’s a personal choice….

I think that the problem with the described events by the OP, is the nature of the cards and there effect in a tournament setting. Not all cards are as useful as others or as useful for different teams, making their impact in one of situation disproportionate. I would not describe the point of the effects of the cards as “fun” even if written in a jokey style, it is for variety. A tournament may not be the right format for extra variety, if the purpose is to find the best player. But is the point of every tournament to find the best player? If so why do people turn up with Halflings? Clearly some participants have turned up for a different reason than to crush all comers.

Bloodbowl is the simulation of a weird, wacked our crazy sport, that resembles cricket. Cricket!? yes cricket, in that it the only sport I know of that using the same basic rules is played in different forms, that emphasize different areas to be the victor (Ok Tennis has 5 set matches at mens major tournaments that is more effected by stamina, than at other tournaments and Golf has match play, but that is not really taken as being as important, ignoring other ways of playing golf at levels below professional)

What I am trying to say is, I like playing Bloodbowl,, I hope my opponent enjoys playing bloodbowl and there is room for different forms of the game. You should probably ignore everything presented above as the incoherent ramblings of a linemen who spent too long on the line of scrimmage….

[Itchen Masack]

Play whichever tourney/league/platform of Bloodbowl you find fun, and avoid the ones you don't. There is a fabulous range of options these days.

But Mike is right, other coach behaviour can be the biggest killjoy of all. It really can ruin a tourney. And I don't mean Heff here, never had an issue on that front.

[gjnoronh]

@Heff way to be a stand up guy and take ownership of a momentary lapse of behavior. I wish we all could be that honest with ourselves when we put our bad behavior face on.


A Stunty run should be just what you need to get into the 'FUN' swing of things again (however that is defined for you!)

[Darkson]

After his Fling weekend at ARBBL (with the supposedly broken Zara/Kara combo) I don't think he'll want another Stunty run.

[Heff]

After his Fling weekend at ARBBL (with the supposedly broken Zara/Kara combo) I don't think he'll want another Stunty run.

And that is where you are wrong. FLING NATION

[Darkson]

I look forward to hearing the stories of another meltdown, especially if you get another game where they're both removed by turn 3.

[Heff]

I look forward to hearing the stories of another meltdown, especially if you get another game where they're both removed by turn 3.

Won one, drew two, and lost three. Maintained my chill throughout.
First game I had a tree root and karla KO herself in the first turn. By turn 2 both trees had rooted, v chaos. I stayed chilled.
People remarked on my zen like calm.
Shocking!