Sportsmanship

Jay has started up a new podcast called Gamers Lounge (check it out over here if you haven’t already) and in the first couple episodes, they were touching on sportsmanship and what it means to them. This is a topic that’s come up over and over almost everywhere in gaming. Poll ten different gamers and you’ll get ten different answers. There are a lot of variations to what sportsmanship means to people. Some people think backing off a player when you’ve clearly won the game is good sportsmanship, because you’re not crushing a player who’s been beaten down already, and others think it’s poor sportsmanship, because you’re essentially telling the other player that they’re not worth your effort. Some people think there’s a difference between sportsmanship in a friendly game and sportsmanship in a tournament game. It’s a subject with a lot of variation in it, and I thought I’d offer some of my thoughts on sportsmanship. I reserve the right to change my mind on any of these points, though, if a better argument comes along for them.

In thinking over sportsmanship, I came up with five different topics I wanted to mention. These are, of course, my opinions and you are more than welcome to disagree. You’d be wrong, but you’re welcome to it. If you do disagree, comment why. I’m interested to hear counterpoints too.

So, on to the five topics:

Fairness – A good sportsman should be fair. This is probably the most black-and-white of the topics. Don’t cheat. Answer your opponent’s questions honestly. Don’t hide information from your opponent. Now, I’m not saying that you should let your opponent know the trap you set for them, or try to psych them out with comments throughout the game – that’s all part of the battle – but if your opponent asks you what the rules are for your model, tell them. If they need to know how much damage you have, tell them. Don’t hide any information from them. But it doesn’t mean you have to volunteer all information to them if they’re not looking for it (though there are some exceptions which I’ll talk about in a second).

Courtesy – This can probably be summed up as “be nice.” Shake your opponent’s hand at the beginning of the game if you don’t know them (and sometimes even if you know them). Introduce yourself. Give your opponent the benefit of the doubt, unless your opponent demonstrates that he’s trying to take advantage of that. Take-backs? Volunteering information? That is a little more sticky. Personally, I allow take-backs and I do volunteer information, especially to players who have not faced my models before, or who are new to the game. If I allow a take-back and my opponent does not, I’ll know next time not to. But going along with giving someone the benefit of the doubt, I’ll give them that first one if they have not already refused me one. But here’s one of the kickers: I won’t see it as poor sportsmanship on my opponent’s side if he does not volunteer information I did not ask for, or does not allow me a take-back. To me, those are “above and beyond” behaviors. Mostly I try to match my opponent’s willingness to go above and beyond. If he gives take-backs, I will do so. If not, I’ll stop giving them to him. No harm, no foul.

Good Temper – Don’t throw your dice. Don’t curse your models. Don’t belittle your opponent. Don’t knock down models. Keep your anger in check, and don’t let it get the better of you. In the end, it is just a game, and not worth ruining yours or someone else’s experience over it.

Cheerful Loser/Gracious Winner – This can be one of the hardest parts of the game. When the game is over, if you lost, shake your opponent’s hand and congratulate them on a good game. It’s hard, but keep a smile on your face, comment on how they played well, and if you want, add in a few, “If only XYZ happened, it would have been a totally different game!” But recognize that your opponent just won, and likely won fairly. Don’t take away his victory by being a sore loser. The flip side is also true. If you win, shake your opponent’s hand and congratulate them on a game hard-fought. Don’t gloat. This is probably a person you will want to play again in the future. As the victor, you should take your cue from the loser. If he wants to talk about the game, feel free to dive in. If he wants to wash it to the past, don’t press him to talk about how you beat him.

Striving Spirit – I added this one in at the end because it’s one of my pet peeves about games. When you’re losing, finish the game (unless your opponent is a total tool, then it’s fine to pack up and get gone). Especially if this is someone who is a regular opponent. I’ll come up with a new strategy, test it, start winning and get great position, and my opponent will say, “Okay, I concede.” Which completely ruins my enjoyment of the game. When you’re winning, you want to win. In a bad spot, continue the game. Your opponent may well win anyway, but if you quit, all you’re doing is depriving him of his rightly-earned victory. Besides, who knows what could happen in the long run? I’ve played a few games where I’ve been in a terrible spot and managed to steal a victory away from someone else. I’ve also been in a few games where I convinced someone to keep playing when they were ready to concede and they ended up beating me. It happens frequently enough for people to realize that an early strong position doesn’t automatically mean a victory in the end.

Anywho, those are some of my thoughts on sportsmanship. Agree? Disagree? Comment about it.