When Morons Collide

Gaming is about a lot of things. It's about social interaction with people. It's about stimulating brain exercises that allow you to win the games. It's about chips, soda, beer whatever you eat/drink when you game. It's about showing off the neat new game you got with all it's pretty pieces. It's about learning new mechanics and trying to figure out how those people you play all these games with are going to react to these particular mechanics.

Then there's a handful of things gaming is not about. The two biggies in my book are religion and politics. In my experiences these topics are just too hot buttoned to be discussed in this arena where we all have gathered to let go the stresses of the day. So at my club it's a hard, fast rule...no discussion on these topics unless it's directly game related, which means you have to be playing a political or religious themed game (Twilight Struggle or Mesopotamia that sort of thing.)

Well maybe it's a rule that doesn't get mentioned enough because it just so happens that a couple guys in the group started into it a few weeks back. SIGH. I'm only glad I was busy playing a game...because that's what I was there for...playing games...and so I was playing a game and having a good time. These two decided that game night might be better suited for standing around and discussing politics on which it was obvious neither would ever see the others point of view.

So their conversation starts to get warm and the volume goes up. Then it starts to get very heated up and names get tossed around. It kept going with them continuing to disagree with each other until one finally had enough and stormed out...leaving behind the only game he owns a fairly new copy of Hammer of the Scots...and dammit I was nice enough to make sure he got it back the next day but that's another story. The real issue here isn't even that they got mad and one left...it's the negative mood the entire place was put into because of these two morons who were stupid enough to start the conversation took it to a infantile level and let it linger. Now they were screwing with my gaming experience and sweet Nelly that pisses me off.

My big question is why. Didn't we all (see above) show up this blessed eve for a friendly night of competitive gaming? Why would you even start the conversation and when it begins to spiral downward why wouldn't one of you just make a statement like "Look we aren't going to agree here so let's just stop here and play a game." No it had to continue to the point of breaking and it really left everyone around in a weird mood so it had an effect on everyone not just these two.

It's just sad, I mean we have great conversations, some times, and a lot of time we don't agree on things but when you bring politics and religion into the equation "not agreeing" tends to escalate into severe arguing. People hold these issue too close to their hearts for them to be able to be discussed lightly, so dammit if you've got that on your mind and you're about to game with me, shut the fuck up cause I don't wanna hear the drivel you have to say. Chances are real good we won't agree on it anyway.