Gamer Gauntlet

The thing I hate most about the grocery store is the people who stop mid stride as they peruse the shelves, completely blocking the isles. Whether they are texting, double checking their grocery list, or saying hello to a neighbor, they’re completely oblivious to the their surroundings. What the fuck! Pay attention. If only we had Mad Max-style spikes on the front of our grocery carts. I’d bet we’d all be more perceptive.

Gamers are People Too

Fortunately, encounters with tunnel-visioned consumers are typically limited, or so I thought. Apparently we gamers do it too.

Last weekend I attended a regional, competitive two-day Warhammer 40K event. It was held in the conference hall of a local hotel and space was limited. To provide some context, my ass got real friendly with the guy behind me.

Stay Right, Except to Pass

Getting to my assigned table between rounds without dumping my display board was challenging enough. However, on multiple occasions—after successfully navigating the inevitable traffic jams—I had to dance around players stopping unexpectedly in the middle of a row. Dude, not cool. I hate quick stopping with a full display board, especially when it’s to avoid colliding with a player who suddenly steps back from their table without looking. If there aren’t already a gauntlet of miniature cases and chairs that need to be navigated, they decide now is a good time to check their phone.

Medic!

On two occasions that weekend my models were knocked clear from my board. Fortunately, there were no MIAs, but one marine did spend some time with the company apothecary after bouncing under the heel of the Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy.

Beyond Stereotypes

We gamers already have a little bit (chasms full) of negative stigmas surrounding ourselves and our hobby; being socially awkward, hard to engage, and generally weird to name a few. Despite that, we like to think of ourselves as a little smarter, insightful, and more perceptive than the average Joe. Lately I haven’t seen that. What I have seen is a few dull apples making the whole bunch look worse. We are smarter, insightful, and more perceptive than the average Joe. Let’s prove it.