Tabletop Games: How to be a good sport!

Kindly submitted by Scorpienne scorpienne@juno.com

Why is being a good sport important?

Tabletop games are much more fun if you play them with other people, instead of just playing with yourself, right? Being a good sport is important because no one will play with you if you are a lousy sport. The essence of being a good sport is being respectful of your opponent. If you do not respect your opponent, then he will not play with you anymore. If you are respectful of your opponent, he will likely be respectful to you, which will increase your enjoyment of the game.

Respect your opponent's schedule

Call if you are not going to make it to the game.
Be on time to the game.
Be prepared with minis, rules and the description of your force when you get there. Nothing aggravates people like watching you try to slap together an appropriate force at the last minute. In many tabletop games, the match is won or lost depending on force selection. Take the time to think your forces out carefully beforehand.
If someone has arranged their life to make time to play with you, then you should be equally generous with your time, and use it to get to the game on time and prepared.

Respect your opponent's time

Plan your moves during your opponent's turn. This will keep you from getting bored, and help you tactically.
When your turn comes, move your minis quickly. You should already know where they are going.
Roll your dice quickly - shaking dice doesn't randomize them, rolling them on the table randomizes them.
Many games have critical hits and misses. When it comes to your turn, roll your dice quickly. If you get a critical miss, then line of sight and your target number don't matter. This speeds up play a lot.
KNOW THE RULES. Read them two or three times before your first game, and be prepared with a cheat-sheet of the important rules at every game. Don't make your opponent wait on you to figure it out. Don't ask your opponent about the same rule twice. It's extremely rude to force your opponent to repeat the rules to you.

I have a friend who will shake ONE six-sided die for a full two minutes before rolling it. This is a real pain in the rear when he's got minis that have three attacks. I have another friend that takes fifteen minutes to move seven models because he talks nonstop telling me where he's going to move them. I don't want to hear about his minis moving, I want to see them moved. As another example, I just don't get the movement rules for Mordheim. Therefore I have my book open to the movement rules, and I look up the ones I need during my opponent's turn.

Respect your opponent's Stuff

Many people spend hours and hours and hours making terrain and painting minis (like me.) Therefore you should respect your opponent's effort and treat his terrain and minis very gently.
The best policy is to never touch your opponent's minis. If you never touch your opponent's minis, then it's very difficult for you to break them.
If you wound one of his guys, or put them out of the game, PLEASE let your opponent lay the model down or remove it from the table.
If you accidentally knock over one of your opponent's guys, then apologize and let your opponent pick the model up.
Terrain is tougher than minis and takes less time to prepare (usually). Most people don't mind if you touch the terrain to help with set up, but ask first to make sure.

If you break the terrain or the mini, then you should immediately apologize to your opponent and offer to replace it; this is the ONLY acceptable course of action. Some people break terrain and minis and hope to hide the fact by not saying anything. This is extremely disrespectful, because you assume that your opponent isn't smart enough to notice you did it, additionally if you lose the broken part the repairs are extremely difficult.

Respect your opponent's game

Be honest with your opponent, and accept no less from him. Do not do anything that might be mistaken for cheating, deliberately misinterpreting the rules or misrepresenting your force even if you mean it to be honest.
It is extremely polite and courteous to let your opponent see your (clearly written) force description before the game. That way there is no confusion about what your models are capable of doing. After all, the object of the game is to stun and surprise your opponent with your tactical wit and clever use of your models, not to aggravate him by looking like you're making stuff up.
Use different colored dice when rolling multiple dice for multiple weapons or attacks. Prevent misunderstandings.
Clearly state what you are rolling dice for, so there are no arguments. ("Ok, red is sword and blue is hammer. Here's to hit [dice roll] and here's to wound [dice roll], the critical on the sword [die rolls], and the damage for both weapons [dice roll]. Oops! I guess that five on the injury table means I don't have to look up that critical hit!") Don't just sit around and roll dice. The sound is annoying and the rolls can be easily misinterpreted.
If you and your opponent disagree on a rule then look it up quickly. If you cannot resolve your difference immediately, then come to an adult agreement. After the game, create a house rule or rule interpretation to keep the argument from reoccurring. Keep a written list of these where all players can get to them.
Make sure that your minis and your opponent's minis are identifiable. The important thing is that your opponent should be able to tell, in general terms, who your guys are (e.g. the orc with the axe shouldn't shoot fully automatic weapons with liquid teflon filled bullets). Label your models with tabs, etc. if it is unclear (in your opponentAdditionally, in games where facing is an issue, then the front or head or facing of each model should be explained to ‚s opinion) which mini does what. your opponent before the game starts.

Knowing which minis are what prevents (sometimes violent) misunderstandings. My Mordheim skaven are numbered 1 through a zillion, which helps me and my opponent keep track of who is who. Creative color schemes with armor or fur or scales can also be used to distinguish minis. ("Ok guys, the cybertronic chausseurs in the green armor are the elite units, and the ones in black armor are the regulars.")

Respect your opponent

Be polite to your opponent. Compliment him on what he does well. Offer him helpful suggestions after the game. Don't whine or quit or when you're losing and don't gloat or trashtalk when you're winning. You never know what the next game will bring. In addition to being rude to your opponent, this makes you look like a baby.
Keep your language polite. You never know which curse word is going to offend your opponent so much that he will refuse to remain in your presence.
ALWAYS shake hands with your opponent after the game to let him know that you appreciate the honor of playing with him.

Respect the future of the game

In addition to being respectful of your opponent, you should be respectful of the "sport."
Recruit new players. That way you will always have a large group of people to play with. Teach them how to paint minis and make terrain.
Be patient with new players, and help them learn the rules, the tactics and how to be a good sport too. This doesn't mean you have to let them win (you shouldn't) but you might explain the reason behind each of your moves as you make it, and point out some tactics for them to counter with. You'll still probably beat the pants off the new player, but he will not be unhappy, because you are helping him develop the tools he needs to be a seriously fun challenge for you in the future.
Be POLITELY critical of players who are not being good sports. They are going to ruin your fun either by making you miserable, or by scaring people away from the game. A simple, truthful comment delivered in an even and non-confrontational tone of voice will go a long way towards making people reconsider their attitude. Try these: "That wasn't a nice thing to say." "Wow. That was really rude." "I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch my minis." "I can't tell which of your minis is the leader - can we put a marker on him?" If you can't gently, and politely guide someone into being a good sport, then refuse to play with him - and tell him why! If nothing else, the seriousness of your response might entice the offender to reconsider his ways.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE! This is the most important thing. If you are a good sport, you will be an immensely popular player, even if you beat everyone's butt on a regular basis. Also be sure and acknowledge players that are good sports. Positive reinforcement works best!
I got a lot of general inspiration, and some excellent specific suggestions on how to be a good sport from this website. Thank you! http://members.iinet.net.au/~capon/goodsport.html

This essay was originally written for Mordheim http://www.games-workshop.com/Mordheim/Mordheim_Index.html , and I was asked by kitsune@lava.net to produce a version of this essay appropriate for all TTG. If you want to discuss being a good sport, the future of the game, or ways to encourage sportsmanship, then please email me, Scorpienne scorpienne@juno.com . I'd love to chat. Also, you're welcome to check out my web page. http://www.scorpienne.freeservers.com/

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