Trash Talk: Necessary and Proper?
Regrettably, it has been a little over a week since I last posted. However, now that Spring Break is upon me, I plan on posting a few times this week to make up for the slow past couple of weeks. So, this weekend I chaperoned a youth hang out at the church as they were really hurting for adults (I found out why).
It was a video game night at the youth ministers house and about 11 teen boys showed up. The game played for most of the night was Halo 3, a first person shooter for the Xbox 360. This is a very competitive game, it inspires a lot of trash talk and seems to be a source of pride for a lot of the kids at the event. I had never actually played Halo 3 (I have played the first two games and wasn't impressed) and so losing didn't really bother me. What bothered me wasn't even the amount of trash talk (and there was tons) as I can ignore that. The thing that really got my goat was the intent of the trash talkers. All night long the players maliciously taunted a player on my team. It got to the point that the kid in question was yelling back and getting quite angry. This bothered me most because the kid was yelling right in my ear, but it also got me thinking about the reasons that I quit playing video games in a competitive manner and, to a much larger extent, collectible card games altogether. The biggest reason being that I don't like excessive trash talk.
When is trash talk necessary and proper? Under some very specific conditions. The Constitution defined "necessary and proper" like this: "The Congress shall have power - to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution." This gives Congress the means to stretch laws out of the powers they are given in the Constitution. Now, what does this have to do with board games? Well, when playing board games with a group of people you enter into a social contract with that group. Your group comes up with laws that dictate how punctual players should be, where you will play, when it is acceptable to concede and accept an early victory, how much table talk should go on, and perhaps most importantly, what acceptable behavior is while playing the game.
Now, certain games lend themselves nicely to trash talk and others certainly don't. For instance, when playing most Eurogames like Puerto Rico or Zooloretto, there isn't much room for trash talk since you don't know where each player stands points-wise. But for other games like Axis and Allies and other direct conflict games you can't help but talk a little trash when something goes your way or doesn't go your opponents way. Here is a little example for you. If I am playing the Japanese in a game of Axis and Allies and I destroy the American player's fleet on the first turn, you can bet your bottom dollar I am not going to let him forget it. That is part of playing Axis and Allies, you have to strike your opponent right in the heart when playing the game. This goes for almost all other direct conflict games that don't involve diplomacy. But there is a point where you can take it to far.
About a month ago I was playing a game of Europe Engulfed with Zack and Shane. Zack was playing the Axis and Shane and I were the Allies. Now, this game is a simulation of the war in Europe in World War 2. In the war, France fell and capitulated on June 25, 1940. In our game of Europe Engulfed, France captured Berlin supported by the British in 1941. So, you can see where the fun in talking some serious trash to Zack would be in this situation. Over the next three play sessions (we played the game over the course of four weeks) we pounded the fact that the French had not fallen and were actually launching a massive counter-offensive on the Germans. Something that never should have happened. Now, by the second session Zack was getting very frustrated at Shane and I. This is completely understandable. The way we were talking trash was certainly not "necessary and proper". In fact, it was neither. We had taken our social law and stretched it further than it ever should have or needed to go.
On the other end of the spectrum you have games that seem to encourage group play even though they are competitive games. An example of this type of game is Fire and Axe. The goal of this game is to have the most victory points at the end. However, because of the way the game plays everyone tends to offer suggestions about the optimal move for that player. I know what your thinking, "Of course you would offer suggestions, you want to win!" Well, yes, but this isn't one of those situations. No, this is different. You are actually offering the other players their best moves. This is because Fire and Axe is very much a social game. Because it isn't a real competitive game everyone is just having a good time and talking and helping each other. It is a very refreshing experience. And in this type of game there is absolutely zero trash talk. This is definitely the ingredient that makes the game such a social experience. You aren't trying to break each other player's spirit.
I guess what I have learned over the past couple of years is that I don't like excessive trash talk in any situation. Yes, sometimes trash talk is going to happen. But as long as all of the parties involved know it is in good, friendly fun and don't stretch it to its limits, it is perfectly fine. So, examine your groups contract and laws, and be sure not to stretch your "necessary and proper" clause to its extremes. This ensures the fun of both you and the rest of the group. Now, get up and go play something.
What's that? I just DESTROYED YOUR ENTIRE FLEET ON THE FIRST TURN? LEARN HOW TO PLAY!
It was a video game night at the youth ministers house and about 11 teen boys showed up. The game played for most of the night was Halo 3, a first person shooter for the Xbox 360. This is a very competitive game, it inspires a lot of trash talk and seems to be a source of pride for a lot of the kids at the event. I had never actually played Halo 3 (I have played the first two games and wasn't impressed) and so losing didn't really bother me. What bothered me wasn't even the amount of trash talk (and there was tons) as I can ignore that. The thing that really got my goat was the intent of the trash talkers. All night long the players maliciously taunted a player on my team. It got to the point that the kid in question was yelling back and getting quite angry. This bothered me most because the kid was yelling right in my ear, but it also got me thinking about the reasons that I quit playing video games in a competitive manner and, to a much larger extent, collectible card games altogether. The biggest reason being that I don't like excessive trash talk.
When is trash talk necessary and proper? Under some very specific conditions. The Constitution defined "necessary and proper" like this: "The Congress shall have power - to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution." This gives Congress the means to stretch laws out of the powers they are given in the Constitution. Now, what does this have to do with board games? Well, when playing board games with a group of people you enter into a social contract with that group. Your group comes up with laws that dictate how punctual players should be, where you will play, when it is acceptable to concede and accept an early victory, how much table talk should go on, and perhaps most importantly, what acceptable behavior is while playing the game.
Now, certain games lend themselves nicely to trash talk and others certainly don't. For instance, when playing most Eurogames like Puerto Rico or Zooloretto, there isn't much room for trash talk since you don't know where each player stands points-wise. But for other games like Axis and Allies and other direct conflict games you can't help but talk a little trash when something goes your way or doesn't go your opponents way. Here is a little example for you. If I am playing the Japanese in a game of Axis and Allies and I destroy the American player's fleet on the first turn, you can bet your bottom dollar I am not going to let him forget it. That is part of playing Axis and Allies, you have to strike your opponent right in the heart when playing the game. This goes for almost all other direct conflict games that don't involve diplomacy. But there is a point where you can take it to far.
About a month ago I was playing a game of Europe Engulfed with Zack and Shane. Zack was playing the Axis and Shane and I were the Allies. Now, this game is a simulation of the war in Europe in World War 2. In the war, France fell and capitulated on June 25, 1940. In our game of Europe Engulfed, France captured Berlin supported by the British in 1941. So, you can see where the fun in talking some serious trash to Zack would be in this situation. Over the next three play sessions (we played the game over the course of four weeks) we pounded the fact that the French had not fallen and were actually launching a massive counter-offensive on the Germans. Something that never should have happened. Now, by the second session Zack was getting very frustrated at Shane and I. This is completely understandable. The way we were talking trash was certainly not "necessary and proper". In fact, it was neither. We had taken our social law and stretched it further than it ever should have or needed to go.
On the other end of the spectrum you have games that seem to encourage group play even though they are competitive games. An example of this type of game is Fire and Axe. The goal of this game is to have the most victory points at the end. However, because of the way the game plays everyone tends to offer suggestions about the optimal move for that player. I know what your thinking, "Of course you would offer suggestions, you want to win!" Well, yes, but this isn't one of those situations. No, this is different. You are actually offering the other players their best moves. This is because Fire and Axe is very much a social game. Because it isn't a real competitive game everyone is just having a good time and talking and helping each other. It is a very refreshing experience. And in this type of game there is absolutely zero trash talk. This is definitely the ingredient that makes the game such a social experience. You aren't trying to break each other player's spirit.
I guess what I have learned over the past couple of years is that I don't like excessive trash talk in any situation. Yes, sometimes trash talk is going to happen. But as long as all of the parties involved know it is in good, friendly fun and don't stretch it to its limits, it is perfectly fine. So, examine your groups contract and laws, and be sure not to stretch your "necessary and proper" clause to its extremes. This ensures the fun of both you and the rest of the group. Now, get up and go play something.
What's that? I just DESTROYED YOUR ENTIRE FLEET ON THE FIRST TURN? LEARN HOW TO PLAY!
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