I hate cheaters.
Not all cheaters, mind you, just the ones that count.
I have a big issue with trusting people. I have a big issue with trust in general - it's a shame that you can't reasonably trust many people anymore. Or has it always been like that? Maybe I'm just getting a nice dose of reality these past few years, and it makes me want to be paranoid of most everyone and everything. This weekend was just a nice, big reminder of that, too.
I also found out this weekend that some people actually read this. I suppose I'll have to leave names out lest someone go into a child's crying fit or something. Again. Rar. Then again, I suppose anyone halfway clued in will be able to fill in the gaps.
Anyway. This weekend was the huge $1,000 Midwest Kotei tournament. Big money, big prizes, big stuff. Whoohah. I decided to go mostly to hang out with people I enjoy being around, but happen to live hundreds of miles away from. The girlfriend (Who we'll just call Kim, since that's her name, and I guess my attempt to keep things relatively ambiguous in this has failed) and I left with our friend Jed on Thursday night, headed for St. Louis. The trip itself was a bit of a trial, as the rain was coming down in huge fucking sheets, and we were only driving to catch up with it. Oh yah, people cannot drive in the rain. If you have yet to see this in action, you are blessed, and just take my word for it. I spent nearly thirty minutes trying to pass someone taking up both lanes and going 60 MPH.
We arrived in StL about 11pm or so, where the inestimable Rich Wulf treated us to a game of DnD Clue. For those unfamiliar with Rich's Clue Games (and Rich's talent for putting people in horribly mean one-shot adventures), it involes several characters brought together for a simple reason (in this case, we were members of the Cult of Skullo, created by Rich to be the lamest god EVER), and the adventure starts with someone being dead. I got to play a elven Bard/Assassin chick who died ten minutes into the game. That's what I get for finding out the Half-Orc Barbarian was causing some trouble. I died spectacularly, though, hanging upside down from the ceiling, Jacob's character cut me in two. w00t.
The next morning, I got up relatively early, shot the shit with Rich and Dan till Kim and Jed woke up. We ran off to Taco Bell for breakfast (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME), then took off for Normal/Bloomington, Illinois. The idea of making a stopover in St Louis instead of making the whole trip at once was a good one. I think it was my idea, but if it wasn't, I wish it was. The drive went really smoothly, until we actually hit the town. We then proceeded to play phone tag with Jenny (who was supposed to have secured us lodging, damnit!) until we drove around the town at least 3 times. We gave up, Kim told me to call Bret and ask for directions to his hiz-ouse. A few minutes later, the three of us were running around like idiots saying hi to everyone.
Serious playtesting ensued, I tweaked my deck about a hundred times, proceeded to beat the unholy hell out of my friend Craig's deck, which I think was a big factor in him giving up on it and finally playing Ninja, like he usually does. Annoying Moment #1 of the Weekend: About 1am, I decided to pass out on a matress downstairs with everyone still awake and playtesting around me. I awoke to the sound of everyone (god only knows how much later) griping loudly all at once about how I should get up and leave, please. I guess everyone thought it would be cool to see how obnoxious they could be, or something. The group mentality gets like that, I guess. I just don't appreciate my friends turning on me like assholes. It seems like such a minor bitch, but it stacks up with several other things that happen later.
Jenny, Loomis, Aaron, and I trudge off to Jenny's van and drive to a hotel she got for us. There, instead of sleeping, we stayed up an extra hour cracking jokes that were only funny to our sleep-deprived minds. Probably not the smartest thing ever, but hey, it's only $1,000 on the line. Who cares. Or something.
The next morning, we wake up, rotate through the shower, and meet everyone else at the store in preparation for the tournament. This is where Annoying Moments 2, 3, and 4 happen.
#2 - One of my rounds went to time (which is to say, time ran out before a clear winner could be decided. Generally, this means both players get a tie, and we move on. We did also have the option of conceding to the other player. I asked the guy (who would have lost easily if the game would have lasted a couple more turns, ask anyone who saw the match) if he would give me the win, or if he really wanted the tie point, that was cool, too. He just grunted something I misunderstood, which I figured meant, "Sorry. No. I want the tie points, thank you." So I grabbed the report slip, marked down a tie, and handed it back for him to sign. He looked at it for a moment, and said, "I thought you were going to give me the win." looking at me like I was the asshole.
#3 - I don't remember which round this was, either, but it was short. Very short. In card games, you have to allow for the fact that sometimes your cards come up in a manner which sucks, and there's nothing you can do about it. Sometimes, your opponent's card come up in a manner which is excellent for them, and sucks for you hardcore, and there's nothing you can do about it. And sometimes, both of these happen at once. That was this round. I always try my damnedest to be a good loser, and make several attempts to lighten up the situation. All were met with arrogant, sneering remarks. Thankfully, I know that this is generally the exception, and not the rule as far as tournaments go, but this rule is getting sadly weaker and weaker.
#4 - Okay. Here's the big one. Remember how I said that sometimes your opponent's cards come up just right, and they use your ass for a snowshoe? Well, if that same opponent kept having that same situation again and again, you'd probably begin to suspect something, sorta like poker. Well, this person that eliminated me from the tournament is just that person. Cheating is a horrible accusation to make on a person. I don't like throwing it around, because I could be wrong and you can seriously damage someone's reputation. On the other hand, as a tournament judge, if someone is cheating, that's the end of the line for them, as far as I care. Not allowed, not encouraged, and completely disgusting. This is a game, not a gamble to save your life or to keep your ass out of trouble. In situations where you could get in some serious shit if you don't fudge the rules a little, or in situations where cheating will harm no one else (like using cheat codes in a one-player video game or something, I dunno), cheating is alright.
But in a card game? This chick has been suspected of cheating, concentrating her deck, and other things numerous times. Can it be proven? Not beyond a "Shadow of a doubt", as it were, so I feel a little hesitant as marking her down as CHEATER in my book. All I know is that she consisently has amazing 'luck', unless someone else chances to shuffle her deck for her and make her stick to it. Hell, someone I know actually witnessed her just ignore a few rules, hoping to get away with it. In the match where she took me out, I found out her boyfriend was standing right behind me the whole time, staring right at my hand. He, of course, was the first to run around saying, "Gee, what amazing luck" regarding her game. After she was beaten, she actually cried and ran off. How mature is that? And how am I supposed to believe someone that childish wouldn't cheat if they thought they could get away with it?
But hey, what can I do about it now? Nothing, except fume uselessly.
Fortunately, the trip was far more good than bad. All of the other players I was matched up against were great fun, one Unicorn guy actually talked to his cards and did some wack-ass imrpession of them bitching back at him, demanding equal rights and whatnot. Watching everyone get semi-drunk at Bret's was some good.Hanging behind with Craig, Mel, Mike, Petoooo, Jeremy, and a couple others while everyone else went to see Tomb Raider was a blast.
Except the clawing out my eyes part. But that's another story.
I suppose I just needed to get this all of my chest, anyway.
Anjin off.
I have a big issue with trusting people. I have a big issue with trust in general - it's a shame that you can't reasonably trust many people anymore. Or has it always been like that? Maybe I'm just getting a nice dose of reality these past few years, and it makes me want to be paranoid of most everyone and everything. This weekend was just a nice, big reminder of that, too.
I also found out this weekend that some people actually read this. I suppose I'll have to leave names out lest someone go into a child's crying fit or something. Again. Rar. Then again, I suppose anyone halfway clued in will be able to fill in the gaps.
Anyway. This weekend was the huge $1,000 Midwest Kotei tournament. Big money, big prizes, big stuff. Whoohah. I decided to go mostly to hang out with people I enjoy being around, but happen to live hundreds of miles away from. The girlfriend (Who we'll just call Kim, since that's her name, and I guess my attempt to keep things relatively ambiguous in this has failed) and I left with our friend Jed on Thursday night, headed for St. Louis. The trip itself was a bit of a trial, as the rain was coming down in huge fucking sheets, and we were only driving to catch up with it. Oh yah, people cannot drive in the rain. If you have yet to see this in action, you are blessed, and just take my word for it. I spent nearly thirty minutes trying to pass someone taking up both lanes and going 60 MPH.
We arrived in StL about 11pm or so, where the inestimable Rich Wulf treated us to a game of DnD Clue. For those unfamiliar with Rich's Clue Games (and Rich's talent for putting people in horribly mean one-shot adventures), it involes several characters brought together for a simple reason (in this case, we were members of the Cult of Skullo, created by Rich to be the lamest god EVER), and the adventure starts with someone being dead. I got to play a elven Bard/Assassin chick who died ten minutes into the game. That's what I get for finding out the Half-Orc Barbarian was causing some trouble. I died spectacularly, though, hanging upside down from the ceiling, Jacob's character cut me in two. w00t.
The next morning, I got up relatively early, shot the shit with Rich and Dan till Kim and Jed woke up. We ran off to Taco Bell for breakfast (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME), then took off for Normal/Bloomington, Illinois. The idea of making a stopover in St Louis instead of making the whole trip at once was a good one. I think it was my idea, but if it wasn't, I wish it was. The drive went really smoothly, until we actually hit the town. We then proceeded to play phone tag with Jenny (who was supposed to have secured us lodging, damnit!) until we drove around the town at least 3 times. We gave up, Kim told me to call Bret and ask for directions to his hiz-ouse. A few minutes later, the three of us were running around like idiots saying hi to everyone.
Serious playtesting ensued, I tweaked my deck about a hundred times, proceeded to beat the unholy hell out of my friend Craig's deck, which I think was a big factor in him giving up on it and finally playing Ninja, like he usually does. Annoying Moment #1 of the Weekend: About 1am, I decided to pass out on a matress downstairs with everyone still awake and playtesting around me. I awoke to the sound of everyone (god only knows how much later) griping loudly all at once about how I should get up and leave, please. I guess everyone thought it would be cool to see how obnoxious they could be, or something. The group mentality gets like that, I guess. I just don't appreciate my friends turning on me like assholes. It seems like such a minor bitch, but it stacks up with several other things that happen later.
Jenny, Loomis, Aaron, and I trudge off to Jenny's van and drive to a hotel she got for us. There, instead of sleeping, we stayed up an extra hour cracking jokes that were only funny to our sleep-deprived minds. Probably not the smartest thing ever, but hey, it's only $1,000 on the line. Who cares. Or something.
The next morning, we wake up, rotate through the shower, and meet everyone else at the store in preparation for the tournament. This is where Annoying Moments 2, 3, and 4 happen.
#2 - One of my rounds went to time (which is to say, time ran out before a clear winner could be decided. Generally, this means both players get a tie, and we move on. We did also have the option of conceding to the other player. I asked the guy (who would have lost easily if the game would have lasted a couple more turns, ask anyone who saw the match) if he would give me the win, or if he really wanted the tie point, that was cool, too. He just grunted something I misunderstood, which I figured meant, "Sorry. No. I want the tie points, thank you." So I grabbed the report slip, marked down a tie, and handed it back for him to sign. He looked at it for a moment, and said, "I thought you were going to give me the win." looking at me like I was the asshole.
#3 - I don't remember which round this was, either, but it was short. Very short. In card games, you have to allow for the fact that sometimes your cards come up in a manner which sucks, and there's nothing you can do about it. Sometimes, your opponent's card come up in a manner which is excellent for them, and sucks for you hardcore, and there's nothing you can do about it. And sometimes, both of these happen at once. That was this round. I always try my damnedest to be a good loser, and make several attempts to lighten up the situation. All were met with arrogant, sneering remarks. Thankfully, I know that this is generally the exception, and not the rule as far as tournaments go, but this rule is getting sadly weaker and weaker.
#4 - Okay. Here's the big one. Remember how I said that sometimes your opponent's cards come up just right, and they use your ass for a snowshoe? Well, if that same opponent kept having that same situation again and again, you'd probably begin to suspect something, sorta like poker. Well, this person that eliminated me from the tournament is just that person. Cheating is a horrible accusation to make on a person. I don't like throwing it around, because I could be wrong and you can seriously damage someone's reputation. On the other hand, as a tournament judge, if someone is cheating, that's the end of the line for them, as far as I care. Not allowed, not encouraged, and completely disgusting. This is a game, not a gamble to save your life or to keep your ass out of trouble. In situations where you could get in some serious shit if you don't fudge the rules a little, or in situations where cheating will harm no one else (like using cheat codes in a one-player video game or something, I dunno), cheating is alright.
But in a card game? This chick has been suspected of cheating, concentrating her deck, and other things numerous times. Can it be proven? Not beyond a "Shadow of a doubt", as it were, so I feel a little hesitant as marking her down as CHEATER in my book. All I know is that she consisently has amazing 'luck', unless someone else chances to shuffle her deck for her and make her stick to it. Hell, someone I know actually witnessed her just ignore a few rules, hoping to get away with it. In the match where she took me out, I found out her boyfriend was standing right behind me the whole time, staring right at my hand. He, of course, was the first to run around saying, "Gee, what amazing luck" regarding her game. After she was beaten, she actually cried and ran off. How mature is that? And how am I supposed to believe someone that childish wouldn't cheat if they thought they could get away with it?
But hey, what can I do about it now? Nothing, except fume uselessly.
Fortunately, the trip was far more good than bad. All of the other players I was matched up against were great fun, one Unicorn guy actually talked to his cards and did some wack-ass imrpession of them bitching back at him, demanding equal rights and whatnot. Watching everyone get semi-drunk at Bret's was some good.Hanging behind with Craig, Mel, Mike, Petoooo, Jeremy, and a couple others while everyone else went to see Tomb Raider was a blast.
Except the clawing out my eyes part. But that's another story.
I suppose I just needed to get this all of my chest, anyway.
Anjin off.