On Competition
Technically speaking, I'm a zombie. I got tagged while trying to go to rehearsal, and that's that. I'm one of the undead horde.
I also got reminded that I really, really don't like competition. I mean, playing Brawl with Rob/Adam/Red/The Gang is one thing, because we're just having fun. So is doing the occasional online thing with friends. Because, y'know, they're friends. Trying to have fun.
But when it comes to grander things, that aren't just with my immediate bunch of comrades? I tend to have significantly less fun. It's the reason I don't do tournament-based play in Pokemon, the reason I try to avoid online gaming, combat-based RPs, etc etc. Because to me, trying to get the better of some random bloke you don't know isn't entertaining. It's just frustrating. A lot of the time when playing a group game (scrabble or bowling in particular), the challenge doesn't come from playing the game--the challenge comes from finding a way to view it as solitaire. And, more importantly, staying with that view.
And this always happens, too--I always get excited about some game, go off to play it, and realize that I didn't really want to in the first place. Every time I go bowling, I have to reprimand myself later for going bowling.
So I quit. I knew that I'd just get more and more pissed off as the week went by, and take my anger out in increasingly unhealthy ways. (Already I snapped at a guy who did absolutely nothing. I had at least the sense to apologize and explain myself)
However, this doesn't make for a particularly interesting tale in-game. So here are the three versions of the story: Game lingo, out-of-game lingo, and Graham's Geeky lingo.
IN GAME: After slaying one of the undead horde, Graham succumbed to their madness near the Fenenga bridge. He also lost a par of socks in the progress. Not being a very good zombie, he died of starvation.
OUT OF GAME: Graham realized that he never particularly wanted to play in the first place, and quit after being turned, to provide the least effect on the rest of the players. He threw away his bandanna, and also lost a pair of socks.
GRAHAM'S VERSION: Graham died because of a zombie attacker. However, being a Time Lord, he was able to regenerate, slip into his TARDIS, and bugger off. He vows to come back later to save everybody he can. And to find the pair of socks he lost.
I also got reminded that I really, really don't like competition. I mean, playing Brawl with Rob/Adam/Red/The Gang is one thing, because we're just having fun. So is doing the occasional online thing with friends. Because, y'know, they're friends. Trying to have fun.
But when it comes to grander things, that aren't just with my immediate bunch of comrades? I tend to have significantly less fun. It's the reason I don't do tournament-based play in Pokemon, the reason I try to avoid online gaming, combat-based RPs, etc etc. Because to me, trying to get the better of some random bloke you don't know isn't entertaining. It's just frustrating. A lot of the time when playing a group game (scrabble or bowling in particular), the challenge doesn't come from playing the game--the challenge comes from finding a way to view it as solitaire. And, more importantly, staying with that view.
And this always happens, too--I always get excited about some game, go off to play it, and realize that I didn't really want to in the first place. Every time I go bowling, I have to reprimand myself later for going bowling.
So I quit. I knew that I'd just get more and more pissed off as the week went by, and take my anger out in increasingly unhealthy ways. (Already I snapped at a guy who did absolutely nothing. I had at least the sense to apologize and explain myself)
However, this doesn't make for a particularly interesting tale in-game. So here are the three versions of the story: Game lingo, out-of-game lingo, and Graham's Geeky lingo.
IN GAME: After slaying one of the undead horde, Graham succumbed to their madness near the Fenenga bridge. He also lost a par of socks in the progress. Not being a very good zombie, he died of starvation.
OUT OF GAME: Graham realized that he never particularly wanted to play in the first place, and quit after being turned, to provide the least effect on the rest of the players. He threw away his bandanna, and also lost a pair of socks.
GRAHAM'S VERSION: Graham died because of a zombie attacker. However, being a Time Lord, he was able to regenerate, slip into his TARDIS, and bugger off. He vows to come back later to save everybody he can. And to find the pair of socks he lost.