Introducing The Competitive Player’s Handbook

[shanodin]

Site Article: http://netrunners.co.uk/articles/compet ... dbook.html

Number 2: http://netrunners.co.uk/articles/from%2 ... itive.html

Chris Dyer, one of the UK meta's most consistent players, has come together with other top players to create a series of articles aimed at those of you wanting to make the leap into competitive Netrunner.

Chris and his contributors have a formidable collection of accolades. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the first article in what promises to be an excellent series.

[GuyCliquil]

I think it'll be great to see this article series, even as someone who perhaps isn't exactly the first person on anyone's lips when they think of "competitive"

[Nemamiah]

Competitive is a slightly silly and divisive word, to be honest. For these articles I've taken it to mean people who want to enter and win tournaments, but you could just as easily take it to mean wanting to put up a good fight in your casual games, or learning to enjoy tournaments in a way that suits you.

And to reiterate a point that I've already laboured, that's fine. Take what you can and what you want from the articles, as long as you keep enjoying Netrunner.

[Brendan]

Thanks for writing these, Chris. I'm not particularly competitive myself, and I typically try to avoid getting in that headspace. It's not healthy for me, and really not for most people - as you said, "Here’s the dirty secret, though. Tournaments are more fun when you’re winning," to which I fully agree. But there can only be so many winners, and that number is typically much less than the number of players at a tournament. So I have to find other achievements to aim for than 'merely' winning (which is far too difficult and exclusive a pursuit!), or I'm quickly no longer having fun.

But I do appreciate the enjoyment that comes with trying to get really, really good at something - other top players are a useful benchmark as much as anything. And it's nice to see that enjoyment shared, because it also covers a lot more than tournaments, and a lot more than winning.

[Nemamiah]

This is a really good point that I wanted to touch on as well. The majority of players that go to a tournament know that they almost certainly can't win, and probably won't even make the cut. But they go anyway, pay their entry money and have a good time.

I have nothing but admiration, respect and gratitude for those players. Without them we basically wouldn't have a tournament scene at all. I personally can't be that type of player because I'm not wired that way, but we shouldn't lose sight of how essential they are, even if we're talking about how to try and win tournaments. I actually think that prize support in Netrunner tournaments is far too top heavy, but that's a different topic.

[GuyCliquil]

I think the term "competitive" can become tainted, I certainly don't mean it to be when I am using it.

Something I have wanted to toy with for a while was to write something along the lines of trying to identify how an individual can get the most out of a tournament experience. Now this is different for different people, and I think to some extent identifying what you want from a tournament can greatly increase your enjoyment of it.

[TheAntsAreBack]

I'm really not sure why the writer starts off by calling Netrunner "essentially a children’s’ card game". That's a strange statement and one that's way off in my opinion.

[Nemamiah]

It's a light hearted jab at the hobby that we all share and enjoy, no more than that. Believe me, I'm fully aware and appreciative that this game is full of depth, complexity and strategy that actually make it very difficult for children. However, whenever I try to explain it to friends or family they tend to look at me blankly, then say "So it's like Pokémon?"

[Kesterer]

I'm really not sure why the writer starts off by calling Netrunner "essentially a children’s’ card game". That's a strange statement and one that's way off in my opinion.

There's a reference to this in a Winning Agenda article (which may be where this originally came from), and it sums up what people mean when they invoke this phrase. There Brian Holland writes "Russell Cutting, a mate of mine from South Australia, has a deck box where he keeps his sleeves for Magic tournaments. On the inside of the lid, he has written: ‘Keep calm and enjoy this children’s card game. You look good.’" So don't worry, it's not meant literally: it's code for "Remember this isn't really important enough to get upset about."

Anyway, cheers for this Chris, and looking forward to the rest of the series!

[Nemamiah]

I'm really not sure why the writer starts off by calling Netrunner "essentially a children’s’ card game". That's a strange statement and one that's way off in my opinion.

There's a reference to this in a Winning Agenda article (which may be where this originally came from), and it sums up what people mean when they invoke this phrase. There Brian Holland writes "Russell Cutting, a mate of mine from South Australia, has a deck box where he keeps his sleeves for Magic tournaments. On the inside of the lid, he has written: ‘Keep calm and enjoy this children’s card game. You look good.’" So don't worry, it's not meant literally: it's code for "Remember this isn't really important enough to get upset about."

Anyway, cheers for this Chris, and looking forward to the rest of the series!

This is exactly where I picked this sentiment up from, and it's a phrase I repeat to myself every now and again at tournaments.

[Brendan]

Yeah, I find it a useful phrase to hold to. It's a light hearted message, not a derogatory one.

[MartinP]

I'm really not sure why the writer starts off by calling Netrunner "essentially a children’s’ card game". That's a strange statement and one that's way off in my opinion.

On the inside of the lid, he has written: ‘Keep calm and enjoy this children’s card game. You look good.’" !

I could probably do with that on a play mat some times