Talking About Games (Part 1)

You can’t work on RPGs for thirty-five years without having a lot of discussions about games. Online and in person. With close friends and coworkers. With strangers at conventions and in game stores. And of course, I’ve read and watched a lot of game reviews, and I’ve done a lot of reviews myself.

If you know one thing about gamers, you know they have opinions. They love the games they love and hate the ones they hate. They have opinions about games, game designers, and game companies. Which is all great.

However, if you participate in any of these conversations, there are some ways to do so that can make you look smarter and more reasonable when you do. I’ll warn you, though, what I’m going to say goes counter to most of what people think will make them look smart or win arguments in discussions.

Recognize the Difference Between Subjectivity and Objectivity

There is a world of difference between “this game is great” and “I love this game.” While both are valid things to say, they are not stating the same thing. The first statement is an opinion, the second, even though it may sound like an opinion, is a fact. Someone in a discussion about a game can be wrong about facts, but they can’t be wrong about their opinion, no matter how much you might disagree.

The issue becomes even more complex when you start stating subjective opinions as objective observations. If subjectivity is how you feel about a game—or better yet, how the game makes you feel—objectivity is something defined and measurable.

Consider these four statements about a weapon I just made up for a game that doesn’t exist:

1. The X-4 repeating laser cannon inflicts way more damage than any other weapon in the game. That’s objective.

2. The X-4 repeating laser cannon is the coolest weapon any character can wield. That’s subjective.

3. The X-4 repeating laser cannon is the best weapon in the game. That’s objective, but it might not be correct. (Maybe the weapon is so difficult to wield properly that it is actually not very useful.)

4. The X-4 repeating laser cannon is broken. That might be objective, if you can present evidence that it somehow throws balance all out of whack. Otherwise, it’s an opinion and therefore subjective.

See how it gets kind of murky?

Where this becomes even more problematic is when people are discussing a game’s design in depth. Breaking down a rule and discussing why it is good or not is one thing. But in the middle of that conversation, someone might say, “Well, I had a lot of fun when we used that rule.” That’s a fine thing to say, but it belongs in a different conversation. It’s as if two people were discussing the best way to prepare fondant potatoes and someone else says, “I think potatoes are delicious.” Okay, great, but not relevant.

This is even more true with RPGs than with other kinds of games. Because in roleplaying, there’s a lot of emotion, a lot of worldbuilding, and a lot of flavor that, say, a game of chess doesn’t have, and of which a game of Settlers of Catan only has a tiny bit of (comparatively). Once you start injecting how a game can make you feel—not just by winning or losing, but through the stories being told and the characters being represented—subjectivity becomes as important, if not more important, than objectivity. I’m sure we can all think of games with less than stellar designs that are loved because the world is cool or the stories being told affect us deeply. We’re letting our subjective opinions outweigh our objective ones.

And that’s okay. It’s perfectly valid to talk about subjective things like “fun.” These are games, after all.

Realize That You Don’t Have Knowledge About Everything

I cringe when I see or hear people say things like, “This is the best adventure of all time.” Every time, I’m thinking, “Really? You’ve played every adventure ever and determined this one is the best?”

You can legitimately say, “This is my favorite adventure of all time,” or, even better, “This is the best adventure that I’ve ever played.” You’re saying that you’ve weighed all the options available to you and made a (subjective) judgment. That’s a fine and intelligent thing to do.

But otherwise, it’s just meaningless hyperbole, and you look a little silly.

Be Aware That Positive Observations Are More Difficult

It’s relatively easy for someone to point out flaws, or to look at game mechanics and claim they don’t work, whether they even understand the game or not. We think that being critical about a product makes you look like you really know what you’re talking about.

But people who do know what they’re talking about recognize that describing why or how something works requires a greater command of the subject matter. I’m not talking about just saying that you like a thing, but explaining why it works as intended, or what exactly is great about it.

You don’t have to like everything, but being critical doesn’t make one look as smart as some believe, and always being critical makes you look inherently negative or biased. It’s a really easy way for someone to dismiss you, not just in the current discussion, but in future ones too. Your friend (or online acquaintance) who always rags on a particular game at length whenever it comes up develops a reputation of not just being a downer, but being repetitive. And being repetitive on any topic is never a good tactic. Don’t be that person.

Next time, Part 2, with more thoughts on talking about games.