I have covered many different types of players on this blog. And as there are many types of human beings that exist, I have concluded in my stringent research that Yahtzee players come in all shapes and sizes too. That makes sense as we are a huge population of creatures and everyone is different. I know, groundbreaking! But there is one player that I have not covered so far; that is the Casual player!
I have to confess I have not had a great deal of experience with the Casual Player (since being one myself) as most of the people I play with are fully committed to the Yahtzee regime. But I have had some experience. I've played with people that only like to dip their toes in the Yahtzee waters and then not play for a good few weeks. So I think I know enough to give you a brief rundown, at least.
There are two types of Casual Player; those that are new to the game and those that do know the game. That was about as clear as fog, wasn't it? Let me explain. If you're new to the game, you are certainly going to start out as a Casual Player, after all you've just started, it's the default setting for everyone. You're still getting to grips with the rules and strategies and you're nowhere near to committing to competitive play (or joining the BHO). These players can morph into more competitive players eventually (or instantly, as I have witnessed), or they could remain Casual Players forever more. Either is fine, for the record.
If, however, you're familiar with the game and still remain a Casual Player, then you're probably happy just playing every now and again purely for the love of the game, and that is absolutely fine, not everyone is as committed as myself or my faction. But these types of "casuals" COULD be casuals for another reason. You see, games/sports clubs can often have a bit of a reputation for being a bit "elitist". It is true that there can be a snobbery surrounding these types of groups/clubs. It can be intimidating to the casual player to think that they are going to spend their spare time being condescended to and sniggered at every time you make a move. I'm sure there are groups that are exactly like this. But I can't speak for them. I can only speak for my Organisation, the BHO Yahtzee Organisation, and I can guarantee you that we, as a whole, are the total opposite of condescending elitists! We're certainly not elitists because there's not one of us in the Organisation that even comes close to elite. Nope, we're just as fallible as everyone else and the term condescending is not even in our vocabulary (unless it's been used to annoy someone as a tactic). Some of the other gaming organisations, as far as I have seen, seem to be only interested in attracting the best of the best, the cream of the crop! The BHO is not like that at all. Yes, we play competitively, but first and foremost we are here to have fun and socialise, so we welcome any player of any level (or age) and we certainly don't judge, mainly because we don't have any right to. We still make stupid mistakes and lose matches we really should be winning. So, as I can't really speak for other groups, I can assure you that the BHO will welcome you with open arms!
If you do find yourself sitting opposite a casual player for an extremely casual match, you will find that they are extremely easy to spot, usually because they need a bit of encouragement to get them to play in the first place, and this is because you belong to that seemingly intimidating Organisation. This is usually where YOU (the experienced player) comes in. They are likely afraid that they will show themselves up, so it's your job to reassure and encourage them! But DO NOT let them win. There is nothing more scummy and condescending for the recipient than to be gifted a game! So don't do it! Just play like you normally would, offering advice if they want it and keeping your mouth shut if they don't. There is no more bigger incentive for a Casual Player to return for a rematch than being treated just like any other player. Trust me, I have experience in this regard. I remember once getting into a blazing row with my father in law (a great guy by the way) over a game of pool. I hadn't played much at that point and he clearly destroyed me. Fair enough. But he kept "missing" the black. Every time he "missed" I got more and more agitated until I got angry. I told him to knock it of and just pot the bloody ball. He was genuinely mystified and said he was just giving me a chance. CONDESCENDING! Not only did I not carry on with the game, I didn't play pool again for months. I was about fifteen at the time so I may have overreacted, but my point is still valid; "teach your opponent if they're new, don't take the piss!" But it's okay, I can whoop his arse now! Only joking, I'm still shit at pool.
So, at this point, I've pretty much explained the Casual Player. There's not really too much you can say about them; they're either newbies (who should be encouraged) or genuinely Casual Players (who should still be encouraged).
For clarity, I completely understand that it may sound like this post is just my excuse for shamelessly promoting my Organisation. While this is a nice side effect, I approached this post with pure intentions. I don't want people to stay away from the BHO, or any other organization they might want to, but are too scared to join. I think it's incredibly sad to think that people are being held back from doing the things they want to because they are worried about what others might say or think about them. It's simply not true about the BHO (yes, and most other groups, see below). So, as head of the BHO, I give you my personal guarantee that if you join us, you will recieve a warm welcome and you will NEVER get judged because of your ability. For clarity, we make jokes, as you may have read in our match summaries, but it is never intended maliciously, PLUS, if you don't want to be subjected to even that, then let us know and we will accommodate you. We want to make the BHO a truly inclusive and welcoming place to spend your spare time!
Now for a disclaimer to all of you in other organisations. I'm not claiming that you are all snobs that run an exclusive club. I'm sure the vast majority of you aren't and your organisations are just as inclusive as my own. But some certainly are, and this tends to breed preconceived ideas about ALL of us which can turn off potential members, especially when they are still new and learning. So I'm taking a bit of a stand and I'm making the effort to be as inviting as I can be, to be as friendly as I can be and be as inclusive as I can be. I also invite all you owners and members of whatever gaming organisation you are part of to do the same. C'mon, it's nice to be nice!
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