Are you a Man-Child? Take the quiz!!!

Michael Barnes wrote:

BTW- I do think there needs to be a provision where if you've ever been photographed wearing a chicken hat, then you automatically fail.

It's times like these I wish I knew photoshop....

Jack Hooligan wrote:

I dunno, I think the subsequent discussion does get it.

This post sounds like similar arguments I've heard in defense of being a man-child. I've got a friend in his 30's that still lives at home, doesn't have a girlfriend, collects toys, watches anime, and wears comic t-shirts. He says these same things. "It's Trendy", "People 'in the know get it'", "It leads to good discussions", etc.

He probably has a BBG badge that says he likes porno to make him sound edgy and mature too.
(he's a guy I probably won't inform if I ever hit up the D*C again..)

I'm not here to point fingers and label, like I said, I think all of us here run the risk of it. I'm just saying we might want to be mindful.

But then again, maybe not. Do what you will.

So basically having a passion in life promotes you to man child status?
Most people nerd off about something, be it boating, stamp collecting, guns, fishing, watching a sport, watching soapies, being a film buff, etc etc.

People who don't tend to be either (a) Utter bores who are not happy with their life (and usually depressed) or (b) People who live for their jobs.

Fuck that. If you want to live for work buddy you just have fun pulling those long hours pretending you are a 'well rounded individual'(whatever the fuck that actually means.) Personally I'll stick to actually enjoying my life.

I gotta break this down...

1) How many sealed copies do you have in your game collection?
c) less than 10 3 points: BALLOON CUP, VEGAS SHOWDOWN, KINGSPORT, and KING IN YELLOW.

3) Have you ever sold a game to thin out your collection and then you have bought it again?
b) yes 5 points ARGH, this happened just TODAY. Who can blame me: still-in-shrink TIDE OF IRON AND TI:3 for $72? You'd all do that.

4) Which of the following statements best describes you when you put your game components in baggies?
b) I put them in baggies, but any baggie will do 3 points What are the kids of bags? Like paper or something?


5) How many times do you use Online package tracking to track a recent game order?
b) I will usually track the order if it hasn't arrived in a timely manner 1 point Another low blow--everyone tracks late shit.


8) Boardgame Website membership:
c) member in good standing on a major boardgame site 3 points here and BGG

10) During a game night I drink:
c) a soft drink 5 points Yeah, I don't drink. This costs me lots of points.

13) Have you ever wrote a Session report?
c) Yes 5 points Yeah, it's WRITTEN you ignorant slob. Fuck it, I'll take 7 points for correcting grammar.


14) Have you ever done any sort of statistical analysis of games?
b) Yes 20 points Ugh, this is brutal.

16. A dog eats one of your boardgames. How do you react?
b) You put the dog outside after saying "BAD DOG!" 1 point I might cry if he ate MUTANT CHRONICLES.

18) Collection size:
c Under 100 games 3 points I'm limited to the one bookcase. I get the "You dirty man-child" looks when I spill over.

56! A nailbiter.

1a, 2a, 3a, 4a&b (War games should be an exception. You just somehow have to sort the 500plus counters, everything else is mindless.), 5a, 6a, 7a, 8d &5pt (I guess I'm a major contributer here.), 9b &3pt, 10? (Where's water?), 11a, 12a, 13a &5pt (I wrote one session report. Please check it out and tell me if that one counts here. I tried to be creative after all.), 14a, 15b &1pt, 16? (I don't own a pet, but if I did I would calculate in it destroying some of my possessions.), 17a, 18c &3pt, 19a (I don't think any document is so important to risk your life for it.), 20a =17pts

Hi anonymous geek support group, my name is Simon and here's some random stuff from my private life: I moved twice the last three years, the first time when I moved out from my parents, I was 19 years old. I now live 300 miles away from home, where I just spent a month vacation to visit my family and old friends. I realize now that I really grew sick of the lifestyle I led as a kid and youth: getting cooked meals for free, watching lots of TV and playing video games. At my new home I cook my own food, have no TV or internet, but instead read a lot and play board games. Board gaming is my new addiction and I guess it's one of the better addictions.

Yes, I really am a man-child. I think learning complex war games is mentally challenging. In my spare time I play board games and on weekends I usually read a lot. I'm socially retarded. Each time I moved to a new town it usually took me half to a full year to make new friends. My best friend who I first met ten years ago now lives 80 miles away and sometimes I got nothing better to do than visit him, which is a long trip which usually takes four or five hours with regional trains. Meeting new friends is hard for me, because limiting myself to internet access (addiction) also hampers my usage of social networking sites and I don't like discos or bars (smoke - asthma, alcohol - nondrinker, drugs - they kill your mind, music - hatred towards pop music). Half of my new friends are from game group. Having to use internet at the university's computer room also completely restricts my ability to download porn from the internet.

You're 22 Schweig. You're a child-child. 22 is the new 15.

Mr Skeletor wrote:

So basically having a passion in life promotes you to man child status?
Most people nerd off about something, be it boating, stamp collecting, guns, fishing, watching a sport, watching soapies, being a film buff, etc etc.

ubarose wrote:

I agree with Mr. S. The line between being a child and an adult isn't the hobbies you have, or how you choose to spend you free time, or even decorating your house with action figures. The line is when your fun results in being irresponsible or making poor life choices. Like the guy down the street from me who "misplaced" his three year old because he was so busy watching "the game" with his pals, that he forgot he was supposed to watching the baby. Or my friend's husband who had been out of work for 8 months and was going to turn down a really good job offer in his field because it required wearing a tie, until his mother called and told him to grow the hell up.

I agree with your line of reasoning here ubarose and Mr Skeletor, but I also think that gaming sits apart from other hobbies - like those you have mentioned - in that I believe most non-gamers would slap a Man-Child label on all of us. While you might find Man-Children in any hobby, it's not the label people will slap on fans of sports, guns, films, home-renovation, whatever.

We might be able to spot the Man-Children amongst us, but I don't think anyone else can.

25 points for me. I wasn't sure how to answer the game night question since it's in my apartment and I'm usually barefoot or in socks....

So basically having a passion in life promotes you to man child status?
Most people nerd off about something, be it boating, stamp collecting, guns, fishing, watching a sport, watching soapies, being a film buff, etc etc.

People who don't tend to be either (a) Utter bores who are not happy with their life (and usually depressed) or (b) People who live for their jobs.

Fuck that. If you want to live for work buddy you just have fun pulling those long hours pretending you are a 'well rounded individual'(whatever the fuck that actually means.) Personally I'll stick to actually enjoying my life.

What the hell are you talking about?!

I thought it was very clear here that I was stressing moderation and getting your priorities right. I don't know if you've been keeping score at home, but I'm the last person you'd think is an utter bore, or living for work. I have a well paying job that requires no more than 40 hours and affords for my wife to stay at home with our child while also giving me lots of vacation time. Living for 'work' or money is the last thing on my list.

Does having a passion in life make you a man-child? Hardly. Depends on how much of your time it consumes I suppose. If your passion is boating, but you can still be a productive member, go for it. If your passion is displaying half naked men on your mom's shelf, that's cool too. So long as you also contribute.
(I will note here though, that I find boating, hunting, etc. far more useful hobbies than buying dust collectors, games, t-shirts, but whatever.)

This discussion only came up because I recognize that those of us in and around this hobby have the tendency to go overboard. As evidenced by the post counts (not only here but also BGG), the amount of time we spend thinking about games, the amount of money etc. Barnes said one time that if those of us in the hobby spent the same energy actually doing something useful, we'd save the world, or some crap like that. I agree. Sure people nut over other hobbies, but I've generally found our circle to be quite a bit more...uh...socially 'tarded and self-centered.

It looks like this really touched a nerve though, and I can't say that wasn't intended. It felt like you were making jabs because some of us were discussing the boundries we've discovered in our lives. Perhaps you aren't there yet.

(Edited: the parting shot at Mr. Skeletor.)

Oh Shit! I'm a home-renovation Man-Child!

Jack Hooligan wrote:

What the hell are you talking about?!

I thought it was very clear here that I was stressing moderation and getting your priorities right. I don't know if you've been keeping score at home, but I'm the last person you'd think is an utter bore, or living for work. I have a well paying job that requires no more than 40 hours and affords for my wife to stay at home with our child while also giving me lots of vacation time. Living for 'work' or money is the last thing on my list.

Umm, I'm not sure why I was meant to be keeping score but claps to you all the same.

Does having a passion in life make you a man-child? Hardly. Depends on how much of your time it consumes I suppose. If your passion is boating, but you can still be a productive member, go for it. If your passion is displaying half naked men on your mom's shelf, that's cool too. So long as you also contribute.
(I will note here though, that I find boating, hunting, etc. far more useful hobbies than buying dust collectors, games, t-shirts, but whatever.)

Yes, buying T-shirts is a hobby.....
I guess hunting is more useful than buying clothes as you can wear the animal pelts or something. And boating is a very useful hobby as it...umm... lets people know you are rich?

This discussion only came up because I recognize that those of us in and around this hobby have the tendency to go overboard. As evidenced by the post counts (not only here but also BGG), the amount of time we spend thinking about games, the amount of money etc.

Actually my post count is simply a reflection of how much time I can waste at work.

Barnes said one time that if those of us in the hobby spent the same energy actually doing something useful, we'd save the world, or some crap like that. I agree.

Yes, if only people the world over put down their wii controllers cancer would have been cured 8 times already, and all wars would end and we'd be able to feed the poor with apple pie.

Sure people nut over other hobbies, but I've generally found our circle to be quite a bit more...uh...socially 'tarded and self-centered.

Wouldn't disagree but I think it has more to do with people whom are attracted to the hobby then the hobby itself.
Certainly at AFL games (Australian Football) there are a lot of whatever the hell the equivalent of a sporting man-child is -> fat arsed hairy dressed like a slob bums who are socially retarded yet utterly fanatical about the game. Thing is the pool of AFL fans is much bigger than the pool of gamers so they are diluted more. But they are still there.

It looks like this really touched a nerve though, and I can't say that wasn't intended. It felt like you were making jabs because some of us were discussing the boundries we've discovered in our lives. Perhaps you aren't there yet.

Well you failed as I'm not quite sure why I'm meant to care about being admonished by someone I will never meet in real life. Also not quite sure why the fuck I have to be 'there' or whatever 'there' is, I pretty much have everything except the wife and kids and frankly they look like a mugs deal to me, but hey if not requiring a woman to look after me somehow makes me not quite there well maybe I'll just take a different path.

But if I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat because I suddenly realise I don't fit your standard of 'mature' or whatever it is you are getting at I'll be sure to thank you at my wedding.

Schweig! wrote:

I'm socially retarded. Each time I moved to a new town it usually took me half to a full year to make new friends. My best friend who I first met ten years ago now lives 80 miles away and sometimes I got nothing better to do than visit him, which is a long trip which usually takes four or five hours with regional trains. Meeting new friends is hard for me, because limiting myself to internet access (addiction) also hampers my usage of social networking sites and I don't like discos or bars (smoke - asthma, alcohol - nondrinker, drugs - they kill your mind, music - hatred towards pop music).

Forget discos or bars for meeting people - people go to these things with already established friends and aren't really catered to new meeting people unless it's picking up chicks.
Internet social networks just sound artificial to me.

If you want to make friends your best bet is go off and do something new - join a gym, do some sort of class like cooking or learning a new language, join a book reading club or something of that nature. These work because you are always seeing the same faces, so after a few weeks starting a conversation just becomes natural.

I pretty much have everything except the wife and kids and frankly they look like a mugs deal to me, but hey if not requiring a woman to look after me somehow makes me not quite there well maybe I'll just take a different path.

What do you mean WHEN YOU SAY A "MUGS DEAL"???

I thought you were married with kids. I seem to remember when talking to you on the podcast you said something about leaving the games to the kids? Maybe I am mistaken.

If you ever come to the USA you could have any woman you want with your accent and "don't give a shit" attitude, it would be like fishing with dynamite!

Well you failed as I'm not quite sure why I'm meant to care about being admonished by someone I will never meet in real life. Also not quite sure why the fuck I have to be 'there' or whatever 'there' is, I pretty much have everything except the wife and kids and frankly they look like a mugs deal to me, but hey if not requiring a woman to look after me somehow makes me not quite there well maybe I'll just take a different path.

Right, right.
You sure seemed to take off over something you "don't" care about.

Another nice spin with the bit on a woman to take care of me. That's what I've been talking about. Good job.

Wearing loin cloths...good, good.

wii controllers...comedy gold.

Nice post filled with irreverent points. I can see why you're prolific on gamer sites.
*Snort* *chuckle* "look how he dissects and belittles each comment." *tee hee*

Whatever. You got it going on, dude. I'm just a two bit working stiff trying to get everyone to conform to my miserable existence.


"Okay, Chief, take 'em away. I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife!"