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And people who use portmanteau words like ‘ragequit’…
I did suspect someone would say that, and I did suspect that someone would be you…
Anyway, “Ragequit” is a compound, not a portmanteau
And people who use portmanteau words like ‘ragequit’…
I did suspect someone would say that, and I did suspect that someone would be you… Anyway, “Ragequit” is a compound, not a portmanteau
I beg your pardon, you are indeed correct. I blame a lack of relaxants for my error. Steps will be taken to remedy this lack soon.
Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.
On the other hand, I have occasionally very nearly quit wargaming due to a deep-seated ennui and a sense of purposelessness when faced with multiple projects and no time to in which to attend to any of them. That, more than rage, is my main motivation for clearing all the gaming stuff out.
I kind of recognise this feeling, but not exactly as you describe it. I do get that ennui and sense of purposelessness when I look back at my achievements in regard to painting and modelling and am forced to face up to the fact that I’ve progressed at a fraction of the pace I’d been hoping to. But it’s not so much because of a lack of time, as because of having to sit on my hands and wait due to practical obstacles on most of the occasions when I’m overflowing with enthusiasm and inspiration to be cracking on. By the time those obstacles are out of the way (like when I’ve finally got the miniatures/paints/tools/materials I need in situ, much later than I thought I’d have them), I often feel tired and bitter.
That’s perhaps the main reason I see myself as being in a “collecting” phase of the hobby right now. I hope to be able to wind down my rate of purchases in the future, owning most of the miniatures I need for various projects and no longer needing to expend so much time and effort on chasing the damn things(!!). Then I can keep cycling around to “prepared” projects as and when I feel enthused about them again. I know that if I were to become enthusiastic about a brand new project right now, there would be some headaches, angst and aggravation ahead of me before I’ve successfully gotten the preparations in place, at which point I can’t stand the sight of the project.
But its a game innit?
That’s the thing. A game is supposed to be a source of enjoyment. When attempting to play the game (by way of acquiring miniatures, assembling and painting them, or what-have-you) makes me feel aggravated instead, I start to question the presuppositions that made me think (perhaps in error?) that I was ever going to enjoy the game in the first place.
I think my causes for “ragequitty” emotions are usually to do with practical obstacles like the aforementioned bad luck I keep having with orders that I make. Another thing that aggravates me a lot is when digging up old miniatures I’ve bought years ago becomes a minor project in itself. I’ve tried organising all my hobby stuff several times, but have always had to stop halfway because of other obligations and pack it back into storage as no less of a mess than it was when I unpacked it – just a differently-configured mess
I don’t think other people have ever made me want to ragequit the hobby, or a project within the hobby. I reckon I’m good at not wasting emotions on people who I happen to cross paths with only because they’re travelling in a completely different vector than I am. They can keep doing them, I’ll keep doing me.
I’d say ‘not a refuge from anything but a destination in its own right!’
It’s a positive, hobby enhancing, thoroughly enjoyable, pleasant, sanely moderated place and I’m glad it exists regardless of anywhere else on the net.
(That’s as much enthusiasm as I can muster on a Friday night without the benefit of alcohol, so I’m off to be grumpy to restore the balance of my humours.)
I’d say ‘not a refuge from anything but a destination in its own right!’
It’s a positive, hobby enhancing, thoroughly enjoyable, pleasant, sanely moderated place and I’m glad it exists regardless of anywhere else on the net. Guy, in his usual eloquent way, has summed things up perfectly.
No quibbles from me.
donald
I’d say ‘not a refuge from anything but a destination in its own right!’
It’s a positive, hobby enhancing, thoroughly enjoyable, pleasant, sanely moderated place and I’m glad it exists regardless of anywhere else on the net.Guy, in his usual eloquent way, has summed things up perfectly. No quibbles from me. donald
Money’s in the post .
It’s a hobby and certainly not worth getting in a rage about.
Hence ragequitting. Beats rage-continuing
Ragequitting? That sounds like something teenagers would do. I’m a grown-up man, so I tend not to get upset about what others think or do in the hobby. I might have an opinion about it, but ragequitting? Really?
Well, since you make me have to defend what I’ve said, then yes, really.
While I fully expect there is in part a generational divide in attitudes to ragequitting, and even more so to the use of that word (which I admit is a bit of a neologism, though it’s hardly brand-new), it’s a bit disparaging to say that no one older than a teenager would do it. Part of my inspiration for asking the question is that, by chance, I’ve recently come across several honest discussions on the topic of ragequitting – by that word – in different Youtube/Twitch channels and podcasts (none of which were directly related to this hobby, if that matters). They were all hosted by thirty-somethings. Calm, reasonable, likeable thirty-somethings behaving in a perfectly adult manner, having stimulating discussions on the topic. Not teenagers bashing keyboards against computer screens because they keep losing in Fortnite.
I suppose there’s a risk that people may read too much into the word itself. There tends to be a slight humorous, deliberately-exaggerative irony to the word, and I’m using it as such. It’s not like I’m talking about smashing miniatures against the table or ripping up rulebooks (though I’ve heard some funny anecdotes about that kind of behaviour from competitive wargamers
).I do admit though, that I can share some of the same frustrations that Rhoderic expressed in the original post. Though I’ve actually had pretty good luck over the last year or two, there was a stretch of about three years, where four out of five hobby orders had some significant problem. Multiple orders at the same time taking 3-4 months to be filled, eventually arriving with wrong items, or items missing, or items miscast to the point that I threw them away. It can be incredibly frustrating.
You have no idea how comforting it is to hear I’m not the only person in the world to have, or have had, “the curse”. I’d say it happens to me with approximately 50% of the orders I make (scattered across many vendors, so that no one vendor stands out as particularly unreliable). That’s not counting miscasts, which I don’t have the energy to quibble over with manufacturers who have evidently deemed the offending items good enough to sell. Also not counting broken pieces, for which I don’t hold the vendors at fault (I presume the pieces broke in the post, and that’s the nature of the beast when one chooses to engage in a hobby revolving around fine-cast miniatures), but which can still be quite dejecting at times.
(For that matter, in case anyone is reading me wrong, there’s a limit to how much I hold vendors “at fault” for making mistakes processing my orders. I understand that they’re small businesses, that mistakes happen, and that if I ever start up my own vanity business as part of this hobby I’ll be in the same position. I’m not ranting about vendors in this thread, I’m talking about how frustrating it can feel when the reality of the hobby doesn’t live up to the fantasy.)
Rhoderic, I’m a great admirer of your posts generally: you are a gifted writer, full of any number perceptive comments on many different subjects. I also rather like your icon.
With that said, this discussion (whether raised in partial jest or not) has taken me somewhat aback. The word “ragequitting” is unpleasant; the behavior it describes far more so. I’m not sure one should “ragequit” anything, even regarding far more serious matters, much less over something as intrinsically silly as fiddling about with toy soldiers. It is infantile in the extreme. What would our grandfathers have said about such behavior? There are times to be frustrated, of course; there are times when interest flags; there are times when a new group of hobbyists might be a better fit; and yes, there are times to be angry – but to “ragequit”? Never.
There, I’ve said my piece. You disagree (articulately I’m sure). This doesn’t keep me from genuinely looking forward to seeing your future posts on other topics. They are just great. So keep up the good work!
Kind regards,
Daryl
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