The Manifesto of the Gentleman Gamer

Though I am not the first blogger to call themselves a "gentleman gamer", I believe I am the first to really get down to the brass tacks and outline what it means to truly live and game as a gentleman.  So herein do I proclaim my manifesto, and may all...

Wait, what?  What's this "Wheaton's Law" you're talking about?

Dammit.

Ah, who cares; keep recording.  I worked all afternoon on this, may as well hang onto it.

"I Will Make The Game Fun For Everyone, Not Just Me"


Gentlemen gamers treat others with respect, whether that be a comrade in arms or a foe on the other side of the battlefield.  That respect is shown in a lot of little ways, like teaming up with people questing in the same area as you to share the kills, or agreeing to play the healer instead of the damage-dealer.  The doesn't mean pull your punches and let the other person win:  just remember they're playing for a lot of the same reasons you're playing, and do what you can to help them have a good time.

This also affects when you're deciding what to even play.  If the rest of the group wants to PVP, consider giving it a try.  If they're more in the mood for Scrabble than Settler of Cataan, brush up on your vocabulary.  When you're playing to have fun instead of to win, you'll never truly lose.

"I Will Win With Dignity, And Lose With Grace"


You know you've played a gentleman gamer when they make you feel good about losing.  Instead of tea-bagging you on each kill and calling you every slur in the dictionary, they offer tips for you to get better or even a simple "GL:HF" at the start and "GG" at the end of each game.

At the same time, every game has a winner and loser and sometimes that loser will be you.  Losses can teach you more about the game than winning; either your strategy isn't working or another, better strategy is out there which you can use in your next match.  Once you learn to accept that you will lose once in a while, and that each loss has meaning, you'll learn to lose with style instead of in a cloud of profanity.

"My Skill Will Always Speak Louder Than My Words"


One of the truest tests for the gentleman gamer is how he treats those under him.  If he's on top of the DPS charts, he doesn't spam the meters after every kill.  If he's racking up the headshots he doesn't tell you the awful things he did to your mom last night.  If he's at the top of the heap, then the skill speaks for itself.

Robert E. Lee said, "A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others."  Remember the work it took you and the help you got to be where you're at, and you'll always find teammates willing to run a dungeon with you, get together for a one-shot D&D game, or go capture the flag.

So there it is:  living life as a gentleman gamer.  Now excuse me while I pour myself another and go headshot some more douchebags.