Life and other lessons from on-line gaming

My two adult sons – one in Denver and the other in Philadelphia – persuaded me to join them in an online game, League of Legends, this past weekend.  

I was reluctant to do so. 

From Mario Brothers on Nintendo when they were little to Halo, Madden, and Call of Duty on the Xbox as they got older, the three of us have played all sorts of online games over the years.  It was a wonderful way to spend some time with the two of them, while occasionally being able to persuade my daughter to join us for one of the less violent games.

But I had never played an on-line game like League of Legends before, and I did not want to be a drag on my sons’ games.  After all, on-line gamers can be pretty cruel.

My sons reminded me that in Halo, the shoot-em-up game in which every death is a point for the other team, I would always look for a place to hide out so that I couldn’t be killed.  My contribution to our team was to keep our opponents from running up their score on me.  . 

As it was, each of my sons gave me a one-on-one tutorial before the three of us joined the on-line world as a team.  

I tell you, there is nothing better in the world than to hear the voices of your children in your headset, patiently guiding you along as you battle the forces of evil.  

And, in the end, I think I did pretty well.  At least that is what my sons told me.  

***

One of the games I learned from my sons that I have continued to play over the years is Starcraft.  

There is a general “chat room” in Starcraft where you can interact with other players while waiting to get into a game.  You can also chat with other players during the game. I have learned a lot from these random interactions with strangers from all over the country.  

I have learned, for example, that the best players tend to do very little talking.  

They do not crow when they win.  

And, welcoming a challenge, they do not complain about their “noob” teammates when they lose. 

*** 

Participation in this online forum has also given me insights into other areas.  

I had a pretty good indication, for example, that Trump was going to be elected president in 2016 from the excited, obsessive way people talked about him in the Starcraft chat room.

“Build the wall!”

“Libtards!”

“Faggots!”

There was less excitement about Trump in 2020, and even less now. 

I am hoping that is a good sign.

***  

The other thing I have noticed is the difference in the way people of different political persuasions communicate with each other on-line.   

People espousing liberal views tend to speak in long, convoluted sentences.  In the Starcraft chat room, for example, it is not at all surprising to hear references to Keynesian economics when debating the global economy or references to atmospheric science when discussing climate change.  

The response to these arguments?

“TRUMP 2020!” 

Or, more recently:  “TRUMP 2024!”

This is repeated each time the hapless libtard posts yet another screed.  And it is always expressed in capital letters.  After all, how else do you convey such authority and conviction?

***

This is, as far as I am concerned, indicative of the problems we face in this country:  We have too many people who find themselves enthralled by catchy three- or four-word slogans.   

“Lock her up!”

“Fake news!”

“Make America great again!”

“Cancel culture!”

“Let’s go Brandon!”

I guess the act of repeating these words gives people a frame of reference for their anger, insecurity, and victimhood.  It makes them feel part of something larger than themselves.  Affirmed.  In the know.  Vindicated.  Protected.  

It is hard to encapsulate more sophisticated thoughts in three or four words. Maybe that is why there do not appear to be any equivalent slogans on the left.

***

I guess this makes me sound elitist and smug.  And it is true:  I do feel superior to the people who seem to embrace — to celebrate – ignorance and whose sole purpose in life appears to be to “own” the liberals.  

Stupidity is not a choice. Ignorance is.

It is almost as if our former President intentionally peppers his tweets with spelling and grammatical errors just to show his followers he is one of them: I am just like you are. I will validate your prejudices and your insecurities.  I will protect you.  I will be your retribution.  

Woe to us libtards.  Woe to us all.