Trash Talk - How Much is Too Much?

[ElectricPaladin]

Last night, I had a game - a team game, my Exorcists and a friend's Sisters of Battle vs Space Wolves and Imperial Guard - and one of my opponents really crossed the line. Every time he popped a transport or killed a model, he would cheer and pump his arms in the air and shout "Boom! Get that sh*t off my table! No f^cking Sisters of Battle here!" and so on.

It was notable in that it really was too much. I've played against opponents who said things like "The Emperor protects!" when their models passed cover saves or "Die filthy xenos!" as they rolled their to-hit dice... but somehow, this guy crossed a line. It was too much, too frequently, and too much profanity, and we almost ended the game over it.

I'd like to open a thread to talk about the difference between "good" smack talk and "bad" smack talk. Clearly, the difference exists, and I think we can improve the entire community if we can identify it.

I've got further ideas about this, but I don't want to write an essay here. What are your thoughts?

[Iyandagar]

My thoughts on this are that obviously your opponent was over the top. I love bantering when I play 40k, invariably I mock my own forces during the course of the game. It is a game and anyone that takes it that serious really has, in my opinion missed the point.

[Animus Silvanna]

Well I myself when I make a really really important Invul save I make the statement " Emperor's Finest!" but thats about the extent of that other then the usual banter of Oh snap he just got his head rolled or man your guys need to go back to the range and re-sight those bolters.

[heretic marine]

I am fine with them showing their excitement sometimes, like when a las gun kills a termie (stuff like that) I even am known to get excited/angry at my own models when they die or hit, like "how could you let me down Typhus" or "finally you hit someone little vindi" (jokingly of course). it really is how they are sending it (if that makes sense). if they are just messing around and joking I am fine with that, but it can go to far.

I fought one guy it was a 2000 point army. he fielded no vehicles, only infantry units, most of which were the normal Platoons. so when it started I was thinking there was no way this guy was gonna beat my Chaos Space Marines. I had a few vehicles a deathstar unit and other units. well all of his guys were lined up from table edge to table edge. he deployed first, but I stole the it with the lucky dice roll of a 6. I thought it was a good idea, no it was not. I foolishly moved my guys into range of his guys.
I was thinking ok I see how this works now. when it was his shooting phase whenever he would get several hits he would ha (or something along those lines). when he would get more then a dozen he would go "and who says guard can't hit anything." whenever he kill someone he would go "looks like he got ZAPPED!" or "man Chaos Space Marines suck" it got really annoying real fast. I mean one of those sayings every now and then is fine. but he did it every time something happened (sorry for this being so long, I also wanted to share that guys tactic).

[Kawauso]

Yeah, your opponent was being a ****.

The only way I could see his behaviour as being acceptable were if it were between two friends who know each other pretty well and it were clear that he was saying it in good fun - it seems pretty obvious this was not the case in your scenario.

I like to get into little 'narratives' with my opponent in games whenever something interesting happens one way or another. Say passing an important save of when an interesting/unlikely kill is made. It's fun to get into it with your opponent a little, fleshing it out and coming up with an epic and/or hilarious explanation as to what just occurred on the tabletop.

Smack talk can be fun and fine too - I mean, who doesn't like the occasional 'burn, heretics!' or 'die, xenos!', etc. It's part of the background of the game that most people playing it seem to enjoy. But I think it should be pretty obvious when 'smack talk' is fun for both players and when it is not - and the latter is never okay.

[LordGrise]

Anytime you get the feeling the other guy is doing it to bother you, it's too much. I have been known to pick up my dice, say "This isn't fun anymore. You win." And pack my stuff up. It's one of the main reasons that I am not willing to play with tournament players - smack talk oftens is one of their strategies, to put the other guy off their game, and it is simply, no fun for me. Of course, the game is not about fun for them either, IMHO - it's a domination/power trip for them. Apologies to any and all tourney players here who disagree with me; I can only comment on the ones whom I have played.

[lobster-overlord]

Vulgarity, personal insults, or things that interrupt the flow of the game, or the enjoyment by others all need to stay away. Also, at least mix it up some. If you're saying the same trite BS and no one's laughing with you (they could be laughing AT you when you say it) then it needs to be toned down or stopped altogether.

I think the mild trashtalk is a requirement to show you're not too serious in it. TOo much or none says to me that you're way too into it.

John M>

[Learn2Eel]

I recall a game being played between the reigning 'God of Ruin' (person who won the local gaming league) and someone else. The other person won and yelled for five minutes about how he "Ruined the God of Ruin" and kept rubbing it in. I felt like punching him in the throat. The 'God of Ruin' just laughed under his breath.

I trash talk my own stuff for laughs, as I believe in having fun and friendly games with others - after all, you have to remember that another person is trying to enjoy themselves as well. Any 'trash talk' is just for laughs, and is very restrained. I don't mind when a person gets a bit frustrated, as it is a game that usually take an hour or more of your time - feeling like you are being cheated/the dice are against you can be annoying. However, I've learned to take it in stride and just accept that it is a game of luck, but most importantly, it is just that - a game. Some people just seem to take it way too seriously.

[eldargal]

I think trash talk is silly, to me it is completely antithetical to the point of the game, which is to have fun. Friendly teasing amongst friends is fine, of course, but beyond that I don't like it at all.

[Colonel Bindoff]

I usually find that looking at your opponent like he's a complete d*** when he crosses the threshold I'll put up with helps cut it out. Probably helps that I look like an ork with a hangover though. I have said something in the past too, but to be honest I find at the club that there are gentlemanly players who I play against and idiots that I tend not to. Most o the time people's smack talk is pretty low standard and just shows a general lack of mental faculty. Even in sport I find smack talk to be pretty laughable to be honest, although there a little smile when the other guy is looking up at me from the grass goes a long way.