[Katie Drake]

There are mainly two types of player:

1)WAAC stands for Win At All Costs. This type of player does exactly what it says on the tin- bullshits you with every broken character/psychic power that they can lay their hands on untill they've won. Then tells you that they've won. And then tells you that they've won. Then finds out that you won.

2) the other type of player is the recreational player who plays for the fun of the game and the hobby side of this... well hobby. They will build lists around a special character or a certain aspect of their army (for instance the death guard army list). They don't especially mind if they lose but hate losing streaks and being bullshitted by the latest SM dex. These are the people who like to make up house-rules and home-brew fluff to add more flavour into their force or battles and who buy models for the look of the model rather than the gameplay advantage of having it in their force

This is a gross oversimplification.

1) WAAC gamers - People that will do anything including cheating to win a game, generally act like jerks and are no fun at all to play against. These people often get all kinds of upset if they lose. WAAC players generally care only for the gaming aspect of the hobby and rarely spend much time on the other aspects at all.

2) Competitive gamers - People that play to win and will always try their best. These players will write the most powerful army lists they can and will seek to use smart tactics to win their games. Unfortunately these players are often confused with WAAC gamers because people can't see the difference between someone that needs to win to have fun and someone that tries their best to win. Competitive gamers may or may not be interested in the non-gaming aspects of the hobby.

3) Casual players - Most people fit into this category. These types are generally more concerned with using units that they like or those that they already own and are less concerned with creating the most powerful army list possible. These types generally enjoy the non-gaming aspects of the hobby equally, if not more so than actually playing the game.

4) Fluff/Hobby gamers - People that are more occupied with the hobby side of the things, or those that are more interested in the fictional background behind the game than playing the game itself. These kinds of players may never actually play a game and might spend all of their hobby time assembling, converting and painting models or reading novels, Codecies and websites for background information.

There's nothing wrong with the last three categories of gamer. It's perfectly possible for people in categories 2-4 to co-exist. Unfortunately category 2 players are often mistaken for category 1 players by those in categories 3 and 4 so there tends to be all kinds of internet (and sometimes real life) drama about it.

 

[Katie Drake]

Personally I see WAAC players as just an extreme of competitive players. However, there is very litle difference between the two types lists and both types are actively trying to win from the word 'go'. I do see the divide though as a competitve player wins because their list works well as a whole and they made good army selections whereas a WAAC player wins because they bullshit you with the most beardy shit they could scrape together.

From your reaction I think that you fall under the category of 'competitive player'

Or I could be completely wrong in that I was right in the first place and competitive players are just WAAC players who call themselves competitive players to make themselves feel better?

If I'm a bit sour it's because it's 1am.

You're right - WAAC players are indeed just "super" competitive players - they take what's acceptable about being a competitive player and stretch it to such an extreme that it becomes intolerable for basically anyone else. List-wise yes, there's very little difference at all. In fact I'd go so far as to say that as far as army lists are concerned a WAAC player's list vs. a competitive player's list might even be identical except in cases where the WAAC player is (intentionally) building an illegal army in some way or another.

You're correct in your first assumption - I do indeed identify as a competitive player but in no way am I a WAAC gamer. I do not cheat to win games, I'm not rude, abrupt or abrasive with my opponent while playing and I'm always respectful be it in victory or defeat - I don't rub my victories in people's faces, nor do I pout or become rude if I lose.

If that to you sounds like a WAAC gamer then... well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.