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<\/p>\nPresentation at ACMS 2019, Indiana Wesleyan University, 31 May 2019
\nJames Vanderhyde, Saint Xavier University, Chicago<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:24<\/a>:<\/i><\/p>\n Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? David Sirlin, Playing to Win<\/a>:<\/i><\/p>\n Winning at competitive games requires a results-oriented mindset that many players are simply not willing to adopt.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n David Sirlin, competitive video game tournament champion, wrote a book (2005)<\/a> that explains how to win at games. Sirlin begins the book by describing a \u201cmountain\u201d of competitive gaming: a few gamers are already \u201con the journey\u201d to the mountain peak, but most only think they are. \u201cThey got stuck at a chasm at the mountain\u2019s base,\u201d and \u201cthey are imprisoned in their own mental constructs of made-up game rules. \u2026 \u2018Playing to win\u2019 is largely the process of shedding the mental constructs that trap players in the chasm who would be happier at the mountain peak.\u201d<\/p>\n The book is very interesting and I recommend it. Sirlin covers many topics related to competitive gaming. Here are few highlights:<\/p>\n Common usage of the term \u201cscrub\u201d usually means the same thing as a newbie or \u201cnoob.\u201d Sirlin means something more specific<\/a>, however. He is referring to a player who loses but blames the loss on something external to the player: the game is broken, the opponent used a cheap move, the move should be banned, and so on.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the scrub is limited in game performance because of a set of self-imposed rules. They feel good about themselves because they never use \u201ccheap\u201d moves. This is the essence of the scrub mentality. They play by their own rules, rather than by the rules of the game, and if their opponents do not play by their rules, the opponents are labeled \u201ccheap,\u201d \u201cboring,\u201d \u201cunfair,\u201d \u201cdirty players,\u201d etc.<\/p>\n Conversely, players who play to win do whatever it takes to win, even if it means being labeled by scrubs. True competitors do not care about these negative labels. They prove they are the best by winning at tournaments.<\/p>\n For example, a popular competitive video game is Super Smash Bros.<\/a>, in which classic Nintendo characters are pitted against each other in hand-to-hand combat. The way this game works is that attacks do damage, and the more damage a character has sustained, the easier it is to throw them out of the ring. The first player thrown from the ring three times loses. In the first Smash game, a character named Kirby<\/a> was considered more powerful than the rest of the characters and was even banned at some tournaments. Kirby has an undefeatable move where he sucks in an opponent and jumps off the edge with him. This is called \u201cKirbycide,\u201d and it works when Kirby is ahead. In the second Smash game, the designers modified the Kirby character to make him much easier to defeat. At that point very few competitive players ever used Kirby. Many players consider Kirbycide to be a cheap move and are angered by it. Competitive players consider it a viable strategy. Watch this video<\/a> for a competitive match including Kirby (Chu Dat vs. Chillin Dude). At 1:40<\/a> you can see the dreaded Kirbycide, and at 5:30<\/a> you can see another \u201ccheap\u201d move known as turtling. I don’t know why Chillin didn’t keep up the turtling; he would have won.<\/p>\n Perhaps you\u2019ve played with scrubs. Have you read about them in the Bible?<\/p>\n Jesus often faced the scrub mentality when teaching the Pharisees. \u201cWhy don\u2019t your disciples wash their hands before they eat?\u201d (Mark 7:1\u201323<\/a>). \u201cYour disciples are picking grain on the Sabbath!\u201d (Matthew 12:1\u201314<\/a>). The Pharisees played by their own rules, which they called the tradition of the elders, and expected everyone else to follow them, too. Jesus said to them, \u201cWoe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth\u00a0of your spices\u2014mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law\u2014justice, mercy and faithfulness,\u201d and \u201cYou clean the outside of the cup and dish,\u00a0but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.\u201d (Matthew 23:23, 25<\/a>).<\/p>\n Paul faced the scrub mentality when teaching the Gentile believers in Colossae: \u201cDo not let anyone who delights in false humility \u2026 disqualify you. \u2026 [T]hey are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.\u201d (Col. 2:18<\/a>). Whoever those teachers were that Paul was fighting against were again playing by their own rules and imposing their rules on others. \u201cThese rules \u2026 are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.\u201d (Col. 2:22\u201323<\/a>). Like a scrub, the self-imposed rules are keeping you from succeeding at what you really want.<\/p>\n Have you seen the scrub mentality in your own life?<\/p>\n Life is not a game, but let\u2019s see how far the analogy takes us. A game has a system of rules\u00a0and therefore an objective measure of progress. If you are playing by the rules, and winning more games, you are improving in your desired goal of playing to win.<\/p>\n God has a system of rules, the nature of God. God\u2019s nature is knowable by revelation. It is prescribed to us (partly) as a moral code. When a person has not come to terms with the sinful nature and accepted the grace of God and the saving work of Jesus, \u201cthey are imprisoned in their own mental constructs,\u201d like a scrub, even if they are trying to live a moral life. All they have to work with are the moral codes they either come up with on their own or inherit from their parents and environment.<\/p>\n Games have an objective measure of improvement. How are you improving in your Christian walk? According to the rules I listed, you are winning if you are conforming more to the nature of God. This is difficult to determine, although Jesus and Paul listed a few in the passages already cited: justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23<\/a>); compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Col. 3:12<\/a>). Sometimes it hardly seems objective at all. Are you more patient than you were 5 years ago? Can you even tell?<\/p>\n Sirlin (p. 1) wisely shies away from applying his principles outside the game: \u201cgames are sharply defined by rules; life is not. Exploring extreme corner cases of a game is what high-level play is all about. Exploring extreme situations in life can easily be socially unacceptable, morally wrong, and illegal.\u201d Granted, some extreme lifestyle choices are all three of these. However, fully relying on God also allows you to reach extreme corner cases of life. How about pursuing a call to preach the gospel in an unreachable corner of the world? How about increasing your tithe by 1% every year until the day you die? How about choosing to live in a \u201crough\u201d neighborhood? How about praying for every student who comes into your office, even at a state school where you could be in danger of job termination? How about praying for your spouse every single day? Or really and truly living to \u201crejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances\u201d (1 Th. 5<\/a>)? I hope I someday have enough faith to do any and all of these.<\/p>\n As I study and teach computer science and video game design in particular, I am finding connections to truth and life beyond the technical skills we typically focus on. \u201cPlaying to win\u201d is significant as an apologetics argument for the Christian life, which seems irrational to some people. As far as I can tell, Sirlin himself is an atheist. His recommended reading list<\/a> says The God Delusion<\/em> by Richard Dawkins is \u201cPossibly the most important book in the world. Not a joke. It will be overlooked.\u201d I presume he sees the scrub mentality in religious people. I think he does not realize that his own work points to faith.<\/p>\n
\nRun\u00a0in such a way as to get the prize.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nIntroduction<\/h2>\n
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The scrub mentality<\/h2>\n
Biblical scrubs<\/h2>\n
The game of life<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n