JRutledge,
This is apparently a continuation of the week I have been having at work, just can't seem to communicate well.
I understand exaclty what you are saying. I even understand how you approach you games. I'm trying to say that for me, given my personal make-up, if I am not fired-up at the prospect of doing something it is not going to get my best effort. That is probably why I have "trained" myself in how I approach projects/games.
I have been doing this a far shorter time than you, and you are doing games at levels I will never reach. If you are putting forth your best effort regardless of how you view the game, great...I want partners like you and always try to be that kind of partner. I may be able to change as time goes by. I know I am better this year than I was last year and am working hard to do better next game than I did last night. I will admit that when necessary I can get myself ready for a game faster this year. I'm not as comfortable when the game starts, but once in the flow I don't find myself struggling or have problems. Maybe that is what you are talking about.
In my limited experience, when I had partners that viewed the game as something that had to do but didn't want to do, it showed in their mechanics, their comments during breaks in the action, etc. Of course, it may also have been their partner dragging them down
