Calling all gamers! I need your input for a project

The Core RPGC Main Forum
1

Yo everyone. Me and a classmate are working on a project for our culture science course, and we decided to step away from the film critisicm and discussion about gay marriages etc, etc, and instead dive into the glorious world of (RPG) nerds. Which we too are, so don’t be insulted by the term.
We’ll teach the others in the class to respect nerds too, yet! shakes fist

Our project is to study how various gamers define themselves and other groups of gamers. So I would greatly appreciate if you could look at the list of genres we have decided to look at, and tell us which one(s) you belong to, and what you feel about the other ones. You don’t have to write essays, but it’s favored if you try to explain why you feel the way you do. But if you don’t feel like it, stuff like “they are crazy moffos!” and “I just think it’s just fun” works too.
Also, feel free to specify if you prefer fantasy or sci-fi style games.

No names, even online handles, will be given out to anyone outside of this check-up, of course, and I won’t even qoute anybody without asking. The only ones who’ll see the results and statistics of this will be the other people in our class.

Mmm kay, let’s get to the definitions, then. Some of them are very broad, since we don’t have enough time to make real in-depth analysises. I’m adding explanations to all genres especially since many terms have been translated from English to Swedish and back again, and probably lost something along the way.

  1. Live RP. People dressing up as characters and playing their roles during a set time, out in the woods or some abandoned place.

  2. Live Vampire RP. Same as above, but specifically vampiric characters. Don’t look at me, my partner in crime said that these are so “special” that they demand a genre of their own.

  3. Re-enactors. Like Live RP-ing, but the theme is a historical event, like the coronation of Napoleon and it’s more like a theater than Live. Kinda “elite” Live.

  4. R-soft. Not as much RP-style as playing military men. Like paintball, but without the color. Instead they use duds or fake swords to just whack away at each other.

  5. Card gamers. People playing “Magic: The Gathering”, “Munchkin”, and similar.

  6. Tabletop gamers. RP games using small figurines to symbolize the players’ armies and characters. Example: “Warhammer”.

  7. Pen and paper RPGs. A gamemaster leads the gaming while the people playing have a character each, with a stats sheet describing each character. Dices decide important things, such as if an attack is succesful. Example: “Dungeons and Dragons” and “Mutant”. (can also be played via a chatroom)

  8. Console and/or PC gamers. Gamers using a piece of technology to play. Duh. Either the gamer sits alone in the darkness with his game (like me, I might add), or s/he plays it together with a friend. Specify what you prefer.

  9. Online gaming. Same as above, but the gaming takes place online with loads of other players around to talk to or fight against.

  10. Family games. Monopoly, backgamon, Valley of the Dinosaurs, you name it.

Input is greatly appreciated!

2

I’m 5, 6 and 8. I just like the rules that aren’t too strict and limiting, but still have a lot of room in which to customise and work within. The ‘real’ types at the top of the list I just find kinda weird and would be too embarressed to play, and I find most family games kinda boring. :\

Is that okay?

3

Yup, yup. One of the most important thing we’re checking here is if there are strains between certain groups - my partner in crime has been on several conventions and noticed that there were irritation between especially card gamers and everyone else O_o

4

8, 9, 10. I really like monopoly, scrabble and settlers of catan (the latter the most). Most RPGs I play are console RPGs and I’m not that big a fan of pc RPGs or MMORPGs in general. I honestly don’t understand how card gaming works and I think it is a silly waste of money. I have a rather condescending opinion of most types of RP whether its pen and paper or live. I like deep engaging and complicated stories the most.

5

I started with family games, but I sucked at them (and still do, as Makko will happily attest to. > < )

I moved to Pen-and-Paper games in the early 80’s. I only played a few times (Dungeons and Dragons, Champions) because very little people played them around here (except in College, where I was too busy being depressed to join a club of any kind.) However, I collected a LOT of RPG Books, because of their extensive treatises on fantasy subjects. Great reads, too. ^^

I moved to Console RPGs in the late 90’s after I played Super Mario: Legend of the Seven Stars, and I’ve been playing regularly since (money allowing). I usually play alone, except that I’ve been playing Rhapsody with Makko ocassionally.

The first RPG Card Game I ever played was the one in FF8. But I liked it well enough to give the real ones a try. Magic the Gathering is fun and has the BEST artwork, but it’s a little too complicated for me. My favorite is the Pokemon TCG. (What??) Ironically, I love the YUGIOH series but have yet to play the card game.

I haven’t tried any form of online gaming yet. I may in the future.

Live Action RPGs are looked down by most people, who compare it to trekkies dressing as Klingons. Me, I see no difference between that and theater. Let them have fun, I say. (I won’t play one, only because I’m a lousy actor. 8P )
BTW, I hate vampires.

Re-enactments get a little more respect due to the historical significance of the plays.

PS. Nice Xmas avvie, Weii. And feel free to quote me, I have no shame left anymore.

:cool:

6

Okay, I’m part of the number 8 group.

People in the first three groups, I think are a bit too obessed with the world of fantasy, and possibly need to get their feet back into the real world.

I have also never been much into group 9’s style, mainly because of the whole having to pay every month to play. But I can see the appeal in it. Of working with (or against in some games) people from who knows where, and just having a good old time.

Hope that helps.

7

I agree with Soldier, although Diablo 2 and Starcaft (which isn’t an RPG), which I play, are free. So for 9 I guess it depends what is implied by number 9. I don’t see anything wrong with playing with a friend in general although a lot of people tend to be euhm…different when it comes to mmorpgs.

8

Mainly 8. I want to do more 9 but I a bit Scared of being alone or have a Pc with Low spec and there for can’t run it. (I ‘hung’ around the site, here read Macc Hq and online Life before Singing up for the Forum). So Any RPGC Member is willing to take Me along ona Low spec Mud or MMORPG. PM.

I’ve done 10 on occations, But since I’m A bloke who Doesn’t have a job and therefore have a wierd Wake up/Sleep patterns, and Most People I know are Working and Go to the Pub instead (UK: 18+ Drink).

BN
On more “Non-RP” games, I go for the Sci-Fi stuff. But then what else Does a Star Trek Laser disk winner do… (If I find the mag in the Next month. I Scan my name in)

9

8, 9 and 10.

Regarding 8, I like to play alone best but I enjoy a multiplayer (Mario Party comes to mind) from time to time.

My opinion on everything else is pretty much the same as Sin’s.

10

I’m 8. But I haven’t played RPG’s as much as I once did. It declined when I was put into fostercare and started liking World War II. I still play RPG’s, in fact 80-90% of my games are RPG’s. One thing that I like about RPG’s though are the many emotions you feel while you are playing them.

11

I’m almost exclusivly an 8, though I’ve dabbled in 6 and would very much like to be a 7 or a 1 sometime.

12

Live Vampire RP is no different from any other live RP.

Iiiiignoring number two as an option, I say:

1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10.

And Sin- if you’re saying that tabletop games are bad because of a bad story, then you have a GM that provides a bad story. The story is only as good as the GM.

13

There are other factors regarding table top that I don’t like. The PA cartoon I posted presents my thoughts rather nicely.

14

Just 8, really. I used to be 6, but everyone who played Magic around here suddenly got too cool to have fun, and my interest in the game slowly waned.

I don’t see anything wrong with these though. I can understand people would find things like 1, 2, 3, and 4 weird, but in a way, they’re not so different from reenacting the Civil War, which isn’t weird at all. And considering I used to play real-life “beat-em ups” out in the backyard with my brother, I know how much fun these things can be.

15

8, 9, and 10 I don’t do 9 very often and only when I have a fast internet connection.

16

7, 8, 9, 10. I float between those four.

17

Primarily 8, with 5 and 9 tendencies.
I’m an occasional M:TG collector, but I’ve never had anyone to play against. I do all of my roleplaying at computer games, emulators and I check my old Runescape (MMORPG) account around once or twice a year. ^^;; As for non-RPGs, I used to play UT2004, Jedi Academy and a few Legacy of Kain games, until my graphics card started acting up.

18

5, 7, 8, 9, 10.

I got started in RPG via good old pen & paper style. Since RPG gaming is pratically a culture in itself, it was just a matter of time before I got into every other kind of RPG. Number 10, in my opinion, is not related to the other styles of gaming, it is just something that I’ve always liked to do prior to getting into the RPG games.

About number 5, card games. I don’t consider them RPG’s, and RP’ing only got me to them because Magic is set in a Fantasy World.

BTW, my favorite RP system is GURPS. I play in non-fantasy settings twice more often than I play fantasy ones.

19

5, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

20

For me, it’s mostly 7, and 8. I’d like to get into warhammer type stuff but I just don’t have the money or time at this point(paintball kinda destroys funds).Now that I think about it though, when I go paintball me and my friends do alot of military simulation stuff, so I guess a lil bit of 3 and 4.

I usually cult play a console game through then play it again, while suggesting it to friends and this last for months at a time.

For 7 I dont get to play very frequently (being the only gamemaster competent enough to be the GM) but alot of that is lots and lots of prep so if I really have the initiative I do about a months work for a couple hours worth of play. I always found this type of stuff really weird until I actually got into and its not all that weird its just like playing actually rpgs in my book now.

As for tabletops it looks like alot of fun but theres always that group of really hardcore people who are like 40 years old and have boobs bigger than Pamela anderson who don’t shower and don’t have jobs. those are the only people I try to steer away from.

In the way of 3 and 4 its not really on purpose but It justy kinda happens I guess. but People who do that are cool people cuz they know what they are talking about.