The Actor
Actors do not play RPGs for character development or for the thrill of strategic combat. They’re in it for the interaction with the NPCs. The more, the better. Combat, cool weapons, and leveling are all a distant second compared to chatting up the computer.
First Character: Max Charisma. High Intelligence. Wimpy physical attributes.
Second Character: Same as the first one, but played as the opposite alignment.
Third Character: Stupid and ugly, just to give it a try. The Actor will almost certainly give up on this character less than an hour into the game.
Combat: Dislikes it, but has lots of henchmen, so involvement is minimal.
Romances: If it fits the character’s persona.
Other Games Played: Not too many computer games. Likes Vampire the Masquerade.
The Extreme Actor: Four words: Live Action Role Playing.
The Explorer
Explorers are borderline obsessive-compulsive types who are driven to find every last Easter Egg in a game. Explorers play RPGs because it’s a self contained universe that they can understand.
First Character: Decent attributes all around. Probably with a focus on the physical, but he won’t totally sacrifice Charisma or Intelligence.
Second Character: Hacked to Max in all attributes. Wouldn’t want to miss anything.
Third Character: Hacked to Max, but with the opposite alignment. Wouldn’t want to miss anything .... EEEEEEEEVIL.
Combat: Sure! How else could he test out the +3.1419 Widget of Goblin Groin Exploding that the old fishwife had hidden in the secret door in the back of her medicine cabinet?
Romances: Yes, but the Explorer plays through romances with a weird scientific detachment. As in: “If I say this ... Viconia sleeps with me and Jaheira cuts off my testicles with a pair of scissors. Hmmm ... interesting.”
Other Games Played: Chess. FFVII.
The Extreme Explorer: Writes a mean GameFAQs Strategy Guide.
The Strategist
The Strategist is in it for the tactics. He’s the guy that catalogs his potions, buffs every character before combat, and actually enjoys keeping his archers in formation.
First Character: Physical attributes first and foremost. However, the Strategist recognizes the value of talking old fishwives out of their +3.1419 Widgets of Goblin Groin Exploding, and so he won’t totaly sink Charisma or Intelligence.
Second Character: See First Character.
Third Character: See Second Character.
Combat: Combat is the only reason the Strategist buys these games.
Romances: Maybe. If they’re short and you get some kind of cool kit out of it.
Other Games Played: Any RTS game. Possibly also X-Com or Jagged Alliance.
The Extreme Strategist: Also plays Master of Orion 3.
The Munchkin
Munchkins are in it to win. While Explorers want to understand the game world, Munchkins want to 0WNZ0R it.
First Character: Min/maxed for combat. Possibly has a 4 in Charisma if he knows that a certain NPC will only give up the game’s Uber-Weapon to a character with a 4 or higher Charisma.
Second Character: Hacked to Max in all attributes.
Third Character: Hacked beyond Max in all attributes.
Combat: I AM YOU”RE GOD!!!! HEAR ME ROAR!!!!! YEAH EXPLODDING GOBLIN GRIONS!!!!!!!!1
Romances: Sometimes. Some Munchkins are only in it for the +19 Flails of Acidic Groinshots and the accompanying giblets, but quite a lot of them are truly pathetic and will download the mod for the Viconia-Jaheira-Aerie three-way.
Other Games Played: Diablo II. Often hacked.
The Extreme Munchkin: Has an extensive collection of Japanese-style girlfriend sims.
Blatantly stolen from someone on another board.
I'm an Explorer (exception being I think Final Fantasy sucks fucking balls). Especially in Fallout 1/2 and the Baldur's Gate series.
I'm an explorer when it comes to RPG like BG2 or Neverwinter Nights. I like to explore every location, every house and every corner; talk to every NPC and take every quest I can. I do tend to play warrior characters (physical strength) more. I'd also replay the game with a different character.
Kinda silly to hack characters to the max, sometimes that kinda makes one go in a straight line rather than explore all over just to earn more exp points.
Ravencrow wrote:
Kinda silly to hack characters to the max, sometimes that kinda makes one go in a straight line rather than explore all over just to earn more exp points.
I only hack my characters (in Fallout 1 and 2) after I've played the game through legit at least six times. I then go illegal- you'll never find everything otherwise
However, in Baldur's Gate, I didn't cheat one whit. I carried over that character to BG2.
Im a munchkin, though Im amused by the quote of viconia and jaheria from bg.
I wonder if that actually happens
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irishmick79 wrote:The extreme strategist should be revised to read, "also plays Diplomacy" instead of MoO3.
Some one who playes MoO3 for any length of time(+30 hours) just likes pain.
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Alyrium Denryle wrote:I play mages...so I dont fit any of those.
Actually for mages...I would fit into easily Munchkinism.
I mean you can easily exceed any warriors abilites(usually) using a mage and decimate the world you live in.
Either way I start out Explorer and descend into Munchkin at around 15th play through(though I've only done this with maybe 3...4 games...namely Fallout1/2, BG2).
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Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all
I suppose I'm closest to being an "actor," although when I play RPGs it's mostly because the adventure genre is in the dumps right now and RPGs are the next closest thing, so I tend to try to play them as if they were adventure games. I've never PnP or LARPed, though.
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I tend to play the first 90% percent of an RPG as an explorer. Then I descend into munchkin mode. I usually give Gamefaqs equal time with the game I'm playing.
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The Optimizer
The Optimizer is in it to develope the best possible character/team. He’s the guy that makes Excel tables of the various items, weapons, spells Etc. in the game in effort to discover the PERFECT combination. Will spend hours upon hours polishing of his characters. Hates Muchkins with a rather disturbing fervor.
First 100 characters: Testbeds and prototypes for the PERFECT character. Not really used to play the game, rather the purpose is to study the ingame mechanics.
101th character: Product of thorough research: The PERFECT character.
Combat: When needed to help the charecter get thougher and better. (A lot that is)
Romances: Only if it makes the character thougher.
Other Games Played: All games that allowe you to develope a character or car/ship Etc. FF series and Freelancer.
The Extreme Strategist: Has 99 level characters in FFVII, FFVIII and Diablo II. NEVER cheats.
I'm an Explorer. I do every single quest in Diablo II. Even stupid ones such as the Countess....
Cyaround,
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Alyrium Denryle wrote:I play mages...so I dont fit any of those.
Actually for mages...I would fit into easily Munchkinism.
I mean you can easily exceed any warriors abilites(usually) using a mage and decimate the world you live in.
Either way I start out Explorer and descend into Munchkin at around 15th play through(though I've only done this with maybe 3...4 games...namely Fallout1/2, BG2).
I often do decimate all opponents...And I DO think of holes in the rules to fit my purpose(like taking intensify multiple times, along with improved metamagic....I can get my stats into the tripple digits by level 50)
But i also play my role in the party, and try not to totally surpass them.
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
I know. It is ust fun to think of them as marauding crusaders, usng the expansionist tendancies of religion to justify acts of genocide...this allows a character to play a chaotic evil characer, and still keep a lawful good alignment.
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
Alyrium Denryle wrote:I know. It is ust fun to think of them as marauding crusaders, usng the expansionist tendancies of religion to justify acts of genocide...this allows a character to play a chaotic evil characer, and still keep a lawful good alignment.
I considered such, but it always felt like such a lie... I eventually had my Paladin cast off his church's morals and started Kicking Ass For God.
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Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
Alyrium Denryle wrote:I know. It is ust fun to think of them as marauding crusaders, usng the expansionist tendancies of religion to justify acts of genocide...this allows a character to play a chaotic evil characer, and still keep a lawful good alignment.
I considered such, but it always felt like such a lie... I eventually had my Paladin cast off his church's morals and started Kicking Ass For God.
I refuse to lay them.... Mages and bards forever!
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
Even stupid ones such as the Countess....
