Playing style

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My primary playing style is:

Achiever
68
42%
Explorer
41
25%
Socialiser
23
14%
Killer
29
18%
 
Total votes: 161

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thoran
Wizard
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Location: Planet 3 of Sol system

Playing style

Post by thoran »

The following text is taken from Richard A.Bartle's "Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades:Players who suit MUDs" http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm

Thank you for answering the poll.
- Thoran

To which type you feel you belong the most?



i) Achievement within the game context.

Players give themselves game-related goals, and vigorously set out to achieve them. This usually means accumulating and disposing of large quantities of high-value treasure, or cutting a swathe through hordes of mobiles (ie. monsters built in to the virtual world).

ii) Exploration of the game.

Players try to find out as much as they can about the virtual world. Although initially this means mapping its topology (ie. exploring the MUD's breadth), later it advances to experimentation with its physics (ie. exploring the MUD's depth).

iii) Socialising with others.

Players use the game's communicative facilities, and apply the role-playing that these engender, as a context in which to converse (and otherwise interact) with their fellow players.

iv) Imposition upon others.

Players use the tools provided by the game to cause distress to (or, in rare circumstances, to help) other players. Where permitted, this usually involves acquiring some weapon and applying it enthusiastically to the persona of another player in the game world.

So, labelling the four player types abstracted, we get: achievers, explorers, socialisers and killers. An easy way to remember these is to consider suits in a conventional pack of cards: achievers are Diamonds (they're always seeking treasure); explorers are Spades (they dig around for information); socialisers are Hearts (they empathise with other players); killers are Clubs (they hit people with them).

Naturally, these areas cross over, and players will often drift between all four, depending on their mood or current playing style. However, my experience having observed players in the light of this research suggests that many (if not most) players do have a primary style, and will only switch to other styles as a (deliberate or subconscious) means to advance their main interest.

Looking at each player type in more detail, then:

i) Achievers regard points-gathering and rising in levels as their main goal, and all is ultimately subserviant to this. Exploration is necessary only to find new sources of treasure, or improved ways of wringing points from it. Socialising is a relaxing method of discovering what other players know about the business of accumulating points, that their knowledge can be applied to the task of gaining riches. Killing is only necessary to eliminate rivals or people who get in the way, or to gain vast amounts of points (if points are awarded for killing other players).

Achievers say things like:

"I'm busy."
"Sure, I'll help you. What do I get?"
"So how do YOU kill the dragon, then?"
"Only 4211 points to go!"

ii) Explorers delight in having the game expose its internal machinations to them. They try progressively esoteric actions in wild, out-of-the-way places, looking for interesting features (ie. bugs) and figuring out how things work. Scoring points may be necessary to enter some next phase of exploration, but it's tedious, and anyone with half a brain can do it. Killing is quicker, and might be a constructive exercise in its own right, but it causes too much hassle in the long run if the deceased return to seek retribution. Socialising can be informative as a source of new ideas to try out, but most of what people say is irrelevant or old hat. The real fun comes only from discovery, and making the most complete set of maps in existence.

Explorers say things like:

"Hmm..."
"You mean you don't know the shortest route from <obscure
room 1> to <obscure room 2>?"
"I haven't tried that one, what's it do?"
"Why is it that if you carry the uranium you get radiation
sickness, and if you put it in a bag you still get it, but if
you put it in a bag and drop it then wait 20 seconds and pick it
up again, you don't?"

iii) Socialisers are interested in people, and what they have to say. The game is merely a backdrop, a common ground where things happen to players. Inter-player relationships are important: empathising with people, sympathising, joking, entertaining, listening; even merely observing people play can be rewarding - seeing them grow as individuals, maturing over time. Some exploration may be necessary so as to understand what everyone else is talking about, and points-scoring could be required to gain access to neat communicative spells available only to higher levels (as well as to obtain a certain status in the community). Killing, however, is something only ever to be excused if it's a futile, impulsive act of revenge, perpetrated upon someone who has caused intolerable pain to a dear friend. The only ultimately fulfilling thing is not how to rise levels or kill hapless drips; it's getting to know people, to undertand them, and to form beautiful, lasting relationships.

Socialisers say things like:

"Hi!"
"Yeah, well, I'm having trouble with my boyfriend."
"What happened? I missed it, I was talking."
"Really? Oh no! Gee, that's terrible! Are you sure? Awful, just
awful!"

iv) Killers get their kicks from imposing themselves on others. This may be "nice", ie. busybody do-gooding, but few people practice such an approach because the rewards (a warm, cosy inner glow, apparently) aren't very substantial. Much more commonly, people attack other players with a view to killing off their personae (hence the name for this style of play). The more massive the distress caused, the greater the killer's joy at having caused it. Normal points-scoring is usually required so as to become powerful enough to begin causing havoc in earnest, and exploration of a kind is necessary to discover new and ingenious ways to kill people. Even socialising is sometimes worthwhile beyond taunting a recent victim, for example in finding out someone's playing habits, or discussing tactics with fellow killers. They're all just means to an end, though; only in the knowledge that a real person, somewhere, is very upset by what you've just done, yet can themselves do nothing about it, is there any true adrenalin-shooting, juicy fun.

Killers says things like:

"Ha!"
"Coward!"
"Die!"
"Die! Die! Die!"

(Killers are people of few words).
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artic
Supporting Member 2005
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Location: Tallinn, Estonia

Post by artic »

Ispired by this i must say...
Exploring icesus has been a very nice experience (not exp, really not, exploring gets you killed a lot, so its really bad exp). Sometimes the Npc's are hard to get into a talkative mood, wich makes finding questst really hard, and often you get stuck in _strange_ places that 90% of the people have not yet been to and the other 10% stick to the rule of not telling. but that just makes it challenging (Sometimes i wish that Ereldon was wiser, and would give hints on areas, someting like: 'If you ever run into a glass door, admire its beauty, and then walk away...'). And despite all the downs, the great use of the language and the strickt style of the content make up for all of it.
So looking forward to exploring more of the frozen valley and the life within it...

And what do Killers think of the world in general?

*from a distants you can hear:
'Kill! Blood! MORE...!'
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brich
Posts: 86
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Location: Bacau, Romania

lol

Post by brich »

Interesting poll. Sweet "quotes". Found myself in the first two categories ,or between them... things are grey as in rl ,not black&white indeed. The "killers" are frowned upon here, I hope, no matter their "motivations"
janeti
Supporting Member 2006
Posts: 109
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 03:46 am

Poll

Post by janeti »

Yeah I dithered a long time between the first two. Mainly because there isn't an option for 'Have Fun', although an option for 'Attempt to be different' might have also got my vote.
argu
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Post by argu »

I voted explorer and then i thinked again that i could be achiever and then readed description of achiever and thinked i'm more explorer kind...

My point is:
Bad description for achiever cause i feel like achiever but still i'm ranked as explorer within those limits...
=)
<--- I have no clue what does chitines look like but propably like that 8]
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thoran
Wizard
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2004 18:28 pm
Location: Planet 3 of Sol system

Post by thoran »

If you find time to read the whole paper, it is stated that most mudders belong, or at least act as, all of these groups. The point of these four groups is that almost all players can find one as their "primary" group.

I fall mostly to "explorer" and "socialiser" as I could not care less about exp hoarding or killing other players. I chose to be socialiser after I remembered what was my #1 goal when I was a mortal... to be in "Nicest mortal" voting list. (I failed, probably because I am an asshole.)

I find the explorer in me what ever game I play... I hardly ever "finish" any game... I just keep starting over... thinking "hmm what if I select this combination..."

So, most of you could probably find your primary style as well. You definitely are an explorer, if you keep searching bugs, typoes etc... only get levels so that you could go see new areas, kill more powerful monsters etc. You are an archiever if you only explore to find better ratemonsters... and you often go an check the exp plaque, to see how much you need to raise to next position. I can name few socialisers... who talk on channels, fish, idle etc. I can also name a few killers, even though actual killing cannot be done... they use indimitation, verbal abuse on channels, fake sales etc.
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odovacar
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Location: Tel-Aviv, Israel

Post by odovacar »

I AM A SOCIALISER DAMNIT!!
all who say differently will die, using a bug I found which allows me to gain HUGE amounts of exp!

Cheers
Drunken Odo
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
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odovacar
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Location: Tel-Aviv, Israel

Post by odovacar »

For your self testing pleasure:
http://www.andreasen.org/bartle/

Your type is: SEA. 11% of respondents so far fall into that type.

The numbers below represent percentage of how many times you selected a given suite when given the chance. Since there are 15 questions for each suite out of 30 total, the number will add up to 200%. 50% thus means average for each suite, and 100% is the maximum score.

Your answers were split as follows:
Socializer 73%
Explorer 73%
Achiever 33%
Killer 20%
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
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iluth
Posts: 164
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2004 16:55 pm
Location: Blighty

Post by iluth »

Hooray, i love tests.

Your answers were split as follows:

Explorer 73%
Achiever 60%
Socializer 33%
Killer 33%
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moraq
Posts: 194
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Post by moraq »

Heh, well...

Killer 73%
Achiever 66%
Explorer 33%
Socializer 26%
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jarondar
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2004 07:34 am

Post by jarondar »

Achiever 73%
Explorer 60%
Socializer 40%
Killer 26%
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mandrake
Posts: 61
Joined: Wed May 19, 2004 16:50 pm
Location: Las Vegas, NV

Post by mandrake »

Your answers were split as follows:

Achiever 86%
Socializer 46%
Explorer 40%
Killer 26%

If I played a Mud other then Icesus my answers would have been different, so I guess this is my style here
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sriel
Supporting Member 2016
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 21:34 pm
Location: Espoo, Finland

Post by sriel »

Killer 93%
Socializer 53%
Explorer 46%
Achiever 6%

enuff said.
janeti
Supporting Member 2006
Posts: 109
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2004 03:46 am

Test

Post by janeti »

Your type is: AES. 4% of respondents so far fall into that type.


Achiever 80%
Explorer 66%
Socializer 40%
Killer 13%


4% !!
egnaeve
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 12:42 pm

Post by egnaeve »

Your type is: SEK. 3% of respondents so far fall into that type. 8)

Socializer 73%
Explorer 53%
Killer 46%
Achiever 26%
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