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TheOOB
2012-07-15, 05:52 AM
Out of curiosity, I was wondering what kinds of players we have here at the playground, so I figured I asked. Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering(http://www.sjgames.com/robinslaws/) is a great guide on how to GM. The book separates players into 7 broad types based on what kinds of things they are looking for in their RPGs. Each player, as a general rule, fits into one of these archetypes(along with having elements of others), and it's useful to know the archetype when planning the game.

Anyways, the archetypes are(and keep in mind this is a little simplified:

Power Gamer: These players want to feel strong and superior. They like the feeling of strength and power, and tend to enjoy both exercising their power, and gaining more power.

Butt-Kickers: These players want to fight, and possible kill stuff. Perhaps the simplest archetype.

Tactician: These players want to feel smart. They want to find unique or clever solutions to problems, and tend to not mind if things are a little anti-climatic if they found an ingenious way to solve an encounter.

Method Action: These players want to act. To want to express emotion and drama through their character.

Storytellers: These players want to tell a good story, and like a strong plot with a strong climax.

Specialist: These players want to play a specific type of character, and tend to always play that type of character(be as simple as daring rouge, or as complex as a green haired maiden who can talk to trees and has a limp).

Casual Gamer: These players just want to hand out with friends, and generally don't want to learn a ton of rules, make tough decisions, or have the spotlight on their character.

So anyways, using those broad categories, what kind fits you best, what other types also are part of your play style. Are there any types that don't seem to jive well with your play style.

I'll start:

Primary Type: Tactician
Secondary Type(s): Storyteller, Specialist(Spellcaster and/or social/mental manipulation)
Doesn't Play Well With: Method Actors

Wraith
2012-07-15, 07:24 AM
Primary type: Tactician

(My GM doesn't even bother setting riddles in his games any more; either I know it already, or I *will* find a plausible solution that isn't technically the right answer, 'but'. :smalltongue: )

Secondary type: Story-teller, Specialist

Doesn't play well with: Power Gamer.

(Nothing bitter against them, but I like to be creative and have a plan. 'I kill it in one hit' can make life so dull! :smalltongue: )

Doorhandle
2012-07-15, 07:39 AM
Butt-kicker by default. Default action is "I punch him!"

Secondary: Ethier power-gamer or loony. I do like building characters, even if I'm not great at it, and i would really enjoy doing half the insane stuff on the RPG stories thread.

Does not get along with: method actors. I'm happy for you, and I will let you finish but I'm REALLY bad at role playing. :smallannoyed:

Phoenixguard09
2012-07-15, 07:42 AM
Primary Type: Storyteller

(I don't get to actually play a lot because I'm pretty much always called upon to GM. When I do though, I figure there's no use getting annoyed if the dice prevent me from succeeding so I'd better enjoy the story I'm telling. This position is reinforced by the fact that I consistently roll pathetically.)

Secondary Type(s): Tactician / Casual Gamer

(So I can contribute without having to rely on luck and it's such a rare occurance so I don't want to get hung up on rules and such. I just want to have a bit of fun.)

Doesn't Play Well With: Uh, Butt-kickers I guess. They tend to put me, and the group as a whole in situations we don't really want to get into.

Jay R
2012-07-15, 10:12 AM
Simulationist. My goal is to create and react with a self-consistent world, playing a character who is a part of that world, trying to make his life in it.

Unfortunately for your characterization categories, that's 100% story-teller, 100% method actor, 100% tactician, and 100% power gamer, as well as butt-kicker and specialist when that fits the character.

Incom
2012-07-15, 10:33 AM
Is it good or bad that I can relate to every one of those archetypes?

Dienekes
2012-07-15, 10:37 AM
I have to say when I do play instead of GM I tend toward Tactician, Storyteller, and Specialist. With method actor a step behind.

Tactician: I enjoy planning out fights, and figuring things out so our group wins faster and easier than they normally would.
Storyteller: I GM, a lot. As such I know how much work goes into it. If I respect the GM I will try to make sure my characters actions will not interrupt the story too much.
Specialist: I enjoy non-magical characters, mostly martial but not necessarily. I just like the notion that my characters became bad asses through their own hard work, not because they happened to be born with the ability to cast magic.
Method Actor: Because I enjoy acting, I did it in High School and making a fun, engaging character is most of the fun of the game. However, when my base character gets in the way of the story I tend to let the Storyteller side win, unless the GM is off his rocker.

lady_arrogance
2012-07-15, 10:44 AM
Primary type: Method Action (I love drama, and good session can be one without single die throw.)

Secondary types: Storyteller, Specialist (either young and naive fightertype [often religious], or something rogue-ish with lots of charisma and way to get trouble by talking either too much or to wrong persons.)

Doesn't Play Well With: Butt-kickers (as they want to "kill it" and I'd like to roleplay with it...)

Grail
2012-07-15, 10:51 AM
It all comes down to the character that I'm playing.

However, it would probably always be: Storyteller + Method Action
Secondary: Butt-Kickers (Varysh in my sig), Tactician (Ember in my sig), Specialist (Niassa in my sig).
Doesn't get along with: Power Gamer.... never have, never will.

SowZ
2012-07-15, 11:03 AM
I used to be the loony, but it really depends.

In WoD or more narrative games, I am a storyteller/method actor. I will plan out dramatic sequences sometimes sessions in advance if I know my character is planning something elaborate and will confer with the DM on what works dramatically and I will always talk in character, (no, He says this,) and try and feel his emotions.

But in a group of hack and slashers, I am a tactician/power gamer. My roleplaying is present and I try and have a character but I care most about a really cool build and try and make plans to kill things above my CR and feel accomplished when I do.

Hiro Protagonest
2012-07-15, 01:19 PM
Primary: None
Secondary: Butt-Kicker, Power Gamer, Method Actor (I like to play Solar and Infernal beatsticks with good social skills)
Can't stand: Casual Gamer (look, if you really want to spend time with us, we can play Poker. Or Small World. Or Settlers of Catan. But TTRPGs are something I take very seriously)

Tengu_temp
2012-07-15, 01:44 PM
Primary type: Storyteller
Secondary types: Power Gamer, Method Actor
Doesn't play well with: Butt-Kickers, Casual Gamers

I consider the Specialist my opposite, but I don't mind (too much) when other players do that.

WarKitty
2012-07-15, 02:00 PM
Primary: Tactician
Secondary: Storyteller
Doesn't play well with: Butt-kicker, loony (both of them tend to disrupt tactics, and the loony tends to ruin dramatic moments)

Malimar
2012-07-15, 02:11 PM
Simulationist. My goal is to create and react with a self-consistent world, playing a character who is a part of that world, trying to make his life in it.

Unfortunately for your characterization categories, that's 100% story-teller, 100% method actor, 100% tactician, and 100% power gamer, as well as butt-kicker and specialist when that fits the character.

Subtract the 100% power gamer, and this is just about exactly what I was going to say.

Togath
2012-07-15, 02:29 PM
Primary; Butt-Kicker
secondary: Tactician
Doesn't play well with; Method Actors(I dont enjoy talking to nameless merchant #768, nameless merchant # 769, and nameless merchant # 770 just to get between parts of the town the party grew up in[though that mostly just applies to method actor GMs, though i did once end up in a group with msotly method actors/incorrect rules lawers, though i didn't stay in it for long], I'm also not very good at roleplaying)

Terraoblivion
2012-07-15, 02:46 PM
Primary: Storyteller
Secondary: Method Actor
Doesn't play well with: Tacticians and Casual Gamers. Long planning sessions and obsessive focus on minutiae just get so dull and rarely does much to really help the plot. On the other hand just sitting around to hang out with people tend to lead to rather tepid characters who detract from the story through their simple presence.

gomanfox
2012-07-15, 03:09 PM
Primary: ????
I don't really relate to any of those as a primary. =/ I guess the closest would be Storyteller but I'm usually less interested with being a strong, active part of the story and more interested in watching it develop.

My favorite thing to do in a game is to learn about the world/setting and take as many notes about it as I can. My characters are just the tools I use to do that (which is why many of my characters are knowledge-seekers of some sort).

Secondary: Butt-kicker
I don't like simple "here's a dungeon, kill all the things, get all the loots" games, but I enjoy combat.

Doesn't Play Well With: Casual Gamers
I can appreciate that people want to hang out with their friends and have fun... but when we all put time aside to do a specific thing (play a game) I'd like to stay focused on that instead of getting distracted with whatever is fun. When we have 8-hour game sessions, and I feel only 4 hours was spent in-character, focused on the game, there is a huge problem. >.<

Rodimal
2012-07-15, 03:35 PM
Primary: Storyteller
Secondary: Tactician or Method Actor, it depend on the game
Can't stand to play with:
Butt-Kicker and Casual Gamer. I love the roleplaying aspect of RPGs and can't stand playing with people who treat it like they are playing a damned video game or can't stay on track and in character because they think their ooc stuff is more important than the game. Butt-kicker, If you wanna play a first person shooter or WoW stay the hell home and do so and stop ruining it for everybody else! Casual gamer, if you wanna talk about the latest movie you saw, or what happened to you this week, or just hang out, or whatever, DO IT ANOTHER FRELLING DAY, NOT ON GAME NIGHT!


out

navar100
2012-07-15, 03:38 PM
Primary: Power Gamer

I want my character to be the best he could be. I want him to do cool stuff and have interesting decisions of options.

Secondary: Story Teller

I like to be involved in the gameworld. I want my character's actions to matter. NPCs take notice of him. I play the game to talk as well as fight.

Doesn't Play Well With: Casual Gamer

I like hanging out with my friends, sure, but I want to play the game already with them. I don't mind the occasional joke or anecdote about your day, but I don't want the game put on hold for 15-20 minutes so you can give your real life's story of the day, smoke, or talk about some movie you saw. Lunch time, talk all you want. Game time, let's play.

Eldan
2012-07-15, 03:42 PM
Tactician/Storyteller, and I'm not quite sure which one more. I certainly like a good story. When it comes to battles, I don't like the actual fighting. I like using an ability in a smart way (or what seems smart to me at the time). The motivations for fighting and planning the fight are exciting. The actual hacking and slashing? Bores me.

Slipperychicken
2012-07-15, 03:44 PM
Primary: Tactician

Secondary: Butt-Kicker, with interest in a meaningful story. I roleplay very smart/cautious people and have low Charisma IRL, so this is occasionally mistaken for power-gaming.

Does not Play Well With: Power Gamers (I don't care how OMG RIGGED your character is! Just shut up already!), people who constantly whine about roleplaying (I can appreciate numbers and story at the same time, thank you!), and people who need to loudly recalculate every damn number on their character sheet whenever anything happens (just write it on your sheet!).

Dark Elf Bard
2012-07-15, 03:54 PM
I Am A: Method Actor.

Doesn't Play well with: Tactitians. They're almost like Power Gamers in the optimization sense.

Gorgon_Heap
2012-07-15, 07:44 PM
I think I'm with Terraoblivion.

Storyteller/method actor. I hate letting crunchy details and indifferent players flatten a mood.

Some years ago, while discussing another PC's death in character, I literally brought myself to tears. Yeah. I method.

valadil
2012-07-15, 07:57 PM
Primary - Tactician
Secondary - Storyteller/Method Actor (I'm somewhere in between. I like expressing a character, but only in the context of a story. Taking a break from a story to chat up a barmaid is pointless IMO.)

Doesn't play well with - Butt-kicker, specialist. (I can deal with games that are only about tactical combat, but IMO the difference between the tactical power gamers and the butt kickers, is that the butt kickers are only interested in winning a fight. They have no interest in a difficult fight or a situation they don't know how to deal with. I'm bothered by specialists for the same reason. Both groups just want to do the same thing over and over, whereas I want to solve new problems.)

Averis Vol
2012-07-15, 10:52 PM
Primary Type: Power gamer. I don't want to just describe my character being one of the worlds greatest warrior, commander of the Warriors of Dawnhall and a ruthless diplomat. I want to actually be able to do those things. D&D is two parts character stats, one part role playing and one part each of the above mentioned types. It is a game for those who can both build characters and have them actually do the things they say they can do.

You want to be a world class archer who can pick off a copper coin at 150 yards. sure you can describe how your eyes narrow as you draw your bow, how you take in your breath in the same fluid motion you draw the bow string to your ear and how the world slows as you measure time by the beat of your heart and you let that arrow fly. But if you cant hit that diminutive AC with 5 range penalties you really arent a good archer, your some guy who could probably write a book. So your ranger may be able to look dramatic, but my Paladin\cleric\ordained champion\shiba protector will be the one who actually hits the mark. And hard.

Secondary: Tactician,Storyteller,butt-kicker. I know a few of the fundamental truths of dnd. you need to be prepared, like the real world dnd can be unforgiving with dragons and mages flying around. You need to be able to defend yourself, yes, that guy is probably out to get you if the DM took the time to describe him in full. And you wouldn't legitimately survive as an adventurer without at least a 14 con score. period. I like to play cunning characters because it helps me avoid re rolling, and I like being able to stomp the guy who insulted me into the ground like he were no more then a fly is to an open fire, and lastly I want my character to be remembered as the hero\villain he is amongst the collective annals of time.

Doesn't play well with: Method actors, casual gamers, occasionally story tellers. I play with one guy who thinks hes the king of all roleplayers and will avidly try to describe a diplomacy attempt and expect his character to get away with anything without rolling. He, for lack of kinder words is a pain in my ass; he also constantly flakes and likes to distract from the game. we hang out for generally the whole weekend after we play, if you want to show us the latest cat video (which is admittedly D'awww worthy) you can do so in the next 56 hours when we aren't trying to stop this lich from destroying the kingdom.

My philosophy boils down to you better be able to back up everything you say your character can do. I'm a relaxed DM but I wont let you weasel out of a check no matter how hard you try, or if you knock up the barmaid, expect papa barkeep to come knockin' on your door with his great club. Also, as a PC, just because I can carry your dead weight if i waste all my resources, Doesn't man i should have to. the games a team effort.

Tvtyrant
2012-07-15, 11:26 PM
Hmmm, I would say that I fall most deeply into the Power Gamer and Storyteller areas, with Method Actor as the third. I like to fiddle with the rules and make mechanically strong or interesting characters, but I'm primarily playing the game to roleplay that character. If there is anything that irks me in a game, it is the people who play flat characters who act as mechanical means to a mechanical end.

Wyntonian
2012-07-15, 11:27 PM
Primarily: Storyteller, all day erry day. It's in my blood, and as fun as writing alone is, when compared to telling a story alongside others it's like.... Well, I'm sure my fellow storytellers can think of a metaphor, as my best one isn't forum-safe.

Secondary: Power-gamer. I find character creation, both the mechanical and fluff sides, to be a game of themselves, and I love book-diving and comparing ideas with friends on the forums and elsewhere. I also enjoy having a character that can mechanically fit the fluff I've spun for him or her.

Tertiary: Casual Gamer. I know, that totally goes against what I just said, but there's an explanation. I am pretty loose about refluffing and such, like making a frenzied berserker being a focused martial artist who loses themselves in zen badassery.

I follow the "If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?" school of refluffing. That is, if the change doesn't actually make an mechanical impact, even if it could hypothetically, it doesn't matter. When I compare this to some other people's views, I seem to be in the minority.

talonhawk01
2012-07-15, 11:37 PM
Primary: Power Gamer
I have a tendency to make characters that overshadow the rest of the party.

Secondary: Butt-Kicker, Specialist
And they tend to so by killing anything in the area and having tricks to get around anything that causes problems.

Doesn't play well with: None
I actually really enjoy playing with people who have different styles. Some of it rubs off and encourages me to try to roleplay more or help move the story along and make it interesting (which I'm learning that it sometimes means not using my stupid tricks to get around a central obstacle).

If I had to pick, it would be Power Gamer or Casual Gamer. Power gamer is hypocritical, but I don't want to compete for the 'omg, most broken character' spot. Casual gamers can get under my skin, but it's usually when they don't bother to learn the what the different dice are after playing for over a year and use the excuse 'we switched from 4th edition to 3.5 edition and then to Pathfinder' for not knowing the dice. -facepalm-

Zazax
2012-07-15, 11:51 PM
Primary type: Storyteller. Oh so much. I sometimes annoy my DM by consistently creating multi-page backstories for my characters, especially when compared to the couple of lines most of the other players do.

Secondary types: Tactician, and I have very recently (my most recent campaign) started picking up and enjoying Method Action.

I play nice with most of the types listed there (although Butt-Kickers, if they are extremely gung-ho, irk me somewhat), although I imagine Casual players might find me irritating since I sometimes try to get them more involved than they usually are (I have two such players in my group. One is now showing signs of Storyteller and Specialist, and the other remains a Casual. He's the one I imagine finds me sometimes irritating).

Maxios
2012-07-16, 12:54 AM
I'm the guy who makes people laugh, and comes up with kick-ass battle plans.

Primary type: Tactician
Secondary type: Storyteller
Doesn't play well with: jerks

GreenZ
2012-07-16, 01:36 AM
I generally enjoy two things when playing, unique or interesting characters and unique or interesting gameplay/story. My characters tend to be fairly strange both concept and mechanically; A Baster Bard, Time Oracle who worships his future self as a deity, and a Gnome Cleric of Torag who idolizes Dwarves. Even my 'tamer' characters tend to be strange like an Inquisitor Pirate of Cayden Cailean or an 'Aid Another' based Cavalier.

So... I can't say any fit me perfectly, but likely somewhere right between Tactician and Storyteller.

Maybe secondary: Method Action and Specialist (Interesting Concepts)?

and Doesn't play well with: Actual Specialists??? IDK.

Vitruviansquid
2012-07-16, 01:50 AM
I'm a Butt-kicker through and through.

Of course, there's the caveat that the fighting mechanics in the game have to be fun, but my stance is, if a game like DnD is going to have the vast majority of its mechanics deal with tactical combat, then by God, I'm gonna have some tactical combat when I play.

MachineWraith
2012-07-16, 02:04 AM
Primary: Powergamer
I'm with Averis Vol (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13561599&postcount=25) here, I want my character to be good at what he does, and to have a variety of possible options in any given situation. I don't have to be the most powerful character, and I don't have to be great at everything, but I want to be the best at whatever I decide my character's role in the party is, be that combat monster, party face, or supporting caster.

Secondary: Tactician, with a healthy dose of storyteller
I greatly enjoy the tactics behind combat in TTRPGs, and will play my character as intelligently as I can. If somebody asks me for tactical advice (or is about to try something that will most likely result in a TPK) I'm happy to give it, but I don't try to take over somebody else's character.

I greatly enjoy a good story, and I do my best to stay in character and contribute. After all, why bother applying my tactical nuke of a character if I don't have the proper motivation? :smallwink:

Logic
2012-07-17, 04:42 PM
Primary Type: Tactician
Secondary: Storyteller
Tertiary: Method Actor
Doesn't play well with: Powergamer/Specialist hybrids: AKA Every character this player plays is identical.

Hyena
2012-07-17, 05:26 PM
And here I go.

Primary Type: Specialist
I usually (but not always) play strongly good aligned characters, even if I play dread necromancer, I simply must make him at least chaotic good. They are have strong opinion about what they will never do and, unfortunately, they simply must enforce the party to do their bidding.
Secondary Type(s): Power gamer. I must admit - I have more than one annoying habit. I love playing powerful characters. No-no, I LOVE playing powerful characters! I tend to always optimizate my character to possible (with my poor optimization skill) max and seek for every single unbalanced feat that will help me. Playing paladin or monk? Nah, they simply can't keep up to my expectations. Lawful good crusader and unarmed swordsage are absolutely okay.
Doesn't Play Well With: Loonies. Okay, I must admit - I'm an imperfect role player. Sometimes my character can act outright OOC because I want him/her to do so (usually kind-hearted character suddenly reaches blackguard level of hate, just because one of the players annoys me? Not a big deal), but I believe absolutely hatred of loonies is forgivable. I simply can't put up with them, especially if they play specific small-sized races like kenders in the Dragonlance or gnomes of World of Warcraft - some players just don't understand that dramatic moment of NPC's death is NOT an appropriate moment for cracking jokes.

Brennan1214
2012-07-17, 06:33 PM
Primary: Tactician. I have derailed entire plot lines with carefully planned operations, and in several conversations lied without bluff checks via careful wording.

Secondary: In-universe powergamer. By which I mean stuff like getting loot and taking over organizations, rather than optimizing.

Doesn't play well with: Storytellers. I have a tendency to derail plots, and storytellers cramp my style.

Sneaky Weasel
2012-07-18, 04:36 PM
Primary: Storyteller. To me, D&D is a shared story, and that story should be as awesome and interesting as possible. Whatever method works to achieve this, is the method I use.

Secondary: Method Actor, and But Kicker. I like acting, and all my characters have in-depth personalities and inner conflicts and such. Or at least they have a reason for everything they do. Plus, I like roleplaying and acting in character. Too bad that most of the group I play with are casual gamers and not into RPing.:smallfrown:
Also, I do like being powerful and beating things up. If it fits with the story and the character, than there are few things I like better than a big fight where I can use all my abilities to full advantage. I guess I'm a bit of a Tactician in this way, as well.

Doesn't Play Well With: Power Gamers, Loonies. Power Gaming is all well and fine, but it can be, and usually is, taken too far. If the DM has to work hard and change his original plans because the players prove too powerful, then you're not being a very nice player. Plus, frequently power gamers are too focused on their own coolness to really contribute much to the game. But, if they don't take it too far, I'm willing to work with them.
And loonies just ruin everything. If the game is supposed to be a parody or a humorous campaign, then I'm fine with loonies. I'll even act like one myself. But if the campaign is supposed to be serious or grim, and the loony still cracks jokes and makes things less epic, then my tolerance for them wanes. Your character should fit the mood of the campaign, whatever it is. If not, you're probably doing something wrong.

Of course, I'm usually the DM, so that colours my opinions somewhat.

DeIdeal
2012-07-18, 05:09 PM
Honestly? I don't know. I've been trying to determine my player profile for ages, reading GM guides for two games just for this purpose. I find it very hard to accurately figure out my own playstyle.

It's easier to tell what I'm not: A butt-kicker, a power gamer or a (battle) tactician. I suck at making decisions in combat, I find it incredibly hard to learn cover rules and such by heart, mostly because I find them very dull and overly specific. I also suck at character building. I like my character concepts, but I never bother to read through large portions of books (or even worse, entire books, as in the case of the Adventure Vaults) when trying to pick my powers and equipment. I don't necessarily dislike combat, I'm just bad at it and don't find it butt-kicker exciting.

I like to think that method actor fits me the most, but I rarely get the chance to actually express stuff like that. Which is probably for the best :smallbiggrin:

I think I might also have a tactician side when it comes to situations that aren't combat-related.

LikeAD6
2012-07-19, 02:32 PM
Primary: Powergamer and Presentation Actor. I try to make fairly optimised builds while avoiding cheese. Though I am a powergamer, I roleplay and stay in character, but I am definitely a presentation actor rather than a method actor.

Secondary: Tactician and Storyteller. I like making plans for scenarios and seeing how they play out, and I always enjoy a fun storyline.

Doesn't Play Well With: Casual Gamer. Get into the game, guys!

Tyndmyr
2012-07-19, 02:42 PM
Power Gamer: These players want to feel strong and superior. They like the feeling of strength and power, and tend to enjoy both exercising their power, and gaining more power.

Butt-Kickers: These players want to fight, and possible kill stuff. Perhaps the simplest archetype.

Tactician: These players want to feel smart. They want to find unique or clever solutions to problems, and tend to not mind if things are a little anti-climatic if they found an ingenious way to solve an encounter.

Method Action: These players want to act. To want to express emotion and drama through their character.

Storytellers: These players want to tell a good story, and like a strong plot with a strong climax.

Specialist: These players want to play a specific type of character, and tend to always play that type of character(be as simple as daring rouge, or as complex as a green haired maiden who can talk to trees and has a limp).

Casual Gamer: These players just want to hand out with friends, and generally don't want to learn a ton of rules, make tough decisions, or have the spotlight on their character.


Can I just answer yes?

I like all those things.

The_Jackal
2012-07-19, 02:44 PM
Power gamer, and thoroughly unapologetic about it. Make no mistake, I like to roleplay, but the G in RPG stands for 'Game', not 'Grandstanding'.

Raimun
2012-07-20, 11:58 PM
Primary: Tactician/Butt-kicker. I really enjoy a good fight. Since RPGs stand for rocket propelled grenades are usually first and foremost combat systems and most GMs use fights as culmination points, why not try to take the most out of them?

Of course, not just any fight will do. First of all, I need to know why we are fighting. Context is important. I don't just randomly attack things.
Second, the fighting has to be varied. I really like tactics, having multiple options and choosing the best one(s) for the situation. Sometimes I just go along with my impulses to make the fight more interesting. You don't remember your flawless victories but you do remember your bloody victories.
Third, I have to do well. You can't enjoy a fight that much if you are only getting your head smashed in, can't you? That requires a bit of optimization.

Secondary: Casual Gamer (it's a social thing, otherwise, doesn't apply) Storyteller (context!), with a bit of Loony thrown in.

Doesn't play well with other: GMs who don't have a fight for the session? Seriously, though, I don't have a problem with other playstyles, unless one is given too much focus.

AgentofHellfire
2012-07-21, 10:12 AM
Primary: Method Actor.

I put way, way more effort into each character I design than anyone else at the table. Some might say too much...

Secondary: Tactician, Butt-kicker. Way more "tactician" than "Butt-kicker", but two were asked for, so...

I love to just plain old kill stuff in the Butt-kicker fashion, but in my more recent years of gaming I've had an actual opportunity to play alongside people who are good at the game. This has given me a far greater appreciation for planning and creative screwing around than I once had, and it's awesome. At the same time, however, visceral thrills are nice.

Doesn't play well with: Casual Gamer.

I have spent so much time of late having to deal with other players deciding "hey, let's derail the entire game with something stupid" that I really, really have lost all future patience as well.

QuidEst
2012-07-21, 03:43 PM
Primary: Storyteller.
This is partially the unholy mixture of Tactician and Method Actor. I want to show off with clever, interesting characters who have spiffy backgrounds.

Secondary:
•Tactician- I love clever solutions. Not the complex ones, but something that has a nice little twist to it.
•Method Actor- My characters usually have enough personality to get a say in what they do. I don't care how they feel, just how they think and interact.
•Finally, I have a little min/maxer who lives inside of me and tells argues with the Method Actor, trying to get concessions for a stronger character. I try not to power game (especially at the cost of the character), but I feel bad if my character can't contribute well.

Don't play well with: I don't know yet… I do get a little irked with people min/max, but do it poorly. (Either breaking rules without permission to do it, abusing permission granted, or making a one-shottable character who squashes cities.)

MurphysLaw159
2012-07-21, 06:14 PM
Primary:
-Storyteller (My back ground stories have a bunch of "Screw me with this" Neon signs pasted in it and at least one carot that the GM can put on a stick and lead my character anywhere with, even off a cliff. I always want there to be a good answer to the question "Why" when it comes to actions a PC or major NPC does and I firmly believe that the Smart decision is not always the right Character decision)

Secondary:
-Tactician (With the right tools I can solve most any situation, and you would be surprised at just how cheep and variable those tools can be. Also, my GMs have given up on giving me home made puzzles :smallbiggrin: )

-Powergamer (I know how to break a system, I just choose not to [its not as fun as it once was] with the exeption of when I really need my character to be able to do something well for the concept to work)

-Specialist (Spec-Ops. If it requires anything from theft to espionage to wetwork, my characters tend to be your guy. Goes hand in hand with my Tactician side. That being said, this is only my majority of characters, I still love playing other types. Sometimes there's nothing like the feeling of hitting something with your axe)

Doesn't Play Well With:
-Casual Gamers (I don't mind people hanging out with the game group. Hell, I have one group that has a dedicated audiance member who just watches and throws in the occasional hilarious comment and we all love having him there. It's when someone makes a character, doesn't get involved, gets bored and then does something massivly derailling and destructively stupid in-game for no good reason that the Storyteller in me wants to strangle him)

-Powergamers/Butt Kickers (Specifically the ones that dont even TRY to explain why thier character want's to be so powerful or blood thirsty. I understand some people think "role playing GAME" while others thing "ROLE PLAYING game" and there's even people that think "ROLE PLAYING GAME" or "role playing game" and i'm perfectly happy playing with all of them. I'm even fine with some players that just think "ROLE PLAYING ----". But if all a player thinks is "---- ------- GAME", then the best group for them is one comprised of players that think about the same, because anyone that wants to role play in that group will either feel neglected, ostricized, or frustrated. To be clear, I have no problem with this style of game play or the people who enjoy it, it's just not for me.)

joe
2012-07-22, 04:33 AM
Primary: Method Actor. In my current game group we don't have a whole lot of role-playing, which is tragic, because when I get the chance, I like to go all out with it. I love coming up with character concepts and playing them through. Though it makes me particularly upset when I come up with a character I love, and they end up in a campaign run by an awful DM. that tends to make me feel like the character was wasted when they could've been in a game that was more worthwhile.

Secondary: Power Gamer. Following my character concept, I play to amp up that concept as far as it can. I'll unashamedly look into every ability that would make the character great while still staying in character. If i'm playing a Paladin and there is some high-powered Holy Execution spell, you better bet I'm going for it. To temper my Powergaming, I won't go for an ability if it completely opposes my concept, but I'm not ashamed to say I play for power. There are two sides to the game and I go for 100% in both of them.

Doesn't Play Well With: Specialists. This is a bit subjective, but there is nothing that makes me more annoyed when a player makes a character that is not part of the intended campaign. If the DM says we're doing a pirate campaign, then I expect everyone to make pirate characters. There is nothing that annoys me more than when I'm in a campaign based in Nordic Mythology, and someone insists on playing a ninja. On the flip-side of this, I've had DMs that will decide on a theme of a campaign after a few session that my character doesn't fit into. I tend to make it a point to ask if there is a character archetype the DM would prefer for the campaign before I make a character.

NichG
2012-07-22, 08:37 AM
I'd say my primary archetypes isn't on that list: Explorer.

Explorer: I like to discover things in the game, be it the plans of the villains or whats up with that well behind the village that glows blue every seventeen days. Games I like have a lot of unknowns at start, that are revealed based on player interaction (as opposed to something where everything that will be in the game is already in the books). I'm happy for this to be details, items/spells, creatures, even entirely new rule systems.

My secondary would be Tactician with a puzzle/mystery bent.

Tactician (Puzzle Solver): I like to work out mysteries, puzzles, and the like. This doesn't have to be a literal puzzle (and in fact that can be worse), but it could be things like 'how can we defeat someone who returns any harm done to them to the attacker, and has far more durability than all of us combined?' or 'Why have all of us specifically been having the same dream?'.

I don't get along with Butt-Kickers. They tend to destroy the scenery I'm trying to examine before I get a chance to do anything.

nedz
2012-07-22, 05:55 PM
I mainly DM, but my own play style is

Primary: Tactician / the Method
Secondary: Specialist (I tend to end up playing Illusionists, or Rangers)
Doesn't play well with: Storytellers - I end up calling them Railroaders, but they can see me as a Powergamer (which I'm not) especially if I'm playing an arcanist (who IC are power-seeking by their nature).

I've seen plenty of Power Gamers, Butt-Kickers and Casuals whom I simply find to be limited.

Manly Man
2012-07-22, 10:03 PM
I'm a strange blend of a Storyteller, a Power-Gamer, a Method Player, and a Tactical Player. I've been raised on D&D, and so I learned to balance the few. Most prominently is a mix of Method Player and Storyteller, although I have my moments with being the best at what I do, along with the fact that having roots in AD&D made me learn to be very, very careful.

I don't work well with folks who are more strictly one sort of player, since their repetitiveness gets very annoying. The only thing I really will not tolerate, regardless of whether I'm a player or DM, is outright metagaming. It's unfair, a killjoy, and it really just makes you look like an asshat.

Spider_Jerusalem
2012-07-23, 07:23 PM
Primary Type: Storyteller
(I've been DMing for quite a few years, and I think I DMed way more than I played in other people's games. I think this influenced my playstyle a lot and made me want to create interesting characters to add to the story. I usually care more about enhancing the story than creating powerful builds and playing them. Of course, one thing doesn't necessarily eliminates the other.)

Secondary Type(s): Tactician, Method Actor
(I'm a "simulationist", I guess, whatever that means. But, you know, I feel I should put all the other types somewhere, because I actually like building interesting builds, playing them in combat and I think part of gaming is great because I'm hanging out with friends. Anyway, I think it's a matter of priorities, maybe everyone has something of each kind.)

Doesn't Play Well With: I don't think I have problems with any of the categories in the original post. I have some trouble playing with metagamers, game-breakers and people who completely ignore the story, acting as if it was some kind of videogame. These people can be in any of the categories established here, actually.

Zelphas
2012-08-14, 10:22 PM
Main Type: Storyteller. This is a recent change; I've basically begun running what I hope will become a huge campaign, and it's put me in a storytelling mood.

Secondary Types: Tactician, Casual Gamer. Tactician is my usual mode of working, but I'm beginning to see the appeal of a character I don't have to think about, just play.

Does't play well with: Power Gamers. To me, it's extremely difficult to create (or experience) an immersive, well-built game world when there's someone trying to find a way to "win" it.

Remmirath
2012-08-14, 11:19 PM
I can't really pick a single category. Several of them are very important to me, and at least two equally so.

I've been playing D&D for as long as I've been acting, and at this point, that's a reasonably large amount of time for both. I will always be acting my characters to the best of my ability, and as such that would be the Actor (not Method; I've never been much for method acting). I care perhaps the most about the storyline and the overall plot, as well as where my character fits into that the world; that would be the Storyteller. I've always had some hints of the Tactician, having started with AD&D and having learned rather quickly that caution in battle (and sometimes out of battle) was often advised, but it's only been in the last few years or so that I've really come to enjoy tactics - but at this point, I certainly do. The Power Gamer also fits because I do enjoy having powerful characters and gaining more power in the game, although I do try to build my characters to fit the power level I believe they should have (so, I do not build all of them to the best of my ability).

I don't believe there's ever a time when I only do one or even just one or two of those things (although if my character is not tactical, I will regretfully abandon the tactician aspect for that game).

As for who I don't work well with, excessively casual gamers tend to get on my nerves the most, since I begin to wonder why they didn't just do something else or play a different game - one where it isn't so annoying if they stop to talk about other things all the time. The other categories can all bother me in excess or taken to extremes, but most of the time I'm fine with them. My other main annoyance is people who don't know how to (or choose not to) seperate player knowledge and character knowledge, and I'm not sure which if any of these categories that would be.

Kitten Champion
2012-08-15, 12:16 AM
I'm primarily a story-teller, I method act when appropriate.

I don't like playing with power gamers, or anyone who forgets it's a collaborative story-telling experience and not their personal ego-trip.

Lord Raziere
2012-08-15, 12:27 AM
Probably Storyteller/Method Action. but I do have some tendencies of specialist and tactician….

rorikdude12
2012-08-15, 09:17 PM
Primary: Storyteller
Secondary: Butt-Kicker, Method Actor
Can't stand: Casual Gamer