[Any] Finish this sentence: "I play RPGs to..."

[AvatarZero]

Why do you play RPGs? What's fun for you?

Ideally, I'd like it if people used the same format for their answers and used separate sentences for separate points, but if that guideline doesn't work for what you're trying to express, chuck it and use as many paragraphs as you need to get your point across.

Might as well get the ball rolling:

I play RPGs to put myself in the shoes of cool characters.

I play RPGs to make clever decisions that change the course of the game.

[Lhurgyof]

I play RPGs to be someone different.
I play RPGs to have fun. :)

[JonestheSpy]

Tell stories with friends.

[Mongoose87]

...experience things that will never happen to me IRL.

[Psyx]

...have fun with friends.

...solve abstract and unusual problems.

[arguskos]

...create and explore.

...have a good time.

...escape reality.

[arrowhen]

I play RPGs to create and explore new worlds and bring to life the stories of their inhabitants. And kick a little monster ass along the way.

[Private-Prinny]

have fun. Really, is it even necessary to have a reason for doing what you love?

[Skeletor]

to lawfully indulge my sheep fantasies

[Bagelz]

I play RPGs to ... stay out of trouble. You know what they say about idle hands.
I play RPGs to fill my quota of social interactions.

[Munchkin-Masher]

... to murder, loot and pilage without criminal charges.

[Seatbelt]

I play RPGs because of the story and combat mechanics. I really like combat. Each one is like a puzzle and the solution is winning. But I don't like "skirmish mode" in general. I prefer my combat to be story driven and purposeful. So.. RPGs.

[Satyr]

... to tell and participate in an interesting story, play in an interesting environment, with interesting people while we all personify interesting alter egos. And kick some fictional ass.

[AvatarZero]

have fun. Really, is it even necessary to have a reason for doing what you love?

Fun is it's own reason, but if you can articulate what specifically you find fun then it's easier for other people to either bring the fun or help you find the fun. So what's fun for you? If I were your DM, what would you be expecting me to bring to the table for you? Last time you had a really fun time at the table, what happened?

[Karoht]

...to be awesome in a way that you can't quite be in real life.

...to have some awesome stories to tell, that only me and my friends will ever truly appreciate.
Me: Hey you, Amscray
Gabe: *points gun at guy* Thats pig latin, for pick up your pants, and amscray.
Me: *Facepalm*

...to experience ficticious cultures, ficticious places, solve bizzarre puzzles, all from the point of view of a super-powered surrogate.

...to test ideas of morality in a harmless ficticious setting. I've had friends eat babies, I've had friends take bullets for me. Neither of these things would my friends actually do in real life, or so I am lead to believe.

...because magic is cool.

...because swordfighting and martial arts are cool.

...because guns are cool.

...because vampires and werewolves used to be cool. <---Whitewolf reference

...because Juicers are awesome! <---Rifts reference

[Erts]

As a de-motivational poster once said:

"Because at the end of the day, we'd rather play with our friends then against them."

That is partially true for me.
Also, the fact that you aren't limited to anything really. You can do what you want to do, only limited by your creativity and the DM.

[Coplantor]

...hang out with my friends

[Tyger]

... to walk through the cosmos, reveling in my power to shape reality to suit my whims. To experience all the joys and suffering known to humanity, yet remain whole and undamaged. To see the world from another's perspective, if only for a time. To be a beggar, a god, a child, a slave, a madman, a whore, a poet, a priest... to be all of these, and none. To share my joy and my pain with my closest friends, and to help them bear theirs.

And to have fun. Maybe with a beer.

[Coplantor]

Maybe his thread should be moved to the SMBG forums?

[ZeltArruin]

...to explore a world I have never seen before. (the wanderlust is strong in me)
...to tell or be a part of a good story, it doesn't have to be epic and far reaching, it just has to draw you in and make you care about those numbers that represent your character.
...to be people that I can't be in real life. I will never be a centuries old elf travelling through time and being fired out of giant mannons (short for man-cannon) with my tiny koblod familiar aptly named 'Bitey'.
...to have fun with my friends and solve problems with them.
...to use my imagination and my impromptu story-telling abilities.

just to name a few...man I want to play some osric, adnd 2e, wfrp 2e, or pathfinder right about now.

[Karoht]

...because in real life I can't "spend my reward money on ale and whores"<---PVP (webcomic) reference.

[subject42]

... join forces with my other friends to bemuse and horrify our DM.

What? It's a valid answer.

[potatocubed]

I play RPGs because I have 'GAMER' written in big black letters across my soul, and not playing them is unthinkable.

[kjones]

... get the chicks.

[AvatarZero]

Maybe his thread should be moved to the SMBG forums?

I'd rather it wasn't. I'm hoping for earnest, serious answers (about fun). I'm also looking for patterns.

Escapism is a pattern, so is spending time with friends. Escapism on it's own isn't a social pastime, so maybe one of the things that makes RPGs fun is that you can share your escapism with others. Sometimes that's an equal, passive relationship (just spending time with friends), sometimes it's a giving and receiving thing (creating a world and experiencing a world seem to be a pair), and sometimes it's about forcing yourself on other people (powergaming, railroading, trying to beat your DM while he tries to beat you) although the playgrounders seem too nice to be overly concerned about that one.

I hope people keep answering. (brandishes notepad)

[the humanity]

... get the chicks.

this.

though pretending I'm a weirdo who keeps turning into a gnome and killing dragons by saying 'no' is also fun.

[valadil]

Satisfy all my creative outlets at the same time.

- edit -

Well, except music. GMs tend to object to a guitar at the table.

And coding. Character optimization is not Turing complete. Although I do quite a bit of coding to help prep for game, so it tangentially fills that need.

[Karoht]

... join forces with my other friends to bemuse and horrify our DM.

What? It's a valid answer.

It's THE valid answer.

[Kiroth6]

It's THE valid answer.

Fellow players and DM, but otherwise seconded.
Also, because its a great stress outlet.

[subject42]

Well, except music. GMs tend to object to a guitar at the table.

And coding. Character optimization is not Turing complete. Although I do quite a bit of coding to help prep for game, so it tangentially fills that need.

A) Play a bard and deliver all of your lines in song. Shift to minor key when you think you've met the bad guy.

B) There's a thread on here about Turing-complete spellcasting. Look it up.