What are your player traits and incentives? (from DMG II)

[Thanee]

Puzzle Solving, Favorite Role(s) and Story.

I'm missing character development (not in the PG sense), but I suppose this falls under story.

Bye
Thanee

 

[sniffles]

I'm torn between Story and Favorite Role (with maybe just a smidge of Accumulating Cool Powers). I hate puzzles, I don't like outliers or lurkers much, and psychodrama makes me tired.

 

[Nightfall]

*has 0 planning skills* Just ask my friends.

 

[Darkness]

For the record, my "Robin's Laws of good GM'ing" type is Tactician/Method Actor. (That's right - if it has a well-structured, predefined plot, I'm not interested. Then again, I'm rarely interested in being a player in any case, so...)

As for these...

Accumulating Cool Powers -- appeals to one of the most reliable human motivators: ambition; "power-gamers".

Kinda, yes, but mostly as a means to an end. 7/10

Kicking Butt -- the simplest, most primal fantasy of vented frustration: laying a thrashing on a horde of deserving bad guys.

Sort of, but I'm often flexible with who's "deserving." Also, it's very often a means to an important end. 7/10

Brilliant Planning -- hope to be rewarded for clever, careful play, in which the group gains maximum advantage while exposing itself to minimum risk; [often] historical or military buffs.

Guilty as charged - I thrive on anticlimax and "1337 skillz." If I ever find myself in a fair fight, I likely either screwed up or did it because it simply felt like the "right thing to do" for my character. 10/10

Puzzle Solving -- not only the opportunity to demonstrate one's cleverness, but also our deeply rooted impulse to make patterns out of apparent randomness. ["Puzzles" also encompass mystery stories, here.]

Puzzles - thanks, but no, thanks. Cleverness - yep. Mysteries - eh, why not. 6/10

Playing a Favorite Role -- many players like to play the same type of character over and over.

I don't, all that much, but I tend toward certain, very broad concepts. 6/10

Supercoolness -- the fantasy of being icy cool and in command [like James Bond].

Better than the opposite, at least. 7/10

Story -- the game is like a movie or television show, but one in which they're taking part in the story.

Ideally yes, but other concerns are more important to me. Still, I make my own story, so... 8/10

Psychodrama -- want to explore the psychology of their characters from the inside out.

Though I (if necessary and sometimes even if not) completely subordinate my concept at chargen to party needs, I make sure to get maximum mileage out of the end result. 10/10

Irresponsibility -- fantasize about being able to flout authority and live by their own rules.

If necessary, sure, and also for some types of campaigns, but in general I prefer to further a worthy cause and live by the rules of that group (though the ends justify quite a few dodgy means for many of my characters), rather than answering to no-one. 6/10

Setting Exploration -- linger in fascination over large-scale maps; chomp at the bit to head off to the far corners of the world.

To me, that's a bonus, but hardly a priority - at all. 3/10

The Outlier -- get their charge by subverting [the typical PC group] dynamic; revel in being different; love to play oddballs.

Sometimes, but most of my characters are team players (and indeed, team leaders - at least de facto, even if not in name). 3/10


So... That's Brilliant Planning, Story, and Psychodrama, then?

 

[Joshua Randall]

I thought it would be interesting to see how things stand as of today, when there are 127 votes. Which is a decent number.

Story is in the lead with nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents choosing it as one of their player traits. However, over half (55%) like Kicking Butt, while just about half like Accumulating Cool Powers (50%) and Brilliant Planning (47%).

So, if you want to make an adventure that appeals to half or more of EN World respondents, it needs a good story with plenty of brilliantly planned butt-kicking that allows the players to accumulate cool powers.


Feel free to vote if you didn't already.

 

[Nyaricus]

hey, great thread BTW - I have the DMG II and it is helping me with a great many things.

Accumulating Cool Powers - the powers are always neat to have; i personally like playing a warrior-type, so i focus on feats which can maximize what i want to do - from a dude with a huge mattock to a TWF, i have many different favourites

Kicking Butt - this is kinda moot for me; i think there needs to be more purpose then "i smash in the door and chrage at the goblin" this ranks very low for me.

Brilliant Planning - planning is good - but not going for 2 hours over a minute detail of how to assault a dragon for a battle which lasts two rounds (as a previous poster said they'd do). My style is more being prepared for the unexpected - like having a set of armour for sleeping in and a dagger under my pillow. Stuff like that

Puzzle Solving - another moot point. Puzzels don't really appeal to me in a game. I am quite adept at them IRL, but i can do them IRL - i come to D&D to GM and play a game. Not to do crosswords

Playing a Favorite Role - probably the biggest one here - i like player a big, hearty fighter with a few variantions depending on campaign. If i ever played in Ebberon, I'd go with a Warforged; generally i am all for a dwarven or human fighter with a neat weapon and good CHA and WIS to allow me to really RP him

Supercoolness - don't get me wrong - I love James Bond in all his ways, but i wouldn't want to RP someone like that.

Story - another big one - 2nd to Favourite Role. I love immersing myself in a great tale and getting into a great game with originality and such.

Psychodrama - moot point, for a third. I like charatcer development, not character fixiation. That just about explains my opinion here

Irresponsibility - I am a responsible guy - i play to chill and let off steam in a fun way - not to try and be "MR/ Big and Important" Yeah, that's right, moot is in for a fourth

Setting Exploration - here we go! another high spot. I love going around and checking out this set of ruins here, blah blahy blah. Lotsa fun

The Outlier - i am an active member of the group - so this doesn't apply

Lurker - I am there becasue my friends are, but i actively participate.



So, there's a bit of an overveiw of my opinions on this. Great thread idea (!!!) btw

 

[Terwox]

I think I'm far more interested in what DOESN'T motivate me... I should make that poll!

I'm all about accumulating powers, story, kicking butt, psychodrama, irresponsibility, and somewhat playing a favorite role.

I'm not about supercoolness, exploring, or brilliant planning in any way shape or form. I might play characters who are tactical and that... but when it comes down to the end of the day, I'd rather kick in the door and roll initiative than spend fifteen real time minutes planning on what to do. Supercoolness is the opposite of psychodrama for me -- can't have a character who is collected through everything for me! And story seems like the opposite of exploration... I'd rather go some place for a reason than go some place because it's strange... most of the time. I guess I've never had much chance to play an exploring game, but I've certainly never had much inclination to run one.

And the outlier... I like playing weird PC's, but yikes, I'd really dislike playing a PC who was a spy and there to hurt the party. That's not fun for me at all, given my favorite role of healer.

Anyway, lots of rambling... neat poll.

 

[tetsujin28]

Kewl powrz, Kicking Butt, Story, and Supercoolness. Not necessarily in that order.

I cannot stand puzzle solving. Fortunately, neither can anyone else in my group. Puzzles are officially referred to as, "I read the Cheat Guide"