Are you a Casual, Serious, or Hardcore RPG gamer?

[Hussar]

I fit the serious gamer model pretty well. Although, like jdrakeh, I probably would have qualified as a hardcore gamer ten years ago, and I'm slowly slipping into casual gamer as time goes on. Maybe. Serious game with limited gaming budget?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I voted serious but would have prefered semi-serious
I would never be hardcore mostly because I would not spend that much money on games. I was a more serious gamer in the past, but right now I am serious but borderline casual though i do GM.

 

[Dykstrav]

I voted "serious," but I'm somewhere between serious and hardcore.

I DM once every week or so and my game keeps growing (we average around six to eight players per session and I've got a waiting list of people that want to join). I buy every book I want, but that's partially because I have a decent amount of disposable income. I don't think about the game in and of itself as much as I do the narrative upon which the game is based. I enjoy making my own monsters, but that's largely because I like to surprise my players. I make supplemental material for my own campaign (feats, paragon paths, et cetera) but don't use alot of house rules. I'm just now breaking into the RPG scene professionally, so I feel more "hardcore" than "serious."

On the other hand, I might buy a book and not read it for several months. I'll either just not have the time or the interest, so a brand-new book might sit on the shelf for several months until I get around to it. I don't really get excited about new products. I'm not interested in D&D Insider, conventions, or "gamer culture" (in fact, I often feel disconnected from other gamers). I've never heard of Forge or GNS theory, so I feel more "serious" than "hardcore."

 

[Buttercup]

Somewhere in between Serious and Hardcore. I only get to play about twice a month, but that's not by choice--all of us are busy professionals with families, and we just can't find more time to play than that. Given the choice, I'd play once a week, and run a game twice a month. Maybe some day!

And I agree, too much emphasis is placed on The Forge.

 

[Nifft]

Doesn't go on internet forums about gaming, at least not more than once or twice to check things out (may run quickly the other way).

... so anyone who votes "Casual" is, by your definition, not here?

Odd poll. The only accurate choice is not voting.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Dragonblade]

I am absolutely hardcore. I own hundreds of gaming products from WEG Star Wars, Palladium, White Wolf, Hero games, etc. to a substantial collection of hundreds of books from every edition of D&D. One room of my house is filled with gaming stuff and my garage is full of boxes of game books.

I currently play 4e, and buy every book WotC releases the day they are released. I DM one 4e game, and play in another 4e game.

I read D&D news daily and gear my schedule outside of gaming around my gaming which sometimes annoys my wife since she is not into gaming but she is into anime which is just as cool!

That being said, I'm not your stereotypical gamer either and have lots of interests outside of gaming. I played football and ran track in high school and I have a black belt in Taekwondo. I follow college football (go Oregon Ducks!) and the NBA (go Trailblazers!) religiously.

 

[Wombat]

I fall somewhere between "serious" and "hardcore", but probably close to the upper rating there.

I've been gaming for over 30 years, many of my non-gaming friends will refer to me as someone who does play rpgs, I have gamed under a dozen or more systems, I have theories about what makes a good rpg (at least for me), etc.

I don't buy rpg books necessarily on a monthly basis, nor do I have to game every weekend (or every week). While I did at one point own well over 1000 rpg books, I now have a much more manageable subset of those, as well as a fair collection of pdfs for browsing.

Some people have golf. Some people have bridge. Some people have knitting. Some have professional sports. I have rpgs ... and I am very, very happy.

 

[Mercurius]

Folks, the Forge thing was a bit of a joke. It is NOT meant as a serious barometer of "gamitude."

And again, the main factor was not how much one plays but how much "mental real estate" RPGs take up. Someone who doesn't really think about RPGs outside of actually playing is Casual; someone who thinks about them and actively collects and/or plays, but they aren't one of their very main focuses of life is Serious; someone for whom RPGs are central, that they're part of their lifestyle is Hardcore.

With that in mind I'm thinking that some folks who are actually Serious are calling themselves Casual. Almost by definition if you are a Casual Gamer you won't even be reading this thread. Right now 17.4% of votes are for Casual; my guess is that a more accurate number would be less than 10%, or at least how I personally envision the term. I think it has something to do with one's own internal impression vs. a more intersubjective barometer. One might feel casual compared to a more serious or hardcore phase of one's life, but in the larger scale of things still be quite serious.

Well, today, I rarely play RPGs, I have whittled down my RPG collection to one bookshelf of games that I've spent dozens of dollars on, and I've sworn off buying new RPGs (I occassionally print off a free PDF or something, though). So, currently, I'm a Casual gamer.

Again, think mental real estate. How much space do RPGs take up in your consciousness? It isn't as much the quantity of stuff one owns or the time one spends playing, but the overall place RPGs have within one's life. A casual gamer probably won't be here unless, maybe, their DM told them to look something up. But it definitely sounds like you have lessened in the scale...If I remember correctly, didn't you post about quitting the hobby awhile ago?

This may have worked better as a "scale" type pole (i.e. 1=casual, 5=serious, 10=hardcore) since I fall somewhere between serious and hardcore by the definitions presented.

I think about it often but my buying habits are limited and, were it not for the fact that i happen have a group right now, i really wouldn't be playing often (if at all - just reading the material).

Also, it would seem 'logical' that if someone is viewing enworld to see this poll in the first place, chances are they are at the 'upper end' of casual gamer to begin with...

Exactly. And I almost used a scale just like you mentioned but I didn't want to over-complicate things (although I'd do 1-10, but having central locations for each as Casual - 3, Serious - 5, Hardcore - 7, with lower and upper scales of Casual and Hardcore, respectively).

Anyways, the point is to find one's "center of gravity." On a scale of ten I probably fluctuate between 3 and 6 or 7, but hang out for the most part around 5...or that is the place I always come back to. I've gone for years being only mildly interested (casual), then go for months buying tons of books, reading forums...the amount I play almost always lags behind my interest, though.

Same here- I voted casual, although I fall inbetween casual and serious.

Gaming is not my #1 (or even #2) hobby, and although I'm "serious" in my love for the game, its history, roots, DM'ing, creating, buying books, etc., at the end of the day it's still just a stupid game to me I don't get into the politics (WOTC DESTROYED MY GAME/LIFE- THOSE BASTARDS! :rollseyes: ) and theory of gaming, good/badwrongfun. etc. I don't take it nearly as serious (as a lifestyle) as most people I know (online as well as off).

Again, you sound like much more than a Casual Gamer, if only for the fact that you're aware of such discussions!

I would define myself as a casual gamer in that i don't play a lot lately.
But I definitely enjoy reading about rpgs, buy books I don't use, and know what the Forge is (reading their stuff gives me headaches, though)

Your definitions are a bit off. I'm sure many enworlders spend more time reading and posting about rpgs than actually playing them.

You sound like a Serious gamer to me. And I tried to make my descriptions encapsulate the type of gamer that you are (and I am, for the most part).

 

[Woas]

May own rule books, but only a few and only for the purpose of playing. ]Rarely thinks about gaming outside of a session. Plays no more than once a week, probably less (has a hard time committing to more than once or twice a month). Almost by definition only plays, never DMs (except maybe trying it once or twice). Doesn't go on internet forums about gaming, at least not more than once or twice to check things out (may run quickly the other way). Definitely doesn't know what "The Forge" is.

SERIOUS: Owns many game books, perhaps a few shelves worth. Buys books on a semi-regular basis, but selectively (and not necessarily to play; may be for "idea-mining," entertainment reading, etc). Thinks about RPGs frequently, even daily, but may go days or even weeks without picking up a game book or playing. Plays frequently but probably not more than once a week, and only one campaign at a time. May or may not go on internet forums frequently. May or may not know what "The Forge" is.

HARDCORE: RPGs are central to one's hobby/entertainment life. Owns many game books, probably hundreds if not thousands. Buys books on a monthly basis, spending a significant portion of disposable income. Either has a game room or wants a game room. May play in multiple campaigns at once. Basically wants to play as much as possible. Probably goes on internet forums; almost certainly has logins on ENWorld, RPG.Net, etc. Knows what the "Forge" is and has assigned GNS theory to oneself.
[/INDENT]

I didn't vote because each label has some part of truth in my gaming habits and none seemed the correct answer.

 

[El Mahdi]

Serious. Used to be Hardcore (bought every single new release, spent probably $200-$500 a month on books and miniatures, etc. - of course I was also single then).

Definitely not Casual.