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<blockquote data-quote="Jer" data-source="post: 8677932" data-attributes="member: 19857">Yes.&nbsp; What he's describing is part of what Ron Edwards identified as a preference for &quot;gamist&quot; playstyle in his GNS theory (which is a terrible name for what's actually going on but that's another rant).&nbsp; Folks with a preference for that style of play are goal oriented - they like to play games where they accomplish goals, whether it's &quot;win at combats&quot; or &quot;solve the town's drinking water problem&quot; or what have you.&nbsp; Edwards uncharitably calls it &quot;wanting to win&quot; by beating the scenario but a desire to solve the problems put in front of you and getting a feeling of accomplishment out of it is a more charitable way of describing it. And IME it is probably the most common mindset that gamers tend to have - especially if they come from board or war games and all they play rpg-wise is D&amp;D, but even with most other trad RPGs.&nbsp; Because it's how you approach something called a &quot;game&quot; usually.What you're describing from this player sounds like he wants to feel like he's living in a virtual world rather than playing a game.&nbsp; The complaint that the guard didn't have a name until you made one up on the spot ties into that - it sounds like his previous RP experience involved the DM either being one of those DMs who details every single NPC in every village that the players go to OR that they were really good at convincing your friend that they were that kind of DM. To the point where they got that feeling of being an explorer in someone else's fully-realized world rather than a player in a game with goals to accomplish and that's what they're missing.&nbsp; IME usually players who want that also have some of the problem solver in them so I can't say that I've had one as extreme as you're describing.&nbsp; But from your description it sounds like trying to adapt your play style to give him more of what he wants would be difficult - I haven't had a player who was that hardcore into being in a virtual world that they get annoyed at coming up with character names on the fly for example. I'd just chalk it up to a mismatch in expectations of play.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jer, post: 8677932, member: 19857"] Yes. What he's describing is part of what Ron Edwards identified as a preference for "gamist" playstyle in his GNS theory (which is a terrible name for what's actually going on but that's another rant). Folks with a preference for that style of play are goal oriented - they like to play games where they accomplish goals, whether it's "win at combats" or "solve the town's drinking water problem" or what have you. Edwards uncharitably calls it "wanting to win" by beating the scenario but a desire to solve the problems put in front of you and getting a feeling of accomplishment out of it is a more charitable way of describing it. And IME it is probably the most common mindset that gamers tend to have - especially if they come from board or war games and all they play rpg-wise is D&D, but even with most other trad RPGs. Because it's how you approach something called a "game" usually. What you're describing from this player sounds like he wants to feel like he's living in a virtual world rather than playing a game. The complaint that the guard didn't have a name until you made one up on the spot ties into that - it sounds like his previous RP experience involved the DM either being one of those DMs who details every single NPC in every village that the players go to OR that they were really good at convincing your friend that they were that kind of DM. To the point where they got that feeling of being an explorer in someone else's fully-realized world rather than a player in a game with goals to accomplish and that's what they're missing. IME usually players who want that also have some of the problem solver in them so I can't say that I've had one as extreme as you're describing. But from your description it sounds like trying to adapt your play style to give him more of what he wants would be difficult - I haven't had a player who was that hardcore into being in a virtual world that they get annoyed at coming up with character names on the fly for example. I'd just chalk it up to a mismatch in expectations of play. [/QUOTE]

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