Why Do You Play Roleplaying Games Redux
- Thread starter mythusmage
- Start date
Out of 117 responses at the time of posting.
Fun 103
Creativity 94
Socializing 92
Adventure 89
Tie: Acting/World Building 72
The next most popular is Legends/Myths at 59.
So the top three reasons are fun, creativity, and socializing, with adventure running close behind. Which makes sense; if people didn't enjoy what they do in RPGs, they wouldn't play RPGs. Of course there is a big drop off after Acting/World Building.
So I'm putting up a poll the ENWorld boards aren't equiped to handle. I'll list the top four choices. You choose which one is your first choice, second choice, etc. by numbering them from your most favorite to your least favorite You can either post your choices below, or email me with your response. When I have what looks like a good number of responses I'll post the result in this thread. That said, here are your choices:
Adventure
Creativity
Fun
Socializing.
Example:
1. Adventure
2. Creativity
4. Fun
3. Socializing
Just an example, not to be considered the 'correct' answer. )
Fun 103
Creativity 94
Socializing 92
Adventure 89
Tie: Acting/World Building 72
The next most popular is Legends/Myths at 59.
So the top three reasons are fun, creativity, and socializing, with adventure running close behind. Which makes sense; if people didn't enjoy what they do in RPGs, they wouldn't play RPGs. Of course there is a big drop off after Acting/World Building.
So I'm putting up a poll the ENWorld boards aren't equiped to handle. I'll list the top four choices. You choose which one is your first choice, second choice, etc. by numbering them from your most favorite to your least favorite You can either post your choices below, or email me with your response. When I have what looks like a good number of responses I'll post the result in this thread. That said, here are your choices:
Adventure
Creativity
Fun
Socializing.
Example:
1. Adventure
2. Creativity
4. Fun
3. Socializing
Just an example, not to be considered the 'correct' answer. )
MoogleEmpMog
First Post
1/Fun
2/Socializing
3/Adventure
4/Creativity
2/Socializing
3/Adventure
4/Creativity
After three votes the scores are...
Fun 5
Adventure 7
Creativity 9
Socializing 9
I expect this will change as votes continue to come in. Please note that I'm using low scoring, so that a first place vote earns one point, while a fourth place vote earns four points. As in golf this means that the lowest score is ahead. You'll note that the three responses do vary in what they consider more and less important. This is why I'm hoping for more votes, that way I'll get a more accurate picture among respondents as to what they prefer.
Why am I doing this? A combination of idle curiousity, and the hope RPG designers can get a better idea of what potential customers are looking for in a design. Anyone with the resources is welcome to craft a formal study using my idea.
Fun 5
Adventure 7
Creativity 9
Socializing 9
I expect this will change as votes continue to come in. Please note that I'm using low scoring, so that a first place vote earns one point, while a fourth place vote earns four points. As in golf this means that the lowest score is ahead. You'll note that the three responses do vary in what they consider more and less important. This is why I'm hoping for more votes, that way I'll get a more accurate picture among respondents as to what they prefer.
Why am I doing this? A combination of idle curiousity, and the hope RPG designers can get a better idea of what potential customers are looking for in a design. Anyone with the resources is welcome to craft a formal study using my idea.
MoogleEmpMog
First Post
mythusmage said:
MM,
You do realize that a) any data collected from ENWorld is entirely useless, since it's self-selecting on multiple levels and b) the kind of info you want to gather has been extensively discussed at The Forge (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/)? Admittedly, I don't recall if they did any meaningful studies, either (you might be able to get some help from Ryan Dancey or Charles Ryan in that regard, though).
Even if you disagree with the general conclusions on The Forge, most notably the (in?)famous GNS theory, it's certainly a good place to start. I suspect you could skip a lot of your preliminary steps by looking at the work they've already done.
Moog, I am well aware of the drawbacks to what I'm doing. However, I am more optimistic that some useful information can be gained through this. Bonafide scientific studies have shown that taste is more universal than we once thought. So far as I know the same holds true of motivations.
Where the Forgites are concerned, I can't trust their studies. They start with a priori reasoning, and select their data to fit. While I was hoping 'adventure' would lead the pack, I will accept that it isn't. At present it is tied for third place, and may well drop to fourth or fifth. If trends continue the way they have I would have to recommend to RPG designers that they focus on the following...
1. Make it fun. Make it intriguing and engaging. Get people involved, and not just with sparklies and doodads. Interesting encounters and interesting situations. Show people how to effectively describe things, so as to spark the players' imaginations and get them caught up in the game.
2. Provide opportunities for adventure. Show the players how they can initiate and improvise adventures when the GM has nothing prepared. Show the players how to use their initiative and imagination, the better to encourage contributing to an adventure, each in his own way.
3. Encourage creativity. Show how the players can contribute to the GM's setting, and how the GM can incorporate the players' contributions.
4. Help people incorporate in-character banter and crosstalk into their games.
5. Guidelines and assistance for acting. That is, roleplaying. How to effectively play a part, how to be convincing in a role.
6 (because it's tied with #5 so far). Guidelines on how to either create a world, or flesh one out depending on whether your design has an implicit or explicit setting.
The situation could change, I could be proven utterly wrong. But, we are more alike than we tend to think. We are learning that what we like is more hardwired than we once thought, that we are not infinitely malleable. Our tastes and preferences are not utterly subjet to our whims.
Many years ago a British man suffered a brain injury. A portion of his brain dealng with mood was damaged. He became depressed, so his doctors put him on anti-depresants. He also started exhibiting a sexual interest in young children, a trait he had not shown before. But when he started the anti-depressant that urge disappeared. So long as he stays on his medication he can deal with small children in a socially acceptable manner. My point? Your urges and feelings about matters aren't always under your control. You don't always have absolute choice in how you feel about things. I suspect this holds true even for your motivation in playing RPGs.
Where the Forgites are concerned, I can't trust their studies. They start with a priori reasoning, and select their data to fit. While I was hoping 'adventure' would lead the pack, I will accept that it isn't. At present it is tied for third place, and may well drop to fourth or fifth. If trends continue the way they have I would have to recommend to RPG designers that they focus on the following...
1. Make it fun. Make it intriguing and engaging. Get people involved, and not just with sparklies and doodads. Interesting encounters and interesting situations. Show people how to effectively describe things, so as to spark the players' imaginations and get them caught up in the game.
2. Provide opportunities for adventure. Show the players how they can initiate and improvise adventures when the GM has nothing prepared. Show the players how to use their initiative and imagination, the better to encourage contributing to an adventure, each in his own way.
3. Encourage creativity. Show how the players can contribute to the GM's setting, and how the GM can incorporate the players' contributions.
4. Help people incorporate in-character banter and crosstalk into their games.
5. Guidelines and assistance for acting. That is, roleplaying. How to effectively play a part, how to be convincing in a role.
6 (because it's tied with #5 so far). Guidelines on how to either create a world, or flesh one out depending on whether your design has an implicit or explicit setting.
The situation could change, I could be proven utterly wrong. But, we are more alike than we tend to think. We are learning that what we like is more hardwired than we once thought, that we are not infinitely malleable. Our tastes and preferences are not utterly subjet to our whims.
Many years ago a British man suffered a brain injury. A portion of his brain dealng with mood was damaged. He became depressed, so his doctors put him on anti-depresants. He also started exhibiting a sexual interest in young children, a trait he had not shown before. But when he started the anti-depressant that urge disappeared. So long as he stays on his medication he can deal with small children in a socially acceptable manner. My point? Your urges and feelings about matters aren't always under your control. You don't always have absolute choice in how you feel about things. I suspect this holds true even for your motivation in playing RPGs.
sniffles
First Post
I notice based on the results at the time of my voting that I seem to fall into the norm.
I chose most of the items that have higher percentages, with the exception of world-building. I didn't select that because we haven't done much of it. We usually use preexisting settings.
I also chose miniatures, which doesn't appear to be a very popular reason for roleplaying.
I chose most of the items that have higher percentages, with the exception of world-building. I didn't select that because we haven't done much of it. We usually use preexisting settings.
I also chose miniatures, which doesn't appear to be a very popular reason for roleplaying.
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