If This Doesn't Offend You, Someone Will Try Again

Seanchai · December 17, 2007, 01:00:15 PM

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaStop trying to needle people with half-baked, amateur psychology.

Dude, stop searching for your next picture and buy yourself a clue.

Seanchai

Ian Absentia · December 17, 2007, 01:11:35 PM

Oh, dear. What is this? Anger? Frustration?

Or maybe you really are a professional psychologist who's using his training and experience totally irresponsibly.

Boo-hoo.

!i!

Xanther · December 17, 2007, 02:55:47 PM

Quote from: SeanchaiExcept there aren't thousands of reported play experiences. In a thread that's become about differences between play styles, you've only got a handful of such reports.

Add me as another one that thinks there are differences.

Although I'll agree that 80%+ of folks share enough in common (overlap in Robin Laws ot WOTC playstyle categories) to be said to play "the same."
And that most common type is a combination of tactician/role-player/power gamer.

QuoteBut let's say you could get 5,000 codified, organized reports. Let's also say that WotC is fairly close with it's assesment of there being 4,500,000 RPG players out there. That would be .001 percent of players reporting a difference in play styles.

Let's make another supposition, however. Let's suppose that instead of just asking, "Do you play differently than others?," we came up with a definition of play style, defined the various attributes that could separate one play style from another, then, instead of asking people if they were different, got them to report back on the attributes of their play. We could collate those reports to see who was using what attributes.

I'm betting when we stop asking the de facto question, "Are you special?" and focus on the attributes of play instead, the majority of the 5,000 self-reporting folks will end up basically playing the same way.

I'd also bet that if you could do this with the estimated 4,500,000 players, there wouldn't be a discussion about play styles because it would be decidedly clear that people basically play the same way.

Seanchai

You do know WOTC did this already with the largest practical sample size they could get.

James McMurray · December 17, 2007, 03:02:05 PM

Quote from: SeanchaiExcept there aren't thousands of reported play experiences. In a thread that's become about differences between play styles, you've only got a handful of such reports.

Are you claiming that the only times anyone has reported on their play experiences are in this thread?

QuoteBut let's say you could get 5,000 codified, organized reports. Let's also say that WotC is fairly close with it's assesment of there being 4,500,000 RPG players out there. That would be .001 percent of players reporting a difference in play styles.

So you're admitting that different playstyles exist?

QuoteLet's make another supposition, however. Let's suppose that instead of just asking, "Do you play differently than others?," we came up with a definition of play style, defined the various attributes that could separate one play style from another, then, instead of asking people if they were different, got them to report back on the attributes of their play. We could collate those reports to see who was using what attributes.

People have tried, in this very thread, but their attempts didn't match your preconceptions, so you ignored or denied their validity. Your turn.

QuoteI'm betting when we stop asking the de facto question, "Are you special?" and focus on the attributes of play instead, the majority of the 5,000 self-reporting folks will end up basically playing the same way.

I don't know about you, but I've never performed an "are you special" survey.

QuoteI'd also bet that if you could do this with the estimated 4,500,000 players, there wouldn't be a discussion about play styles because it would be decidedly clear that people basically play the same way.

Are your estimates of everyone else's play styles as reliable as your estimates of peoples' enjoyment of humorous cat pictures? Projection failed you pretty hard in that instance.

James McMurray · December 17, 2007, 03:03:07 PM

Quote from: XantherYou do know WOTC did this already with the largest practical sample size they could get.

Did they publish (or at least spend an article talking about) the results? If so, linky?

Christmas Ape · December 17, 2007, 03:23:25 PM

Quote from: SeanchaiBut you do engage with them. Thus you must get something out of your interaction. Since you could make fun of them without interacting with them or could choose not to react at all, but you spend time and effort instead. I can only imagine there are easier ways to amuse yourself, so that leaves something else.

What is that something else? Anger? Frustration?

Seanchai

Not really.

But please, embarrass yourself a little more.

SgtSpaceWizard · December 17, 2007, 03:34:44 PM

Quote from: James McMurrayDid they publish (or at least spend an article talking about) the results? If so, linky?

First thing i was able to google up was posted at TBP...

http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/wotcdemo.html

An interesting sample of data from WOTC research...

QuoteWhen asked to describe a variety of past game experiences, the market
provided the following data:
Question: Result

Used detailed tables & charts: 76%
Included Miniatures: 56%
Used "rules light" system: 58%
Diceless: 33%
Combat Oriented: 86% (*)
Live Action: 49%
House Rules: 80%
(*) Looked at in reverse, this interesting answer tells us that 14% of the
gamers who play an RPG >have never played< a combat oriented RPG.

Only a small portion of that survey seems to be about RPGs, but there you go.

James McMurray · December 17, 2007, 03:37:12 PM

What are you doing, Ape? You're breaking the meme.

Next time try one of these:

Sorry I didn't have any bunny ones handy.

Seanchai · December 17, 2007, 03:40:45 PM

Quote from: James McMurraySo you're admitting that different playstyles exist?

We've already covered this ground. Instead of discussing it, you chose to post pictures of cats.

Quote from: James McMurrayPeople have tried, in this very thread...

No, they pretty much said, "I play differently that other people do." Not only was there no unifying definition of what a play style is, but certainly no master list of attributes being cataloged.

Quote from: James McMurray...their attempts didn't match your preconceptions, so you ignored or denied their validity.

And you're different how again? Your idea that play styles exist is not based on any kind of objective proof. It's based solely on your perceptions and recollections. You're saying I cannot be right, but you're not in a position to prove that's the case.

Seanchai

Seanchai · December 17, 2007, 03:44:11 PM

Quote from: Christmas ApeNot really.

Truly. Something's driving you. Your continued posting of pictures doesn't have an air of amusement about it, it has an air of desperation. When I consider what might cause me to behave in the same way, I can only conclude it's something big and deep rooted. Again, I won't bother fixing whatever it is, but I am curious as to what it is...

Seanchai

SgtSpaceWizard · December 17, 2007, 03:51:34 PM

Also there's some data about player types with a colorful chart here...

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/gaming/BreakdownOfRPGPlayers.html

Basically it breaks down players into thinkers, power gamers, storytellers, and character actors.

Christmas Ape · December 17, 2007, 04:01:17 PM

Quote from: SeanchaiTruly. Something's driving you. Your continued posting of pictures doesn't have an air of amusement about it, it has an air of desperation. When I consider what might cause me to behave in the same way, I can only conclude it's something big and deep rooted. Again, I won't bother fixing whatever it is, but I am curious as to what it is...

Seanchai

Let me help you, sparkles.

You're like a nest full of retarded bees. I jab the nest with a lolcat and a giant fucking swarm of stupid pours out, shits its pants, and asks me for a juice box. I wet myself laughing, you play Dr. Fraud, and everybody wins except the starving African kids.

James McMurray · December 17, 2007, 04:01:36 PM

Quote from: SeanchaiNo, they pretty much said, "I play differently that other people do." Not only was there no unifying definition of what a play style is, but certainly no master list of attributes being cataloged.

We must be reading different internets. You see "I play differently" and I see "death should ha[[en often vs. death should never happen," "intercharacter relations should be rolled vs. intercharacter relations should be roleplayed," "I play superheroes vs. I only want to play the underdog," etc.

If you honestly have never seen such blatantly different play styles discussed, feel free to browse around here. It's the "Face Off" forum at the Kenzer and Co. boards. It has about 150 threads discussing different playstyles.

And now, because I just gotsta. . .

James McMurray · December 17, 2007, 04:08:01 PM

Quote from: SgtSpaceWizardAlso there's some data about player types with a colorful chart here...

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/gaming/BreakdownOfRPGPlayers.html

Basically it breaks down players into thinkers, power gamers, storytellers, and character actors.

Thanks for that (and the previous post as well). Interesting stuff!

Pierce Inverarity · December 17, 2007, 04:37:09 PM

I like dogs better.

Are there no loldogs?