People obviously play RPGs for a lot of different reasons. Among them: To create fantasic worlds, to explore fantasic worlds, to create stories patterened after ones in other media, to develop a character's personality, to develop a character's abilities, to vanquish enemies in glorious combat, to use and abuse a favorite rules system, to relax with friends in a social setting, to collect sourcebooks.

Most people probably enjoy many (or all) of these things to some degree, but my question is: If you had to highlight one cardinal reason why you're an RPG gamer, what would it be? It can be something from the list above, or something else entirely. I'm talking about the central gut emotional factor that keeps you chucking those dice year after year. What makes your gamer mind tick? No "-isms", or anything similarly clinical, just what brought you to the hobby and what keeps you here.

I'll start:

For me, it's exploration. Being thrust into a series of amazing new worlds where everything up to and including the laws of physics could be different from my own. What can I find there? What can I do there?

As a little kid growing-up in the 80s, I was into all sorts of video games. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Pitfall, Wizardry, the NES classics; those sorts of things. For as long as I can remember, I've derived my enjoyment of these games largely from thinking about them as more than just games, but as "places" of sorts that I "visited" in order to play in. It wasn't until years later when I read an interview with Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and other best-selling games) where he described his design philosophy as consisting of looking at each project as an "electronic playground" of sorts. That is, thinking of it as an imiginary place and then asking "What can we let the players do here that is so fun that they'll want to come back again and again?"

So I guess I've always enjoyed RPGs the same way. I look at a description of Traveller's Imperium, the World of Greyhawk, the Starship Warden and so on and I don't think about what kind of characters I can create that fit there or what kind of stories I can tell there or how much ass I can kick there or how many experience points I can earn there. Instead, I think: "What will I find there? What can I do there?" I want to explore. That's why I play. Anything else is occasionally fun, but ultimately incidental.

How about you?

Lots of reasons.

Wandering around in good settings, playing characters to the hilt in the midst of whatever conflicts suit them, beating up monsters that are tactically cool, getting the chance to say neat shit like "I draw my magic sword and scream at the oncoming army"...

Piles of reasons.  And different ones for different games.

The main reason I play is because I love how we get together and create this exciting fantasy story together.

Lotsa reasons, but a big is the chance for me and my pals to do stuff the normal world doesn't afford us the opportunity to do.

For me, that usually translates into worldbuilding and giving stories a life of their own.

For my pals, this usually translates into being able to beat the hell out of people and getting laid in a tavern.

I think Yamo hit the nail for me. Just opening a rule book, or reading a description of a place or planet, or a spell or a legend just makes ME want to be there. And if writing can do that, then playing will make it even more special, and when you find others to share your passion for it, then thats perfect.

Sorry for those who have read this already:

QuoteI want mysterious places, insidous traps, intricate scheming, ressource management, being there, play my character, act out my character, make a speech, roll for diplomacy, build a trade empire, be imprisoned, build my starship, draw deckplans, explore new worlds, be awestruck by the might of the Emperor, be a Hero, be a Villain, have a party, be terrified, fall in love, learn to hate, seek revenge, seek reconciliation, roll a crit, die, live, find a magic sword, destroy the precursor artifact, learn about magic, destroy a planet, study fake histories, make history, be history, travel back in time, travel to the future, fight the future, see the aliens, prove they don´t exist, receive gifts, be poor, be rich, help the those in need, become a god, become mortal, win, fail, struggle, hack a computer, build an arch, be an arch, destroy the arch, bomb the palace, find the terrorists, use a minigun, fly a helicopter, ride a dragon, slay a dragon, kill Kyuss, and take his place, mock the Lady, see the Planes, save the planes, teleport the fighter next to the enemy Magic User, raise dead, slay living, talk to trees, surf on a ley line, survive Nuclear attacks, die from radiation, rebuild civilization, use a shotgun, drive a tank, be a tank, meet Han Solo, play a Ninja-Dragon, laugh about Ninja-Dragons, be immortal, be a commoner, learn about history, forget reality, learn about my fellow humans, mock my fellow humans, spend time with friends, pwn n00bz, help out n00bz, munch my crackers, recite the Conan introduction, use my death grip, high five with my friends when it works, be impressed by my friends, impress my friends, stop the Old Ones, or die trying, shock the DM, lickspittle the DM, curse his dice, cherish mine, make a new character, level up, roll save vs. death, play the character I rolled up, roll up a new one, cause I didn´t made the survival roll, spend a brownie point, receive a brownie point, be a Vargr, fight the Sollies, fight the Impies, strategize, dramatize, be a part, be seperate, uncover the plot, cover up the act, bomb Dulinor, talk to Splynncrith, see the desert of despair, travel the mockerson gap, defend Constantinople, be a machine gunner, play an instrument, be smart, use player knowledge, abstain from using it, read a spoiler, stop after first sentence, flip through books, look at illustrations, talk about books, buy books, shove around minis, do without, be a juggler, kill the mime, see the seer, ride a magic carpet, be rational, eat big kahuna burgers, meet at a tavern.

In short: Gimme adventure! Where does theory help me? In no way, I say.

Quote from: LawbagI think Yamo hit the nail for me. Just opening a rule book, or reading a description of a place or planet, or a spell or a legend just makes ME want to be there. And if writing can do that, then playing will make it even more special, and when you find others to share your passion for it, then thats perfect.

Word.

Quote from: YamoWhat makes your gamer mind tick? No "-isms", or anything similarly clinical, just what brought you to the hobby and what keeps you

I play to experience what it's like to be someone else living someplace else, with the "someplace else" generally being a fantastic location that doesn't really exist.

While that can be framed as "exploration", I think that term encourages some false conclusions about what I do and don't want.  

I can get a very satisfactory experience playing a character who is familiar with their setting and the characters and situations they are dealing with.  In fact, I find it easiest to be proactive and develop insight in character when my character understands the setting, situation, and characters they are dealing with than when my character is constantly moving or constantly being exposed to new characters and situations they are expected to deal with.  I could be pretty happy playing the fantasy role-playing equivalent of a soap opera in character.

As a secondary-but-related goal, I like to play characters who are effective.  That is, I like to play characters with the competence to be proactive and deal with big problems.  That also lets my characters be proactive, but this might also be related to what Robin Laws refers to a "butt-kicking" or the desire to let off some steam.  This is secondary to the experience of being my character and isn't always necessary.

Wow. Loaded question. If there weren't lots of things I could enumerate that makes me want to game, I probably wouldn't be gaming.

But I'll make an abbreviated attempt.

I like creating. I like creating in a mechanical fashion... which is why I guess I'm a software engineer. But for leisure activities, gaming fits the bill well. I guess the best way to relate this is to discuss my "geek youth". You all remember the old discussions outside of gamer venues about who would win between different heroes or different starships. I like that in gaming, there is a quantifiable answer.

I like entertaining. When I play, I am often what Robin Laws calls the "problem solver" type gamer. When I run, I am a problem creater. I like weaving twisted visions and exciting escapades. No game is so satisfying as when it ends with (to cite a few actual examples) players eyes are wide with astonishment, players sigh gasps of releif at winning a hard fight, or players slip me amused notes at the end of the game exclaiming "you bastard!"

Bump, because I just remembered this thread and wanted to give newer members a crack at it.

I was first inspired to game by the illustrations in the MMII. No. Really. Those were some kickass illustrations. My friend Drew was instrumental in keeping me interested long enough to fall in love with roleplaying.

Why do I play RPGs, though? 'Cause RPGs pwn other hobbies and interests. Except maybe art. But I'd rather do both than be forced to choose.

I like to play because I have an overactive imagination.  I write, quite a lot, but am not published.  I use those writings for RPGs usually.

I like to imagine that I'm someone else.  I really like the fact that all my real world problems simply don't matter for a little while.  For a few hours a week, those past due bills, hastily advancing (or retreating) deadlines, and doubt don't mean anything.  Even if it's for only for a few hours a week, I get to be the hero.

Here goes.

I played football throughout highschool and college. I was an avid roleplayer then, to. I noticed the feeling I would get when my teammates and I were playing and struggling to succeed was often the same when my party members and I were trying to extract our buts out from under the machinations of the latest demonic avatar. We could hear each others tone of voice, we could read each others body language, and it would all add to the excitment. I could almost fucking hear the dramitic music.

I use to party, ALOT. It's like the time when one of my buddies was told not to call it a frat, to call it a frat was like calling your country a cunt, and I KNEW what was next. I and a couple of really drunk friends wound up facing off twenty drunk frat boys and the ONLY thing I was looking forward to was maybe making a few of them painfully regret kicking my ass. Frankly, I'm too old and lazy for that anymore, the only thing that comes close is playing a game with a good GM, a good set of rules, and buddies you'd miss after they were gone.

The adventure and fantasy and awe is way cool to.

Two main reasons for me.  The first is simply the social aspect: I like gaming with a group of good friends, working together (or even at cross-purposes!) to confront an obstacle and overcoming it.

The second has to do with my mania for creating settings.  Not that I think anything I do is mind-blowing in the Glorantha/Tekumel sense, but I've loved drawing maps since I was a kid with a single digit age.  I would make up names for the various regions, mountains, rivers, etc. and devise a simple history.  Then I'd move on and create a new map (this one a city, maybe, or a classic dungeon), starting the process again.  GMing games gives me an opportunity to share these maps, settings, scenarios and ideas with others.

I play for two reasons: Immersionism and Tactical Exercises.  I suppose you could also add Boredom to that list.

When I play, I want to get into my character.  I want to be absorbed in the proceedings.  Unfortunately, it takes me a while to get up to speed where those things are possible.  Plus, it requires everyone in the game have a similar investment.  And, most importantly, it requires that everyone see everyone else's character as important.  I've noticed that these requirements don't all come together very often.  But, I keep on hoping.

That leaves Tactical Exercises.  Everyone knows the saying, "You have to love it when a good plan comes together."  It's fun to outsmart the enemy.  It's fun to have your decisions make a difference.  Unfortunately, many GMs (including myself) become too absorbed with their plots to actually let players have any effect on things.  The villian always escapes, no matter what precautions.  You always get ambushed, no matter how clearly you saw it coming and how prepared you were to avoid it.  Despite feeding the NPC spy bad information, they still somehow relay the correct information to the big bad.  With these GMs you're just along for the ride.  Sometimes the ride is interesting, other times it isn't.