Often, there are bouts of open hostility between players of different RPG systems. You have the Storytellers, the d20 players, the GURPS, the Palladium guys, and all manner of other system evangelists.
You know the type – 95% of their collection is from one system, and they foam at the mouth when someone says something bad about their favorite (or something good about another).
Really, though, it’s not about the system. It’s about the playing style.
Storyteller fans usually favor story, drama and romance (in the 18th century version of the word). d20 fans are often more into strategic combat and mechanical progression. GURPS fans love realism, and Palladium fans…well, they almost exclusively love the setting itself first and foremost.
In role-playing groups, these play styles boil down to four distinct types:
The Creative
The Creative is interested primarily in telling a story. Whether she uses words, pictures or sound, she generally has a creative occupation or bent outside of gaming too. Bloggers make for great Creatives in gaming.
A Creative is happiest when she is exploring the nuances of the human condition with other players. Because of her interest in story above all else, sometimes she grates on the nerves of Warriors.
Creatives are best matched with Socialites, who can provide complex levels of interaction.
The Warrior
The Warrior loves combat and strategy. Sometimes he has a keen mind, and other times he just enjoys the bloodshed.
Frequently, this type of player has a competitive spirit. Of all the types, the Warrior enjoys locking horns with the GM and, sometimes, other players. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though the Warrior’s penchant for favoring rules over story can get on the nerves of the Creatives.
Warriors are best matched with Scientists, as Scientists understand Warriors’ love for rules best of the four types.
The Scientist
There’s a Scientist in almost every gaming group. Sometimes they take the form of “rules lawyers” or “munchkins” whose negative traits can put them at odds with the group, but often they’re just very interested in the rules of the game.
Scientists like tinkering with applications of the rules to discover new effects and ways to play the game. A friend of mine who played AD&D fit this type – he managed to somehow figure out a way to eliminate a small army of kobolds using a single lightning spell indoors, all in perfect keeping with the rules. Scientists can be creative, but they usually focus on rules instead of the story.
Scientists are best matched with Warriors, if only because Warriors make for great guinea pigs.
The Socialite
The last type, Socialites, is interested primarily in just having fun with a group of friends. For them, no aspect of the game is more important than this.
Socialites are perfectly happy to call a game off mid-session if something more interesting grabs their attention. Socialites, rather having a short attention span, prefer just to hang out and enjoy themselves. This can be the death of a serious gaming group if the others aren’t Socialites also, but in the right situation, Socialites can bring life to an otherwise boring campaign.
Socialites are best matched with Creatives, as they love interacting with equally energetic people.
Keeping these types of player in mind when building a gaming group can make the whole experience a lot more fun. Mixing up play styles every once in awhile can shake up a stale campaign, too, so if you’re usually in the Creative frame of mind, playing a Warrior style game can bring a fresh perspective to the game and restore your creative juices.
By the same token, if you’re used to playing a Socialite type of game, try going for a Scientist style in your next adventure – you just might enjoy the new conversations that can pop out of examining the rules.
This guest post was written by Ben Overmyer, artist, writer and cofounder of Silver Gryphon Games.
I can’t really narrow myself down to just one group.
The Creative – I love a good story. An RPG isn’t fun to me unless the story is interesting and makes me want to know what happens next.
The Warrior – I love combat and figuring out creative ways to win. I especially love spellcasters and coming up with “out-of-the-box” ways of using spells.
The Scientist – I find knowledge of the rules helps in figuring out what I can and can’t do in or out of combat.
The Socialite – I love hanging out with my friends and have been known to move the game off the tracks for a few minutes discussing non-gaming related things.
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I think we all have a little bit of each in us. I’m more of a Creative. Warrior I can only take for short periods of time, dragged out combat sequences don’t hold my attention for very long, and I’m not into the mindset of winning or solving anything. I’m a Scientist by necessity only. I do love the social aspect and in a tabletop I might deviate from time to time, only because it’s late and silliness has set in.
I’m definitely a Creative Socialite. Was there a class for that?
Creative here. Scientists are my nemesii, but I have come to anticipate their objections over time. I am becoming one of them. Save me from the dark side.
I’d be more of a Social gal, since I do very much love the interactions with the other players, but I know that given the choice between continuing to tell the story and ceasing operations so we can all get a beer, I’d probably start plaintively saying things like, “But . . . can’t we just . . . open the door first? I really need to know what’s behind the door.”
Tei – Rogue Ink’s last blog post..Sudden Death.
Oh, P.S.
That shield? WANTS it, the precious.
Tei – Rogue Ink’s last blog post..Sudden Death.
I knew someone would want that shield.
This is nothing more than a re-phrasing of Richard Bartle’s Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades.
I’m Scientific warrior I spent most of my time, Figuring out the best builds/template then i just go out and pwn everyone
I’m guessing my breakdown would read: 50% Socialite (only because I have the attention span of a flea), 30% Creative (the story fascinates me, and I love watching it unravel little by little) and 20% Scientist (MUST know how everything works!!). So as usual, I’m at odds with even myself.
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@ Eric – Not exactly. This is a restating and reapplication of Bartle’s essay (which was written specifically MUDs in mind). This takes Bartle’s ideas and applies them to a different area – tabletop RPGs.
Nothing new under the sun, bro.
Now, as for me? I lean toward the creative, but experiment with the socialite.
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@Eric – Bartle I’ve heard of, but never this “Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, & Spades” thing. Could you elaborate?
@Tony and James – Multiclassing is allowed. =P
I myself am a Creative 8/ Warrior 4, opting for the “drawing while the GM deals with other players” and “random bloodshed” talent trees instead of the “listening to the story intently” and “figuring out how best to slaughter things” talent trees.
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Interesting. I had never really thought of it this way – but your spot on. even when I think of my other friends – they all fall into this.
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The Creative and The Socialite: I love story, rolplaying and social aspect of table top RPG games. After all, you do get together with people to game with, if you don’t, you might as well play WoW / EQ / WOC / DDO / Ext…
The Scientist: I have to admit as mush as I dislike “rules lawyers” and “munchkins” I do tend to believe in the rules to balance the game and make it fare for the entire party, not to mention I have been known to make up feats and prestige classes. “rules lawyers” and “munchkins” just take it to the extreme.=(
The Warrior: I do enjoy a good battle. Is not my favorite part of Table top RPGs but I enjoy my self using the talents, abilities and skills of this “person” I created. =)
Hmmm…I have to sat I’m mostly The Creative and The Socialite…
I think I fall into several, or a mix of them. Perhaps even my own category. A mix of Creative, Warrior, and Scientist, I try to outsmart what the (especially our killer) GM throws at us. Rock falls over a pit where the strong characters are, and only the druid with a Str of 9 is outside…”Use Summon Nature’s Ally and get us a bear or earth elemental to push the boulder.”
It has tremorsense ~ “I cast levitate”
It’s quite fun, especially when he really thinks he’s come up with something so awesome we will all die.
Scientistftw! gotta break the box, bend the rules, and experiment or else its all predictable
At one time or another I’ve been one or another or a combination of those player sorts. Now though I haven’t played for a year or so I tend more to Creative and Socialite being that I play to socialize and love to tell stories. But I also write things that are along the lines of rules as well as fiction so…
I know some who just love to role dice. They want to beat a number. They really don’t care about the combat or story or rules so creative, warrior, and scientist do not fit them… some are more social than others… So me thinks another category… die roller or perhaps gambler… though gambler might fit warrior or scientist depending….
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Definitely scientist all the way. I play artificers and casters usually, because I like being able to come up with solutions on-the-fly. This doesn’t exclude the other types, though. Just because I like stress-testing the system from the inside doesn’t mean I can’t have a compelling character with good plot hooks. Min/maxing and good role-playing are not mutually exclusive.
There are two kinds of people in the world:
People who divide people into two groups
And those who don’t