<Originally posted by Rabit in the Roleplay Stuff thread - this is under arenson9’s account because Rabit’s a dope…>
If you’ve ever heard of/read Robin’s Laws of Good Game Mastering (and if you’re a GM, I hope you have - it’s a simple and useful little book), I’m primarily a Tactician and a Storyteller, which is an odd but interesting combo when I play. Having said that, I very rarely play, as I am usually GMing. (And if you know about the book, there’s a simple, online quiz for looking at your types. If you don’t know the book, you’re welcome to take the quiz but it might not make a lot of sense without knowing what those types mean and how they play out.)
Huh, another Storyteller/Tactician here, although 'method actor' and 'casual gamer' came out very close to Tactician so predominately Storyteller. I'm wondering if it's a trend with people who crossover into board/card games? Most of the full-on RPGers that I know would most likely come out as predominantly power-gamer/butt-kicker combinations, but that incompatibility is pretty much why I drifted away from the local RPG scene some time ago. I used to mainly GM , but enjoyed both sides equally when I played.
I think this is also why I tend to prefer boardgames that have a lot going on above the table, with gameplay elements outside of simply the shared puzzle or the rulebook as written, with a particular slant toward co-ops.
Bit surprised that Power Gamer got such a high score, but I was sort of considering multiple different systems when I answered the questions, and I play different character types depending on the system - if it's a Fantasy adventuring kind of system (my preferred one) or anything else which tends to focus on general adventuring I tend to play as a Sneaky Bastard of some description so I like to be good at it. If it's something more "modern" then I go for a thinky character like a scientist or something.
I just took the quiz, and scored as a Butt-Kicker, followed by a 3-way tie between Specialist, Tactician, and Power Gamer. I guess that explains why Absolute Zero and Setback are my favorite characters in SotM…
Not surprising - I've always focused more on the mechanics of games than the theme, though I like the idea of thematic stories. I'd just rather read them already fully developed than try to create one through play. I'm actually very surprised that Storyteller is that high, as I don't consider myself remotely good at that.
A bunch of my friends jumped on this quiz when I posted the link on FB, and the consensus there seems to be that the quiz gives a much higher Tactician rating than expected. Looking at the explanation of how the questions are weighted, the quiz' definition of Tactician seems to be "Someone who likes to be prepared for different possible obstacles" as opposed to "Someone who can come up with specific plans to overcome a particular obstacle given known assets and liabilities." The former can certainly lead to the latter, but the quiz appears to weigh the desire to be prepared more than any actual skill at making use of the preparations.
I'm sure my BK nature is due in part to the 5 or 6 years I was away from my gaming group. My gaming in that time was much more focused on tabletop wargames (Warmachine and Infinity, mostly) and various computer games (WoW, for the most part).
I've been back with my RP group for about 5 years now, but I'm still very much focused on effectiveness in combat. In D&D or Pathfinder, give me a barbarian or sorceror. In my Only War (WH40K Imperial Guard RPG) game, I'm playing an Ogryn. In Legend of the Five Rings, I'm Crab Clan all the way. If it's big and hits things, or makes things disappear in explosions or a hail of bullets, I've probably tried playing it at some time in some game or other.
I'll have to show this quiz to my gaming group just to see what sort of gamers we are. Could be very amusing - or frightening.
(And if you know about the book, there’s a simple, online quiz for looking at your types. If you don’t know the book, you’re welcome to take the quiz but it might not make a lot of sense without knowing what those types mean and how they play out.)