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Gaming and Type

raz

Let's make this showy!
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Nov 11, 2008
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LoLz
A friend of mine brought up some points about how the four preferences manifest in games. One of his examples was World of Warcraft.

Let me use an example most people are familiar with right now, which would be a game like 'World of Warcraft.' (Bear with me) The more truly introverted a person is, for example, the more likely it is they can't stand that sort of game, not because they don't like playing or because they don't like aspects of it, or can't deal with interaction with a huge group of strangers... Those may all be related to something else. What's going on is that it's more than likely they'll be mesmerized by the blown out colors before they even get anywhere. Or, they'll be more likely to get tired of responding fast enough to play well with a group, NOT because they dislike the action of playing, or the group, or have bad motor skills, but because they are using their normal internalization in unnatural situations, and blowing their circuits, so to speak, by overclocking themselves. (Processing 10 actions a second instead of the expected 2.)

That brought up a lot of interesting points to me. Is it really possible then that an Extravert would perform better in a raid in WoW than an Introvert? This made me wonder about Type and how it affects gaming.

I googled and found this: Yudhishthira's Dice: Myers Briggs and Gaming

Basically, the guy hypothesizes that there are 3 different types that people have. One is their real type, the next is an approach to gaming type, and the last is an "in character" type. That sound a little true.

I'd have to say that I was more ISTPish in WoW. Priest was my favorite class, and it was no surprise. Support classes always appealed to me in games. Is that more of an I thing or an SJ thing? I played Engineer in Team Fortress Classic, medic/engineer in Planetside, Doctor/Combat Medic in Star Wars Galaxies, Priest in WoW and Medic in Quake Wars.

What do you guys think about how type influences how we game? I know there have been other threads about this. I saw some older threads about what types of games each temperament prefers.
 

GargoylesLegacy

Kickin' Ass since 1984
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Oct 29, 2008
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8w9
Wow, now this is an interesting Hypothesis.
Hm, when I think back at what Types of Characters I always picked it would either be a Cleric / Healer (Supportive), a very super Magick Guy (summoning Demons who will fight for you, Mass-Damage...basically very strong Attacks but very "weak" Appearance. And yeah, "commanding Demons" of Course).
Now I wonder what Types those are linked to.

The supportive sounds like INFJ or Something. And the commanding more of...INTJ, INTP, or Something? Just a guess from what I have heard so far about Types besides mine.

Man, this Stuff really is interesting. Thanks for bringing it up.
 

rhinosaur

Just a statistic
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Apr 23, 2007
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1,464
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INTP
I'm an ISTP and tend to enjoy the "independent" roles in my favorite MMORPG, such as archers, rogues, and clerics. These are the most flexible roles. They are much less squishy than pure caster roles, and are still capable of light tanking, but not limited to a pure tank role.

In a large party I will stay in the periphery, and try to dish out as much damage or insta-kills as possible. I will also hang out near the casters, in case any monsters slip past the tanks. In a small party I often find myself taking the lead, or switching between roles as the situation dictates.
 

cafe

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I'm a noob to WoW and haven't played much else besides Runescape. :peepwall:

I haven't played in a group of more than a few, but I do have slow reflexes, so I don't like really fast-paced situations especially when I have others depending on me. I enjoy playing independently or with a couple of friends. I hate big cities when they are crowded and laggy.

I like my druid best so far, but want to spend some time on a shaman eventually.
 

ptgatsby

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ISTP
Is that more of an I thing or an SJ thing?

Support, if it can translate to gaming the way it does in RL, is a SJ thing. The notable professions are things like nursing and so forth.

I would have to disagree on the I-E thing. I'm very I and strongly prefer WoW over other types of games.

Like Rhinosaur, I prefer to have a character that is mostly independent. Having said that, if it wasn't for the fact that accomplishments (gear, level and 'trophies', regardless of game) are character bound, then I would absolutely play a healer in raid groups. But because I am an achiever and I value the list of things I have done on a character, I prefer the independent (hunter in WoW). But I don't have an aversion to healing or support... I do have an aversion to tanking and melee dps though.

There is one exception - PvP. There I always prefer more controlling characters. That is, I'd prefer Marks/Survival (ie: utility, drain, control) over BM/Marks (ie: burst damage, uncounterable). In those cases I prefer a class that gives me control, even at the cost of being independent (ie: shamans in pvp = no dispell) and the need for coverage (ie: mages/clothies). This is the one time I'm not actually happy with an independent character, because I lose options in groups... in wow, meaning hunters aren't terribly popular for higher end brackets, more notable the larger the group gets. Even though I didn't play up the rankings, the feel of it irritated me.

In my case, I'm mostly my own type from start to finish, with a few deviations (IMO, controlling characters seem to fit J characters better - the elimination of options until control is established). My behavior online isn't hugely different, though obviously I'm being laid back most of the time (unless talking about strategy around raids or pvp, anyway) and a bit more social :D
 

JocktheMotie

Habitual Fi LineStepper
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
8,491
Not so sure about this. I've played a WoW mage on and off since release and don't really concur with your friend's hypothesis, as I'm about as introverted as you get.

If anything, "overclocking" myself was the reason I played the game, although I did not enjoy groups. What attracted me to the game and specifically the mage was the complexity of the class and the dynamics of both PvP and PvE. In PvE I really loved all my mods displaying DPS, DPM, Raid DPS, Cooldown Timers, managing my spell rotations to optimize buff/debuff effectiveness and making sure I was consuming resources at the correct pace for the fight, etc. In PvP, pairing with another close friend and pouring over countless sites for data on class synergies, comps, effective counters for certain abilities, proper instances of using said abilites, it was all glorious for me.
 

raz

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Not so sure about this. I've played a WoW mage on and off since release and don't really concur with your friend's hypothesis, as I'm about as introverted as you get.

If anything, "overclocking" myself was the reason I played the game, although I did not enjoy groups. What attracted me to the game and specifically the mage was the complexity of the class and the dynamics of both PvP and PvE. In PvE I really loved all my mods displaying DPS, DPM, Raid DPS, Cooldown Timers, managing my spell rotations to optimize buff/debuff effectiveness and making sure I was consuming resources at the correct pace for the fight, etc. In PvP, pairing with another close friend and pouring over countless sites for data on class synergies, comps, effective counters for certain abilities, proper instances of using said abilites, it was all glorious for me.

I haven't raided in WoW since pre-BC, so I'm just going off that experience. I got really into the theorycraft. It was so much fun optimizing my character, but the problem I ran into was I would focus so much on pure dps that I would gimp other stats. I bet that's attributed to being an S, as I failed to see the big picture.

Running the guild's raids taught me a lot. I expected everyone to run like machines without opinions or emotions. Oh, I was so wrong. The guild leader worked with me though to teach me to listen to people, learn to see when it was ok to lighten up in a raid, and just be a more effective leader. He had management experience behind him and that helped, but I'm willing to bet he was ExTP.

I'm really interested in the difference between I/E in terms of gaming. Like I said, I'm going off experience that's about 2 years old, now. However, there was a difference between a raid that demanded constant attention to other people, working with those people and responding to them compared to just running through a place where you could just pull at your leisure and you had people to back you up without question.

Right before I quit WoW, I did solo AV runs on my priest with a healing build. I had mods to help me heal the raid and tell who was within healing distance of me. I was completely self-sufficient, yet I followed the pack everywhere. I was perfectly content being a healbot for a 40 man AV raid. I felt invincible, but it was just pugs. I was fine being in the background but only because I knew I was doing something to make an impact. When I saw us push forward just because I was the one that kept the guys at the front line alive, oh, I just wanted more.
 

The Third Rider

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Sep 12, 2007
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I have never really been on to MMORPG or any RPG for that matter. I hear that they are very addictive and can suck your life away so I stay away from them. On the other hand I LOVE first person shooters, real time strategy and Football games, particularly the multiplayer. I have several online friends that we play or seem to always be playing the newest FPS and we always team up and go at it. I tend to stick to support roles, like machinegunners, tankers or snipers and I let them go head on with me providing support fire. As for the RTS, I just love to strategize and out think someone and I just love the massive/epic scale of some games. As far as football I am just a football fiend, its just smart game, with a lot of passion and skill so I want to do what my favorite team does.
 

Kyrielle

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I don't play WoW, but I do play Lord of the Rings Online and I've played multiple other MMOs. I tend to first get into a game because of how the landscape looks and how I emotionally respond to it. Is it beautiful? Can I spend a large amount of time exploring it and finding all the cool vistas? Can I explore it and pretend that I'm actually there, adventuring about on my character?

From there I've chosen characters that are independant and move quickly, whose skills would, in real life, require them to have very fast mental and physical reflexes (because irl, I have neither). Because of this, my character's classes have consistently been thieves, hunters, and swordsmen. I've never liked magic. It just never sat well with me; I don't get the same satisfaction out of zapping a monster with lighting that I do with smacking them about with arrows or a sword. Recently, I've taken a liking to hunters because I like that I'm way back from everything and in groups, while my class isn't supportive I am supportive in that I can observe and strategise and guide a group. Having said that, I don't really like grouping all that often because my brain just isn't fast enough to cope with worrying about too many people at once (I get frustrated when I do, even more so when others are putting pressure on me to support them). Grouping tires me out, though when it's with people who know what they're doing and don't tell me how to play my class, it can be very fun. When in groups, I'm more goal oriented. I don't group to goof around--I'll do that on my own time--I group because there's something I want to get done that I can't do by myself. I've met people who do like to goof around when they create a group, and it makes me so frustrated because I feel that I am wasting valuable time and energy.

I don't RP exactly...like I don't do it with other people...I roleplay in my head, so how I act in-game is how I act everywhere else online. But, I know that my characters are usually highly competent problem solvers.
 

LucrativeSid

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Oct 20, 2007
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I've never played Wow, but I have played a few other multiplayer games where I was in clans and where you could choose different kinds of characters to be. Basically, I want to do as much as I can, and as awesomely as I can, so I can take as much glory as possible and help my team achieve victory.

In an FPS war game, who gets the most glory? The clan leader, the number 1 assault man, the sniper, or the jet pilot? It's hard to say, but I basically want to be the one who kills the most people, takes the most rewarding risks, or does something that nobody else can pull off. If I feel like I'm doing that, I don't care what part I'm playing for my team, as long as it feels important to me. I like being the leader and I like being on the assault team. I like always being right up in all the most important and crucial action.

(BUT THIS IS A GAME! It is supposed to be fun, so how could I want to take a position that I think is less than my potential is suited for?

I don't mind being support, like a medic, if the rest of my team is good and I know I can aid them in a way that nobody is capable of. Usually, though, if I'm a great medic, then I automatically am trusted to move up into positions with more responsibility. If I'm assault and the support people suck, I will switch things around and do whatever it takes to win.

If I do everything I can for my team to win, and it actually helps in a significant way, then I'm very happy. (Even if that's just training my team or encouraging them.)

And I was the guy who would type to my enemies in the game while flying a helicopter and shooting them at the same time. That's half the fun. Tell them you're about to kill them, watch them scramble, let them have hope, kill them, and then laugh about it with them when it's over. Teach them your tricks... why not? How can you not instantly connect with other human beings who are all trying to kill each other and having a blast doing it? Ha.
 

freemarketpopulist

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Dec 4, 2008
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ENTP
I'm not a big "halo" player. My favorite games are strategy games, both real time and turn based. I played the original Civilizations, all the way up to Civilization IV. I also have every command and conquer game and age of empires game. I recently got into galactic civilizations II. Pretty much anything that involves building a base/city/empire, manageing resources, and taking over everyone else. Anyone else have the same inclination?
 

raz

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That's why I love strategy games, but I'm more inclined to just figure out a good plan and then play over and over. That's the SJ way, though. Those games appeal to the NT's because they like devising the plans. I prefer to implement the plans.
 

01011010

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Jun 22, 2008
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I'm not a big "halo" player. My favorite games are strategy games, both real time and turn based. I played the original Civilizations, all the way up to Civilization IV. I also have every command and conquer game and age of empires game. I recently got into galactic civilizations II. Pretty much anything that involves building a base/city/empire, manageing resources, and taking over everyone else. Anyone else have the same inclination?

Same here.

Black and White was nifty for it's creation bent.

I'm not into MMOs. I like to play games alone.
 

LucrativeSid

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Anyone else have the same inclination?

I liked strategizing in my war games. I was in a clan and we organized things and put tons of strategy into what we did, and even how we played as individuals, but there was still plenty of room left for improvising and on the fly excitement.

Those pure strategy games are fun, but too consuming for me. Not that it drains me of energy, but I don't like wasting too much of my time. I'm very P, but productivity and sticking to priorities is often on my mind.

My favorite game ever, though, was Civilization: Call to Power. I tried the third CIV when it was new, and I hated it compared to Call to Power. Those are the only two strategy games I've ever bought.
 

Noel

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Apr 23, 2007
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INFP
Thought I would bring this to the table: Which gamer personality are you?

Cliff notes:
Five groups of gamers
Casual: ESFP, ESTP, ESFJ, ESTJ;
* You don't mind quitting in the middle of a game.
* The majority of your gaming time is spent playing free online games or shareware.
* You actually have something to do on Friday nights other than staring at a computer screen.

Sociable: No prescribed type
* Many of your friends are gamers.
* Your icebreaker in conversations is often related to gaming.
* You also enjoy other forms of gaming (cards, board games, etc)

Moderate: ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP
* You spend money on new games a couple of times per month.
* You have, at one point or another, stayed up all night playing a game.
* Your daydreams at work sometimes revolve around the latest game that just came out.

Addicted: ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ
* You call in sick just to be able to stay home and play your newest game.
* A majority of your computer's hard drive is taken up by games.
* You spend more money on games than you do on groceries and clothes, combined.

Hardcore: ISTJ
* You accidentally sign your checks with your gamer screen name.
* Your social calendar is filled with dates of LAN parties.
* You turn down a date with the girl of your dreams to compete in a scheduled online gaming tournament.

Conclusion:
"The casual gamer sets the foundation for new gamers, the sociable gamer defines the importance of social interaction in gaming, and the moderate gamer sets the overall norm for gamers. Then you have the addicted gamer, who displays what happens when you take gaming a little too far, and the hardcore gamer who shows just how far the hobby of gaming can go. They all fit together to create the gaming puzzle, which is as unique as all the different games that are available, and the characteristics of those who play them."
 

Kyrielle

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Amusing, Noel, though...I almost refuse to be called Addictive (eventhough I DO do the 100% completion thing) since I do do things outside of gaming often enough--it's just when I have nothing else to do that I get in trouble.
 

ptgatsby

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Apr 24, 2007
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4,476
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ISTP
Casual: ESFP, ESTP, ESFJ, ESTJ;


Sociable: No prescribed type
* Many of your friends are gamers.
* Your icebreaker in conversations is often related to gaming.
* You also enjoy other forms of gaming (cards, board games, etc)


Moderate: ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP
* You have, at one point or another, stayed up all night playing a game.
* Your daydreams at work sometimes revolve around the latest game that just came out.


Addicted: ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ
* You call in sick just to be able to stay home and play your newest game.

Hardcore: ISTJ

* Your social calendar is filled with dates of LAN parties.
* You turn down a date with the girl of your dreams to compete in a scheduled online gaming tournament.

Those ones describe me pretty well :D

It changes over periods of time - ie: the "filled" part used to be true when I was ~20, but it isn't anymore... In that sense, I'm more casual, in that it's what I do with friends and what not on a regular basis now.

The addicted stages are definitely when it comes to raiding and theorycraft. I'm a huge number cruncher and modeller, and so I do that quite a bit.
 

tenINsFJ

Permabanned
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May 4, 2008
Messages
479
MBTI Type
INFJ
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1w9
Thought I would bring this to the table: Which gamer personality are you?

Cliff notes:
Five groups of gamers
Casual: ESFP, ESTP, ESFJ, ESTJ;
* You don't mind quitting in the middle of a game.
* The majority of your gaming time is spent playing free online games or shareware.
* You actually have something to do on Friday nights other than staring at a computer screen.

Sociable: No prescribed type
* Many of your friends are gamers.
* Your icebreaker in conversations is often related to gaming.
* You also enjoy other forms of gaming (cards, board games, etc)

Moderate: ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP
* You spend money on new games a couple of times per month.
* You have, at one point or another, stayed up all night playing a game.
* Your daydreams at work sometimes revolve around the latest game that just came out.

Addicted: ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ
* You call in sick just to be able to stay home and play your newest game.
* A majority of your computer's hard drive is taken up by games.
* You spend more money on games than you do on groceries and clothes, combined.

Hardcore: ISTJ
* You accidentally sign your checks with your gamer screen name.
* Your social calendar is filled with dates of LAN parties.
* You turn down a date with the girl of your dreams to compete in a scheduled online gaming tournament.

Conclusion:
"The casual gamer sets the foundation for new gamers, the sociable gamer defines the importance of social interaction in gaming, and the moderate gamer sets the overall norm for gamers. Then you have the addicted gamer, who displays what happens when you take gaming a little too far, and the hardcore gamer who shows just how far the hobby of gaming can go. They all fit together to create the gaming puzzle, which is as unique as all the different games that are available, and the characteristics of those who play them."

LOL awesome post!!!!!!
I fall into the addicted category AAHAHAHHA!!!!
My desktop computer(I'm on my laptop now) is strictly used for gaming. Nothing else. Ahahaha. My money is definitely spent more on upgrading and games than clothes and groceries, I can care less about those, haha. Except.. I have turned down dates with my girlfriend for online gaming matches.. and last year had a bunch of LAN parties... =P

EPIC POST, NOEL!!!! 5*
 
B

beyondaurora

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I tend to first get into a game because of how the landscape looks and how I emotionally respond to it. Is it beautiful? Can I spend a large amount of time exploring it and finding all the cool vistas? Can I explore it and pretend that I'm actually there, adventuring about on my character?

Me too!

I have played WoW (only to level 20, then I got bored). I loved Lord of the Rings Online - my character was a bard, and since I play piano in real life, I had so much fun randomly walking up to people and entertaining people.

I always play a healer with light fighting skills. I love (and hate! it's so stressful!) standing in the background, monitoring everyone's health and applying my skills as needed. I don't like making decisions for a group and am happy to let others take the lead.

For several months, I was one of four admins on a Counterstrike server. I probably never would have taken on the role, but this server was very concerned with keeping pornographic images off the walls, so I happily jumped in. We played the same map always (office), and I never got bored with it.
 
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