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MMORPGs and MBTI

Misty_Mountain_Rose

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
1,123
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
4w5
I'm doing a bit of research on personalities that are drawn to MMORPGs including its effects, reasons for starting, 'addiction' level, etc. If anyone plays MMORPGs such as Everquest, WoW, DAOC, SWG, GuildWars, etc., could you take a minute to answer these questions?

1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
2. How long have you been playing?
3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
4. What was your reason for starting?
5. What is your reason for continuing to play?
6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
8. What is the best part of online gaming?
9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
10. What is your MBTI type?



Thanks! You guys rock :happy:
 

Jack Flak

Permabanned
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
9,098
MBTI Type
type
1. Ultima Online
2. A few months in '97
3. At the time, a LOT
4. Roommate played
5. ERROR
6. I was pretty into it.
7. No.
8. Teh fun?
9. Exactly the same, same sword even.
10. INTP
 

Metamorphosis

New member
Joined
May 9, 2007
Messages
3,474
MBTI Type
INTJ
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
I used to play Ultima Online

2. How long have you been playing?
I played for something like...*thinks*...6-7 years

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
It was probably like 20 at the height

4. What was your reason for starting?
Someone talked to me about it constantly until I got intrigued enough to try it (plus it was free)

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?
Role playing and social interaction

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
Yeah, probably was. But I did quit obviously. Real life became better :D

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
Yeah via hostile take over

8. What is the best part of online gaming?
social interaction

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
It was entirely dependent on the character. I think it's safe to say that I took certain aspects of my personality and amplified them while reducing or eliminating other aspects.

10. What is your MBTI type?
INTJ
 

Clownmaster

EvanTheClown (ETC)
Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
965
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
2
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
I played Ultima Online for a number of years

2. How long have you been playing?
Started when I was 13-14?, Ended when I was 18

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
0 now, i'm more into mmo shooters

4. What was your reason for starting?
Boredom and a fascination with medieval renaissance culture

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?
N/A

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
Lol.

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
Yes, and I've been a Game master, one of the admins on a few private servers. Even learned scripting in a game-specific language for one variant of private server type. Got pretty good at it eventually.

8. What is the best part of online gaming?
Conversation with intelligent people, and pwning people in pvp

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
Oh, I was very much myself in roleplay form. Just maybe a bit more self-absorbed and assholish, but I got along with most everyone

10. What is your MBTI type?
E to the N to the F to the P
 

SolitaryPenguin

Active member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
824
MBTI Type
ISFP
Enneagram
9w1
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?

I started with the Matrix Online then moved on to World of Warcraft.

2. How long have you been playing?

Started the Beta of MxO in September 2004, then went to WoW in June of 2005.

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?

Currently, I only play about 4-6 hours per week. At my peak I was playing about 5 hours a day or 35 hours a week.

4. What was your reason for starting?

Mainly curiosity after seeing an ad for MxO on the special features disc of The Matrix Revolutions. I found the site online and signed up for the beta. Once I got in, i made a great group of friends that eventually migrated to Warcraft with me.

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?

I enjoy hanging out with the friends I've made every once in a while, both in game and in real life, so it is sort of my socializing every week.

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.

I am not nearly as addicted as I used to be, but I don't think I could unsubscribe completely without a very big reason (i.e. my account gets hacked or my GF tells me it's her or the game)

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)

I was for a little while, but definitely did not enjoy it at all.

8. What is the best part of online gaming?

Killing a gigantic dragon with a bunch of other people that I had never met, and cheering like idiots over Vent when we did.

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?

Other than the fact that most of the people thought I was a female, I am very similar in game to my RL personality. I am usually just trying to have fun in game and if it stops being fun, I go somewhere else. I am notorious for transfering and rerolling characters when I get bored.

10. What is your MBTI type?

ISFP as far as I can tell.
 

entropie

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
16,767
MBTI Type
entp
Enneagram
783
1. started with Anarchy Online, met some pretty funny Americans there, Everquest 2, Lineage II, World of Warcraft

2. 4-6 years never regulary

3. Today: none, in past times could go between 5 and 48 hours

4. My hardware got to slow for high end games :D Then I developed a feeling for MMORPGS, never had that much fun with a single player game again, since I started

5. Dont play anymore, would play in company though, with 2 Laptops/PC in one room

6. I am addicted to everything I do :)

7. yes in Anarchy Online. But I guess the proper term is Guild Leader, a GM is a Game Master, who watches the rules, isnt it ? In Anarchy we had a guild of around 20 people, who know each other and were around level 200 (highest was 200-220) and we met recently to explore some funny spots and glitches in the game. It was full of them :D
I was one of the guild leaders on the ruling board, never had any leading jobs to do though, except inviting people :D

9. Ouh that comparsion I absolutly can not draw. I never played on role play server. The server I played I was pretty much myself.

10. entp

8.
 

Nighthawk

New member
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
423
MBTI Type
INTP
1. What MMORPG(s) do/did you play?
  • World of Warcraft
  • Everquest
  • Everquest 2
  • Age of Conan
  • Earth and Beyond
  • Eve Online
2. How long have you been playing?
About 8 years total

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
Currently, none. At my high point, about 20-30.

4. What was your reason for starting?
Immersion into an imaginary world.

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?
Diversion from the real world

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
I used to be moderately addicted. Nowadays I can pretty much take it or leave it.

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
Never ... I hate being in management.

8. What is the best part of online gaming?
Getting away from the grind of the real world.

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
Not too different. I'm very reserved and introverted online as well. I don't group much. I also like solving problems in the game and figuring out the different strategies and algorithms.

10. What is your MBTI type?
INTP
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,146
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
Wow, City of Heroes (in past)

2. How long have you been playing?
Played CoH for a year, played WoW for close to 2 years.

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
Played CoH and then Wow about 20-25 hours a week.
Currently only play WoW about 3 hours a week max.

4. What was your reason for starting?
Curiosity; liked games; liked interacting with other players; felt I could be myself online in ways I could not in real life

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?

I sort of stopped, I only go back now to visit my friends on occasion.

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
yes, I could quit now cold turkey (and have to fight TO go back)
In the past, I was addicted: I felt like I had no control over my life (so having little in-game challenges that I *knew* I could reach felt VERY good!) and I was also accepted as whoever I portrayed myself to be, as opposed to real life which was not as kind

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
no. Although i've had officer roles.

8. What is the best part of online gaming?
shared world; exploration; teamwork

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
I have trouble being anyone other than myself, despite trying to RP.

10. What is your MBTI type?
INtP

Another site of interest to you might be Nick Yee's.

Edit: darnit, nighthawk, you beat me! ;)
 

Bear Warp

New member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
145
MBTI Type
epyT
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
I used to play World of Warcraft.

2. How long have you been playing?
I played on and off (few months here and there) for 4 years. (Ages 14-18)

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
I played an average of 8-9 hours per week.

4. What was your reason for starting?
Fun, I had friends that played, I enjoyed Warcraft 3.

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?
I don't anymore. I stopped because it became dead boring to play.

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
At some points I'd get antsy if I couldn't log on at some point in the day. Not anymore though. I haven't played for over a year.

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
No

8. What is the best part of online gaming?
I liked the social aspect and exploration was very fun for me.

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
Not very.

10. What is your MBTI type?
ENTP
 

kelric

Feline Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
2,169
MBTI Type
INtP
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
I've played Everquest, City of Heroes, EverquestII, and Vanguard, but haven't played any for hmm - a year and a half or so. I also played a text mud extensively in the 90's. The only ones I stuck with for any length of time were the original Everquest and the text mud.

2. How long have you been playing?
Text-muds in the 90's, Everquest and others from 1999 up through about a year and a half ago, but with several year+ long stretches when I didn't play at all.

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?
I played quite a bit. Usually 4-5 hours 3-4 nights a week after work, and most days on weekends. Say 30 hours a week?

4. What was your reason for starting?
Mostly whim and novelty. When I first started, I'd just graduated from college, and was staying in my small college town with nothing else to do in the evenings. The internet was new (this was pre-web browser, I'm old:D), and the option was pretty much TV, which, yuck.

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?
I don't now, but for the majority of the time I played, it was a social-contact sort of thing, with some sense of accomplishment (imaginary, but something). I definitely still miss the social aspect (note - I think that the social aspect for newer games is NOTHING like it was in the older ones).

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.
Well, I did, so yes. I'm a bit wary of using the term "addicted" for a game, but I was obsessed about it at times. I can honestly say that I never chose to play when I had other options or responsibilities, be it work, sports, or doing things with friends... but the game filled the *rest* of my free time pretty effectively... and disincentivized me to find new or other things to pursue. I have quit, and don't particularly have any desire to start a new game. When I did quit, it was sort of a gradual thing - I just lost interest, and although I stuck around LONG after I'd lost interest as a way to keep in touch with friends and maintain some daily "social contact" (which I still pretty much lack outside of work), once I left I didn't really have desire to go back until I forgot the rat-race aspect of it and just remembered the fun and friendship.

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)
I was the coadministrator of a text mud back in the day, which was the closest thing comparable to a modern guild master at the time, but no. The whole "guild master as management executive" role didn't really come into play until I was an old hand at the genre and had no interest in that aspect of things. However, I'll add... some people do an excellent management job as GM's - enough so that I'm confident that their skills have rolled over into "real life". Weird how those things happen.

8. What is the best part of online gaming?
I'd say the friendship, bonds, and memories you make along the way. In the old world, games really did establish a culture and community that did take on aspects of reality. I don't think that's the case so much these days. Some of those old EQ screenshot slideshow-set-to-music flash movies get a surprisingly powerful reaction out of me - probably always will.

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?
Pretty much the same.

10. What is your MBTI type?
INtP

Oh, and Nighthawk and Jennifer - thanks for the link :)
 

Misty_Mountain_Rose

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
1,123
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
4w5
I've seen a few people mention that they logged into a game that they had lost interest in so they could still keep in contact with some of their friends. This leads me to believe that the social interaction becomes one of the key factors in gaming.

I have to admit that I am an ex-gamer who, for a very long time, used to log into a game that I had grown bored with just to chat with Guild and Alliance members. (Not WoW alliance, but Alliance as in 'collection of guilds' on the same chat channel) My character would stand in one place for hours while I chatted.

The link you guys gave me has loads of information on gaming mentality. My goal is to create something similar except I want to know if MMORPG's are more alluring to certain personality types and what it is that each type is looking for in a general sense during their time spent online.
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,146
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I've seen a few people mention that they logged into a game that they had lost interest in so they could still keep in contact with some of their friends. This leads me to believe that the social interaction becomes one of the key factors in gaming.

It's one of the typical motivations.

If you go through the Daedalus site, you'll see that Nick actually has developed an interesting description of motivations for gaming (there are a few different "categories" of online gamers, and the social facet is one of those styles).

My character would stand in one place for hours while I chatted.

A few of us here played last night for a bit, but did also spend a healthy chunk of time standing in one of the inn buildings and talking about lots of things and just goofing off. :)

The link you guys gave me has loads of information on gaming mentality. My goal is to create something similar except I want to know if MMORPG's are more alluring to certain personality types and what it is that each type is looking for in a general sense during their time spent online.

it will be interesting to see what you come up with.

I don't know how genre impacts player motivations -- do certain types of people flock to certain styles of game?
 

Misty_Mountain_Rose

New member
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
1,123
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
4w5
I don't know, but its definately something I'd like to find out. My theory is that online people become more like 'themselves' because really there is no ramification to stating whats on your mind in a 'real' sense. The only thing that is odd is how many 'shy' people in real life (maybe even categorized as Introverts) seem to show up en masse in online games. People with no social life in the real world seem to LOVE the social interaction online because they can 'be themselves' without being picked on for say, being overweight.

In this way, does an Introvert find a way to express themselves, to explore their Extroverted side in a safe manner? Are introverts that way because they feel insecure for some reason in the real world? Would we all be 'extroverts' if we could overcome that?
 

kelric

Feline Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
2,169
MBTI Type
INtP
I've seen a few people mention that they logged into a game that they had lost interest in so they could still keep in contact with some of their friends. This leads me to believe that the social interaction becomes one of the key factors in gaming.
That's certainly a very large part of it, but there are also some less positive factors... with the way MMO's typically work, among folks who play a lot, there's a pretty large penalty for and consequently fear of, getting left behind. There's some "I'd like to take a break, but if I do, when I come back, I'll lose the chance to play with my friends" in there, too. At least in the games that I played, that was pretty much built into the structure of the game.

I don't know, but its definately something I'd like to find out. My theory is that online people become more like 'themselves' because really there is no ramification to stating whats on your mind in a 'real' sense. The only thing that is odd is how many 'shy' people in real life (maybe even categorized as Introverts) seem to show up en masse in online games. People with no social life in the real world seem to LOVE the social interaction online because they can 'be themselves' without being picked on for say, being overweight.
One thing I'd disagree with is that there's no ramification to stating what's on your mind - reputation can be everything in an MMO (at least in the past - I hear it's no longer such a big deal). As for the introvert thing, I don't think it's so much that you can "be yourself", as it is that there's a very big difference between a social interaction in reality and one in an MMO. Much larger separation, and the separation's pretty much completely in your control. It is social, but it's not a "social stimulation overcharge" like real situations can be. The "half-social" thing, can be appealing... although I'm not sure it's healthy to count on it as a major part of your social life.

In this way, does an Introvert find a way to express themselves, to explore their Extroverted side in a safe manner? Are introverts that way because they feel insecure for some reason in the real world? Would we all be 'extroverts' if we could overcome that?
I doubt it. I was always just as "introverted" in MMO's as I was in real life - I kept to myself, or with a small number of good friends (sometimes within a larger group when necessary due to game mechanics). Introversion isn't the same thing as insecurity - there can be some overlapping symptoms, but I don't think MMO's are necessarily a way to really promote interaction (although it certainly works for some).
 

Addict_Inquiry

New member
Joined
Oct 9, 2008
Messages
20
MBTI Type
ENTJ
I'm doing a bit of research on personalities that are drawn to MMORPGs including its effects, reasons for starting, 'addiction' level, etc. If anyone plays MMORPGs such as Everquest, WoW, DAOC, SWG, GuildWars, etc., could you take a minute to answer these questions?

1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?

Asheron's Call

2. How long have you been playing?

Played for approx. 5 years


3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?

played anywhere from 10-25


4. What was your reason for starting?

The rich fantasy world, idea of "questing" or "treasure-hunting" with a real-world societal connection. A highschool associate referred me and quite truely appealed to the INFP child in my heart (who seems to be a grown ENFP now)


5. What is your reason for continuing to play?

I stopped playing when the futility of it all was outweighed by the needs and desires of a real life. I decided to roleplay myself rather than an avatar with combat and magical skills.


6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.

I never felt addicted. I did feel that it served an actual, necessary outlet for me. For that reason I "played" a considerable amount of the time, though I was of an age when there were less responsibilities to be met. As such, I feel I gained important life skills.


7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)

no


8. What is the best part of online gaming?

cooperation


9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?

It's a much more colorful expression of myself. I can't exactly afford to express my image in a way I would if money was not an issue. In the game world, I could more or less craft my image as I saw fit.

10. What is your MBTI type?

ENFP. I feel I may have been born an INFP or had developed I tendencies as an only child, and was required to exercise my social skills as I grew older.

Furthermore, I am an X type on the F and the T. I express traits of a T type at times, though am predominantly F. I'm unquestionably an N and P, however. It's been somewhat difficult trying to establish an exact brain type for myself, and feel ENFP is closest.
 

TenebrousReflection

New member
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
449
MBTI Type
INFp
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
1. What MMORPG(s) do you play?
None presently, but I was a longtime MMOG player for quite a few years. I have played UO, EQ1, DAOC, EQ2, Vanguard and probably a few others I'm forgetting.

2. How long have you been playing?

Since sometime in the mid 90s starting with text MUDs on multi-user BBS systems. I played UO when it was in beta but only stuck with it for about a month or less after it went live. I was not in the beta for EQ, but played it from the day it went live off and on until EQ2 came out and then played EQ2 until about March of 2007.

3. Roughly how many hours do you play each week?

It would vary on what else I had to do, but anywhere between 0 to 4 hours a day on weekdays and 0 to 12 on weekends.

4. What was your reason for starting?

I've been a gamer pretty much my whole life startign with board games, RPGs and computer and video games, so trying MMOGS/MUDs was a natural branch of gaming experimentation.

5. What is your reason for continuing to play?

Lots of reasons ranging from feelign like I had an impact of some kind on a persistant world to liking the sense of exploration and finding and overcoming new challenges (and finding new things to chalenge myself with), but in the end it was the quality of the guilds (the other players I grouped with and raided with) I was in that determeined how much I felt like staying logged in once I logged in and such - when guilds I was in died off (through players either quiting the game or switching to different guilds), I would tend to loose interest until I found another good guild to join.

6. Do you feel that you are 'addicted' to the game? Could you quit today and not go back? Explain.

I may have been, but in the same way I'm addicted to coffee. I can go a few days without it, but I start to miss it after a couple. I have been a non-MMOG player for over a year now (I tried AoC earlier this year, but it failed to pull me in) and still miss the guild and advanturing/exploring aspects of MMOGs, but without a good guild of friends to keep me playing, I've found plenty of other ways to spend my time.

7. Have you ever been a GM? (Guild master)

Yes, but only by attrition (being the last active player left in the guild :))
Sadly, that happened in 3 of the guilds I've been in over time.


8. What is the best part of online gaming?

Being part of a persistant world and interacting with the populace of it. In particular, I liked playing the roles of craftsman, merchant, explorer/guide and scholar/researcher/sage etc.

9. How different from your real-life self is your online personality?

Most of the time, not very different at all, but probably a bit more extroverted, and more risk taking. Each character is individualized and has some personality of their own, but as others have commented, its more of showing other parts of me that mgith nto be visible to everyone, a bit like a shadow function taking over and gettign to play for a bit.

10. What is your MBTI type?

INFp
 

Jeffster

veteran attention whore
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
6,743
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx
Okay, I think I know what the ORPG part means, but what is the MM? Multi-media? many men? Mushy meatloaf? ;)
 

TenebrousReflection

New member
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
449
MBTI Type
INFp
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Okay, I think I know what the ORPG part means, but what is the MM? Multi-media? many men? Mushy meatloaf? ;)

Masivly Multiplayer... But I think you have unintentionaly hit on a new idea. I don't know of any MMOG that revolves around cooking, so a massivly multiplayer mushy meatloaf game could be a whole new marketing idea for someone to explore. If you look at the number of playstation games etc that involve cooking of some kind, its really not too far of a stretch to think it could work and be fun. Iron-Chef MMORPG?
 
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