I've been playing older games lately and I realized I've got some big trends in how I play my games. For instance, when given a chance, I play the evil(or supposedly evil) character or race*. For example, Dark Sider, Chaos Marines, Zerg, Scourge(WC3), Horde(WoW). The biggest exception to this is in games like Baldur's Gate where in order to be evil you have to be a club-banging knuckle-dragger and there isn't any real sinister evil option.

I also noticed I predominately play melee and don't even touch ranged or magic**(again, Chaos Marine can go here too because they are a melee race). And even within that, when given an option, I wield two smaller weapons over one larger one. The one exception I've found to this is KotOR2, where if you dual wield or use a staff, boss fights are a helluva lot harder. This even translates to shooters. For example, in CoD2, while there are some maps that pretty much demand you use a rifle, if I can get away with it, I'll grab a Thompson or MP40 over a rifle.

What trends have you seen in your gaming?

* Exception to this is Empire of War, where I play Rebellion simply because Rebel artillery and landspeeders are such cheese. :p

** Exception to this is Hunter in WoW, but that's probably because they are easy mode levelling.

In class-based RPGs, I have historically been fascinated by pet-classes; particularly those with the ability to select a pet from the world. I tend to drift toward those. I also drift toward long-range hidden gankers. The archer class in DAoC was the epitome of this mentality. You have invisibility, you're the hardest-hitting sniper, and you have the longest range. In FPSs I'm much the same. I enjoy sniping with the slowest, heaviest-hitting rifles from the craziest positions I have access to. I love finding new sniping spots, and nothing brings me greater joy than killing someone while remaining wholly undetected.

Successful sniping sprees are one of the most satisfying things to me as well, Free. In BF2, getting the M95 and just flitting from location to location behind brush or buildings, thru alleys, along ladders and under bridges while taking out targets of opportunity is amazingly fun... especially when it's accompanied by the occasional close range pistol kill against a better-armed foe when they catch up to you.

As far as classes go, give me an axe or a fireball and I'm happy. Bows/guns just don't excite me (except in FPS of course). I tend to stay away from pet classes, too.

I bought NWN2 recently, and realized that, even though I started as chaotic neutral (great alignment, or greatest alignment?), I was quickly shifting towards good. Apparently, in video games, I just can't help but do the right thing for no reward. Maybe it's because of KotOR, where I'm always the perfect representation of a Jedi.

When given the choice in shooters I will always play stealthily killing one guard at a time. I wish that my aim could be good enough for me to really play sniper online FPSs. I'll also always choose the most realistic options in games that support realism. I play on rifles only servers in CoD (and loved the hell out of the realism mod). I hate Counter-Strike because it's too twitchy (and I suck at it).

I always play good characters too. In the few D&D games I've played I've been drawn to Chaotic Good. I dislike making the evil choices, but I do enjoy being able to steal from the rich and kill evil doers. In Splinter Cell, I avoid killing guards that I can knock out. On the ship level in the third one I threw a guard over the side of the boat and then felt really bad about it.

Zerglings aren't evil! I have one as a pet on my WoW account.

I generally like elfish races in RTS' which require finesse in usage rather than brute force. This translates badly as my micro is subpar at best (100 apm just doesn't ****ing cut it in solo ladder)

I usually play as the girl.

play as the girl,
don't care about anything over easy mode,
prefer speedy playthroughs versus long death-filled playthroughs,
prefer weapons to force powers/magic

DOT

Although I like using rifles like the SVD so I don't lose sight picture in between shots.

I can never force myself to be evil in RPGs, even when I actually try.

-I usually play through the game once without cheat codes and usually use them more or less afterwards. Especially when wanting to test the game's limits or just have fun, like summoning dozens of entities and blowing them up (works really well in DX, /god, /spawnmass MJ12Troop 50, /spawnmass LAM 50).

-In games where you can make a male/female character, I do the choice basing on my last choice on such situation (like, I chose a female character in KotOR in 2004 and male in KotOR 2 a year later). Both playthroughs are fun, yet sometimes I wish I could be something extraordinary like a flying bulletproof bucket or something

-I prefer to use stealth only when I have to, it's really annoying to want to play through some game that could be neat (like NOLF) and then lose the mood because of stealth. Stupid nerves. Then again, sometimes those situations where you have to use stealth are really ****ing stupid, like that one in JO. :grr:

-On RTS's I 99% of the time prefer to play skirmish campaigns instead of the actual story modes (I think I've only played through Red Alert once and I saw the GDI ending of Tiberian Dawn at my friend's house)... and once again I combine the first trend with this one.

I probably have more but meh.



Sometimes I think the same, but mostly because the choices are like A) I CARE ABOUT EVERY LIVING BEING LALALALA DON'T BE MEAN or B) **** YOU **** YOU **** YOU ****FACE ******* ***** so there's no room for pretending to be nice and secretly being evil, and the choices are either being a naive angelface or a 13-year-old troll. Bleh.

In any Jedi game, I'm always the good guy. Being a dark jedi is generally just too easy.

I always much prefer using small, fast weapons over large, slow, powerful ones. Following that, I'd much rather be a sleek, slim, fast character than a tank.

In games like JO and JA, when it comes to fighting lightsaber-wielding opponents, I'll often quickload and redo the fight a couple of times, simply because I enjoy trying various methods to take my opponents out.

This has evolved into some kind of habit... nowadays I try to take my opponents out as spectacularly as possible, mimicking actions from the movies, etc. (For example, lifting opponent in the air with grip, and then throwing him away Dooku-style with a big push - or lightning people into the abyss like Palps did with Mace) When I think a fight doesn't go smooth or perfect enough, I'll quickload and do it all over again, even when I defeat my opponent. It's not really a compulsive thing, I simply enjoy playing the game this way.

Also, I tend to play female characters, although not always. I even created a 100% female party in Icewind Dale.

In Jedi games I tend to play a 100% perfect lightside Jedi, the first time I play the game. Also, I rely solely on my lightsaber and Force Powers to get me through the game the first time around.

I never use any cheats until I've beat the game on hard. Unless I feel like simply screwing around for a while.

I use/play anything that can be min/maxed in both FPS and RPGs

The guys I played with in the Massassi NWN campaign can attest to my love of the Ranger class in D&D. A ranger has been my first-playthrough character for BG1+2, as well as NWN and both of the XPs.

I find myself compulsively playing RPGs to death until I've experienced everything, such as playing through as all the classes (varying gender along the way).

I can play an evil character in any game but it tends not to sit right with me, and I prefer being the good guy.

Whenever possible, I prefer strategical thinking and stealth over barging in with heavy weaponry. At least for the first time. In games like Fallout: Tactics I always use characters with a passable Sneak skill, and make sure everyone is in the optimum position before opening fire.

I'll also play a game through for the first time without cheats, and then use them after that. Generally just to rip through levels with a huge ****ing gun.

I don't like moving on from an area until I've seen everything in it.

In games like Splinter Cell/Metal Gear, I hate trying to be "100% Stealthy." I'll be quiet and sneaky, but I prefer to knife the guy and hide his body than spend precious hours trying to not kill anyone, or go completely undetected.

In other FPS/shooter games, I much prefer to run up and jam a shotgun in someone's face and liquefy their head than hide far away and snipe people.

I also tend to set "traps" using mines or other things. I suppose I prefer lots of noisy, murderous action instead of sneaky, cowardly, or carefully planned endeavors.

You could always spawn additional NPCS.

Along the same vein, I always play a mage class. In the case of Massassi NWN it was a sorcerer. I'm playing NWN2 right now, and both my characters are sorcerers. I think the sorcerer class is the best of all the mage classes in D&D.

I like to try to find every little secret in a RPG or try to get all the dialog options available. Sometimes I like to do wacky stuff and change attributes or skills in the console. 37 Charisma FTW!

Ditto. Up close, personal, and messy is the way to go for me. I'm a crappy sniper anyway.

I'm better at sniping than the up-close thing.

I actually like being 100% stealthy in games like Splinter Cell, Metal Gear or Thief. In SC I do often kill the characters that are real pricks, though.

I have a tendency to want games to be more violent than they are. It's really weird. I download blood mods and such. And it took me forever to get the dismemberment working properly in JA.

I like actually being support in games, like the medic, driver, or engineer (from games such as Renegade, RTCW, BF, Infantry, etc).
Meatshield too in RPGs and such (Paladins, etc)

I always play the good guys as well, for some odd reason.

in rpgs (which is what I mostly play) I'm all about damage at any cost, I like to see those big numbers pop up on my screen

in rts games, I prefer the same thing: damage, and I choose the race/faction that fits this, such as night elf in wc3.

in fps games, my preferred style is close range. I don't like to sit back and get snipe, I rush right into action. On DoD:S, for example, my favorite strategy is to equip the shovel and charge into the enemy ranks, cutting them to shreds before going down in a blaze of glory. Sniping and support fire is for the elderly.

I love stealth games, and while getting through without killing anyone but your target a la Silent Assassin is fun, sometimes I like to go through something like Splinter Cell or Rainbow Six and take out everyone, but remain completely undetected.

Night elf has second lowest damage in the game. Orc has highest O-o

What does that mean?

Do tell. I can't get dismemberment to work for me.


What do you mean second? Humans and Undead do a helluva lot more damage than Nelves. :p

Now that I think about it, you're right. Humans do more damage than NE

In general, I prefer finesse over strength.

When given the chance, I often play as a female character because 1) they're easier on the eyes 2) they're usually pre-disposed for finesse over strenght and 3) just for variation/fun (if the other two aren't an issue).

In FPS games, the shotgun is usually my standard weapon in general. In singleplayer, I tend to prefer coward tactics and strike from as far, quick, etc. as possible. In multiplayer, I'm a bit of the opposite, as I like to use crazy messy antagonistic tactics, like kamikaze attacks with grenades, or mount turrets (Engineer in Team Fortress Classic). When given the option, I'm only interested in as much speed as needed to do some unique exploring (force speed in Jedi Knight allowing to jump over distances) -- in TFC, for instance, the Scout's speed adds little to added exploration/movement, so I turn to classes like Engineer instead.

In fighting games, I prefer the more dexterous ones, particularly if it gives me unique movement options (Lei Wulong in the Tekken series, for instance, where he is able to lie on the ground). Speed, while nice, isn't as important.

In RPGs, I go with classes that are simpler to handle in general (magic-based classes often have way too many things to keep track of for my liking). I favor dexterity more often than not, though play classes not necessarily ideal (such as a weak, but dexterous fighter, instead of a rogue). I tend to play human as well.

In driving games, I surprisingly go for the top-speed, heavy-hitting tough cars (Wario in Mario Kart, the taxi in San Fransisco Rush, Fire Stingray in F-Zero).

In the Jedi Knight games (a class all of its own), I like to go sabers instead of guns, and the sort of matches (and mods/games) that best emulate the feel of epic saber-dueling. I tend to prefer single-blade over the other kinds, though the others have their perks at times.

I'm split when it comes to playing either good or evil, if all game and story elements are equal, and I like playing as both.

I laughed.

Haha, yeah, well, there's no such thing really as "finesse" with a gun. There's differences in distance and strength pretty much, and the shotgun is just such a good all-purpose, dependable weapon in most FPSes. Guns associated with finesse (dual pistols) aren't good because of the gun, but because of the freedom it gives to do crazy dexterity moves with them.

The portal gun in the Portal mod is going to be one of my favorite because it IS a gun that essentially makes someone more dexterous. It's virtually a near pinnacle acheivement of what I like in my videogaming trends.

remember, i said i mostly play rpgs, I dont know wat im talking about on other games

I usually prefer chicks. I like having boobs.
Also, I'm more of the speed type than brute strength.
I don't like to snipe, unless it's with a rocket launcher or similar. It's more fun, in that defeating the purpose kind of way.
I hate vehicles.
Energy sword + shotgun in Halo 2. Says it all, really.
Any type of grenade that sticks to people is fun
In MMO's I prefer to be a Monk or Rogue. I hate being primary tank, but I love doing damage. (I miss EQ D:)
I've tried doing both good and evil, but I prefer Chaotic Neutral as far as it goes. Lawful good is kinda lulz when I play D&D.
In JK games, I prefer dual sabers because I like twirling around like some sort of amphetamine addicted acrobat, but people keep pwning me online with strong stlye so I think I have to rethink my strategery.
Also, if the game has an option/mod for blood or gore, I usually implement it, such as JA's Light Katana mod.

I don't think I missed anything.

Edit: I missed something. Jiggly parts > Dangly parts.

It's funny how many people here prefer to play as a female character in games. A friend of mine steadfastly refuses to play as a woman. I think he's insecure.

I change my main FPS occasionally. Right now it's Gears of War.

I adore making peoples skull's explode with the longshot. It's even better when they don't know where I am, or they are moving. It's especially good when they are running, or rolling, or ducking all around the cover, and their head just vanishes.

Oddly enough, I enjoy pulling out the shotgun and getting right in their face just as much. They explode into such nice meaty chunks.

Given an option, I always choose to play as a male character. Helps to identify with the character.

I usually don't have problems identifying with characters of different sex, race or the shape of anus, it kind of makes the gaming experience more fresh and fun to identify with someone with different aspects. And imagination is pretty nifty in those cases too.

In RPGs, I always play a human character when possible, and a guy on my first playthough. I also tend to make the choices I actually would make, which usually results in me playing a good character. I say "usually" because in DX:IW it resulted in me getting fed up being manipulated and just killing everyone.

On subsequent playthoughs, I'll play a character who's less like me.

I'm equally comfortable with the "shotgun to the face" and "rifle headshot from 1 km" styles of play.

I don't think sex has any impact on relating to a character. Just about any story is going to be dealing with the same emotions regardless of gender. The only difference would be, if any, in how the character expresses or deals with those emotions, which is mostly dictated by social norms anyway. I'm sure everyone probably sees this differently, though.

And besides, playing video games is all about doing something you wouldn't/couldn't normally do in real life. I think if you're going to use a shotgun to redecorate a room with someone's innards, why not do it as a hot chick?