In this context, my true nature must have a serious multiple personality disorder. I can and do enjoy Paladins, Warriors, Clerics, Rangers, Mages, Sorcerors, Thieves, Artificers, etc.
I like to tank, melee damage, ranged damage, magic damage/nuke, heal, buff, debuff, scout, hide, and charge. I can play anything from the bloodthirsty Warrior to an almost pacifistic priest, only healing and buffing/debuffing, never harming, even when struck. (Granted, I may use abilities to stop my opponent from doing harm.)
In most video game RPGs, I only play good alignments. Honestly, I have a hard time stomaching evil actions when I am into the story and feel as if it means something. In games like almost any MMO, however, my actions are meaningless. The monster I kill respawns in 10 seconds. The evil player I killed respawns in 5 seconds. The zone I conquered in the name of my noble faction does not actually benefit from it, and must be re-captured 16 times a day.
When actions have no consequences, I am stripped of my typically narrow perspective. I play to have fun. I fill the roles that are needed. I screw around with specs that I normally might not. I play classes that I generally don't have interest in. It's very interesting being a slave to one's own interests. If I truly enjoy the story and I get into it, I have a favourite race. A favourite faction, weapon, class, and alignment, and I stick to that because it's a true favourite of mine. In Baldur's Gate, my entire party is Good, without nearly any exception in my entire life. I love playing as a Paladin, being the living, martial force of Righteousness and Good. That's also because in the story, I feel as if I make a difference. Strip that feeling, and I am without purpose.
Where there was one path before me that I walk upon without ever waivering, there are now many paths that intertwine. I can try to walk one path, but I will cross with many others, thus changing my path forever. Without focus, I am lost...but I'm lost in a different kind of fun. It's an odd realization that I am just beginning to explore in the last year or so of my life.
EDIT: Yes, I like to reiterate. It's a habit that I do not regret, despite it sometimes being an inconvenience.
I agree in principle, but I don't think people are always as clear-cut as to identify with one niche alone. As for me, all my characters end up being aspects of my pesonality. In truth, the more cerebral/scholarly caster classes are more like what I am; whereas dexterous thief-like characters are more like my residual self-image, or what I wish I could be like and mayhap would stand a chance at if I'd been doing martial arts every day since I was a kid.
Even so they represent something of me, and like Anduine I tend to play good characters, and try to respond to situations like I imagine myself doing if it actually happened and I was actually there. If I play evil the immersion goes away and I can't really enjoy it in the same manner.
I perhaps have an ever so slightly different outlook than Shin and Anduine, I rarely play good guys, and if I do, it's normally to get a different perspective on a game I've played countless of times. I don't enjoy playing a good guy, and for the most part don't enjoy the personalities that come with them. I like to keep my opinions open, so almost always play neutral. I like to pick and choose my options without being tied down to the good or evil routes, suppose that makes me an opportunist?
As for class, I almost always pick thief based characters, that again plays into my play style of opportunist. I'm also an artist and feel as if artists are usually shoehorned into being either thieves of bards. In pen and paper DnD I was a rogue, in BG, DA, NWN and IWD I was a rogue. I like the idea of being sneaky and cunning and think that best plays into my personality, I don't like being the centre of attention, or taking any kind of damage, but hell do I like to dish it out! In Halo Reach I always choose the invisibility load out, in Borderlands I played as Lillith, in Dues:Ex I went sneaky all the way.
Invisibility suits me best, when things get heated, let the hired muscle take the hits. I'll sit back and wait for an opportunity to strike when it's best for me.
@Jaxsbudgie: Even though your playstyle easily fits into the CN Rogue category, I could also very easily see your description fitting an evil Assassin.
I'm kind of surprised how a topic like this has gotten so few responses. It's an opportunity for forum members to describe themselves and/or their playing style without getting too personal, and it's a means to really get looks at different perspectives. I, for one, couldn't resist.
I'm constantly looking for ways to keep the game fresh. To do that I play games that are organized around a concept--and that concept will vary tremendously from game to game. I'm seeking to explore the game's nuances, challenge myself in creative ways with it, and to be as creative as possible with it overall.
Beyond just playing the game I've gotten into BG series modding. And I was very active with NWN and NWN2 persistent world development in the past. So I'm tinkering with editors or toolsets, creating characters, and writing dialogues, stories, a lot of lore material.
I think that probably pegs me as expressing the Magician archetype in terms of how I use the game itself.
In terms of 'alignment', according to two tests I've taken I'm either LG or TN. And those alignment descriptions are actually pretty accurate in terms of what is most important to me.
Comments
I like to tank, melee damage, ranged damage, magic damage/nuke, heal, buff, debuff, scout, hide, and charge. I can play anything from the bloodthirsty Warrior to an almost pacifistic priest, only healing and buffing/debuffing, never harming, even when struck. (Granted, I may use abilities to stop my opponent from doing harm.)
In most video game RPGs, I only play good alignments. Honestly, I have a hard time stomaching evil actions when I am into the story and feel as if it means something. In games like almost any MMO, however, my actions are meaningless. The monster I kill respawns in 10 seconds. The evil player I killed respawns in 5 seconds. The zone I conquered in the name of my noble faction does not actually benefit from it, and must be re-captured 16 times a day.
When actions have no consequences, I am stripped of my typically narrow perspective. I play to have fun. I fill the roles that are needed. I screw around with specs that I normally might not. I play classes that I generally don't have interest in. It's very interesting being a slave to one's own interests. If I truly enjoy the story and I get into it, I have a favourite race. A favourite faction, weapon, class, and alignment, and I stick to that because it's a true favourite of mine. In Baldur's Gate, my entire party is Good, without nearly any exception in my entire life. I love playing as a Paladin, being the living, martial force of Righteousness and Good. That's also because in the story, I feel as if I make a difference. Strip that feeling, and I am without purpose.
Where there was one path before me that I walk upon without ever waivering, there are now many paths that intertwine. I can try to walk one path, but I will cross with many others, thus changing my path forever. Without focus, I am lost...but I'm lost in a different kind of fun. It's an odd realization that I am just beginning to explore in the last year or so of my life.
EDIT: Yes, I like to reiterate. It's a habit that I do not regret, despite it sometimes being an inconvenience.
Even so they represent something of me, and like Anduine I tend to play good characters, and try to respond to situations like I imagine myself doing if it actually happened and I was actually there. If I play evil the immersion goes away and I can't really enjoy it in the same manner.
As for class, I almost always pick thief based characters, that again plays into my play style of opportunist. I'm also an artist and feel as if artists are usually shoehorned into being either thieves of bards. In pen and paper DnD I was a rogue, in BG, DA, NWN and IWD I was a rogue. I like the idea of being sneaky and cunning and think that best plays into my personality, I don't like being the centre of attention, or taking any kind of damage, but hell do I like to dish it out! In Halo Reach I always choose the invisibility load out, in Borderlands I played as Lillith, in Dues:Ex I went sneaky all the way.
Invisibility suits me best, when things get heated, let the hired muscle take the hits. I'll sit back and wait for an opportunity to strike when it's best for me.
Don't I sound charming.
I'm kind of surprised how a topic like this has gotten so few responses. It's an opportunity for forum members to describe themselves and/or their playing style without getting too personal, and it's a means to really get looks at different perspectives. I, for one, couldn't resist.
Beyond just playing the game I've gotten into BG series modding. And I was very active with NWN and NWN2 persistent world development in the past. So I'm tinkering with editors or toolsets, creating characters, and writing dialogues, stories, a lot of lore material.
I think that probably pegs me as expressing the Magician archetype in terms of how I use the game itself.
In terms of 'alignment', according to two tests I've taken I'm either LG or TN. And those alignment descriptions are actually pretty accurate in terms of what is most important to me.