Player Types - Wayne Work

Design and Development Analysis
Assignment 5
OCEAN Report
Extraversion
Friendliness
Gregariousness
Assertiveness
Activity Level
Excitement-Seeking
Cheerfulness
Agreeableness
Trust
Morality
Altruism
Cooperation
Modesty
Sympathy
Conscientiousness
Self-Efficacy
Orderliness
Dutifulness
Achievement-Striving
Self-Discipline
Cautiousness
Neuroticism
Anxiety
Anger
Depression
Self-Consciousness
Immoderation
Vulnerability
Openness to Experience
Imagination
Artistic Interests
Emotionality
Adventurousness
Intellect
Liberalism
54
28
23
42
75
81
77
64
70
59
57
80
52
33
65
70
59
63
93
57
24
30
22
38
30
37
59
24
85
94
78
58
45
91
68
Facet Analysis
Extraversion
Gregariousness
Baseball
Baseball is a game of anticipation and is largely a game of 1-2 person bouts of accomplishment that culminate in
a win or loss. At the same time, though, because of these short stints of accomplishment, the team as a whole must
work to bring many of these accomplishments together. Someone with both a high Gregariousness score and a low
score can find a role and enjoyment within a Baseball team. A high scoring person may simply enjoy the company of the
team as a whole and enjoy being part of the team, reveling in the team’s accomplishment over his own. A low scoring
person may likely find less enjoyment in being part of the team as a whole and more enjoyment in the fact that singular
actions are the basis of the game. Other sports such as Soccer and Football ensure that the entire team is playing “as
one” and decisions are based on a team effort to reach the end goal, a win. These sports have a basis in crowd
mentality where both teams have groups working against each other. Baseball, on the other hand, has many singular
positions, each spaced out from the other.
My Gregariousness score is only a 23, showing a very low score. This would make me seem reserved and
avoidant of crowds, which is very true. I only use the example of baseball to prove a point. While I do stay away from
crowds and crowd mentality games such as Football and Soccer, I played baseball for about 12 years and thoroughly
enjoy the singular-based actions of a baseball player. I have played most sports for at least a year of League play and
enjoy baseball the most. I find that it is the only sport that I can get “into the zone” and remove myself from the other
people on the field, especially when in the batter’s box.
Assertiveness
Planetside 2
Planetside 2 is a teamwork oriented first-person shooter. Large-scale battles of possibly 200-300 people could
be on each faction, all in relatively the same battle space, can occur across large multi-base continents. This type of vast
battle-space requires leadership from Squad Leaders and Outfit Leaders to control the zerg effectively and deploy
tactical squads to needed locations on a whim. Whether leading a squad or acting as the point man for a strike team,
people with a high Assertiveness level can find multiple roles to fulfill if they so wish. This is, of course, a game where
multiple types of people/personalities can excel depending on their level of involvement. Those people who put
themselves forward the most tend to have the most success, especially when it comes to taking down strategic targets.
While this game is highly playable as a high Assertive person, people with low levels of Assertiveness can find roles that
they can fulfill but may not be nearly as successful as those with high Assertive levels.
My assertiveness score is only a 42 and is considered average by the OCEAN test. I find this to be about right
simply because I do not assert myself in all aspects of the game. This game presents a much focused aspect of
Assertiveness for me that I detailed in the previous paragraph. I don’t tend to lead squads very often, but I am always
one of the first people to hit a target. Whether I am trying to take a base, take down a spawn point, or simply lay down
fire on the enemy, I am always pressing the attack forward. I find myself greatly enjoying this aspect of the game much
more so than playing as any of the support roles that the game provides. My assertiveness in the game is a boon to my
squad and surrounding friendlies as I have a rather nasty knack for taking down enemy spawn points. At the same time,
I let others lead the squad and simply provide my skills as a shock trooper for the squad.
Activity Level
R-Type (all games in the series)
The R-type series games are considered a side-scrolling “bullet hell” type game. These games require an
extreme amount of movement and attentiveness to everything on the screen all at once. Bullet hell games of all types,
whether they are side-scrolling, single-room, or, however, the level transitions occur, are high attractive to people with a
high Activity Level score. People with a high score tend to move and do tasks at a faster pace than people with a low
score, which is required of these bullet hell type games. Any amount of slowing down, losing track of where your
character is amongst the fray or reduction in bullet spray results in getting yourself killed. People with a low Activity
Level score would likely find this type of game hard to play or concentrate on because of the need to track and move as
quickly and efficiently as possible while still completing objectives.
My Activity Level score is a 75, which is considered high on the OCEAN scale. This correlates well to my
enjoyment of these types of games. I rather enjoy the bullet hell type games and even used to play Smash TV for the
NES back when I was a kid. The latest bullet hell type games that I have been playing was one that was presented in
another class called Super Crate Box and another from my PS Plus subscription called Resogun (much like R-type). I tend
to treat a lot of games like this, generally playing classes in RPGs such as Rogues that require a high level of movement
and positioning to push the highest Damage output and class efficiency.
Excitement-Seeking
Planetside 2
The large-scale battles in Planetside 2 are some of the most intense and wild first-person shooter fights a player
could ever get into. It is possible for upwards for 300 people or more, between three factions, to clash at a single base
and wrestle for control. To capture a base, a faction must hold the capture points for a specified amount of time. At the
same time, tank columns are rolling around the base attempting to cordon off areas and gain ground, fighter jets are
strafing tanks and enemies and engaging in aerial combat, and infantry are pouring from spawn points fighting their way
to each capture point. The intensity of such battles can be quite a rush, especially for the winning team. Someone with
a high Excitement-Seeking score would revel in such battles, changing from tanks to aircraft to infantry depending on
the situation. These players thoroughly enjoy the graphic explosions of tanks blowing up because of rocket fire, aircraft
falling from the sky because of AA, and infantry dropping left and right. The intensity remains at a high level simply
because of the relatively quick respawn timers and the ability for players to bring mobile spawn points to the battlefield.
Someone with a low Excitement-Seeking score might find the intensity of these battles to be unnerving or overwhelming
because of the vast array of movement and combat around them. These people likely might stay in the background and
provide support roles or simply go elsewhere to find smaller battles.
My Excitement-Seeking score is high, at 81, and this would certainly correlate with my love for the large-scale
battles. I especially find the infantry game to be even more exciting than the vehicle or aircraft game. Though, I do
enjoy a good air assault mission onto an enemy spawn point, guns, rockets, and C4 blazing. There is also a day-night
cycle in the game that provides a light show like no other when a large battle gets rolling at night. This also correlates
well with my real life as I was Army Infantry and did things like air assault missions into known enemy territory. Though,
I did not expect my Excitement-Seeking score to be as high mainly because, other than the Army, I do not necessarily go
looking for extreme sports opportunities or other excitement/adrenaline activities.
Agreeableness
Trust
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes is a newer MOBA style game, like League of Legends, created by Blizzard. It has the same premise as any
other MOBA game where two teams of five players face off against each other. Each team attempts to destroy the
other team’s towers and main base to win the game. Because there are only five players on each team, each player
must rely on the other players to fulfill their role in the team. Trusting in a player’s other teammates is a necessity as a
player simply cannot be in every path on the map at the same time. Players with a high Trust level may find this game
very frustrating depending on the skill level of their teammates. A high Trust player would likely rely greatly on his
teammates to lock down their paths. Though, if anything goes wrong or the player’s teammates cannot hold their own,
a high Trust player may find themselves running ragged around the map trying to pick up the slack. This would wear a
player out and likely cause them to dislike the game, especially if the team they get is bad on multiple maps in a row. At
the same time, though, if the high Trust player’s team is very good they may enjoy the game quite a bit. It is hard to say
what a low Trust level person may do in a game like this. In my opinion, they may find themselves doing much the same
as someone with a high trust level and a bad team. A low Trust player may inherently run from path to path attempting
to pick up the slack, even if it is not needed. This might affect all other players on the player’s team as they may not
need the help, and the low Trust player’s path may likely fail.
My Trust level is high, at 70, and I do find Heroes of the Storm enjoyable in short bursts. It is highly dependent
on how skilled my team is, though. If I get a good string of teams, then I find myself enjoying the game much more than
if I get a string of bad teams. Sadly, it only ever seems to be one or the other so my playtime for the game is much lower
than it might be for someone with an average Trust level. I tend to watch over the map very little, focus on my path,
and trust in my teammates to work their paths. If I can’t do this because of a bad team or an excellent enemy team, I
find the game much less enjoyable. I have to worry about the other paths too much to work my own.
Cooperation
World of Warcraft
The first end-game raids in WoW were large, 40 man raids. Player stats were low at this time in the game, and
synergy between classes was not as automated as it is now. Specifically, player buffs were largely only available to
specific classes and did not share with other classes. For example, only Paladins had an “All Stats” buff that was crucial
for some of the early stages of WoW raiding guilds. Because of the lack of automated synergy and player “power”,
cooperation between players was even more crucial than it is now. The game has progressed well, and raids are more
about strategic use of cooldowns, killing targets efficiently and avoiding incoming damage (boss AoEs). Regardless of the
playstyle, though, every player in an end-game raid has to work together. This is even truer if players are doing the
Mythic raids (currently the highest difficulty setting for raids that gives bosses more damage and abilities). High
Cooperation level players find end-game raids to be highly enjoyable. They enjoy the teamwork required to complete
the raids objectives and kill bosses, and they find more enjoyment in the teamwork aspect than the actual boss kill.
Players with a low Cooperation skill likely do not enjoy raiding at all, at any level and play more of the solo content in the
game. While some other aspects or games may have something for a low Cooperation level person, it is extremely
important that everyone in a raid be useful and work together. Low Cooperation level players do not find much of a role
or place within a raid group.
I thoroughly enjoy the raiding aspect of WoW (and most other MMORPGs), and this would directly correlate to
my high Cooperation score of 80. A couple of other of my scores tend to take over at the same time, though, because I
certainly like to defeat bosses and earn loot from them. Regardless, I enjoy nothing more in these games to hang out on
Ventrilo or Teamspeak and chat away with my raid group while we run through a raid zone. The comradery, so to speak,
is highly apparent in some people, especially those who are always in the raid.
Sympathy
Eve Online
One of the many aspects of aspects of this game is the notion of “Null Sec” zones. These are zones where there
are no NPC police or law enforcement to help you if another player attacks you. As this game is a fully 100% PvP game
with elements of PvE mixed in for good measure, a player can be attacked nearly anywhere in the game at a moment’s
notice. The various ways of protecting yourself from being attacked are too lengthy to explain here, but just know that
these ways are vast. Safe warp points, cross-galaxy warp points, space stations, radar, and other methods are all
available to the player, provided they have the means to use them. Those without the means should likely stay in higher
security zones and certainly not travel into “null sec” zones. Eve is also a huge community, and one that largely works
together to complete objectives or fulfill business and manufacturing roles. When it is all said and done, each player
must use the means available to them and do so intelligently. In doing this, they will improve their chances of staying
alive and not be forced to waste money buying new ships and equipment because they were careless. In regards to the
Sympathy facet, high sympathy players in Eve are usually those who give out ships to beginners or people who have
recently lost theirs. These players do their best to “help” less fortunate players, especially after a huge PvP battle.
Players with a low Sympathy score do nothing of the sort. Their usual response to the loss of a ship is “go buy a new
one”, and if you do not have the money to do so, then they usually answer with “go make some then”. These low
Sympathy players do not feel for players who lose ships or are killed, possibly because it is simply the nature of the
game. The entire world of Eve is one big PvP playground and by simply logging into the game, a player is acknowledging
the risk of death and loss.
I have an average Sympathy score, at 33 (though I think that would be a low score). I can only say that this is
about right when it comes to how I feel about PvP and death in Eve. The game is a brutal place, and there is no excuse
for carelessness. This is the developer’s intention as well, not just a side-effect of player interactions. I farm enemy
territories and maintain a stockpile of ships and equipment just in case I do lose a ship. My wife would concur with this
score as well as I have an overall low sympathy level across the board, either in-game or out.
Conscientiousness
Self-Efficacy
Planetside 1
While I do have Planetside 2 listed elsewhere, the two games are extremely different in how they handle
teamwork and self-efficacy. In Planetside 2, teamwork is highly encouraged, and classes require each other to survive
(very limited personal healing capabilities). In Planetside 1, Self-Efficacy can be built into the player’s loadout without
the need for other people. Medical and Repair kits/guns can be part of a player’s loadout so that the player never has to
call for another person’s help to maintain their health and armor. The only requirement for healing is that you must be
able to avoid damage enough to heal and repair yourself (which only takes about 8-10 seconds). Players with a high
Self-Efficacy score would find the ability to self-heal in a quick timeframe very important and would excel at maintaining
their health in the game. Just the opposite, players with a low Self-Efficacy score tend to be more reliant on other
people, either their squad or other friendlies, and do not excel in firefights. This is especially true if a low Self-Efficacy
person is working alone in the game.
My Self-Efficacy score is rather high, at 70, and this would certainly play well with my playstyle in Planetside 1. I
was a solo player or small squad player, hardly ever having a full squad of 10 people. Regardless of our numbers,
though, we were self-efficient enough to be able to hold off numbers 2-3x our size with relative ease. The members of
the small group that I ran with were all some of the most self-efficient players we could find. This attribute certainly
plays well off of each other as it allowed us to hit multiple enemies or locations at once, at the same time, and live to
continue the fight.
Orderliness
World of Warcraft (or any MMO)
A large part of playing a large-scale game like World of Warcraft is the ability of a person to work through
complex rotations of skills. Someone who has a high Orderliness skill will be able to layout their skills on their action
bars in a fashion that they can easily remember or visually queue their rotations. A highly orderly person will place their
skills in a 1-2-3 fashion, especially as a DPS or Tank. This placement is to ensure that they can mentally track the skill
they just used and the one they need to use next without looking at the keyboard or their action bars at all. Someone
with a low Orderliness skill would likely not place their action bars in an efficient manner and, in turn, would be
exponentially less efficient in this aspect than someone with a high Orderliness skill. While this may not seem like an
important part of an MMORPG, skill rotations are extremely important to be able to do much of the high-end content.
There are other aspects of MMOs that a high Orderliness skill would help, and a low Orderliness skill would hinder.
These aspects include crafting, material collection/gathering, and any timed function or event in the game. A high
Orderliness skill allows a player to manage their time and player space (bags and bank) better, as well as improves their
monetary returns. A person of low Orderliness is much less efficient overall in these areas.
My Orderliness score is a 59 which is only considered to be average. This correlates well as I am only orderly in
my head. In the aspect of skill rotations and being as efficient as possible with them, I am highly orderly for my uses, but
it would likely scare somebody to see how my action bars are laid out. My orderliness comes from placing actions on my
bars as I get them and playing through my rotations enough that everything becomes muscle memory. At the same
time, I am orderly in my crafting and materials, so I make a good return on investment. Though, I am not nearly as
orderly as I should be, by choice, so that I could make an exceptional return on investments. I do not have the extra
time to maintain the orderliness required to excel at everything in an MMO, so I tend to be highly orderly in DPS and
Tank rotations but much less so in other areas.
Dutifulness
Icewind Dale
Icewind Dale is a game built on the same engine as the Baldur’s Gate series. While the Baldur’s Gate series
forces players into picking and choosing characters as they play the game, Icewind Dale lets the player create an entire
party at the beginning of the game. This character creation style, along with Icewind Dale being extremely dependent
on story and D&D rulesets, allows for a player with a high Dutifulness skill to create characters and follow the storyline
as a “Lawful” type group regardless of how the storyline is built. For those who don’t follow D&D rules, this type of
group, especially when it involves Paladins, are the epitome of the term “Duty”. A person with a high dutifulness score
would likely create a Paladin as the leader of their party and play the game picking the most lawful, and altruistic storybased decisions they can. These decisions would lead the player along the “high road”, so to speak, and likely provide
them with high standing amongst leadership roles and town governments. On the other hand, someone with a low
Dutifulness score would likely create characters such as Rogues and Thieves that rely on trickery and concealment in
conversation. These decisions would likely bring the player into the game’s “underground” crowd and present them
options that are not so morally correct such as assassinations and thievery. Regardless, people of both ends of the
spectrum could find enjoyment in the game simply because the game has a lot to offer in both character choices and
story decisions. Some items and storylines are only found by going down the “high road” or the “underground”, but
both cannot be done at the same time.
My Dutifulness score is average, at a 63. This mostly fits the playstyle I have in Icewind Dale (and most other
RPGs). I like to have a Paladin as my front-runner character and play through the story as an altruistic, lawful type. I
almost always pick the high road in story-based decisions and do so in every playthrough of the game regardless of how
much I want to try and follow other paths. At the same time, I always have one or more rogue-type characters in my
party specifically for Sneak Attack style gameplay where it is needed. This carries through in many other games as well.
In World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy games, I always play Paladin type characters and find myself in a more dutiful
“mode” because they are always tank type characters. At the same time, I think my Activity Level takes control a lot
(which lowers my Dutifulness score) because I always have a Rogue type character because of the complexity of the
classes. Despite this, my Dutifulness score is a bit lower than I expected if nothing else but because of my time in the
U.S. Army and my high sense of morality.
Neuroticism
Anxiety
Bioshock
Bioshock is a game built on toying with the player’s anxiety levels. Whether the game is trying to scare the
player’s pants off or confuse them with puzzles, the game has an air of intensity about it that makes you jump at every
turn. Every turn and every corner is likely to hold some creepy bad guy waiting to try and chop your head off or burn the
player alive. Players with a high Anxiety level may find this game (and most other horror genre games) too much for
their hearts to handle. With the sheer amount of enemies that seemingly pop out of nowhere, a high Anxiety person
likely may not even be able to play the game let alone finish it. Though, Bioshock may not be as scary as some other
horror genre games, it certainly has a well-written story and artistic ambiance about it that aims to push anxiety levels to
the limit. Someone with a high Anxiety level might find more enjoyment in the game if they are the type of person the
likes to be scared and have their buttons pushed. Someone with a low Anxiety level will likely not be nearly as affected
by the ambiance of the game and the horror themes in the game. These players will likely focus more on the storyline
and play the game simply to finish it. They might also be a bit bored of the game. The game is a bit slow and relies
heavily on its horror theme and “pop-out” enemies to toy with the player.
I did not enjoy this game nearly as much as other games like Dragon Age (even though they are made by the
same developer). I tend not to like the horror genre as much as I have a low Anxiety level of 22 according to the OCEAN
test. As I said, the game is a bit slow for me, and there is simply not enough action and excitement in it to keep my
attention for very long. Though, I believe my anxiety level has gone down between the time I played this game the first
time and my most recent times. My initial playthrough of the game, some years ago, had me jumping, and a bit scared
at some points of the “pop out” enemy style. The game was intriguing and scary then, but recently it has simply been a
bit boring because of the lack of action in the game.
Anger
Call of Duty series – multiplayer
The term “camping” is a word that can instantly boil an FPS player’s blood with even the slightest mention, let
alone if the action is occurring in a game the player is in. Camping consists of sitting in one spot, usually with a Sniper
Rifle or other powerful, quick time-to-kill weapon, and simply dropping people before they have a chance to get
anywhere. This nasty term has been debated over and over on if it is “morally right” within a game. People are kicked
from servers, called hackers, and other rather nasty names that I won’t put in this paper for even seeming like they are
camping. This occurs even more vehemently if the player is “camping” a spawn point. People with a high Anger level
are usually the first ones to start conflicts over voice communication channels, yelling and calling people names for
“camping”. These people are also the first ones to storm off, leave the server, or quit the game altogether. High Anger
people can almost be attributed to the same type of anger that is displayed by people with a lot of road-rage issues.
Low Anger people will likely simply ignore the person doing the “camping” or get around them somehow. These low
Anger people will also be the ones that stick with the match in an attempt to overcome, and also are much less violent
towards the so-called “campers”. The main issue here is that “camping” is a relative term. High Anger people tend to
blow up on people if they even perceive something as “camping”, whether it is or not.
My Anger score is rather low, at 38, and this correlates well to how I handle situations with “campers”. My
usual rule is to simply avoid, outmaneuver, and eliminate the “camper”. Very rarely do I insult or attack people in these
situations as it simply does nothing and turns the match toxic for everyone. While I do get annoyed by people who truly
are “camping” it is also a valid tactic for controlling infantry movement, and I can’t be mad at that.
Depression
Final Fantasy 7
Losing a character in any game can be annoying, especially if the character is fun to play. Whether it is because
the character is only part of a certain story aspect, runs off on their own, or only shows up to help out, a character
becoming unplayable isn’t the end of the world. These characters are usually side-characters and are considered
expendable to most players because of their limited involvement in the main portion of the game. Losing Aeris in Final
Fantasy 7, though, was a serious hit to many players. Very rarely (and I can think of none before I played FF7) does such
a high profile, main character get removed from the player’s repertoire. Even rarer is the fashion in which Aeris is lost to
the player; by being murdered. Characters like Aeris are core to many player’s enjoyment of the game, and losing them
can seriously detract from the rest of the game’s “fun”. A player with a high Depression score may likely become
completely jaded with the game when the cutscene where Aeris dies occurs. Her death is prominent, immediate, and in
the player’s face. High Depression players may even simply stop playing the game because their favorite character is
gone. On the other hand, low Depression players may not even care. These people likely don’t get as attached to the
characters of the game as high Depression scorers do, and thus, don’t have issues with characters leaving the storyline.
My first experience with Final Fantasy 7 was quite a few years ago, but I can still remember the cutscene when
Aeris is killed. Despite this, I did not have much of a reaction to it at the time, and still don’t to this day. My low
Depressions score of 30 follows suit with this lack of feeling. It is possible that I simply don’t get as involved with the
characters of some games as I do with others (as is the case in Ace Combat 5 in another part of this paper). Aeris was a
rather boring character to play, was weak, had only half-decent special attacks, and was not a part of my standard party
in any run of the game I used to do. I also do not have much of a depressive attitude or state of mind in real life, so this
score matches well.
Self-Consciousness
Call of Duty series – multiplayer
There is a certain aspect of multiplayer that could be construed as detrimental to the receiving players psyche.
This aspect would be the kill-cams that play every time a player dies, and especially for the final kill of a match. The killcams played for every death are not as bad, but they still show the player how they died. This can make players with a
high Self-Consciousness score cringe, especially if the death was caused by something stupid (like the player’s grenade,
etc.) The kill-cam that plays at the end of a match showing the final death of the game is especially humiliating to the
dead player for the same reasons. This kill-cam shot is played to the entire match, making it exponentially more
humiliating. Players with a high Self-Consciousness score likely attempt to immediately skip the kill-cams when possible
and go right to the respawn or loadout screen. Players with a low Self-Consciousness score will watch the kill-cams and
likely laugh at the ridiculous deaths that occur during the game. They may also try and inflict those same deaths on
other players just to see if they can replicate the action for “kicks”.
I have a relatively low Self-Consciousness score, at 37, and this correlates well to this aspect of multiplayer FPS
games. I usually find most of the death animations and methods rather amusing, and end up kicking myself in the rear
for getting killed in such a manner. This is especially true if the death was because of my weapons or fault. I use the killcams to see what I did wrong or what tactic the enemy used to kill me and attempt to avoid it and improve in the next
run.
Immoderation
Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 is a game full of bad guys, crazy weapons, flamethrowers, exploding things, and various
implementations of mass destruction. These implementations are further embellished by special Skeleton Keys that let
the player unlock super rare weapons and shields. These are even further embellished by the 10+ expansion packs and
additions to the game, not including the dozens of skin packs for every character in the game. This add-on bonus pack
frenzy is a more recent occurrence in the market. Its aim is to milk as much money as possible out of the game without
having to add fully-fleshed out content or MMO style expansion packs (a la WoW, EQ, EQII, etc.) This leads high
Immoderation players to pull out their wallets every time a new bonus pack comes out. Though these purchases may be
only a few dollars up to $20 or so, a multitude of them very quickly adds up to more than what the game itself cost. This
add-on spending model is highly prevalent in Free-to-Play MMO games like Neverwinter and other games with in-game,
real money stores. Low Immoderation players can control their urges to buy everything in the store all at once. These
low Immoderation players spend less money than high Immoderation players do on games as a result.
I have an average Immoderation level, at 59. This would suggest that I would indulge my urges to buy add-ons
and bonus packs most of the time, and it would be correct. Though, it is highly dependent on the game. When I first got
Borderlands 2 and reached max level in the original version of the game, I immediately bought every add-on pack in a
Steam Holiday bundle. In Neverwinter, I bought the highest level founders pack in the Beta stage of the game because it
gave the most “stuff”. I almost always buy Collector’s Edition versions of games now, as well. In Planetside 2 I toss $20
here and there at the game to be able to purchase new weapons and other items. At the same time, though, I almost
never spend real money on in-game items that are perishable. If I am going to spend money on something, I want to be
able to keep it forever. I won’t spend money on things like consumable experience potions and other pointless
perishables.
Openness to Experience
Imagination
Minecraft
This game is an open-world sandbox where the player can do anything (to some extent). It has a very basic
crafting system, a simple building system, and a relatively novel power system used to power switches and such. It also
has no true objectives to speak of. The game entirely left up to the imagination of the player in what they want to do
and build. Players with a high Imagination score love this game. They can build anything, make anything, and do
anything they want. Entire communities have been built on the most random, player-made worlds and content. Players
with a low Imagination score will likely not find this game interesting at all. There’s nothing in the game to “do”, so to
speak, and a player with a low Imagination score likely would not want to think up and make their content.
I had to mention this game under Imagination simply because of how high my Imagination score is, at 94, and
how much I simply despise the game. The game is novel to a point, but I require objectives and direction in most cases.
I enjoy finding creative ways to solve a problem instead of finding creative ways to make seemingly useless content. My
7-year-old son plays this game for hours on end, but I simply cannot. The complete lack of focus and direction in the
game is, I think, my main issue with the game. I would rather crack open my D&D board games or some pen and paper
and use my Imagination in that capacity.
Artistic Interests
Guitar Hero (any in the series)
This game is a direct relation to Artistic Interests, putting a guitar into the player’s hands (literally) and turning
them into a musician, so to speak. Guitar Hero attempts to make the musical world more appealing and accessible by
making a simple version of a guitar and simpler means of creating music. This allows the player to play or create songs
without having to learn how to play an actual guitar that takes much longer than learning Guitar Hero. Someone with a
high Artistic Interests level would likely enjoy this game as long as they are someone who likes to physically take part in
art or music. Someone who simply enjoys listening to music might not enjoy the game as much because the player can
create a cacophony of bad music if they are bad at the game. Someone with a low Artistry Level might enjoy this game
more like a “game” instead of a musical interface simply because the game has fun gameplay. In either case, a low or
high score, the player’s enjoyment of the game would largely be based on how much they enjoy Rock music, though.
The majority of songs in the game are in the Rock genre that includes Classic 70s and 80s, 90s Rock, Hard Rock, and
other mid-level rock genres. There is very little for anyone who does not like the Rock genre, but the game might also
be a fun introduction to Rock for those people. The fun gameplay and competitiveness of high scores could entice
players of all backgrounds.
Most friends I have like Guitar Hero for the music and the fun aspects of the game. I, for the most part, don’t
enjoy the game nearly as much as I enjoy playing a real guitar. I learned to play years before the game came out and
would rather play that then the “dumbed down” version. A high Artistic Level score of 78 would likely attribute to this
feeling. I do very much enjoy the Rock genre and nearly every song in all of the Guitar Hero games, but I simply cannot
get a “feel” for the games. The fun just isn’t there for me, possibly because the games feel boring. This boredom likely
comes from my knowing how a real guitar plays and works, how it sounds, and, most importantly, how it “feels” in my
hands. This last piece of knowledge is something I cannot get past when attempting to play the game.
Emotionality
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
Throughout the game, there is an undertone that is hard to comprehend unless you have been through the fires
of war. It is also a very hard feeling to accept by anyone who doesn’t understand. The game has four main characters,
pilots by the monikers Blaze (the player), Edge, Chopper, and Archer. All four of these pilots start off as recruits-intraining in the first mission and progress to fully-fledged Aces by mid-game. From mid-game to the end of the game,
they are the tide turners of the war. Between each mission, there is a series of three verses that show during the load
screens. These verses make up what is called the “Razgriz Poem” in the game. These verses may seem like just a poem
to many players, but it tells the story of how war is a “forever thing” that rises, falls, and rises again. It also relates to the
characters in the story and how they evolved from fresh recruits into what the enemies call them, the “Demons of
Razgriz”. At about halfway through the game, Chopper is shot down and killed. A player with a low Emotionality score
may simply breeze through the game, accept Chopper’s death, and not find meaning in the Razgriz poem. The game is
still a great flying action game regardless of the story or the depth of meaning that the player understands. On the other
hand, players with a high Emotionality score may find the game greatly more interesting because of the undertones
described above. The characters take on a life of their own through the poem and storytelling, and it is quite an
experience when and how Chopper dies in the game. (Think of the depth of meaning in Final Fantasy 7 when Aeris dies).
I have played this game many times since it came out and not until recently, after being in the military, did I fully
appreciate the depth of the Razgriz poem and the characters. I only have an average Emotionality score of 58 which
makes it look a bit surprising that I would have such a reaction to the story in the game. I would say my score correlates
well, though, only because I have relative experience in military service. In my initial plays of the game, before my
service, I was a bit taken back by Chopper’s death. I was not so taken by the storyline, though. I more enjoyed the game
as an action flight game instead of enjoyed it for the story as well. Now, as I play the game, the depth of the characters
has a much greater meaning to me, and I relate more to the comradery displayed by the characters. There are a few
other games where my Emotionality score would seem low as I do tend to react to storylines and events more. At the
same time, though, these reactions are few and far between and usually only specific to a certain character or storyline
and not in a broad spectrum.
"Amidst the eternal waves of time, From a ripple of change shall the storm rise,
Out of the abyss peer the eyes of a demon, Behold the Razgriz, its wings of black
sheath!"
― Part 1 of the Razgriz Poem
"The Demon soars through dark skies, Fear and death trail in its shadow beneath,
Until men united wield a hallowed sabre. In final reckoning, the beast is slain"
― Part 2 of the Razgriz Poem
"As the Demon sleeps man turns on man, His blood and madness soon cover the
earth, From the depths of despair awaken the Razgriz, Its black wings ablaze in
majestic light"
― Part 3 of the Razgriz Poem
Intellect
Hearthstone
Hearthstone is a virtual trading card game built by Blizzard, the company who makes World of Warcraft. The
game is explicitly dependent on the characters and abilities from WoW and uses much of the same artists and artwork
as WoW does. One of the major selling points to the game is that players can buy virtual packs of cards to add to their
collection. These cards are required to build different decks to play the game. Hearthstone has some very heavy rockpaper-scissors playstyles where certain decks or classes completely outshine others. A good player will build a deck to
fit his or her most urgent need, especially if they are playing through the raids in the game. These raids are highly
tailored to beat any player who has not taken the time or money to collect cards and build new decks. Stock decks
simply won’t work. A person with a high Intellect score would see deck-building as almost a larger part of the game than
the actual gameplay itself. These people could likely spend hours building, testing, and refining a deck much like they
would if they were working through a particularly challenging puzzle game. Someone with a low Intellect score would
likely not take the time to create and refine decks to be as efficient as possible. These people would most likely just
throw together a deck that fits a theme or something along those lines, but not one that is tailored to beat the current
encounter.
I have played Hearthstone a bit, and while I would love to be able to tailor a deck to each encounter, I simply do
not have the time to do so. I also am not going to spend the hundreds of dollars it would take to gather enough cards to
be able to do so. My high Intellect score of 91 would suggest that I would build decks for each encounter, and this
would be correct if it were not for my more practical side. I enjoy the game enough to toy with the decks and cards that
I do have, but I do not enjoy it so much that I would spend large amounts of money on the game. I would possibly be
much more into the game if I had more time to play, and would certainly build decks to defeat specific encounters in the
game’s current raids.
Liberalism
Grand Theft Auto (entire series)
This series of games takes Liberalism to its far extents. The sheer disregard for rules, law, values, and basic
sanity that players condone in this game is surprisingly sadistic. The game is built on breaking as many possible rules as
the player can before getting caught by the police. Even then, it doesn’t matter as there are no true penalties in the
game. The kind of sheer chaos that occurs in a standard run of any GTA game could be quite entertaining to someone
with a high Liberalism score, especially if their Morality scores are low. High Liberalism players can enjoy a disregard of
all rules, largely because the main objectives of the game are to complete bank robberies, heists, assassinations and so
on. Someone with a very low Liberalism score would likely not enjoy any aspect of this game because there are simply
no rules to abide by. There is honestly nothing in these games that would appeal to a low Liberalism player, at all.
I have a slightly above average Liberalism score, at 68. This would suggest that I would enjoy the free roam,
lawless world that GTA contains. This would be extremely wrong, though. For the most part, I find no enjoyment in
these games at all. They are boring to me, even with all of the excitement-seeking and adventurousness components of
the game. I attribute this to my average Morality score, but in regards to my Liberalism, I do enjoy a good free roam
world. At the same time, though, I like to have various objectives and have a naturally “good” moral code that precludes
me from taking enjoyment in the gameplay of GTA. I take no pleasure in playing a main character that is overall a “bad
guy”.
Personal OCEAN Relation
After going through all of these game entries and looking over my OCEAN score rather thoroughly, I would say
that it does a pretty decent job of reflecting my general personality. There are one or two facets that I think are low,
such as Friendliness, and one or two that I think are a bit high, such as Liberalism. Overall, though, I think it does a very
good job of reflecting my state of mind in both games and reality. For example, in most RPG games I do tend to be the
altruistic and lawful type. I also play the role of “big brother” a lot with my friends, and tend to make the most moral
decisions of the group. I play a lot of Paladin type classes, follow most all of the rules, and try and help everyone I can.
At the same time, though, I love to play Rogue classes if nothing else but for the challenge they provide. Almost all of
the facets match well across multiple genres of games as well. My FPS experience plays off of the Extraversion and
Neuroticism facets very well while my RPG experience plays off of the Openness to Experience facets very closely.