What follows is casual research; I'm trying to get a more solid grip on a whole lot of things, and I'd like you to tell me about your gaming.

So, if you're willing, there's a poll for all of this, and a whole huge stack of questions below.  Answer as many, or as few, as you like.  It's quite possible that some of the questions will strike you as being "near to" the things you enjoy, but not actually quite on the mark; where that happens, I'd love to hear you talk about what it is that you're actually getting out of play rather than having you try to shoehorn yourself into these question-categories.

If your answers to these questions would normally start with "it depends on the game"...   please answer them with regards to your favorite, or most-commonly-played, game.

I'm also likely to be interested in asking follow-up questions, so if you do go through this whole thing, and you're still willing to have me dig into your brain, check back in a few days.

1. Catharsis: Do you enjoy feelings of emotional release that follow after identifying with your character as they undergo tragic or painful events?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

2. Contentment: Do you take enjoyment from times when a character or a series of fictional events in an RPG ends is a satisfying way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

3. Creative Expression: Do you enjoy creating bits of world, backstory, art, or game fiction, that surround or are included in the game?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

4. Humor: Do you enjoy playing RPGs for laughs (not just social fun, but viewing the game itself as a source of humor)?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

5. Empowerment: Do you enjoy identifying with your character at moments when they are taking actions that you are not free to take, or are not capable of, in reality?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

6. Kairosis: Do you enjoy identifying closely with your character at moments where the character must make defining choices or otherwise take action that changes 'who they are' in some defining way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

7. Fun / Paidal: Do you enjoy times when the group plays for free-wheeling, no-worries-about-the-rules fun, comparable to "play" in the sense of kids goofing around imaginatively?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

8. Fun / Ludus: Do you enjoy times when the group plays to and with the rules, trying focusing on the mechanisms of the game as a source of enjoyment in and of themselves?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

9. Sociability: Do you come to the gaming table to hang out with friends, using the game as a platform for social activity with the other players?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

10. Sensory: Do you take enjoyment from the props of play – with rolling a big handful of dice, with well-painted miniatures, with tossing tokens around, that kind of thing?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

11. Triumph / Fiero: Do you enjoy play where you, as a player, face active and meaningful (in the sense that you could "lose", and badly) opposition at the table, and the thrill of   overcoming it?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

12. Other: Is there some other, specific enjoyment that you get from playing in RPGs?  How central to is it to your enjoyment, and is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount"?

13.  Playstyle: Do all of these goals and the techniques by which you seek them create a whole playstyle that you prefer and can describe?

14.  Game: Does any specific game "best fit" these things?  If so, which one?

Damn.  Polls can't have more than 10 options here.

Paidia, Levi.

PAIDIA

Quote from: Pierce InverarityPaidia, Levi.

PAIDIA

FUCK!

Quote1. Catharsis: Do you enjoy feelings of emotional release that follow after identifying with your character as they undergo tragic or painful events?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No.

Quote2. Contentment: Do you take enjoyment from times when a character or a series of fictional events in an RPG ends is a satisfying way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Satisfying in what way? I'll say rarely.

Quote3. Creative Expression: Do you enjoy creating bits of world, backstory, art, or game fiction, that surround or are included in the game?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

When I GM, yes I enjoy world-building. The right amount is entirely up to me, and does not depend on the game or system.

When I'm a player, I confine my creative input to character sketches.

Quote4. Humor: Do you enjoy playing RPGs for laughs (not just social fun, but viewing the game itself as a source of humor)?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Humour arises naturally out of play. I do not expect a game to encourage humour.

Quote5. Empowerment: Do you enjoy identifying with your character at moments when they are taking actions that you are not free to take, or are not capable of, in reality?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No.

Quote6. Kairosis: Do you enjoy identifying closely with your character at moments where the character must make defining choices or otherwise take action that changes 'who they are' in some defining way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Choices about 'who they are?' No.

Quote7. Fun / Paidal: Do you enjoy times when the group plays for free-wheeling, no-worries-about-the-rules fun, comparable to "play" in the sense of kids goofing around imaginatively?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes. This depends mostly on the group of players. Using a rule-light system helps.

Quote8. Fun / Ludus: Do you enjoy times when the group plays to and with the rules, trying focusing on the mechanisms of the game as a source of enjoyment in and of themselves?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Somewhat. Most of my group has no interest in rules mastery. Again, rules light systems help, and transparency in the cost/reward of making various choices.

Quote9. Sociability: Do you come to the gaming table to hang out with friends, using the game as a platform for social activity with the other players?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes. I play with my life-long close friends. Not much more I can say.

Quote10. Sensory: Do you take enjoyment from the props of play – with rolling a big handful of dice, with well-painted miniatures, with tossing tokens around, that kind of thing?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Somewhat. We like to create an evocative atmosphere with music, and my players all like to draw while we play. We don't go any further than that.

Quote11. Triumph / Fiero: Do you enjoy play where you, as a player, face active and meaningful (in the sense that you could "lose", and badly) opposition at the table, and the thrill of   overcoming it?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Very much so. I like to be presented with dangerous and challenging situations where the penalty for failure is PC death.

Quote12. Other: Is there some other, specific enjoyment that you get from playing in RPGs?  How central to is it to your enjoyment, and is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount"?

Immersion in a fantastic setting. This is absolutely central to the enjoyment of everyone in my group. This is best achieved by reaching consensus on what sort of setting we want to play in, and then cutting down the player chatter when the DM is setting the scene. While talking in character is not necessary, giving some thought to the behaviour of people in this foreign world is important.

Quote13.  Playstyle: Do all of these goals and the techniques by which you seek them create a whole playstyle that you prefer and can describe?

I suppose it creates a unique playstyle - our group is almost entirely cut off from any contact with any other RPG players. If I had to describe it, I'd call it rules-light, immersive, sword and sorcery gaming.

Quote14.  Game: Does any specific game "best fit" these things?  If so, which one?

Our own variant of D&D works well enough, though I have been on the look-out in recent years for a system and setting material that supports our style of play while keeping my workload as the GM manageable. Some contenders are Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying, Talislanta, and True20.

Cool.

Quote from: HaffrungImmersion in a fantastic setting. This is absolutely central to the enjoyment of everyone in my group. This is best achieved by reaching consensus on what sort of setting we want to play in, and then cutting down the player chatter when the DM is setting the scene. While talking in character is not necessary, giving some thought to the behaviour of people in this foreign world is important.

Okay, so I get the body of techniques here, and I get that you call it immersion - but, fuck, a lot of people mean a lot of things by that term (some of them mean "the setup where I get Kairosis/Catharsis/Empowerment", some mean "in flow" with the total experience of play, some mean engrossed like when watching a good movie, some mean "generally identifying with my character", some mean "vividly picturing the action to the point where the real world drops away"....).

So, er, could you define which immersion you mean?  I suspect it's that last one, but I'm not 100%; could be something entirely different yet.

Quote from: Levi KornelsenOkay, so I get the body of techniques here, and I get that you call it immersion - but, fuck, a lot of people mean a lot of things by that term (some of them mean "the setup where I get Kairosis/Catharsis/Empowerment", some mean "in flow" with the total experience of play, some mean engrossed like when watching a good movie, some mean "generally identifying with my character", some mean "vividly picturing the action to the point where the real world drops away"....).

So, er, could you define which immersion you mean?  I suspect it's that last one, but I'm not 100%; could be something entirely different yet.

Levi, see if you can find this book:  Hamlet on the Holodeck: by Janet H. Murray

She calls it the "immersive trance" and the "immersive world".

Quote from: Levi KornelsenWhat follows is casual research; I'm trying to get a more solid grip on a whole lot of things, and I'd like you to tell me about your gaming.

So, if you're willing, there's a poll for all of this, and a whole huge stack of questions below.  Answer as many, or as few, as you like.  It's quite possible that some of the questions will strike you as being "near to" the things you enjoy, but not actually quite on the mark; where that happens, I'd love to hear you talk about what it is that you're actually getting out of play rather than having you try to shoehorn yourself into these question-categories.

If your answers to these questions would normally start with "it depends on the game"...   please answer them with regards to your favorite, or most-commonly-played, game.

I'm also likely to be interested in asking follow-up questions, so if you do go through this whole thing, and you're still willing to have me dig into your brain, check back in a few days.

Cool! Answers follow. Mind that I almost never am a player any more, GMing almost exclusively.

Quote1. Catharsis: Do you enjoy feelings of emotional release that follow after identifying with your character as they undergo tragic or painful events?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Sometimes. It has to be done with a light touch. A heavy handed application of tragedy either gets over the top and becomes amusing instead, or becomes crushingly painful. When we played through Pearl Harbor last weekend, one of my players went out of his way to amuse his fellows with his character's silly antics. This was nicely done and kept the pain from becoming numbing.

Quote2. Contentment: Do you take enjoyment from times when a character or a series of fictional events in an RPG ends is a satisfying way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes, but I may not mean the same thing as you by "satisfying." "We survived" is immensely satisfyng to me. We don't have to "win," in fact it's sometimes better to not win.

Quote3. Creative Expression: Do you enjoy creating bits of world, backstory, art, or game fiction, that surround or are included in the game?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Nope. When I'm GMing, I have no problem with including player input, provided it aligns with what has already been established - in other words I can veto - but as a player I don't do this.

Quote4. Humor: Do you enjoy playing RPGs for laughs (not just social fun, but viewing the game itself as a source of humor)?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No. The furthest I go down this road is a bleak sort of gallows humor. What's strange is I'm not in the least a serious person. Then again I love puns and hate Xanth.

Quote5. Empowerment: Do you enjoy identifying with your character at moments when they are taking actions that you are not free to take, or are not capable of, in reality?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

I don't understand what you mean by this, Levi. Do you mean actions that I can't take because I'm not in the proper situation or not properly trained - i.e. commanding a starship, or do you mean actions I'm not capable of and never could be - i.e. casting a spell? If the first, then yes. If the second, then no.

Quote6. Kairosis: Do you enjoy identifying closely with your character at moments where the character must make defining choices or otherwise take action that changes 'who they are' in some defining way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

It's not central, but yes. Definitely enjoyable. I like coming to a situation and doing what feels right for the character, even if it changes my thoughts about him or her. When I do this, things snap into place better than before. OTOH, I really just enjoy making choices as the character, without thinking them through more than I would in real life.

Quote7. Fun / Paidal: Do you enjoy times when the group plays for free-wheeling, no-worries-about-the-rules fun, comparable to "play" in the sense of kids goofing around imaginatively?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No. I do that in conversation. Play is different.

Quote8. Fun / Ludus: Do you enjoy times when the group plays to and with the rules, trying focusing on the mechanisms of the game as a source of enjoyment in and of themselves?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No.

Quote9. Sociability: Do you come to the gaming table to hang out with friends, using the game as a platform for social activity with the other players?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Again, no.

Quote10. Sensory: Do you take enjoyment from the props of play – with rolling a big handful of dice, with well-painted miniatures, with tossing tokens around, that kind of thing?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Not in the least. Such things tend to hinder my play.

Quote11. Triumph / Fiero: Do you enjoy play where you, as a player, face active and meaningful (in the sense that you could "lose", and badly) opposition at the table, and the thrill of   overcoming it?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes. That's not central, but a big part of my enjoyment. I don't like GMs who give me anything I don't earn.

Quote12. Other: Is there some other, specific enjoyment that you get from playing in RPGs?  How central to is it to your enjoyment, and is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount"?

Just being my character is probably central. Being surprised by what he or she does. Another thing is creating the character, having him or her take shape in my mind. I prefer games with lots of character options, different ways of approaching things, multiple directions to take.

Quote13.  Playstyle: Do all of these goals and the techniques by which you seek them create a whole playstyle that you prefer and can describe?

Meh! I don't know. I hardly ever get to play any more!

Quote14.  Game: Does any specific game "best fit" these things?  If so, which one?

Yes - I wrote them, obviously. If they didn't do what I want done, and better than anything else out there, I wouldn't have bothered.

-clash

QuoteCatharsis

No.

QuoteContentment

Yes, but that's tied to gameplay, challenges, and success... which might be different from what you mean.

QuoteCreative Expression

No, not during the game.

QuoteHumor

No, it's peripheral to the game, not part of it.

QuoteEmpowerment

No, not overly.

QuoteKairosis

No.

QuoteFun / Paidal

No.

QuoteFun / Ludus

No.

QuoteSociability

Yes.  I think that's an important element of tabletop games.

QuoteSensory

Yes.  

QuoteTriumph / Fiero

Yes.  I think you need to have challenge and success / failure or it's not a game.  If I'm sitting down to play what I think is a game, I want that to be there.

QuoteOther

Immersion  (see above)

QuotePlaystyle

Playing a game.  Not taking part in or being a spectator of a performance.  
If I want those things I'll do them.

QuoteGame

Basic D&D.  Board games.  My game.

Quotesome mean "vividly picturing the action to the point where the real world drops away"....

That one. Immersive trance is a good way to put it. There are some scenes in RPGs sessions that imprint on my imagination better than any movie I've seen. It's similar to the way great writing can transport you and evoke a sense of place better than any movie, becase as the reader you're a partner in the creation. That's why I find a good table-top RPG session far more immersive and galvinizing to my imagination than any movie or CRPG. And when GM and players are all in our personal trances, but also interracting with one another - that's the magic, that's the dragon we chase.

Things that inhibit our immersion: frequent interruptions of play to reference rules; players stepping out of character to use out of game knowledge; off-topic banter; a lame or anachronistic game setting.

Quote from: flyingmiceYes, but I may not mean the same thing as you by "satisfying." "We survived" is immensely satisfyng to me. We don't have to "win," in fact it's sometimes better to not win.

Cool; that's how I dig it as well, myself.

(And this one's fun, theory-wise; from my view, a lot of narrativism is about building a playstyle with the priorities being very strong Kairosis, moderate-to-strong Catharsis, strong Closure, and a body of techniques that supports those things.)

Quote from: flyingmiceI don't understand what you mean by this, Levi. Do you mean actions that I can't take because I'm not in the proper situation or not properly trained - i.e. commanding a starship, or do you mean actions I'm not capable of and never could be - i.e. casting a spell? If the first, then yes. If the second, then no.

To me, personally, same thrill.  What makes them different to you?

2-14 Yes and no. I have no time for catharsis.

Like a good diet, a good balance is required. The more nutrients, the better. Have too many of one type and you get poisoned. Too few of one type and you get a deficiency. Depends on the game, the GM, the players and the specific campaign or game you are running. Taken in isolation of that, it means nothing. Specifying a game means nothing also. You learn what your group likes and you set the diet to match. It's like doctoring really.

Quote from: Levi KornelsenCool; that's how I dig it as well, myself.


To me, personally, same thrill.  What makes them different to you?

One feels real, the other doesn't.

-clash

Quote1. Catharsis: Do you enjoy feelings of emotional release that follow after identifying with your character as they undergo tragic or painful events?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

To the extent that I get this from other forms of entertainment, yes. However, it's not central to my enjoyment of RPGs, because it depends strictly on the sort of game (eg I wouldn't play InSpectres with catharsis in mind).

Quote2. Contentment: Do you take enjoyment from times when a character or a series of fictional events in an RPG ends is a satisfying way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes, I feel the same sort of satisfaction I do when a book or film has a good ending.

Quote3. Creative Expression: Do you enjoy creating bits of world, backstory, art, or game fiction, that surround or are included in the game?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes.

Quote4. Humor: Do you enjoy playing RPGs for laughs (not just social fun, but viewing the game itself as a source of humor)?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Again, it depends, but I find that almost all situations lead to some sort of humour for me. The more a group shares my sense of humour, the more this will be satisfying.

Quote5. Empowerment: Do you enjoy identifying with your character at moments when they are taking actions that you are not free to take, or are not capable of, in reality?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

I find this a dificult question to answer. Do we mean throwing fireballs, or doing highly illegal things or what? I think my answer is 'no'.

Quote6. Kairosis: Do you enjoy identifying closely with your character at moments where the character must make defining choices or otherwise take action that changes 'who they are' in some defining way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No, I rarely identify closely with my character, though to some extent they probably all have a bit of me in them. On the other hand, I do like being able to make choices.

Quote7. Fun / Paidia: Do you enjoy times when the group plays for free-wheeling, no-worries-about-the-rules fun, comparable to "play" in the sense of kids goofing around imaginatively?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Sure, it can be fun. That depends heavily on the group.

Quote8. Fun / Ludus: Do you enjoy times when the group plays to and with the rules, trying focusing on the mechanisms of the game as a source of enjoyment in and of themselves?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes, I like that sort of thing.

Quote9. Sociability: Do you come to the gaming table to hang out with friends, using the game as a platform for social activity with the other players?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No, I rarely play simply to hang out. I think there are better ways to socialise.

Quote10. Sensory: Do you take enjoyment from the props of play – with rolling a big handful of dice, with well-painted miniatures, with tossing tokens around, that kind of thing?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes, that's fun.

Quote11. Triumph / Fiero: Do you enjoy play where you, as a player, face active and meaningful (in the sense that you could "lose", and badly) opposition at the table, and the thrill of   overcoming it?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Not particularly. I'd rather play a board game or a computer game for that thrill.

Quote12. Other: Is there some other, specific enjoyment that you get from playing in RPGs?  How central to is it to your enjoyment, and is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount"?

Hard to say, but if you ask me some more specific questions I'll try to answer them.

Quote13.  Playstyle: Do all of these goals and the techniques by which you seek them create a whole playstyle that you prefer and can describe?

No, I'm happy to change up techniques. There are certainly some I'd prefer to stay away from.

Quote14.  Game: Does any specific game "best fit" these things?  If so, which one?

No.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen1. Catharsis: Do you enjoy feelings of emotional release that follow after identifying with your character as they undergo tragic or painful events?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes.  There is no "right amount" of it and it's not central to my enjoyment.  The best thing the GM and group can do is not try to make it happen.  Not having it happen at all is preferable to having it forced/railroaded.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen2. Contentment: Do you take enjoyment from times when a character or a series of fictional events in an RPG ends is a satisfying way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes.  There is no "right amount" of it and it's not central to my enjoyment.  The best thing the GM and group can do is not try to make it happen.  Not having it happen at all is preferable to having it forced/railroaded.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen3. Creative Expression: Do you enjoy creating bits of world, backstory, art, or game fiction, that surround or are included in the game?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

That's the GM's job, in my opinion.  As a GM, I enjoy worldbuilding.  As a player, I'm not really that interested in it.  Sometimes I'll make suggestions to the GM related to verisimilitude, but I don't have any real need to control anything in the game other than my own character as a player.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen4. Humor: Do you enjoy playing RPGs for laughs (not just social fun, but viewing the game itself as a source of humor)?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

I enjoy humor as a part of the game because humor is a part of life, but I'd prefer the game not purposely be played to maximize laughs.  Humor within the bounds of verisimilitude is fine.  It's not central to my enjoyment, but games without any humor can seem overly grim and implausible.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen5. Empowerment: Do you enjoy identifying with your character at moments when they are taking actions that you are not free to take, or are not capable of, in reality?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen6. Kairosis: Do you enjoy identifying closely with your character at moments where the character must make defining choices or otherwise take action that changes 'who they are' in some defining way?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

For both of these, I enjoy identifying with my character, to the extent that my ideal mode of play is thinking in character.  It doesn't really matter if my character is doing something that I can't or making defining choices.  I can have fun doing incredibly simple and mundane things in character.  That's central to why I play.  What the game and group can do to support it is to support verisimilitude.  That means a setting that acts like a real place, rules that produce plausible results, and characters that act like real people (where "real" means believable and internally consistent more than real world realistic).

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen7. Fun / Paidal: Do you enjoy times when the group plays for free-wheeling, no-worries-about-the-rules fun, comparable to "play" in the sense of kids goofing around imaginatively?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

No, I don't really enjoy just goofing around in an unstructured way, at least not as part of the game.  It's fine for socializing, though.  Not central and not something I look for or want to encourage.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen8. Fun / Ludus: Do you enjoy times when the group plays to and with the rules, trying focusing on the mechanisms of the game as a source of enjoyment in and of themselves?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Not something I enjoy during play.  I do enjoy tinkering with rules as part of creating homebrew rule systems but I have no interest in tinkering with the system or playing ot the rules during play.  I consider myself in the "invisible rules" camp, where the best rules are rules that you don't notice and that get out of the way of the actual role-playing.  So not central or enjoyable as an in-game experience but something I enjoy doing on the side.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen9. Sociability: Do you come to the gaming table to hang out with friends, using the game as a platform for social activity with the other players?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

I enjoy hanging out with friends but prefer to confine the socializing to before and after the game and during meals.  I don't get too upset if it happens during the game but I prefer that it doesn't derail the game, something I'm sometimes guilty of myself.  Central to my enjoyment to the extent that I want to role-play with people I actually enjoy spending time with.  I don't think I'd enjoy playing with people I don't like.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen10. Sensory: Do you take enjoyment from the props of play – with rolling a big handful of dice, with well-painted miniatures, with tossing tokens around, that kind of thing?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Not really, though I do enjoy a certain amount of play acting and talking in character.  I do enjoy game props (e.g., toy guns) but I'm not all that interested in playing with game pieces.  A good rule of thumb here is that I'm not that interested in meta-game props (e.g., game pieces, dice, maps, miniatures, etc. -- my group uses bare plastic tokens or dice on our map boards) but I do enjoy in-game props (e.g., maps, toy guns, in character props, etc.) and acting in character.  Not central but the latter can really increase the enjoyability of a game for me.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen11. Triumph / Fiero: Do you enjoy play where you, as a player, face active and meaningful (in the sense that you could "lose", and badly) opposition at the table, and the thrill of   overcoming it?  If so, is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount", and is this central to your enjoyment of RPGs?

Yes.  Mostly through my characters.  Not central but it can be enjoyable.  I prefer to play competent characters that have a plausible chance of winning against the challenges my character will likely face (see verisimilitude, above, and Robin Laws' "Butt Kicker" style of play).

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen12. Other: Is there some other, specific enjoyment that you get from playing in RPGs?  How central to is it to your enjoyment, and is there anything that a game or a group can do to reliably give you that "the right amount"?

Thinking in character.  Thinking about the game setting as a real place.  Thinking about the other characters and NPCs like real people.  Caring about what's going on in the game.  All of that's central and the main thing I need to get it is verisimilitude.  Make it feel real.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen13.  Playstyle: Do all of these goals and the techniques by which you seek them create a whole playstyle that you prefer and can describe?

The rec.games.frp.advocacy labels "world-oriented" and the "Simulationist" category of the GDS were often used to describe this form of play, as contrasted to "story-oriented" or "Dramatist" play.  Basically, the game decisions are made for reasons found within the setting rather than to support a meta-game goal like story quality.  The Glen Blacow model would call me a "role-player".  The Robin Laws model would call me a Method Actor with a strong Butt Kicker streak.

Crafting games to behave like stories or genres with strong story conventions (e.g., red shirts, mooks, unlimited ammo, script immunity, etc.) is antithetical to verisimilitude and my style of play, in my experience.  I perfer games to feel naturalistic rather than crafted or created, even when it's only an illusion.

Quote from: Levi Kornelsen14.  Game: Does any specific game "best fit" these things?  If so, which one?

Almost any traditional role-playing game with at least moderately plausible rule results that can act as a proxy physics for the setting can work fine.  I prefer systems that don't require a character's personality and background to be tightly defined from the beginning because I tend to develop and finalize my characters as a part of play.  Systems that I like and seem to work well with my style of play include the Hero System, Fuzion, Warhammer FRP, and objective variants of Fudge.