Everyone playing video games typically aims to accomplish specific goals. A goal can be as simple as “beating the final boss” or “saving the kingdom”. It can be highly competitive. For example, when a world record for fastest completion is at stake. Additionally, there could be the life-changing goal of winning a large cash prize or a dazzling trophy at the end of a tournament. Whatever the goal, there is a gaming genre available for just about everyone’s play style and preference.
Progression goals are one of the most common goals in massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. Some players want to progress just to gain shiny loot or complete a story arc. Still, it can be argued that the true goal of progression should be to defeat the most difficult encounters in the game regardless of the treasures that may drop. There can also be several different levels of progression in a game if there is more than one difficulty setting. This can create a number of progression sub-types. One example is the player who fights their way to the top of the raiding charts for many hours several times a week. Another example is the small group of friends who may never set foot in a raid and prefer to see how far they can get in the pre-raid dungeons instead. This small group can complete dungeons with ease if they work together and this can make them feel just as successful as a professional 25-man raiding guild.
On the other hand, some players are only interested in an amazing story. These players can be found playing role-playing games (RPGs). RPGs can range from a linear story with very few choices, to games which let the player choose exactly how cruel or angelic he or she would like to be. Therefore, an RPG player’s goal could be anything from living the daily life of a tailor as realistically as possible to just reaching the end of the story and seeing if a favourite character survives. These players can also enjoy first-person shooters and even tower defense games as long as the writing is good. However, if there is no game lore or a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCs) with a backstory, a game could receive an extremely poor rating from a more story-driven player.
Other gaming goals can include collecting anything not nailed down to decorate player housing or exploring every last spot on the game’s map. There are also players who aim to build the creepiest castles, learn how to win fights when the odds are not in their favour, or make a ton of money through item trading. Also, no one can forget the patient completionist who is driven to earn every achievement, collect all of the rare items, and see every last bit of the game’s content. After all, it can be the only way to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth!
I fall under the category of a story-loving, loot-collecting player with hopes of becoming more of an explorative completionist. I will need to learn how to stop being such a speed runner and learn to be more patient to accomplish my goal. What kind of player are you? What kind of player do you wish you could be? Leave a comment below using one of our social media links!
