I'm not exactly sure what entails a "hardcoe roleplayer", but I'd say I'm not quite that. I am the type, however, that likes to fully immerse myself in a game world such as a TES game for hours with no interruptions. I take my roleplaying seriously, but I don't know what I'd consider "hardcoe".

I find that casual is a label self proclaimed hardcoe players put on people that don't have the exact same game preferences as themselves.

I voted a mix, but I certainly enjoy casual elements like hack and slash, great graphics, fast paced gameplay and over-powered spells and abilities.

However I also immensely enjoy harcore elements like grinding, feat, ability and skill requirements as well as tinkering, I like number crunching and spending lots of time planning and developing my character.

I'm hoping skyrim will have a nice balanced mix between the two, and so far I'm really impressed and hopeful about what's been shown

I chose "hardcoe", although I agree with others that without specific definitions the choices are quite vague.

(Edit: Thinking about this more, the problem is simply that the choices are too polar - there needs to be more of a gradient to allow everyone to choose the option that is closest to how they feel.)

My understanding of the term "hardcoe" vs. "casual":

If you often find yourself walking, not running, to the counter when entering a store, or up the stairs to the mage's guild bed rooms, or through the streets of Skingrad during the day, and sitting on the bench in Skingrad's court while waiting for the Count to come downstairs to greet you, then you're more "hardcoe" than "casual".

I did do the main quest at lvl 44 at hardest difficulty (except Mankars Paradise boss fight, there was just no way, lol), and without any fast traveling. Due invisibility, I could pretty much ignore any Oblivion gates, although Kwatch was a nightmare. It was only a test, but I exploited invisibility, so I would hardly call it hardcoe. Even the starter dungeon is frigging awful at max difficulty. So tell me, what does difficulty have to do with a hardcoe play style?

That being said, I do consider myself fairly hardcoe, more so than the "mix". I try hard not to exploit anything or even grinding, but I sometimes arrest myself in realizing I'm doing just that. Never considered that "switch armor in combat", but will from now on. However I do find it hard to really "connect" with my own character, and get attached to NPCs in TES games because they are all so weak and general. I don't have this problem with FO3 and especially FONV, where I'm constantly thrown reminders (You've lost Karma), and you connect with NPCs and especially your companions and their extremely strong stories. I believe I even shed a tear when I was reminded of what I allowed to happen to Cass.

I would have to say I am a mix, I dont own that many games (8 to be exact) 4 of them being from bethesda, but I play them to death

So do people want me to put my old definitions back or can someone else come up with a better one

"What is hardcoe if Halo and Call of Duty is casual? " <-- love this

Well...maybe this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRV0tclxXMQ&feature=related


My favorite games RIGHT NOW are.

1: Quakelive
2: EvE online
3: Arma 2
4: Starcraft 2 CLICK CLICK CLICK
5: Demon souls

Favorite games of the Past (Oh the nostalgia)

1: Quake 3 arena
2: UT2k4
3: planetside
4: Tribes 2
5: C&C red alert 1 & 2, tiberium sun...
6: obviously morrowind, and some baulders gate, icewind dale, neverwinter nights, diablo ect.........daggerfall

So based on that information what would one call me....Well i love a challenge simply for the sake of it, i cant stand most modern day shooters because THERE SO SLOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW and i feel like they are made for people who dont know how to play FPS games as a way to get them to play easy fps games so everyones kind of on the same skill level, cept arma 2 but it's a sim.

Maybe i guess hardcoe gamer but that label sounds well....i would say a 3 letter word starting with a G but i guess thats mean to say (lawl) so ill say lame.

I think the main problem with this poll is that you need a gradient of choices:

Extreme hardcoe: I am my character, and I live in Tamriel.
Hardest hardcoe: No fast travel ever; often walks instead of running; changes into "street" clothes when entering cities; knows a good amount of the lore by heart; etc.
hardcoe: Hardly ever uses fast travel; sometimes walks instead of running; lore is familiar but not well known; has played through Oblivion multiple times; continues to download interesting mods; etc.
Normal: Uses fast travel to get to far places; hardly ever walks instead of running; lore is vaguely familiar; played through Oblivion once; maybe downloaded a mod or two; etc.
Casual: Hack and smash; "What's fatigue do?"; "What's lore?"; Restarts game instead of going to jail; etc.
Softest Casual: Kills most people before talking to them; Would rather play "Halo"; etc.
Extreme Casual: "I beat Oblivion in a couple of days"; "I hope Skyrim is going to be just like Fallout New Vegas".

Basically, the "Normal" player will respect Skyrim as an RPG that offers variety and doesn't require hardcoe RPG-type gaming all of the time. I suspect most people should fit into this category or the poll is flawed.

Furthermore, I believe we are all somewhat of a mix. But the point is to provide enough choices that one stands out far more than the others; for example, I've restarted a few times instead of going to jail simply because I find that aspect of the game boring, but in most other cases I'd certainly be a "hardcoe" player, so I'd definitely choose "hardcoe" instead of "Casual".

I voted casual. I play on consoles, and I don't play that often. Also don't buy many games - only really play (for any extended period anyway) Bethesda's RPGs, which I do roleplay - don't use fast travel (apart from moving house), carry "realistic" inventory, sleep at night etc.

Depends on the game type.

If were talking MMO's: if you even say you play EvE online i'll give you that; that game is the hardcoe of the hardcoe, a game were Sadomasochists go "wait this is a bit to much."

Now With single player RPG's it's how to you play the game itself so this is hard to define.

With FPS's if you think Cod is hxc try quakelive.com or some Arma 2. They are opposites yet both extreme.

RTS games if you play High ranked competitive SC1/2 yeah sure, same thing with the classic C&C games.


The thing is i hate the two labels "casual" and "hardcoe" i think we need more to more well define groups, clique's and niche's. That is if were unanimous on using labels.

Like many here, I'm not sure if I like these terms. After reading through this entire thread, my impression is that you are asking us whether we roleplay (act in accordance to with our character's preferences, desires, abilities, hopes, etc.) or whether we approach the player character as a medium through which we experience the game (the character is an avatar through which we act however we like). I'm not sure why one has to be "hardcoe" and the other has to be "casual."

I might actually make a new thread later and make myself a bit clearer. Unless someone else wants to do it because they don't trust me :tongue:

hardcoe. Love to roleplay, write down my char's background, have a certain morality, etc..

Meh. Such terms don't really matter, to me at least.

I hold a character to a level of internal consistency; nothing is forbidden unless it makes sense for that character in terms of their progression.
A backstory is a must, particluarly a goal chosen that doesn't correlate to the main quest in many ways.
When possible, I keep an in-character journal, documenting events and perceptions.
I keep track of eating and drinking and sleeping on my own, and force characters to uphold basic rules regarding them (unless mechanics are supplied).
I don't reload unless I absolutely have to (i.e. technical difficulties), and when the mood strikes me, I play Dead is Dead.

Categorize me where you will by that, I suppose.

Yeah it is this sort of response that made my poll bad

Well you must admit they're rather loaded terms.

Living amidst a sea of gamers, they all have their own definitions of what the hardcoe is. Some call it the completionists. Some call it those who squeeze the rawest advantage out of the mechanics they can. Some say its the ones who dump the most playtime in. Others say its the one who finishes quickest.

So I generally avoid the labels, because they mean different things to different groups. Even within this community, where we could probably agree on a very abstract label of hardcoe for the genre, there'd still be hundreds of distinctions between the definitions. I just play as I play and try not to give much thought to it.

If being a casual or hardcoe gamer depends on the amount of time put into gaming then I guess I'm casual. But if I had a money tree in my garden I would probably give up school and become a hardcoe gamer.

I selected Mix.
I play different with every time I play through the game. some times using things like fast travel other times sleeping every night outside saying that my outlaw character has to many enemies in the cities so must stick to the wilderness.
That Is why I like TES, the Power is completely in the hands of the player

Touché.

Depends on your definition. I play Pro Evolution Soccer most of the time (I've played around 350 15 minute matches as of yet). However, I love playing some deep roleplaying games.

Normal, as in I don′t nitpick about stuff in games...because well there games, for fun, but I do enjoy games with some depth.

Agreed.

I used to think I was pretty hardcoe - I get really immersed in games I play, I like to try and stick with my character's morality (asking myself, "Would my character do this?"), I'm a completionist, and I play hundreds of hours on a single character before starting a new one.

But then I came on these forums, and realized (mostly by people telling others what they are) that I'm a mixture of both, but I guess leaning toward casual. And you know, there's nothing wrong with that. I play a different way than a super "hardcoe" gamer might, but who cares? I'm still enjoying myself, and having a good time playing the game.

I think it's funny when people say that now Bethesda make games for "casuals" (no idea what they refer to). It seems the so called "hardcoe gamers" want to be part of a minority that is better than the common player...

Bethesda makes great, complex games, that give us hundreds of hours of playing. Personally, I normally role-play a character, but I find the term "hardcoe gamer" so stupid that I wouldn't consider myself one.

I guess by what your definitions seem to be... I'm a mix of both. Because I don't give a [censored] about spears and I keep my real "role-playing" for when I play D&D or when my friends and I make short films. In games like Elder Scrolls I some times come up with a character outline, maybe some beliefs but I don't force any rules upon myself and I'm certainly not a fan of having to eat, sleep, play the sims, etc.

I mean, in reality you can be a "hardcoe" player of any game, and for different reasons than another "hardcoe" player. Which is why I'm not really a fan of those terms. They are completely relative to the person in question.

I'm "hardcoe" in the sense that I take my character, his actions, and the repercussions seriously. I try to live with my mistakes and make due with what I have. I play a thief, though, so a lot of times I don't have the same issues as mages or warriors do.

But I plan nothing long term. My plans consist of "Take the back alley and be in the house at midnight. By 12:15 you need to be out with at least 200 drakes worth of goods." At most I plan a trip. I follow Indy's example as well - I'm making it up as I go.