We all can be pidgeon-holed. The key is getting the holes accurate.
In this 7 Series article, I present 7 possible types of Half-Life player.
Of course, we often fall into multiple categories at different times of our playing career and depending on the game or mod we are playing and the mood we are in.
That said, I feel that deep down we come closest to one, but often we don’t want to admit it.
After reading the types below, if you think I have the wrong types just add your own titles and descriptions.
Which one are you?
This type of player doesn’t want to waste any time having to go back and play parts they have already played just because they didn’t quicksave a few moments earlier.
In fact, they probably have a nervous tick and drink a lot of coffee.
You probably think that there are few of this type of player but you would be wrong. They are all around us: friends, neighbours, even family.
Don’t despise or ridicule them because what they have is an addiction, and just like any other addiction they need our help.
I will soon be setting up support groups all over the world, both in the major cities and many smaller communities called QuickSave Anonymous (QSA) to help such people.
Even after extensive research it’s not entirely clear why these players use quicksave so much but current thinking believes it’s related to breastfeeding and pencils.
Keep a lookout for them for they hide their habit well.
Modders view things differently from players, even if they deny it. Once you have seen behind the curtain there is no going back.
There are different types of modders but many look at things from the same perspective: a technical one. Textures, lighting, alignment, geometry, enemy placement etc. Stuff that makes most players go bleary-eyed at all the jargon.
Of course, all that stuff is important but as any great author knows, sometimes you can break the rules and still give the reader an immersive and vivid experience.
I’m not suggesting that Modders don’t have a valid point of view, because without them there would be no mods and therefore no PP, but it’s just one of a number of valid points of view.
When you see Alyx looking at you with those “come hither” eyes, what they see is a framework and polygons. Poor chaps.
In many aspects this is almost the exact opposite of the Modder. They don’t see anything except the gameplay.
For these sorts of players it could be Lego blocks for buildings and enemies and Smarties for ammo (Wait, maybe…No, forget I even started to say it). All they care about is playing, details fade into the background.
You could almost argue that at heart these are MP players who just happen to like playing some SP as well.
Ask these players about stuff they just played and the chances are they would not be able to answer accurately.
I get the feeling that as soon as they have finished one mod, they rush onto the next one.
No area or place is safe from these players.
It goes beyond finding all the ammo and health caches to an almost unhealthy obsession with “breaking out”.
Their avowed objective is to escape from every map, or at least get to places you never imagined were possible to get to.
These players are often confused with the Beta Tester, but whilst they do very similar things the motivation behind the actions is very different.
I admit to a certain satisfaction in reaching some of these places and have even moved crates quite a long way back or forward in a map just to see if I could reach a certain spot.
I suppose it’s like mountaineering – they do it because it’s there!
The beta tester looks for every error imaginable and then suggests solutions to each issue.
And right there is one of the differences between the beta testers and the escapist explorer; one wants to help, the other wants to “beat” the mapper.
Of course, there are other differences because the beta testers is not just interested in finding holes in the mapping but also all the other details too. And let’s not forget the gameplay aspects, which can be easily overlooked when worrying about layout and geometry.
The problem with these types of players is that they never know when they are NOT beta testing and assume everybody, including the mapper, wants to hear their opinion on how to improve the map.
In the same way mappers need to forget “stuff” for a while and just enjoy the map, so do beta testers.
Should be very clear from their title, but these types of players only care about one thing – no, not sex, but beating everything they play on HARD.
Some, have to make sure all their friends know about it and others are happy to content themselves with the private knowledge of their ability and skill.
Beating something on HARD can easily become an obsession and some maybe even have dual playing personalities where they also quicksave but the point is focusing on the destination can make you lose sight of the journey.
Isn’t the ultimate goal to have fun? Hopefully, but if you can only have fun when you beat something on HARD then that’s a shame.
As Sam would say “Oh Boy!”. These kinds of players are never happy.
They probably talk to themselves when they play and if you are one of these players you probably know what I mean.
We, whoops, they are always looking for AND finding fault with everything they play. No matter what anybody else thought about it, they probably hate it.
You can see the reviews of these types of players on PP and pretty much every website.
To them, nothing is good enough, even the original games that spawned the mods. There is always something they would change.
I admit to being a bit like this but am really trying to change. It’s a dangerous habit to get into.
Sure, I could have talked about the Run & Gun or the Stealth players, but they just seemed too obvious. I tried to go a bit deeper.
Now, this list has never been a numbered list as in the “most important” or any other sort of superlative. It was just about 7 types of players from many.
So, what you need to do now is sit down and think about your playing style for a moment. Are you one of the above or do you have a different style?
I’m a 7 and a 5…
Surprisingly, as a modder, I’m happy to play through a map and be absorbed by the world.
I guess working out how it was built is more of an afterthought for me and only really explored on a need to know basis.
I’m am an obsessive quicksaver, often to my own detriment.
I can’t tell you how many times during the HL campaign I ended up with 2 bullets, one grenade and 3 marines to take care of. Makes for some interesting gameplay but can be totally frustrating.
I’m exactly the same.
I run through, absorbed in the gameplay, quicksaving continuously, then on later runs I’ll start to notice the details, thinking about how and why the designers did things the way they did.
same. not sure which to choose in the poll because I strongly feel equal as both
I’m a number 7, apparently. I quicksave pretty much after every battle I have, trying to conserve all of my ammo and health. Also I admit that I HATE wasting time by playing a part I have already played, and so I nearly always noclip so I don’t have to go back and repeat. Strangely enough it actually is like an addiction too, I could never play a game/mod and not quicksave at regular intervals, which is also a reason why I hate games without quicksave. A few years back, when I first started on Half-Life, I used to be the exact opposite, and not quicksave enough and save after I had lost huge amounts of health. Silent Hill 3 has made me quicksave so many times it is unbelievable, although it is a very hard game.
Great article Phillip, I had always wondered why I quicksaved so much.
Hahaha that made me laugh.
Well, I guess I must be a 7 too… although sometimes I forget to quicksave. I don’t think anyone likes replaying a large chunk, unless it was valve quality and really fun. It can become a tradeoff between load time and the time you may take, for example, if there are two ways, left and right, you quicksave and go left.. you find a crate at the end of the tunnel.. will you or will you not load to the last save point? probably not, but hey!
That is what I am most often..
However, I also become aware at times of the mapping designs, either wondering at (lighthouse in Mission Improbable) or criticising (finding a random gap into the void for example). It helps me learn as a mapper, to see the techniques of other maps, and how not to fall into the traps some mappers get into.
Also, sometimes, depending on the type of map (to see if there are places to climb) I like to climb to the highest point! Yes, in goldsrc multiplayer games.. there are servers which have climbing maps.. purely for getting to the top. I also LOVE to explore and find secret areas or hidden caches of goodies, there were loads in Half Life 2 which I only found until around the 3rd play-through.
Thats about it, but yes if you added the Runner & Gunner, in combat situations I tend to do this. Storming a room of Combine and shooting them all isn’t really a good idea so ive been trying to stop.
im a mixed 7&4. actually both stem from the same place – perfectionism (no, no hint of type 2, at least not in hl2). I want to lose the least health possible, have (conserve) as much ammo/armor as possible etc. you are better be prepared, who knows whats behind the next corner…
but Phillip come on… addicted? breastfeeding? and a few sentences after we read about your freudian slips. lego + m&m? and what does YOUR analyst say? 8)
(btw ive spent about one and half month just to create the most perfectestest character in oblivion, about 154 clean playing hours:
http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=19161
one of my future plans is to do the same in morrowind. now, THATS addiction 8)
My analyst has forbidden me to enter his office. He said I gave him nightmares.
Well so far, all have admitted to being a “7”, and so am I and not ashamed to say so, although I’m not sure about the pencils (unless that’s a miss-spelling?)!
I’m also probably a ” 5″ however I can’t find a dictionary definition of ” Binkered” (unless that’s another miss-spelling?), for me the gameplay is the important factor.
In poll question 243 you mentioned a mod called Titan XCIX which I downloaded and played, It looked good but the gameplay was rubbish, if it appears on PP in the future I already know it will get a TT from me. There have also been mods and maps that didn’t look that great but have been redeemed by their gameplay.
Lastly there are the Rogat’s in the world of mods and maps, which look and play awful, the most recent is Parasite Eve 34 which is the one below this post.
If the gameplay is good I can forgive less attractive looks, if a game looks great but play is awful I can’t forgive that.
Also I rarely play MP game’s and haven’t for many years.
Ah! I see you’ve now corrected the spelling for “5” but I did prefer the original “Binkered” as it sounded more of an insult I could use in the future!!
I’m a 7 & 4 – I’m always quicksaving so I don’t have to replay battles, but I also love to explore. HL2 has the best balance of gunfights and beautiful environments I’ve come across in gaming.
Recovering quicksaver here.
Look out for one of my new clinics and our 214 step programme.
I have just added a poll for this, so if you have already commented, please consider adding your vote as well.
theres no radio button for type 2 (beat it on hard).
Fixed. I did write it but it must have flown away.
Quite frankly there’s not a single description of a play style I relate to: being plays as it comes. That being said I admire just wandering around looking at settings etc so maybe till some extent type4 but without the need to get away.
Then there’s the maps,mods that make me how did they do that and then I openly admit being a modder type and decompiling, looking at the logic relay’s ,brush placement you name it I repentantly play parts that blow me away trying to figuring it out but this never happens on a first playtrough I think those are general “play as meant to” runs.
Really a 7 and a 6.
Honestly, I wouldn’t Autosave if a game had reasonably set up checkpoints. The lack of Autosave never really bothered me in Halo or more recently Singularity. Even though many games have Autosave for a good reason, a lot of older games use it as an excuse for bone-breaking difficulty. Knowing that the designer could instagib you just around the corner with a nasty enemy, you’re compelled to Autosave all the time.
To me, the flaw of Autosave is that it can be an immersion breaker. It’s like you were watching a movie and every few minutes, you hit the rewind button. The movie becomes disjointed and you’re fiddling more with the VCR than watching the movie. Just reminds me that I’m playing a game, rather than allowing myself to ignore the “gamey” aspects of it. I still like that Autosave exists, but if a game develops trust with the player with good checkpointing, I’m not going to use it.
7, 6, 4, 2.
Poll should be multiple choice.
It is impossible for anything related to gaming to be an addiction.
…
I think that’s a very naïve idea.
If I made it multiple choice too many people would vote all and it would be meaningless.
I’m sure a few million League of Legends players would beg to differ with that sentence. 🙂
Tell that to a million Warcraft Widows out there..
They miss their once happy and bright companions who now sit alone in the dark twitching like Golum on speed….
You forgot the “speed runner”, though they probably also have an obsession with beating games on hard too.
I admit to being a bit of all of these, but I voted for QuickSaver because I see at is least shameful. But truthfully I only quicksave obsessively when I start getting annoyed with having to start an area again several times.
I didn’t forget them, I just chose not to have them in my list.
This list was very interesting. It reminded me alot of Mitch Krpata’s new taxonomy of gamers (http://insultswordfighting.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-taxonomy-of-gamers-table-of.html)
I would say that I am a bit of 2 and 4. it depends on my mood and what game I am playing. However, I don’t explore to break the map or mod but to easter eggs that were put there for explorers to find.
Nice link, thanks.
I am most definitely a quicksaver. I hate having to re-play a large section because I made a poor jump or was killed by something I could not have anticipated. So I programmed my trusty Belkin speedpad with a quicksave button right by my thumb – LOL
BTW – I am also a compulsive reloader of weapons – LOL
Haha, good blog, I fit intoo the quick saver ones!, and kind of blinkered too, altough I disagree regarding to we are MP players taste and picking SP stuff, I mean I think is kind of the opposite because i’m a pure blood SP, that sometimes like MP stuff.
I also would add another kind of player in which I also think I could fit, the “OPTIMISTIC ONE”, we can see a little bright side even if we sometimes play a pure maze shit, haha so I mean I sometimes can be a cruel bitch reviewing specially mods that I really hate, but most of the part I am an optimistic player-reviewer.
i have a new category for you. Its called the Creeper. In nearly every single situation in a new mod or game, I have to crouch-walk into the room or space. It is slower, safer, and better for aiming. Plus you have time to notice traps or details that can help/save you. I have to try very hard to avoid creeping because I feel like I am being over-safe. I am a certified creeper.
I’m mostly a Quick-Saver. Every game that has a quick-save option I use it. Sometimes I even spam quick-saving. I also like to take screenshots of random crap.
Im speaking for myself when I say that im a Modder.
Most people just go and start Ep2 , when the wave hits the eyes fill with joy and satisfaction of what Source has achieved in the days of development, and that this game is gonna hit the AWESOME button like a drum.
But when I look at it I never get satisfied , all I see is a info_particle_system , some prop_dynamic and a load of logic_relays.
Im allways thinking about improvements.
Eg. If the trees would be all a group of models , a physics animation could be applied making them lean back as soon as the wave hits.
If L4D engine , with its overlays of boomerbile would be made earlier we could throw water in the players eyes.
And so on and so forth.
I just dont see the amusement or scare factor , when a monster is lurking out of the corner all I see is a prop_dynamic , and all I expect is a ambient_generic with a stalker scream.
Yet I cant deny the fact that im already having 3506.8 hrs in SourceSDK.
And I like it.
You may say that the view of a Modder is sad , that its unperfected and that it ruins all games , that its a abomination and that the editor should probably be crucified.
Well let me tell you , once you atleast make your own house , you gonna want to make your city , your country and move on to the CREATION OF YOUR OWN WORLD.
“Once you go backstage , you will be aligning the spotlight forever.” -Frohman11
I honestly feel like I’m all of them except four and five.
And Phillip, there’s nothing wrong with being a one, just wear a smile and do your thing. Also consider that it might not even be an issue with you (or me) but instead an issue with the majority of content produced.
or maybe that’s exactly what a one would say… Damnit.
If only I could split my vote between all the options save “Beat it on Hard”. Though quicksaving is definitely contingent upon the mod using its autosave triggers intelligently. But yes, I play mods from as many different perspectives as I can manage.
their is a door, quick save. whew, I killed everyone quick save. oh, look health, quick save, dang I got to jump that, quick save. that’s me. but, the other side of my game play is from the reviewing end of the modder, I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into the mods. somehow a slice of me is an escapist explorer, maybe this is why I save so much. then the beta tester. no not me I have a three strikes and your out law. out of my computer if your mod glitches three times. simple and straight forward.
now the complainer, that’s old man crabs. nothing makes him happy, watching him play is like a bull dog biting an electric fence, shaking his head and biting it again. good times my friends, good times.
thanks for the clever idea Phillip.
eh, you’re all a load of quicksavers, though sometimes I wish I was one during those mods where the author never put in any autosaves. what can I say.
I guess in terms of the seven here I’m a mix. I tend to play in a careful way and always take advantage of glitching the game to make it easier on myself. I try to explore every corner of the map because I don’t want to miss out on what extra stuff mappers have worked on. Because of this habit I find some mods easier, since I prolly get more health and ammo than a typical player would get, due to exploring and glitching the maps. By glitch I don’t mean cheating. I mean using cheap tactics to defeat obstacles. I’m sure you’re well aware of the “glock sniping” tactic; I do it all the time to kill soldiers from miles away. I ALWAYS save up any explosives I come across, in the anticipation that a garg will appear later on. 10 grenades will always take out a medium garg, you know. Another trick is how to approach itchyosaurs. They are always docile when you first see them, and become aggressive after a while or if you shoot them. I use this knowledge to simply swim past them if possible to avoid the tough aquatic battle altogether.
Since I play so cheaply, maps tend to seem alot easier to me, but I am prolly missing out on more fun too. My loss, I guess.
Im a Modder. I cant help but to think of how everything was made and whats going on behind the scenes now. I can still enjoy playing though.
I actually think quicksaves have spoiled gamers and as you said, be an excuse for unfair events and difficulty. I remember back in the days of Perfect Dark and Goldeneye 007, if you screwed up, you had to start the whole level all over. The difficulty was balanced, and there were no unfair events that killed you without warning. The replay was part of the game.
I had actually considered making my Mod quicksave-free, and limiting autosaves to specific situations like right before a battle or right before progressing to a new area you cant go back from. This would force the player to be more careful, and pace themselves as well as think about ammo usage and whats coming next. I have so far decided against it, because I am pretty sure I would get a lot of complaints about people having to replay 5 minutes of the Mod because they made a poor decision. (there should by all rights be consequences for your actions!)
For the explorers, Ive added lots of secret areas you have to work to get to. They get an easter egg as a reward, satisfying their curiosity momentarily.
As a former FC2 mapper and host of 3 24/7 servers, I also dealt with tons of “escapists’. Their only goal was to get outside of the play area and then say “Im stuck.” (very annoying in a team game when one of your guys isnt even trying)
I quick save a lot, but don’t drink coffee or have a nervous tick, also I often go back and repeat a sequence just for the hell of it.
I’m not a modder and never will be, just don’t have what it takes. However, I do take notice of textures, lighting, alignment, geometry and enemy placement.
I think we can all relate to number 5, many mods seem to be designed solely for the blinkered player.
I like exploring at times but it’s not an obsession with me, it all depends on the mod, clearly some mods have a built in explorations factor and invite the player to explore.
don’t relate to either 2 or 3.
I hope I am more constructive to be considered a 1.
To conclude I don’t fit any of these categories, so did not vote, still a good a well written piece by Phillip.
Quicksaver I guess, I get to where I feel safe…or maybe positioned just right for an awkward jump or something…once I’ve cleared a place of any threat to me…I then go exploring, if a map changes before I’m done, I always go back, I don’t want to miss anything….but if I get stuck somewhere and can’t cheat my way out of it…then that’s it…trashed, I have no patience with puzzles if too stupid or unrealistic.
I kinda quicksave often, but not enough to really qualify. What I do is I replay sections using different playstyles. Sometimes I want to challenge myself, other times mess with the AI. I can replay a single section a dozen times over after I finish, and once in a blue moon I fire up the original and go straight to “that one section” and play it over and over again as many different, silly ways as I can.
It also helps that I’m the absolute best HL2 and episodes player ever. I’m only above average in multiplayer games (bunnyhopping is the worst thing ever!) and I don’t speedrun or anything, but when I’m “in the zone,” it’s just like a scene from an action movie where the main character dodges everything and kills a dozen enemies every slow-motion second while juggling six different guns and….
And then I reload the section and use the gravity gun and that gnome. Or I use the crowbar and can only run backwards. Or I can only kill the combine if they’ll get pinned to the wall when I shoot them with the crossbow. Or I W+M1 with the shotgun. Or I get bored of that and just obliterate everyone with a bunch of rockets and SMG grenades. Then it’s back to ninja time.
I also would like to add, the SADIC PLAYER category, is that one in which no matter skill difficulty he is playing, he finishs the level or even the whole mod with 5 or LESS of health!!! no matter if he’s playing hard his Health HUD is always in RED!!!, some healthkits could be a salvation but they almost NEVER RELOAD!!!, so they kind adict to the F6 button as well.
7 and 6 surprisingly.
I’m not a modder but I’ve looked at the tools, and I know most of the jargon so I notice things in a different way then most.
And I quicksave often, and I’m not afraid to noclip/god if the area if frustrating me to all get-out.
I’m definitely a quick-saver and a beat-it-on-hard guy.
After I played HL2 I played HL1 and on HL1 was when I discovered the quicksave button and now I press it even when I haven’t done anything, I just do every few seconds. but that’s not to say I drink coffee, coffee sucks 😛
And as for the beat-it-on-hard, I’m not the greatest at games (I suck at FPS) but I think that if I can’t complete it on the hardest, its not worth playing. Case in point, I have all the HL2, EP1 and EP2 achievements on hard. And I’m going through Diablo II on hardcore mode. And I completed Metal Gear Solid 2 on European Extreme with the setting that gives game over if detected.
At first read I was sure I would stay labelled as a quick saver!! I can’t say I’m much of a coffee drinker, but I certainly don’t want to have to replay a section I’ve already played… I hate that!!! P.S. Did anyone else think QuickSave Anonymous was a link , and got really excited to hear about another Phillip project?
I’m a little bit of a modder too — I have to be when reviewing things, but I can’t see myself as too too technical I’m definitely looking at something else other than Alyx’s pologons…
I’ve always considered myself an explorer, or a completionist… I love completing things and if there are achievements to get I have to get them!!! This is why I don’t like open environment games, I feel there is WAY too much to look at, my head overloads and I end up wandering aimlessly trying to see everything.
I think there are a lot of similiarities with the beta tester and the modder, both are looking at the mod with a technical eye… I think if you are one you are also part of the other, lots of overlap between these two.
The Beat it on hard guy I think could be more classified as the achiever. As an achievement farmer myself the overall goal is to boast about your achievements and link your steam profile everywhere. This is the same mentality as the play it on hard character — however there is another spectrum too. Sometimes the people who play on hard actually want a challenge, or are really really good at playing video games.
I am certainly not a complainer, I love all mods and video games… it’s hard for me to really hate something.
So I’d have to say I’m more of a quick saver, with a hint of modder/completionist/achiever and beta tester lol.. I’m all the things!!
I’m definately 7.
I’m 2 and 4. Exploring is the name of the game. The first few times through I’m everywhere I can get to, and try to get to areas I shouldnt be! I LOVE secret places the most, but they are very rare in HL2 mods. I define secrets as very well hidden areas that are completley optional, that contain ammo or health, or some kind of egg (like the all knowing vortigaunt secret in Water Hazard). I DO NOT count a place marked with a Half Life symbol as a secret, even if the symbol is hidden or hard to see.
HL2 itself had many secret places, espicially in Highway 17 and Water Hazard…and a few very clever one’s in “We Dont Go To Ravenholm”. Most players missed these…but I didnt 🙂 In fact I made a secret places thread on the Steam forums and just had to list all of them I found. I WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW WHAT I FOUND! 😀
After I have played a map that I like a few times, it becomes imparative that I beat it on hard. No dying is allowed, or I have to start all over again. This is a difficult task, and I love the challenge. At first I may just try to beat a chapter at a time, but eventually I have to beat the whole game from the beggining…if it’s a game I like and decide to keep on my hardrive that is.
definitely 7 and 4. which for me go together because its not so much that I dont want to redo a battle or area as it is im in #4 mode and want to quick save because in all likely hood those 10 crates and 6 barrels and a luggage cart or 2 that I have stacked up to reach somewhere probably wasn’t intended by the author of the mod.:)
Can someone explain to me, how can you NOT QuickSave if you lived in the old days when the Valve Hammer Editor used to crash every now and then? I remember I worked on a map for like 2-3 weeks and after it was like 99% done, the stupid editor just crashed and the map file got corrupted. I spent like entire day using a text editor just to get the damn thing working again and I had to rebuild like 30% of the map :X So anyway besides the Hammer editor, I dont usually QS that often 😀 I play games just like any other gamer, but I like to create something mine, to express what I have in my mind so I would call myself something in the middle – QuickSaving Modder maybe? 😀