Define why you game.

[okgoace]

Taken from reddit -> http://www.reddit.com/r/truegaming/comm ... at/c8zwkj1

First of all, one important consideration is that people play games for fundamentally different reasons, depending on their personality, motivations, and current mood.

Marc LeBlanc has written and lectured extensively about game design philosophy, and he categorizes games and game enjoyment under "8 Kinds of Fun":

•Sensation - Game as sense-pleasure
•Fantasy - Game as make-believe
•Narrative - Game as unfolding story
•Challenge - Game as obstacle course

•Fellowship - Game as social framework
•Discovery - Game as uncharted territory
•Expression - Game as soap box
•Submission - Game as mindless pastime
Any one game can provide multiple different kinds of fun, either simultaneously or alternating with the pacing of the gameplay, but in general games tend to be primarily focused around 2 or 3 of these.

The kinds of games you are talking about are ones where the main motivation behind the gameplay is problem solving, developing new mental models to approach unique challenges, and then mastering those challenges. For me, and I suspect many of us who would consider ourselves more "serious" gamers, that ability to stretch your mind, set goals, and then accomplish them is incredibly rewarding and leaves you feeling smarter, mentally sharper, and just plain satisfied in a job well done.

I like to think of challenge-oriented games as being like a mental testing ground. In real life, when you try and fail, when you compete against others and lose, there are real consequences. We are innately wired to try and avoid those kinds of negative outcomes. This can either result in powerful motivation to succeed, or paralyzing fear of consequences which result in inaction.

In gaming, however, there are no real, tangible consequences for failure, unless you're a pro-gamer or something. Thus, I feel free to fully engage this competitive mental space knowing that I can go all-out, and if that's not good enough, nothing will happen. It's like a testing ground for mental strength and endurance, that I feel carries over into real-world benefits. It helps me better understand my own mind, what drives me to succeed and what holds me back. If I spend a Sunday engaged in intense Starcraft ladder practice, I come back to work the next week feeling more motivated, I have better multitasking, and it's easier to stay cool under stressful circumstances.

Not everyone understands this, or plays games with this kind of mindset however. Hell, even the most competitive of us sometimes just want to play an easy mindless game as a way to disconnect and unwind after a long day, pursuing fun through Fantasy, Sensation, or Submission instead of Challenge.

OP, perhaps it would help if you think about your wife's personality and which of these 8 Kinds of Fun she tends to value in her own leisure activities. That may help you find games that better match up to the kinds of experiences she will really enjoy. Perhaps that means a co-op game that gives the two of you a chance to work together and to interact, or maybe she would enjoy a simple game that is primarily story driven instead of challenge oriented.

As you read through this, im curious to know, how would you rate and define UO using these points above ?

[Abyz]

I play for fun, not to read essays.

[liinniejj]

indeed i play games for fun not to read essays ty abyz:P

[okgoace]

I play for fun, not to read essays.

indeed i play games for fun not to read essays ty abyz:P

So for sensation and submission. Thanks for input.

[Millerisfuntoplay]

I play to be a jerk on the internet

[Blaise]

I play because it's cheap entertainment that has practically no negative health impacts, aside from lack of physical exertion. I get plenty of exersize moving around at work, playing with my kids and running the dog/riding my mountain bike.

If I had the money I would be in the woods hunting with a bow and sword all the time and living in a stone keep on top of a mountain, beast.

[Capitalist]

I play to be a jerk on the internet

^

[nightfishing]

I do it for the chicks.

[Pac]

to grief

[archaicsubrosa77]

I think Expression is the beginning of it all in a lot of games that offer a more personalized avatar. When you put yourself into making a character it becomes more personal like almost parenting or developing an alter ego.

But to Express that to its fullest it must be impacted in finding fun in these other areas. But you will find a lot of people will get emotionally involved with their character more so when they have a greater hand in creating them.

This can be contrary though like in shooters where you have such a detachment you fullfill the role of the avatar and replace it with you personally. I think most modern shooters combine both aspects. Where skills and weapons are interchangeable but not so much they need to remain static...creating a versatile generic ensemble based on personal preferences that is more in line with your play style to compliment your personality or even mood at the time of playing.

[Galendae]

Gank, grief, get, Glory!

[WiseOne]

If I had the money I would be in the woods hunting with a bow and sword all the time and living in a stone keep on top of a mountain, beast.

This plus fishing at the nearby fresh water lake

[Ganklord]

Generally, I Play For The Thrill.

[Blaise]

If I had the money I would be in the woods hunting with a bow and sword all the time and living in a stone keep on top of a mountain, beast.

This plus fishing at the nearby fresh water lake

I forgot to mention holding fisherman at swordpoint to get variety in my diet.

[Missy B]

so i can pretend to be a girl and dress up