Typology of Role-Playing Game Players

Proposed classification of role-players (or role-playing game players)

As a game master, but also as a player, it is important to know which types of players your group belongs to. We don’t all play role-playing games for the same reasons: the motivations that push us to spend hours around a table embodying fictional characters evolving in an imaginary world can be particularly varied. I propose a personal typology in 12 archetypes.

What is the purpose of a typology of role-players?
For the game master, it serves to better prepare adventures by focusing efforts on what will please his players, while avoiding what could demotivate or frustrate them.

The study of players’ motivations is not new: Richard A. Bartle published a striking analysis on MUDs (“Multi-User Dungeons”, online video games, the ancestor of MMORPGs, “massively multiplayer online role-playing games”) in 1996. In the 2000s Robin D. Laws developed a classification of role-playing game players in “Robin’s Laws of Good Game Mastering”.

The classification I propose here is neither scientific nor exhaustive. It is entirely based on my personal experience. In thirty years of role-playing, I have met many players, but certainly not enough to provide a complete and accurate portrait of the diversity of role-players.

Is a classification even necessary?
I largely agree with Matthew Colville’s simple but effective classification: there are actually only two types of players: active participants and spectators.

Active participants are really involved in the game and collaborate in the development of the narrative plot, while spectators are there to have a pleasant evening with friends and listen to a story. There is nothing wrong with being a spectator, and this status is not fixed — a player can very well become active, just as he may prefer to become a spectator from time to time. Role-playing is a demanding activity, and not everyone is required to be there 100% at every game. From this perspective, the only problem for the game master is to have only an audience, that is, a group of spectators. There, he may risk getting bored. Unless he particularly enjoys listening to himself speak.

If we now mainly study active players, it is possible to draw up a summary typology based on the motivation that drives someone to participate in a role-playing game.

Beware, this is absolutely not about differentiating “good players” and “bad players”.

Consider that role-playing has many facets and that each person comes to look for something different. What is important is managing the expectations of all participants: if there is a match between what the game master offers as an adventure and the preferences of the players, the group dynamics will be great.

I have deliberately excluded zany types of players (the good old “Gros Bill”, for those who grew up with Casus Belli) or completely negative ones (sociopaths or “killers”). Problematic players exist, but are not very useful in the development of a typology that aims to be a tool for the game master to better prepare his games. If you have harmful players, don’t invite them anymore, that’s all.

The proposed typology revolves around the 4 main dimensions of role-playing: the game, that is to say, the rule system and the mechanics of action resolution, the interpretation of a role, the narration of a story and socialization, intrinsic to the fact of bringing human beings together around the table (whether it is real or virtual).

Players who are there for the game

The Engineer

The optimizer (the “power gamer” in English) wants at all costs to make his character stronger, more powerful. For him, the concept of success is defined by the rules system you use.

He’s a competitive player, who tends to see his character as a “machine”, a collection of special abilities that he must optimize to be ever more efficient, particularly in combat situations. He scrutinizes the rules to find ways to exploit them, to find loopholes to increase his abilities. He therefore focuses particularly on the “mechanical” aspects, or the “game” of role-playing. Role-play is quite secondary for him.

While preparing your game

• Study the rules system used carefully, particularly the aspects related to the engineer’s character abilities. Be firm but fair in the application of the rules (if you let the engineer exploit the rules, he will quickly create an imbalance in the group).
• Plan to give the engineer magic items or special abilities that will strengthen his character.
• Vary the types of obstacles, so that the engineer is forced to be creative (he will love it) or rely on other characters (care must be taken not to make the engineer a superhero who constantly steals the show). If the engineer’s character is particularly effective in melee, create situations in which archers will be indispensable, for example.
• If you want to push him to interpret his character more, include mechanics that reward interpretation (like heroism points), but be careful to balance your system well, otherwise, he will exploit its flaws!

The Brawler

After a long day of work, the brawler primarily wants to let off steam with good big fights. He seeks to escape from grim reality and wants a good dose of fun and adrenaline, without having to rack his brains. He chooses a simple, fighting character, without taking the time to make it super effective. As long as he gets to land punches, he’s happy. Competitive, he hopes to have many opportunities to challenge enemies and show his superiority with his muscles.

While preparing your game

• Include at least a few action scenes — not necessarily just fights, it can also be frantic chases, races against the clock, or traps that must be outwitted by athletic feats.
• Avoid overly long dialogue scenes or investigations that require concentration and rigor. The brawler will quickly get bored and become impatient.
• Focus on classic plots, freely abuse clichés and stereotypes. The brawler is comfortable on familiar ground. If the atmosphere is too strange or the plots too entangled, he will feel completely lost.

The Tactician

Unlike the brawler, the tactician likes complex problems and, above all, realistic ones. He wants the rules, and the game master’s interpretation of them, to coincide with reality as he knows it, or at least that coherence and logic are in order. He considers the quality of his decisions as the most determining factor of the success or failure of his actions. For him, there is always a right and a wrong way to act. Role-play is secondary for him, and he quickly gets annoyed when other players make decisions consistent with their character’s personality but tactically disadvantageous.

While preparing your game

• Make sure that the rules system used is well-developed and focuses on realism. The tactician will be disoriented or uncomfortable in systems with rules focusing on the subjective interpretation of results (I am thinking in particular of games like 7th Sea or Fate).
• Prepare difficult but logical obstacles for his character to overcome (puzzles, combat situations in which the use of the environment is a key factor in success).
• Review the rules well before the game, the tactician is likely to ask many technical questions and will not be satisfied if you constantly have to consult the manuals during the game.

Players who are there for the role

The Specialist

This is a type of player who favors a particular type of character, who they play in all campaigns, regardless of the context. This could be the valiant knight, the ultra-stealthy ninja, or the forest elf whose companion is a multicolored unicorn. The specialist wants the rules to support their favorite type of character, but they don’t pay much attention to the system used. To make a specialist happy, you need to create scenes in which their character can do the “cool” things for which the archetype is known.

While preparing your game

• If the type of character that the specialist enjoys does not align well with your universe, spend some time finding a way to incorporate it appropriately.
• Don’t force your player to compromise, take the first steps and be open-minded.
• Consider including at least one scene in which the specialist’s character can fully bring their character to life.

The Actor

The actor sees role-playing primarily as interactive theater. They strongly identify with the character they play. They tend to believe that it is creatively important to play a radically different character in each game, and they take a lot of pleasure in preparing their character. The actor bases their decisions on their understanding of their character’s psychology, and can become obstructive if other members of the group expect them to contradict it for rule reasons or in pursuit of a larger objective. They may consider the rules as, at best, a necessary evil, preferring sessions in which the dice never come out of their bags.

While preparing your game

• Give the actor the opportunity to play their role, by placing events or encounters that will test the personality traits of their character.
• Avoid making them roll the dice too often, and reward moments when they brilliantly play their character that do not frustrate the enjoyment of other players (encourage them to play their role, as long as they respect the notion of a group).

The Artist

The artist is close to the actor, but they mainly want to have the opportunity to create the most original character possible. They are not satisfied with playing a Dwarf warrior or an Elf archer. They want to be the Orc wizard with a troubled past or the Hobbit barbarian initiated into a dark druid circle. They are the engineer of interpretation. They want to interpret a unique and elaborate role, and they will seize every opportunity to add small elements that will make their character really special. They also want to be able to leave their mark in the world in which their character evolves.

They will be frustrated if they cannot create a unique character or a campaign in which they will not have the opportunity to play an important role and leave a lasting legacy.

While preparing your game

• Be open-minded in character creation, and expect the artist to play a character that is likely to be under-optimized (they don’t care if mechanically it’s not optimal to make a Dwarf bard).
• Don’t penalize them by applying the rules too rigidly. Spend time with the player to understand the concept of their character. Then prepare elements that will reinforce the uniqueness of the artist’s character — based on history, personality, or physical appearance.
• Give the player the opportunity to feel that their character is important in the world, that they stand out from the common folk, and even from other characters.

Players who are there for the story

The Investigator

The investigator is more interested in the narrative than in the rule system, statistics, and experience points. If their character’s personality is important, the quality of the story is even more vital to them. They want to be captivated by your intricate plots and secondary characters with varied motivations. They primarily want to understand what’s happening. Therefore, they can easily make compromises if it helps advance the plot and will get bored during long planning sessions. You can please them by developing plots, creating suspense, and maintaining a steady pace during your games.

While preparing your game

• Pay particular attention to the consistency of plots and the motivations of secondary characters (allies or adversaries). The investigator may indeed lose interest if your plot does not hold up.
• Try to balance the search for clues and the pace of the game — if there are too many leads, the investigator will get lost in the details.
• If you have time, prepare materials to make the story tangible — scrolls, props, treasure maps. The investigator will love it.
• Value the player’s cleverness and let the dice rolls go if they have good ideas. The investigator certainly does not want to find themselves blocked by an unlucky dice roll.

The Explorer

The explorer loves discovering complex imaginary worlds in which they have the opportunity to find hidden treasures and secrets. They also tend to want to discover themselves through the game, easily placing their character in ethical dilemmas. They completely suffocate in campaigns where there are no unknown regions, secrets, and traditions to discover, and no opportunity to learn more about their character.

While preparing your game

• Bet on exoticism! Expeditions into the jungle, visiting Wonderland, or haunted mansions full of mysterious objects.
• Reward actions related to exploration (the skillfully organized camp that will protect the group from a nocturnal attack, the secret door found just in time because the character was ingenious, studying wild mushrooms which turns out to be crucial in solving a riddle, etc.)
• Give the explorer an opportunity to reflect on their character by confronting them with a tricky choice. Remember, they are as much looking to explore the world as their character.
• Like the investigator, value ideas more than dice rolls.

The Conspirator

The conspirator is more interested in changing the story than understanding it. They want to influence events by making sure their version of the story comes to life.

This can be perceived by the game master as an attempt to sabotage the scenario, but the conspirator simply wants to actively participate in the narrative dimension of the game. More individualistic than other types of players, they will enjoy having secrets or hiding things from other characters. In some situations, they may even go as far as betraying their companions.

The conspirator is a double-edged sword for the game master. On one hand, it’s both inspiring and practical to have a player who engages in the narrative aspects of the game. Their plots can be the beginnings of many scenarios, or complement and enrich existing plots. They can also be the ideal player when you need a double agent within a group. On the other hand, their enthusiasm or tendency towards duplicity can be particularly harmful to the atmosphere around the table.

While preparing your game

• Make sure to provide information that only the conspirator possesses — not crucial information (they might keep it to themselves until death!) but elements about secondary plots that will allow them to have a little fun (using them to develop twisted plans, or simply for the fact that they have an informational advantage over the others).
• Absolutely avoid being dictatorial and be prepared to give some of the reins of the story to the conspirator. This can be intimidating for a novice game master. If you don’t feel too comfortable, at least plan for a good number of options for resolving conflicts or plots.

Players who are there for others

The Leader

There is often a player who has more influence than others — due to their natural charisma, due to their gaming experience. They are a dynamic player who takes initiatives, both on a logistical, operational, and narrative level. They are often the most experienced player in the group. They are both a mentor and a coordinator. They do not overshadow others — they want everyone to have their place and have an enjoyable evening.

While preparing your game

• Take advantage of having an experienced player to delegate as much as possible! Being a game master is demanding, so let someone else orchestrate the session schedule, organize the table or explain the rules to other players.
• Focus on other types of players, the leader can manage very well on their own!

The Diplomat

The diplomat is interested in the social dimension of the role-playing game. They appreciate camaraderie among characters and players. They enjoy teamwork and having the feeling of being part of something bigger than themselves. Their enjoyment will be spoiled by conspiracies between characters, betrayals, or anything that will make the group members turn against each other.

While preparing your game

• Promote teamwork and collaboration among characters. Create situations in which success is only possible if the characters are perfectly coordinated (a la Voltron).
• Avoid ideas revolving around creating strong tensions between characters (opposing clans, dramatically contrary objectives or antagonistic character personalities).

The Dilettante

Also known as the casual player, the dilettante plays the role-playing game because others are playing. They might as well play a game of Catan, Time’s Up, or poker. While not particularly involved, closer to the spectator than the active player, they play an important role in the interpersonal dynamics of the group. They easily compromise and can be the moderator of more assertive personalities. Their character often complements the others, which is practical in systems that require a certain number of classes.

Missing a thief or a warrior? No problem, they will make one. It would be nice if there was an elf in the group? That’s cool, they will play an elf. Accommodating, they do not want to make an effort though. Don’t ask them to ingest a big rulebook or to interpret a complex personality. Above all, don’t put them in the spotlight, they hate that. They like to be in the background and are very happy that way.

While preparing your game

• Plan for a few technical sheets to summarize the important rules of the system used, this will avoid multiple interruptions and explanations that may annoy the other players (and make the dilettante feel bad because they don’t like when others are annoyed)
• If possible, create a strong link between the dilettante’s character and the character of the player they prefer (best friend, family link, etc.). This will allow the dilettante to get involved without leaving their comfort zone.
• On the other hand, avoid any plot or scene that would highlight the dilettante’s character.

Conclusion?

Now, it’s up to you to show empathy and psychology (two important characteristics for any game master) and determine what types of players are present around your table. Of course, many players do not fit into a well-defined box. In fact, most players are at least hybrid.

The most important thing for you is to understand what motivates them to come and play, as this will allow you to design adventures that meet their expectations.