I'm a very long-time gamer. I've stuck with video games since the first arcades sprouted up in my area oh-so-many years ago, played on the Atari 2600 at home (when I wasn't in trouble for skipping my homework... to play on the 2600 :lol: ), have owned several consoles and a stack of games for each, and in general have logged thousands of hours manipulating little pixel-based objects across video screens.

I do it to sharpen my reflexes. I do it to "escape" to a certain extent. I do it to relax.

I find it stimulating to take an RPG character and put hours of play time into developing him into the uber-hard-core monster-killing machine he can be. I'll skirmish for hours on an RTS with an army I don't know (or like) for the challenge. I'll jump head-first into a shooter just to see if my reaction times can still keep up with the hardest difficulty level.

Short version: I game for fun.

At times, I wish everyone gamed for fun, in much the same way I do. Either I'm in a minority, or a silent majority (take your pick), because the "fun" people are few and far between. Most of the fellow gamers I run into seem to fit the following categories:

The "Professional:" I put this in quotes, because not every gamer could possibly make money playing games. This is the individual who studies replays for hours on end, in order to fine-tune his build orders or strategies. If the real pros don't play a game, then the "professional" won't either... and says so... loudly... and repeatedly.

The Entrepreneur: This seems to be an MMO-centric phenomenon: players whose sole mission is to make gold from those who can't (or won't) do for themselves. Runners (who will take you through an area for a fee), farmers (who'll sell you items they've picked up), etc. ...it makes it difficult to find people who will do the quest you need with you, if they can find a person who'll guarantee they succeed... for a small charge of 1000 gold. :S

The Graphics Junkie: If it doesn't use Pixel Shader 9.99, support pentalinear filtering and have ultra-photorealistic graphics in the first screen shots (even if release is still 18 months away), it's "crap!" and will never sell. Don't believe me? Just ask the graphics junkie, who's "low-end" machine has 4 GPUs, 16TB of memory, and a price tag that would bankrupt several small countries.

The Griefer: Unfortunately, I've run into this a few times in Guild Wars. This is the player who feels good about ruining the fun for the others in the game. It takes many forms, some minor (like heckling the "n00bs") and some not (gutting your way through a mission when 2 people take you in and, 5 minutes later, quit with a "lol gl n00b!!!" leaving the other 2 basically helpless; or having a player who blows the bonus objective deliberately, and blames you). The only defense is to get a thick skin, and really good very quickly.

This is, by no means, a comprehensive list. I'm sure there are other unsavory characters in the gaming world I haven't run across... but, then again, I haven't actively sought them out.

More than likely, it's just my gamer's idealism (if that really exists) that wishes more people would help the newer players instead of hurt them, or take a game for what it is (a fun way to unwind and relax). Then again, I guess every segment of society has their bad apples, and if you look around, you'll find them whether you want to or not.