Proofed to be squishy

I've always been a fan of questionnaires. Don't ask why, it's just an obsession of mine. Once I got a huge one from the Swedish Central Administration for Statistics, asking me about all but everything in my life. I just cheered. Whenever I see a self test in a magazine, no matter how stupid and predictable it is, I'm compelled to complete it and see what kind of lover, how much of a leader or how great a mother I am.


So I was kind of excited the other day when I found out about an online questionnaire about gaming which would give you the answer what kind of gamer you are. (I picked up the link from another blog, unfortunately I'm unable to remember or find out which one right now, whoever it was - thanks!)


I quickly filled in the first one, about what kind of player I am. And then happily a second one, about what kind of guild I'm in. And a third one, about my playstyle. Then it was all over, just like on Christmas Day when you're stupidly looking around you hoping there was another gift that you've missed to open.


Honestly I don't know what to think about the results. They seem a bit too squishy in my eyes. Not that I'd like to be hardcore - I'm not - but when I read the judgements I seem to lack focus. The whole game seems to be like some kind of big zoo to me, where I'm happily walking around, having an ice cream, chatting with my friends. Where's my hunting instinct? Hey! I actually love to shoot those beasts and put them on the wall as trophies. There's nothing that beats a guild first kill! And I do care about Recount lists. It's not the whole world, but I want to do my best.


But according to this test I'm an "ESAK" player. I'm most of all an Explorer (73.33%) and a Socializer (66.67%). A bit of an Achiever (46.67%). I'm definitely not any Killer (13.33%).
And here's the analysis: "ESAK players often see the game world as a great stage, full of things to see and people to meet. They love teaming up with people to get to the hard-to-see places, and they relish unique experiences."


OK, I like going to new areas and having new encounters, but I really want to achieve things as well. Maybe it just reflects that I'm pretty new to the game, comparing to other players. I'm still enjoying exploring the universe. And the extremely low grades for Killer probably is because I'm just not any PvP:er, killing other players doesn't give me the same pleasure as taking down monsters.


Over to the analysis of my guild. According to the test it looks rather soft, just like me, which makes me wonder. Actually I think we're pretty focused at the moment, really wanting to progress in 25 man raiding. But we're called "Colorful-Mellow". This means that we "prefer an environment where *excessive* strong language and discussion of adult subjects are discouraged, but the occasional double entendre or ribald reference is still appreciated." We're also "rarely concerned with how well everyone plays-they are looking for a social experience open to all."


Alright, this thing about our language is true - it's not all that rough (at least when I'm online - I have no idea how the banter goes when the only female player in the guild isn't around). And we're really social, but this thing about not caring at all about how well anyone is playing... That's plain rubbish.


The final test was about playstyle, and if I would follow the results, I should rather drop my pure dps mage and go for a flexible class like druid or paladin. The test calls me "Supporter-Virtuoso".
"This combination is also referred to as the Jack-of-all-Trades playstyle. You are the type of player who likes to fill whatever role is needed in a group; you're not necessarily an expert on all aspects of the game, but you've dabbled with enough that you're comfortable taking on many different challenges. In games that allow multiple types of roles, you probably have several that you switch between depending on the situation. Those who are more interested in guiding and leading the organization look to you as a great resource. "

But except for that I think they're quite right about me. I'm no star in this game. In real life I've been a leader for quite a while, in the game I'm not. I'm perfectly happy being one in the crowd, a soldier doing a decent job, just trying to make things work.So... Did I get any wiser from doing those tests? Absolutely not. Actually they're obviously made not only for WoW players, but for many different games, which makes some of the questions pretty irrelevant. Still: a test is a test, if you're addicted to them you simply have to do it, and if nothing else it gives you a bit of entertainment.