How do YOU play the game?

[Kaljamaha]

Some years ago, on a Civ related forum, someone (sorry, I have zero recollection of said person) said that strategy gamers can be divided into two categories: gamers and sandbox people.

Gamers view the game a challenge to be beat, be it against the AI or other people. They don't care if their units are blank boxes or pink elephants, if the numbers are right, those units will be used. Gamers strive to win and nothing else, and will pursue the most efficient way to achieve the goal.

Sandbox types view the game as more of a simulation, and like to imagine (in the case of Dominions) a whole medieval fantasy kindom working in front of them. To these people, context and style is everything. They like to behave in a manner consistent to their vision of the world and its inhabitants (for example, no angel commanders leading devils into battle). They refrain from doing a lot of "efficient" things because it doesn't suit their vision and seems wrong.

Now, these are the extremes, and most people are probably somewhere in between. Reading these Boards it seems to me that the people here who play MP games are tilted heavily towards the gamer side, and evaluate things from that perpective. Guess that's why its called competetitive MP, huh.

I on the other hand am most definately a sandbox type. I've played roleplaying games for the Last mm... 17 years, and even if I wanted to, I would find it hard to divorce myself from the mindset.

I like to imagine the my nation as a real place with real people, view my commanders as individuals, and so on. I often make choices, both in pretender design and in-game commands that are suboptimal, but fit my vision of my nation. My pretender is a god (or at least a god wannabe)! He behaves like one. If one commander gets a heroic ability, I try to foster it so that he may become a true hero of legends. Troop choices (especially summons) must make sense. And so on...

Now, I'm fully aware that my style handicaps me if I were to play against a gamer. Therefore I play MP with like-minded friends. So no, this isn't a rant.

I'd like to hear how you all play.


K.