Like I said, there isn't always a correlation between time spent, and being "hardcore". Did you even read what I typed.

only moderate player here… wont have much time once i start honours in feb :X

I play whenever possible. Either I sit in front of my computer at work, developing computer systems, or I sit in front of my computer at home playing games. That still doesn't mean I play games in every genre - I play a few strategy games, but other than that it's RPGs exclusively. So basically, I end up replaying every RPG I enjoy a lot of times, hehe.

Where is the "I've called in sick to work or taken vacation days to play a game" option? That was me before we had my daughter. Now, it's 'Pretty Hardcore' and, on occasion, 'Need Counseling' as I will go without sleep for the right game.

It's sad that the retail outlets are so disconnected from the roots of RPGs these days. Apparently, if it doesn't look and play like Oblivion, STALKER, Bioshock, Crysis or FEAR, then it's not in stock !

But we vote with our purchases, and if the CRPG genre starts emulating the uber-realistic FPS genre and console games, then we can kiss the party based isometric classics like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Fallout, Planescape and Arcanum goodbye forever (unless we start supporting the indie CRPG scene).

I went with "pretty hardcore".

When I start a PC RPG I always finish it. I consider this alarming myself, but I am a completionist, and I hate to judge a game thinking it may get a little better the deeper I go into it. There are bunches of RPGS that I get about 60-70% of the way through and then activate cheat codes, walkthroughs, or editors so I can just get through it quick and end it.

I usually game about 15-20 hours a week. When I am not at work or with the kids/family doing whatever, I am gaming. It is always my first avenue of recreation if the option is available to me. Other than RPGS I play adventure, sports, shooters and stratgey games on PC. On 360 I play fighters, sports, platformers, and action/adventures.

Gaming is definitely an obsession for me, but I am not quite "addicted"……yet.

Welcome to the boards, Malifax. Thank god I am not cursed with completism to the same degree--I can be compulsive at times, but I've always been able to lay a bad game down, which is a very good thing considering how many bad games I've tried to play.

Originally Posted by Arpyjee
It's sad that the retail outlets are so disconnected from the roots of RPGs these days. Apparently, if it doesn't look and play like Oblivion, STALKER, Bioshock, Crysis or FEAR, then it's not in stock !

It's extremely sad, however I like to look at the money invested in these games by the big devs and publishers as technological R & D that may some day be utilized in the more "niche" RPG market, but that the devs catering to that market(indies and mostly smaller studios) couldn't afford to initiate themselves.

Developing affordable, intelligent middleware, and mainstreaming it could make it possible for better built and more appealing small games, which would in turn increase the audience for RPGs, or that's my hope anyway.