GAMER CLASSIFICATION CODE v0.2 ============================== CREDITS By Gurth -- GCC0.2: y!>?.nl[Zld] G90 SCP/F:@@[SR] B++(+++) f RM rm rr+ l- m(+) w(+) s+ GM++(*) A(-) GS(+) h++ p*(+) LA C(--) CG F(-) c+(+++) With contributions by Jeremie Bouillon Inspired by, and partly based on, Robert Hayden's Geek Code, Roger Stenning's IMMEW Code, and the Shadowrun Geek Code. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION & INSTRUCTIONS The Gamer Classification Code (GCC) consists of a number of categories, each represented by one or more letters and qualifiers. Use these to tell other gamers about your game-related interests by going through each category and picking the qualifier that best describes you. If you can't find one that exactly matches you, take the one that is closest, and/or use the variables (see below) to fit you better. Put a space between categories to separate them. Please note that all categories and qualifiers are case-sensitive. "F" is different from "f", for example -- one is used to indicate how you like game fiction, the other for how frequently you play RPGs. What you do with the GCC once you've created it is entirely up to you. I suggest you put it into your signature or something... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- VARIABLES In addition to the basic ratings given in each category, you can use the following symbols to add a bit more detail. This will mostly be when you can't find a qualifier that describes you perfectly. > Indicates you fit a certain qualifier, but would like to be another one (and, preferably, that you're striving to get there). For example, m->+ indicates you attack Munchkins on sight, but are working toward tolerating them enough to give them a chance. () Indicates that the qualifier varies from the main one you assigned, to the one in the parentheses. GM+(---) means you generally like being the gamemaster for your group, but at times you get quite sick of your players' attitudes. @ Indicates the qualifier varies all over the place. LA@ says that you play a lot of live-action games at times, but at others don't like LARPs at all, with everything in between also being possible. ? If this is not defined otherwise in a specific section, it means you don't know or understand the category. For example, h? says you don't know what house rules are. ! See the category in question for the meaning of !, if it has any. (This note was added mainly for those used to the Geek Code, where ! means "I refuse to participate in this category" but which it does NOT do in the Gamer Classification Code!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GAMER CLASSIFICATION CODE IDENTIFIER Start your code off by the letters GCC followed by the version of the code, and then by a colon (:). As this is version 0.2, that means you should start the code with "GCC0.2:". Everything else will come after this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GENDER, AGE & LOCALE To aid other gamers, use this category to give a short and (very) basic description of yourself. Gender Let's start with whether you're a man or a woman. x Female gamer y Male gamer z Why should I tell you? (And yes, you can use the > variable here if you really want to :) Age After this, add the last two digits of the year in which you were born: x78 would be a female gamer born in 1978, for example. (No, this is not Y2K-proof, but do you seriously expect that to ever become an issue? :) If you don't want to provide the exact year of your birth, you can indicate just the decade by replacing the last digit by an asterisk (*), like so: x7* is a female gamer born in the 1970s. (Note for those used to the Geek Code: this method was chosen instead of specifying actual age, like the Geek Code does, because it needs less updating. A person's year of birth is not known to change much, unlike his or her age.) Other options for your age, which replace the year indicator entirely, are the following: ! You don't need to know when I was born at all. ? I'm immortal. Thus, y? is an immortal male, while z! doesn't want to tell you much of anything about him- or herself. Locale To help other gamers in your area make contact with you, now add the Internet country code for your country. This is often the ".xx" at the end of your e-mail address, though if you're from the USA, use ".us". If your address ends in .com (or .org, .net, etc.) but you're not from the USA, it should be easy enough to find out what code you should use by looking at some newspaper adverts or TV commercials. Thus, x78.fr would be a female gamer, born in 1978, who lives in France. Optionally, you can add some kind of indicator for the part of the country you're in. Many countries have standardized abbreviations for the names of provinces, states, major cities, and so on that you can use, or else you can fall back on all or part of your postal (zip) code or telephone area code -- as long as someone from your general area will recognize it as being in his or her area as well, it will do the trick. Add this in square brackets [] after the country code. For example, someone from Florida in the USA could add .us[FL] because FL is the standard state abbreviation for Florida. Similarly, a person from eastern London could use .uk[E17]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN A GAMER? The identifier for this category is "G". Follow this by the last two digits of the year you started gaming (for example, G92 is 1992, G00 is 2000, etc.). If at some point you took a break from gaming, add a dash (-) and the year you stopped, then a slash (/) and the year you picked it up again (or, if you never did, leave off the slash and final year). For instance, G80-87/92 means you started gaming in 1980 but didn't from 1987 to 1992, then started again. Other possibilities are: G* I'm Dave Arneson or E. Gary Gygax. G! I want to be a gamer, but I've never actually played an RPG. G!! I only player computer RPGs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FAVORITE SETTING & CHARACTER TYPE Indicate the type (or genre) of game setting you prefer playing in with one of the following codes. If you mainly enjoy cross-over settings, separate them by a slash (/), listing the principal setting first . For example, SCP/F is someone who prefers playing in a setting that's mainly cyberpunk but has fantasy elements as well, while SF/CP would indicate a setting which is principally fantasy, with a degree of cyberpunk added to it. You can make this as convoluted as you like, but if there are more than three setting types, you might be best off simply going for SO (Other) or S@ (Any and all). SCP Cyberpunk: near-future settings with high technology, faceless corporations and uncaring people. SF Fantasy: usually medieval-like settings with plenty of magic, brave heroes, a struggle of Good vs. Evil, etc. SHI Historical: settings based closely on real history, but not set in the modern world. SHO Horror: settings where, regardless of the time and place, the idea is to scare the players and characters. SHU Humor: settings or games intended to be a good laugh. SME Mecha: science-fiction settings where giant robots reign supreme. SMO Modern-day: settings in the real world or the near future, without science-fiction technology. SPA Post-Apocalypse: settings in which civilization has taken a major hit as a result of a drastic catastrophe. SSF Science-Fiction: settings, usually in the distant future, in which technology has proceeded far beyond current levels. SSH Superhero: settings in which heroes and villains with fantastic powers battle it out, often for world domination. SSP Steampunk: historical settings where technology has improved faster than it did in the real world. SO Other: a catch-all category for anything that doesn't fit the above choices. S@ Any and all settings: for those who don't care for any particular genre, but like to try them all. Favored Character Type After the game settingindicator, add a colon (:) and two letters indicating the kind of character you usually play. The first is a capital letter to show your favorite race or species, and the second a lower-case letter for the occupation or class you like best. Pick one from each of the two lists below. A Halfling D Dwarf E Elf G Gnome H Human O Ork (or Orc, if you prefer) R Robot (or android, terminator, etc.) S Supernatural (angels, demons, faeries, etc.) U Undead (ghosts, vampires, zombies, and so on) @ No preferred race/species * Other race/species (usually game-specific, like aliens in SF settings) a Average person: someone without special skills or abilities. c Criminal: anyone breaking the law for personal gain, for example a gang member, rogue, thief, etc. e Entertainer: someone making a living entertaining others, like a bard, jester, rocker, and so on. f Fighter: a combat-oriented type, such as a barbarian, samurai, soldier, etc. h Computer hacker: someone who's main tool is a computer, and uses it to occasionally (?) break the law. i Investigator: a freelancer who solves crimes or mysteries, such as a private detective. j Jack-of-all-trades: someone who can do just about anything, but isn't specialized in one specific area or skill. l Law enforcement: a person who catches criminals in a professional capacity, like a police officer or a sheriff. m Magic user: anyone capable of using magic as his or her primary ability. p Psionicist: someone who can read and/or manipulate minds, such as a telepath. r Religious: a person who sees to the spiritual needs of others, for example a cleric, druid or priest. s Superhero or -villain: someone with superpowers, using them for his or her own good (villain) or for society's (hero). t Technical: someone who is good with technology, like a mad scientist, mechanic, tinkerer, etc. v Vehicle operator: someone whose main job is to work in/on a vehicle, like a pilot, starship captain, tank crewmember, etc. 6 Troubleshooter: if you need to be told what a Troubleshooter does, then that information is above your security clearance. @ Anything that suits my fancy when I'm creating a character. * Another occupation, which is not listed above. Specific Game Indicator (Optional) If you want, you can add an abbreviation for the specific game you like above all others, from the list below. Add this in square brackets [] after the setting/character type code. For instance, SMO/PA:Hc[T2K] indicates your favorite game is the Twilight: 2000 modern/post-apocalypse RPG, in which you like to play human criminals. For ease, included after each game's name is the setting code which fits it best, in the author's opinion. Feel free to differ, though, and note that you don't absolutely _need_ to have a game fit the category -- you could prefer superhero games on the whole, but have one of the Star Trek games as your favorite individual game, like so: SSH:@@[ST]. (NOTE: This list is really far from complete, and needs many more entries.) 89 Space: 1889 (SSP/SF) 7S 7th Sea (SF) AM Amber (SF) AD&D Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (SF) AM Ars Magica (SHI/F) B5 The Babylon Project (SSF) BD Bram Stoker's Dracula RPG (SHO) CC Call of C'thulhu (SHO) CF Castle Falkenstein (SSP/F) CH Champions (SSH) CL Chill (SHO) CORPS CORPS (S@) CP Cyberpunk 2020 (SCP) -- including Cybergeneration CS Cyberspace (SCP) CTD Changeling: The Dreaming (SMO/F) D20 Any system using the d20 System rules (S@) D&D Dungeons & Dragons (SF) -- any edition or version DC Dark Conspiracy (SMO/HO) DL Deadlands (SSP/F) DLHE Deadlands: Hell on Earth (SMO/F) DR Dragonraid (SF) ED Earthdawn (SF) EW Everway (SF) FUDGE FUDGE (S@) GURPS GURPS (S@) GMN Gemini (SF) HG Heavy Gear (SME) HM HackMaster (SF) HOL HoL: Human-Occupied Landfill (SHU/SF) HS Hero System (SSH/@) HTR Hunter: The Reckoning (SMO/HO) IN In Nomine (SF/MO) KT Kult (SHO) LOTR Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game (SF) -- either by Iron Crown Enterprises or Decipher LM Lawnmower Man RPG (SCP) LS Living Steel (SSF) ME Millennium's End (SMO) MERP Middle-Earth Role-Playing (SF) MP The Morrow Project (SMO/PA) MSC Mage: Sorcerer's Crusade (SHI/F) MTA Mage: The Ascension (SMO/F) MW MechWarrior (SSF/ME) MZ Mekton Zeta (SME) OTE Over The Edge (SMO/HU/SF/HO/F) PA Paranoia (SHU/SF) PD Pendragon (SHI) PF Palladium Fantasy (SF) RI Rifts (SSF/F) RL Renegade Legion: Legionnaire (SSF) RM Rolemaster (SF) RT Robotech (SME) RU Rune (SF) SLA SLA Industries (SSF/HO) SM Spacemaster (SSF) SR Shadowrun (SCP/F) ST Star Trek (SSF) -- any of the games set in this universe SW Star Wars (SSF) -- either the West End Games or Wizards of the Coast offering T2K Twilight: 2000 (SMO/PA) -- including Merc: 2000 TMNT Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness (SPA/F) TO Toon (SHU) TR Traveller (SSF) -- any of the different editions TS Top Secret (SMO) TY Trinity (SSF) UA Unknown Armies (SMO/HO) VDA Vampire: The Dark Ages (SHI/HO) VTM Vampire: The Masquerade (SHO) WH Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (SF) WOD World of Darkness (SMO/HO/F) -- any of the games in this setting WTO Wraith: The Oblivion (SHO) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GAME BOOKS LIBRARY It's difficult to play RPGs without access to the rule- and sourcebooks published for them. How many do you have? B+++ I own more rulebooks than the local game store. B++ I have shelves full of books for games that I never actually play. B+ I have most of the books for a few games, and/or the more important books for several others that interest me. B I've got the basic books for the main game(s) I play. B- I own one game book. B-- I don't own any game books. B--- The other players in my group read to me from their books when I need to know something. A special indicator is to add ! after the indicator, such as B+!. This means "I should be one or more levels higher up in this category, but people who borrow my books never return them!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GAMING FREQUENCY Not everyone manages to get a game together regularly, while some people just can't be removed from one no matter what you try. f+++ I game all the time, stopping only to order food and get the occasional bit of sleep. f++ I play an RPG three or more days/nights a week. f+ I game twice a week. f I have a regular weekly game to go to. f- I can get to a game session every few weeks. f-- I get to play every couple of months. f--- I'm lucky to play once or twice a year. f! I've never gamed in my life. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- REAL MEN, REAL ROLEPLAYERS, LOONIES AND MUNCHKINS A historic document by Jeff Okamoto, Sandy Petersen, and lots of others divides gamers into four categories: real men, real roleplayers, loonies and munchkins. Pick the category you fit in best, and add the appropriate letter to your code. RM Real Man: The tough macho type who walks up to the attacking dragon and tells him to leave before he gets hurt. RR Real Roleplayer: The intelligent cunning guy who tricks the constable into letting you all out of prison. L Loonie: The guy who will do anything for a cheap laugh, including casting a fireball at ground zero. (Loonies who don't like the letter L may pick any other letter as long as it isn't already in use in this code.) M Munchkin: Need we say more? M! I don't understand what "Need we say more?" means, but I don't fit any of the other categories! RM! I'd pick "Real Man," if I were a man... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- INTER-PLAYER RELATIONSHIPS Now you know what you are, how do you relate to other players? Since all of them fit into the same four categories, just rate yourself for how you feel about them (including the category you picked for yourself). Real Men rm+++ Whoah Real Men! rm++ You can depend on Real Men to get the job done. rm+ I can appreciate Real Men's no-nonsense attitude. rm I get along with Real Men OK. rm- Who do Real Men think they are? rm-- Real Men are macho jerks. rm--- The world would be a much nicer place without Real Men in it. rm? I don't know what to make of Real Men. Real Roleplayers rr+++ Real Roleplayers are the only true gamers. Mark Rhein*Hagen is my idol! rr++ There aren't enough Real Roleplayers in the world. rr+ Other players can take an example from Real Roleplayers. rr I'm pretty indifferent toward Real Roleplayers. rr- Maybe Real Roleplayers are taking things a bit too far? rr-- Hey, Real Roleplayers! It's just a game! rr--- Real Roleplayers are Mazes and Monsters waiting to happen. rr? I don't know what to make of Real Roleplayers. Loonies l+++ Loonies are hysterical! l++ Games with Loonies are a lot more fun than ones without. l+ There's never a dull moment with a Loonie around. l Loonies are kind of funny... l- As long as the Loonie doesn't bother me, I don't mind. l-- I try to keep my character as far away from a Loonie's as possible. l--- Loonies are hysterics! l? I don't know what to make of Loonies. Munchkins m+++ Munchkins of the world, unite! m++ Munchkins are cool. m+ Give the Munchkins their fun for a while; they'll learn. m Just ignore Munchkins, they'll go away. Eventually. m- I attack Munchkins on sight. m-- I kill Munchkins where I find them. m--- I go out looking for Munchkins to kill. m! I know exactly what to make of Munchkins, but they're too tough for me to try. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO DO YOU PLAY WITH To play a role-playing game, it's generally accepted that you need more than one person. w+++ I prefer to play at conventions, with total strangers. w++ I play at a gaming club, where anyone can join in on the game. w+ I play in a group that frequently sees players come and go. w I play with a (more or less) fixed group of friends. w- I only play with people I know well. w-- I refuse to play with people I don't know. w--- I exclusively play in Play By E-Mail (PBEM) campaigns. w? I'm looking for a group -- contact me if you need an extra player! w! I don't get to play at all. w!! I refuse to play with anyone. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FAVORITE PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY Since an RPG leaves you free in your actions, there are a great many ways in which you can attempt to solve the problems that your character invariably encounters. Some people are more successful at it than others, though. s+++ "This calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence." s++ I try to get into the opposition's mind to come up with a solution. s+ I use common sense to come up with the most practical way out. s I discuss it with the group, then we'll figure out something together. s- I tend to follow my intuition. s-- I've seen a few situations where violence didn't help, but not many. s--- Blast it until it dies, then blast it some more. s---- There isn't a situation that I can't talk my way out of. s? The other players always tell me how to solve problems... s! My character never actually solves problems in the game -- I use my charm on the GM to make them disappear. s!! I've got a relationship with the GM, so my characters don't ever _have_ problems they need to solve. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BEING THE GAMEMASTER Many gamers have been the gamemaster (or Dungeon Master, referee, Storyteller, or any one of a number of other terms) for their group at some point in their career. Tell the world about your experiences: GM+++ My whole reason for gaming is to make my players' lives difficult! GM++ Whenever I'm not GMing during a game, I feel like something's missing. GM+ I like being the GM. GM I've GMed some games. GM- It's not for me, I prefer being on the other side of the GM screen. GM-- GMing needs more brainpower than I have to spare. GM--- How can you stand the players' whining about anything and everything?! GM! I don't GM. GM* I'm always stuck being the GM because nobody else wants to! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVENTURE STYLE Adventures come in all sorts of styles and types, but each gamemaster tends to favor a particular kind. When you crawl behind the GM screen, what's the experience going to be like for the other players? A+++ My adventures are grand stories of intrigue, drama and politics. We have a combat every couple of months at most. A++ I try to avoid combat scenes and focus much more on the social and investigative sides of roleplaying games. A+ Investigations are the main feature of my adventures, but a good fight every so often doesn't hurt anyone. A I try to make my adventures contain something for everyone. A- It'd be unwise to go out without your weapons and armor in my adventures. A-- Good old dungeon bashes are still the best adventures for me. A--- If the characters aren't up to their knees in blood, gore and severed body parts 99% of the time, I let someone else be GM. A---- I run HackMaster. A! Like I said already, I don't GM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GAMEMASTERING STYLE Not all gamemasters are created equal. How do your adventures normally go, and how do you treat the players? GS+++ My players just sit back and relax because they know nothing bad will ever happen to them. Their snoring sometimes breaks my concentration. GS++ I give the players lots of breaks, so that they have do something pretty stupid not to get out of trouble in one piece. GS+ My games tend to favor the players, but I'm not against giving them what they deserve. GS I try to balance things out, so everyone has a fair chance without giving players undue breaks. GS- Life's a bitch and then you die -- so why should it be different for your character? GS-- I kill characters whenever I feel like it, whether they deserve it or not. GS--- All the other players walked out on me... GS! I don't GM, how many times do I have to tell you? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HOUSE RULES There is hardly a gamer in existence who hasn't tinkered with the rules of a game system at some point or other. h++++ My group uses its own home-brew game system -- we don't use commercially-available rules at all. h+++ The rulebook is nothing but a basis to build your own rules on. Anything I don't like from it, I change or replace. h++ I've spent a fair amount of my time writing up house rules, some of which will probably never get used. h+ I haven't found a game yet that couldn't use a few house rules. h I use a few house rules to deal with the more obvious gaps and errors. h- Having a few house rules is a necessary evil. h-- Games should be played the way the publishers intended them to. h--- My favorite game is perfect as it is, and doesn't need any changes. h---- I'm Ivy Ryan. h! I write rulebooks for a game publisher. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GETTING PUBLISHED Game companies large and small need people to write the books they publish. Many of these authors started out as humble gamers, and for all we know, you could be one of them. p++++ I have a full-time job writing for a game publisher. p+++ I'm a freelance game author whose work gets published quite a lot. p++ I (semi-)regularly write stuff that gets published in gaming magazines or game supplements. p+ Something I wrote got published once. p When I write something, it's for my own (or my group's) use. p- The few things I write are generally not well-received. p-- I'm happy with letting others do the writing. p--- I thought a big computer cranked out all these books...? p---- I am Kevin Siembieda. p* Most of what I write, I give away for free on the Internet. p! I never seem to actually finish anything! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- LIVE-ACTION ROLE-PLAYING (LARP) Some gamers love to play live-action games -- instead of sitting around a table on hard chairs, they dress up in their character's costume and get together out in nature somewhere with other, like-minded people to actually play out their characters actions. LA+++ I own several complete costumes and go to all LARP events that I can. LA++ I play a few LARP games every year, usually at conventions or big events. LA+ I've LARPed a few times, and I enjoyed it. LA I want to try a LARP someday, but I haven't found one I like yet. LA- LARPs don't appeal to me. LA-- Waving latex swords around? Give me a break... LA--- Who in their right mind would want to dress up like an idiot and run around in a forest pretending to be a warrior or a wizard? LA! I refuse to play LARPs. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPUTER GAMING Besides being useful tools for all sorts of everyday work, computers are widely used to play games on. Many roleplayers do this as well, but are you one of them? C+++ I make Half-Life/Baldur's Gate mods. C++ I play Everquest every night. C+ Computer games are fun, I play them when I have the time. C I've tried computer games. C- I've heard about computer games. C-- Computer games steal players away from real games! C--- Real roleplayers don't need computers to get their fix. C? You mean there is more than e-mail and usenet on computers?? C! I've got a flame-thrower ready just in case I meet a computer gamer... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CARD GAMES In the mid-1990s, a new craze swept through the gaming world like an infectious disease: collectible card games drew many gamers from roleplaying, in addition to addicting untold numbers of non-gamers as well. Although it's not as bad as it once was, CCGs are still around and a force to be reckoned with. Tell everyone how you feel about them. CG++++ I'm Richard Garfield. CG+++ I used to be an avid roleplayer, but CCGs take up so much of my time that I haven't played an RPG in years. CG++ I own thousands of cards for and play it any chance I get. CG+ Card games are a fun way to pass some time, so I keep a few decks around. CG I like to play the occasional card game, but it won't get me away from RPGs. CG- I was once a card gamer, but gave up when it started costing me far too much money. CG-- CCGs ruined the market for real games. CG--- Any CCG is good for lighting my BBQ with. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GAME FICTION "Fiction" is the word generally used to describe short stories, and even whole novels, set in a game universe. Some people like them as a useful insight into the setting, others loathe them because of their quality (the frequent lack thereof, that is). What's your point of view? F+++ Why haven't any of these authors won the Nobel Prize for literature yet? F++ I've bought and read all the novels published for my favorite game setting. F+ Game fiction is a refreshing break from serious literature. F I like game fiction for the way it helps build a picture of the game setting. F- While the "official" novels are often tolerable, fan fiction should be banned. F-- What drug has given these people the delusion they can write? F--- When you buy it in rolls, toilet paper is a lot cheaper. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GAME CONVENTIONS Every year, a large number of game conventions are organized, from large, commercial ones like GenCon, Origins and Spiel to small local ones run by a gaming club. c+++ I travel halfway across the world to go to conventions. c++ I go to all the local and major conventions in my part of the world. c+ I usually make it to one or two major conventions a year. c I go to one or two local cons every year. c- I don't go to conventions. c-- I've used to go to conventions, but they've lost their appeal. c--- Game conventions are full of geeks. Why would I want to go to one? c! I've never been to a convention.