This month our writers have given their take on the age old… ok maybe not that old…question of Hardcore vs Casual game play. But my question still remains unanswered. Does your playstyle define you? Are you really valued in the gaming community by the style of your play?

Many times it’s been said that the “squeaky wheels” on official forum boards across the multitude of games are the one that direct the changes by the developers. It’s easily seen that those who have in the past hollered the loudest could be considered hardcore gamers. That is those that spend as much or more time gaming than most people care to spend at work in a week. These folks log in and go go go! The end game is their domain and they rule it with a harsh, sarcastic and iron fist. Try to appeal to their more casual side and you’re taking your virtual life in your hands.

Don’t get me wrong, I am an advocate for all types of gamers, but come on guys…do you always have to look at things in the what-can-it-do-for-me mode? I have known many of these types of gamers and have found that some of them are highly intelligent far beyond the stereo type I just described. They take time to analyze each weapon, spell, ability and compare the results to those of other classes. They take time to write the guides and how-to’s that appear around the web. They are in a sense, the sages of the MMOs. They have the knowledge that those who don’t or can’t play as hard seek for. 

On the other hand, these sages of gaming often look at the casual gamer with distain. Why should they offer their hard earned knowledge, items, coin etc with those that haven’t paid the price of time, virtual blood, sweat and tears for it? This leads to one of the largest schisms in the gaming community. Casual gamers often look on these dedicated…for whatever reason…masses as arrogant loot mongers who will walk over their own grandmother’s to get the next uber drop.  Conversely, the hardcore players look on those who play less than 40 hours a week in constant raids as weak, unworthy of being listened to or given any consideration at all. Think I’m joking? Take a look at most official forums across the gaming community and you’ll get a taste for what I mean.

What can be done to ease these stereo types and close the gap between players? I am not certain that there will ever be a game, or a solution that will please both sides of the gaming coin. But I do think that Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler are coming the closest thus far. With their look at the “target audience” for Vanguard: Saga of Heroes as “core” gamers rather than the typical terms, they have started to build a bridge between the two extreams. The term itself validates the contribution that the majority of the player base makes. According to Brad McQuaid the numbers show that “hardcore” gamers make up a very small percentage of the player base. Those who log in and play a few hours at a time several times a week make up the core of the player base…get it? Core?

With this in mind, the team at Sigil Games Online have utilized polls, surveys and input from the community in guiding the direction of their work. Will the squeaky wheel always get the oil when it comes to this much anticipated game? That remains to be seen, but I have hope that for once, your play style will not define you.