Lethal Shots

2ndNin asked over at Blog Azeroth asked how one would define the differences in player dedication. This really is quite a complex question. Traditionally you have 2 levels, casual players and raiders. But in reality there are many more levels. One has to take into account players such as non-raiders, PvPers, ect.

1. Hardcore Raiders – These are the guys that are making server first kills. They have the best of the best gear. And they do almost nothing but raid, and what little time they don’t spend raiding is spent grinding money and materials to support their raiding. This level of play requires a huge amount of dedication and commitment.
2. Hardcore PvPers – This group is similar to hardcore raiders, but instead of raiding, they focus more on Battlegrounds and Arenas.  While PvP may not require the same amount of game time as raiding, it requires no less dedication. Hardcore PvPers spend tons of time researching and practicing, just to give themselves a slight edge in a match that can be as short as 2 minutes.
3. Casual Raiders – This is the group that most players fall into. They raid, but not at the expense of the rest of the game (or their real life). Casual raiders will usually limit their raiding to just a few nights of the week, with an ample amount of time spent on other in game endeavors. They want to see end game content, but can’t / won’t commit to the time it requires to roll with the hardcore guilds.
4. Casual PvPers – These people are similar to casual raiders in the same way hardcore PvPers are similar to hardcore raiders. They enjoy PvP, but don’t put the dedication into it that the hardcore crowd does. Many people choose this path when they are unable to raid for any reason, yet still want something to do at max level.
5. Casual Players – Next to casual raiders, this group is the second largest. It encompasses people that enjoy the game, but find more enjoyment in the leveling process and lore than in raiding and PvP. They spend their time leveling alts, farming, grinding rep, ect.
6. Extreme Casual Players – These players play less than 10 hours a week. Think casual player, but barely ever online.

Now these are not cookie cutter molds. Some people may fit perfectly into one of my descriptions, but most are going to fall under at least 2. You can be a hardcore raider, that lies PvP casually. Or a casual raider that also enjoys playing alts casually. Not to mention players whose real life causes them to go from one extreme to another as time allows.

I would describe myself as a Casual Raider / Casual PvPer / Casual player. I love raiding, but also enjoy PvP occasionaly and leveling alts. How would you describe yourself?