You know, sometimes it is easy to find a topic to write about. If some subject has been on my mind a lot I can easily write a 2,000 word article on it.
But there are also times when it is hard for me to even think of a topic, not to mention actually write it.

Lately I haven’t been getting on Runescape much. And no, this isn’t because “I hate Jagex”. On the contrary, I have been pleasantly surprised with some of their recent updates.
The reason I haven’t been on Runescape much lately is because I have been busy, with Life. Real Life. And you know what?

That’s OK.

It’s totally fine that I don’t do 6, 8, or 12 hour grinds a day. It’s fine that I only hop on to do a few POP and SOF or a slayer task. It’s fine that some days I don’t even log on at all. Why?

Because I am a Casual Gamer.

What is a Casual Gamer? Well, there are a few different types of Gamers:
Hardcore Gamer
Hardcore Gamers come in a few varieties, but they are primarily known by the fact that they spend almost every waking moment playing a game, usually only one or two of their favorites. These people have the perfect MinMaxed gear and setup. If they do not have the perfect gear(usually due to something better being released) they work double-time to get it. These players rush through content because their enjoyment is being at the top/end of the game. They don’t like the inbetween.
Professional Gamer
Pro Gamers are usually Hardcore Gamers that have either become very public online, such as on Youtube, or have been hired by a Company. Either way, they usually function nearly identically to Hardcore gamers except that they usually have a more visible purpose in their gaming.
Casual Gamer
Casual Gamers enjoy the game for what it is. While they would love to have the best gear, they don’t mind taking awhile to work towards it. For them, the fun and enjoyment is the journey to the goal, not the goal itself. An example of this in Runescape would be a player gathering their own resources for that 99 and then using them for the manufacturing 99. Like fishing to get 99 cooking or mining to get 99 smithing. A Hardcore or Professional Gamer would buy these because they don’t enjoy the journey, a Casual Gamer gathers them for their own use and may sell their excess to the other Gamers.
Gamer
General Gamers are for the most part people who have not joined one group or the other, yet. If you play gamers for any length of time you will undoubtedly at some point join one group. You may even swap between them. These people usually haven’t been playing long enough to be in one group or the other. Alternatively, they may have played a long time but are one of the few who have learned to enjoy all aspects of the game at their appointed times. These people are rare.

All Gamers are at their core one of the above. However this is not to say that you can’t at times play like a different type. There may be certain areas of certain games where a Hardcore Gamer just wants to go Casual. They will still be very serious and competitive while doing so, but it will be different from how they normally are. You might find the most Casual Gamer you know is the best Raid Leader ever for a certain raid. This might seem a stark contrast, but it’s reality in some cases.

So, what about me? I said I was a Casual Gamer.
And I am.
In most games I play to have fun. I take my time though I also analyze and research as I play. That is not a Casual Gamer trait, that is in fact more in line with a Pro Gamer trait. However for me it is just part of my nature.
In Runescape my Casual Gamer side is evidenced by my nearly 10 year career(June, I believe) and only having 9/26 99s. That doesn’t bother me though because those 99s are ones I enjoyed getting. I have many others near 99 which will get there either this year or next. I have many goals, but I work on them all on and off rather than grind one out and then move to the next. This keeps me from burning out on that one skill.

A common misconception about Casual Gamers is that they are incapable of playing at high levels. In reality I think Casual Gamers are quite capable of playing at high levels, it’s just that they choose not to because they don’t like that playstyle. For instance, in one game I play the most intricate and challenging class and am nearly max level. In another I have many highly efficient characters who are at end-game. I can play Hardcore but I don’t usually like to.

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What kind of Gamer do you feel you are? Why? Post below and let me know.