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Robot Arena => Discussion => Topic started by: yoda9726 on May 11, 2011, 05:59:13 AM

Title: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: yoda9726 on May 11, 2011, 05:59:13 AM
I'm arguing with myself whether this should go here or in the Chatterbox, feel free to move it if i made the wrong choice.
 
 
I dont know how many of you play Magic: The Gathering, but within that community, there exist three primary playstyles (called psychographs).  These are called Timmy, Johnny, and Spike.
Timmy is the type that likes to play with the big, yet inefficient creatures and effects.  Timmy likes to go large or go home, basically.
 
Johnny is the creative type.  He likes to use cards that most people pass by, in a new and interesting way.  He wants to make you say "I never thought of that". 
 
Then there's Spike, who cares about winning, winning, winning.  Efficiency is everything to Spike.  He'll wretch at the thought of using a card if there's even a slightly better version he can get his hands on.
 
 
Enough of the intro, the question is what are the RA2/GTM psychographs?  Where do you fit in the equation, and would we need more, new ones here, or do Magic's 'big three' cover it?
 
Clickbeetle is the first to come to my mind when I think of a Johnny.  Nary is a great Spike candidate.  Timmy, well noone comes to mind right off the top of my head.
 
I think of myself as somewhat of a Johnny.   I have a tendency to build topdown designs, the seven deadly sins being a good example.  I worry less about efficiency and more about 'this could be fun'.   But I do have a bit of Spike as well, I want my bots to be at least semi-combat worthy as well...
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Hydro on May 11, 2011, 06:02:57 AM
Timmy, well noone comes to mind right off the top of my head.

Hi.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Kujii on May 11, 2011, 06:11:10 AM
I'm certain Hydro would be our Timmy.

My first robot has a giant hammer and nothing else...totally a Timmy design.

But I generally build as a Johnny in any game...I think I have a thread around here somewhere that I attempted to build a 1X1 robot.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: JoeBlo on May 11, 2011, 06:36:10 AM
1x1 isnt anything new or creative.. just nobody does it due to havok :P

Given I build in tournaments to win awards based around design or originality over fighting ability its obvious where I fit..
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Scourge of teh Galaxy on May 11, 2011, 06:38:18 AM
I used to be a Timmy.

Now I'm a Johnny, with a bit of Spike, with a chunk of Timmy thrown in

I sound like a tasty stew :D
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: yoda9726 on May 11, 2011, 06:38:38 AM
I don't think I've ever seen any of Hydro's bots.  I'm gonna have to go looking now.
 
EDIT: yeah, I can see you fitting the Timmy type.  A few of your bots even slightly stray into Johnny territory, if for no other reason you try out different set ups.
 
 
 
1x1 isnt anything new or creative.. just nobody does it due to havok :P

Given I build in tournaments to win awards based around design or originality over fighting ability its obvious where I fit..

Might not be new or creative, but it's definately a Johnny mindset.  And yup, you're definately a Johnny yourself, Joe. 
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Hydro on May 11, 2011, 06:42:41 AM
I sound like a tasty stew :D

Can't wait to try some Eh, no.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: NFX on May 11, 2011, 07:01:20 AM
I think I've gotten myself into Spike territory, at least with Stock. DSL, I'm mostly Spike, maybe with a little bit of Johnny for good measure.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Naryar on May 11, 2011, 07:02:07 AM
Hello, fellow magic player.

Oh, and I see myself as half Johnny/half Spike really, with a little dash of Timmy thrown in for good measure. Sure I care about efficiency (not all the time though), and I generally play to win (key word being generally), but I like my designs (and other's) to be creative though, and I am all for new, awesome robot designs.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Kujii on May 11, 2011, 07:07:02 AM
1x1 isnt anything new or creative.. just nobody does it due to havok :P
True enough, but I'm talking about my general thought process, I don't go "lets build something to win!

I go "How much stuff could I fit in a single square inch ._.". Its a different outtake then the normal person immediately grabs.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: The Ounce on May 11, 2011, 07:42:30 AM
Definitely a Spike here, with a pinch of Johnny mixed in.  For me though it's not always about winning tournaments, as long as I can enter them, I'm satisfied.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: 123savethewhales on May 11, 2011, 08:27:26 AM
Timmy, POWER GAMER.  I beat people by OVERPOWER.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Jack Daniels on May 11, 2011, 08:39:22 AM
100% Johnny here.

haha... I totally was going to say 123stw is a Timmy.  I was too late.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: cephalopod on May 11, 2011, 09:40:01 AM
I... don't fit any of them. If anything, Timmy. Big VS <3
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: martymidget on May 11, 2011, 11:11:22 AM
I guess I'm mainly spike, with a bit of johnny thrown in.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: System32 on May 11, 2011, 11:14:21 AM
Entire team is Irons!
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Squirrel_Monkey on May 11, 2011, 11:28:27 AM
I just build... I have no motive or goal.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Scorpion on May 11, 2011, 01:36:20 PM
Admittedly I haven't been playing magic that long, but still, never heard of this.
I'd say I try to be a Johnny and a Timmy mix, then again, if you'd seen some of my failed bots, you'd see I can be too Johnny lol
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: madman3 on May 11, 2011, 01:44:46 PM
I'm kind of all. I mean, I've developed a bot type that looks like a diabetic hedgehog. Go figure.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: G.K. on May 11, 2011, 01:53:21 PM
I'm none of them. :3
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Jack Daniels on May 11, 2011, 02:13:41 PM
I'm none of them. :3

Then we shall call you... Bruce.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Vertigo on May 11, 2011, 02:54:37 PM
I'm none of them. :3

Then we shall call you... Bruce.
RUPERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait a sec, none of you guys will get that :/
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Thyrus on May 11, 2011, 03:11:17 PM
I`m not very creative. but I want to winn everything!
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: yoda9726 on May 11, 2011, 05:32:21 PM
Allright, for the ones not seeing themselves in the three, what motivates you to build?  What influences your choices in, say, the bot type, the components you choose, heck, even why you name your bot what you do?  Maybe you fit more into the Melvin/Vorthos dynamic...for the curious, here's an article dealing with them (Warning: Mark Rosewater can get pretty wordy at times)

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr278 (http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr278)

Also, where do you guys think the IRL realistic builders fit, or would that require a new psychograph? 

Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: cephalopod on May 11, 2011, 05:46:34 PM
Depends on my mood. And I like things that could be built in real life, but can always have some element of slight unrealism to them (no VS would have their motor as exposed as my VS). Names depends on moods too, but I usually come up with something then it sticks for the whole variety of bots in that style (EG Fever, Immunization, Vaccination or The Orange.., Blood Orange, etc)
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: 123savethewhales on May 11, 2011, 11:38:03 PM
Also, where do you guys think the IRL realistic builders fit, or would that require a new psychograph?
All 3 of the categories are still trying to win, it's just the method that differs.  And really, the only reason I am Timmy is because this is a Timmy oriented game.  You can only squeeze so much out of efficiency or creativity, while weapon KG is king.

In everything else, I am a Johnny/Spike who plays containment/control with web of combos.  Even in pokemon card I play stall decks.

IRL builders are not trying to win at all, it is primary aesthetic.  So those 3 categories make no sense.
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: yoda9726 on May 12, 2011, 04:06:39 AM
I'm about 99 percent Johnny when playing Magic, and unfortunately, it's well known at my table.  They wonder what i'm up to with nearly every card I play.  I've started using that to my advantage by slipping in pointless cards for them to worry over to take the focus off the real threats.  Yup, i'm a Johnny even in the metagame.
 
You've got a point about the IRL guys.  Them and the artbot makers (ORADers as I call them...hey, I can be a bit vain :P), concerned more about the aesthetics than anything else.  Who cares about winning, as long as it LOOKS right.  Let's call them....Sammy? 
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Thyrus on May 12, 2011, 05:55:33 AM
then I`m a sammy?
Title: Re: RA2/GTM psychographs.
Post by: Kujii on May 12, 2011, 06:20:11 AM
I'm about 99 percent Johnny when playing Magic, and unfortunately, it's well known at my table.  They wonder what i'm up to with nearly every card I play.  I've started using that to my advantage by slipping in pointless cards for them to worry over to take the focus off the real threats.
Haha, I'm the same way with Yu-Gi-Oh, at the table I play, some people won't attack me, even if I just have a Kiriboh in attack position with no magic/trap cards on the field, because they know I might active a "discard from hand when you take battle damage" effect. Its so well known that I can completely bluff opponents almost always.