Are you more of a Killer, Achiever, Explorer, or Socializer in an MMORPG? The Bartle Test categorizes players of an MMORPG into four categories, which we would like to present to you here on MeinMMO.
Did you know that as an MMORPG player, you belong to one of four categories that even have significant effects on the development of online games? These categories are based on the Bartle classification theory developed by Richard Allan Bartle in 1996 to categorize video game players based on their interests.
An important test for MMORPGs
What exactly does this test provide? The Bartle Test was designed and launched between 1999 and 2000 by Erwin Andreasen and Brandon Downey based on Richard Bartle’s classification theory. It helps players find out what type of gamer they are, making it easier to recognize whether a new online game is interesting to them. If the MMORPG focuses heavily on PvP battles, it appeals to “Killers”. If exploring the game world is the primary focus, “Explorers” will have more fun.
The Bartle Test is also used by game developers to better tailor their titles to a specific target audience. Developers can quickly determine whether their new MMORPG is aimed more at “Killers”, “Explorers”, “Achievers”, or “Socializers” and see how many players they can reach and how they can tailor their title even better to the target groups.
Who is Richard Bartle? Richard Allan Bartle, born in 1960 in England, is considered one of the most important developers of the MMO genre. He was a co-author of the original MUD, the first multi-user dungeon, which was created in 1970 and is among the beginnings of MMORPGs.
In 1987, he developed MUD 2, for which he even interrupted his professorship at the University of Essex. His book “Designing Virtual Worlds”, published in 2003, deals with the development, history, and peculiarities of virtual worlds, focusing on MMORPGs.
What types of players are there? The Bartle Test divides gamers into four categories that we would like to present to you here:
Achiever
The “Achiever” wants to achieve as much as possible in an MMORPG and show it to others. Therefore, this group of players pays special attention to maximizing skills and stats, finding item sets, and collecting achievements. It’s about collecting, improving, and showcasing what you have achieved. A good example is the Paladin from World of Warcraft, who has 99.4% of everything.
According to the Bartle Test, about 10% of MMORPG players belong to the “Achievers”.
Explorer
As the name suggests, an “Explorer” aims to explore a game world, discover secrets, and see new things. Explorers must find every secret door and do everything to unlock new areas of the game. Exploration does not have to be limited geographically to the world of the MMORPG. It also involves exploring and mastering game mechanics. In the survival MMO Fallout 76, for example, many Explorers are out and discovering the most beautiful locations in the game world.
The Bartle Test explains that about 10% of MMORPG players are “Explorers”.
Socializer
The “Socializer” focuses on interacting with other people, meeting up, exchanging experiences, and embarking on adventures together. Cooperation is central to achieving success as a team. “Socializers” enjoy helping their fellow players, supporting them with quests, gifting gold or items, or perhaps lending a hand on a friend’s farm in a sandbox game.
According to the Bartle Test, about 80% of all players are considered “Socializers”.
Killer
The “Killer” group aims to win, especially through combat. Specifically in PvP against other players. The difference between “Killers” and “Achievers” is that “Killers” take pleasure in seeing other players lose. They aim to bring out the best in an MMORPG by any means necessary. Surprisingly, this type of player makes up the smallest percentage.
According to the Bartle Test, only about 1% of MMORPG players are “Killers”.
What type of player are you?
Where can you take the Bartle Test? Do you want to find out which group you belong to? Then take the Bartle Test yourself. However, it is only available in English.
You need to answer 30 questions, after which you will be assigned to one of the 4 player groups. You can answer the questions on the Bartle Test website.
How accurate is this test? There is certainly criticism of the Bartle Test. Some players do not believe that they can be categorized in such a way through some questions. Furthermore, there are voices that argue that the questions do not go deep enough and that they are now outdated. MMORPGs evolve quite rapidly. According to critics, the nature of the response options, which are always opposing, does not lead to meaningful results.
Nevertheless, the test has established itself. By October 2011, over 800,000 players had participated. Game developers still use evaluations today to adjust their MMORPGs to the four gamer types and optimize accordingly. It simply provides a simple and convenient way to find out to whom a game is targeted, how people play, and in what direction the title still needs to be optimized.
This is why there are actually even more players: Particularly in the field of single-player gamers, it is not so easy to categorize gamers into just four categories. Therefore, Richard Bartle expanded the system to eight categories. These are:
- Planner – Set goals they wish to achieve.
- Opportunists – They do not yet know what they want to achieve.
- Scientists – They gather knowledge methodically.
- Hackers – They intuitively understand how the game world works.
- Networkers – They evaluate with whom it is worth hanging out.
- Friends – They simply enjoy the company of people.
- Politicians – They want to gain as much prestige as possible.
- Griefers – They seek to achieve a low reputation.
What type of gamer are you? Let us know in the comments.
There is much more to learn about MMORPGs. For example, why there are actually Tank, Healer, DD in MMORPGs.
