Gaming Habits and Experience Preferences

What are you gaming habits?

There tons of different areas to cover. I more or less want to get to know everyone's gaming habits to see if I can be convinced of changing my ways. I find player input to be great but I don't know enough gamers to get meaningful feedback. This thread can also function to help others do the same. It's much more social than pragmatic in nature but I'm quite sure others ideas and arguments will be helpful to some.

Here are a few I wanted to ask about:

1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?

I have heard from multiple people that you should always play as good and then take the bad or neutral roat and that's the way the developers almost always intend it. A recent example someone used was Mass Effect 3: the evil ending has a special tid-bit gem at the end that shows Shephard alive. That's supposed to be a gem for those that did a replay (because it is supposed to make you "happier" about saving your character after losing it after a first play through). I do not know how much I agree with that but I do see the logic.

2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?

Do you like to play games for just an hour to 3 at the most and then stop? Or do you enjoy playing a game for as long as possible (like beating it all the way through for a game that can be beaten in 20 hours or less)? Why do you like the few hours type (if that's what you do)? Why do you like the lengthy gaming hours type of gaming (if that's your thing). Me? Well, I do both. Rarely do I ever play a game longer than 2 hours. But when I do, it is usually a single player RPG type game and it is only once no a very slow weekend when I have nothing to do and I don't feel like going out. I did that about 3 weekends ago with Deus Ex: it was fun and I loved playing the crap out of the game.

3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one?

This one is rather heated. Some say it is ruining gaming and they loathe idiots being able to talk in multiplayer games. Others love the crap out of it and play very intense multiplayer matches (RTS, FPS, etc.). I think this one depends on the game, really. But my opinion may mean jack since I don't really like playing multiplayer. There is a compromise, actually, when it comes to talking while gaming: private "vent"-like channels. That way, you only talk to the people you want to talk to and those you don't are excluded. However, that does not always work. For instance, you either mute all channels or enable all channels in Borderslands for PC. There is no "mute player x" options. That's lame. But, at the same time, it's stupid to try and type while in the middle of a fight/battle/match. You seriously don't have time. I do very much dislike smartass idiots talking, though. Everyone knows the type: 13-year olds that use the n-word and f-word like crazy that just run their mouths. That's not the only type of "mic" idiot, but you get the point.

4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?

This may seem odd to many of you but some gamers are very particular about their setup. They do not enjoy playing games without their special configuration. I tend to think that these types of gamers, more often than not, have Aspergers, but that may just be my anecdotal experience. Me? I have to have surround sound (5.1 or better) to play any FPS. It's almost an insult to the developers to play them any other way. Being able to hear the direction of gunfire, explosions, and footsteps can completely change your gaming experience in online matches; especially if you use those to your advantage. Also, some people cannot stand sitting in an uncomfortable chair or couch while playing so they opt out of gaming at a friends house which can ruin an otherwise friendly visit. I must say, I can't play for long in an uncomfortable chair. I have to be seated in a comfy chair if I'm going to play 1-3 hours. That's a lot of sitting. What about a particular keyboard and mouse setup for particular games? I know some people are very anal about those things.

5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them?

You don't hear much about gamer-guys. That's probably because gaming was once largely male dominant. However, these days, gaming is becoming more gender neutral with causal gaming seeing more female gamers than males. Another trend is for some girls to seek attention by cosplaying or announcing that they are girls in online games. Many people hate this. Some cite reasons such as taking away from the gaming experience because they shift the focus to them and instead of the game itself. Some hate it because it sexualizes gaming when we are working towards gender equality as a society. Some hate it because they cannot stand attention whores. Some love it because a hot chick dressing up and doing a great job of looking like Laura Croft is erection-inducing for the guys (and happy times for some girls, too).

Me? I don't care. Be attention whores. Be gamer sluts. Whatever you want to call it. It doesn't matter to me. I'm not 12 so I want be shitting my pants any time soon when a hot chick signs into a match or dresses up. Have at it and do what you want: just don't interfere with my ability to play when I want to play and I'll never gripe. Some say that my apathetic attitude is not good for gaming because I make up a majority of gamers so no meaningful change can occur. That criticism comes form the "stop with the gamer girl crap!" camp.

6. Insert your own gaming habit, here.

Please, if I've missed something, add to this thread. My opening post is in no way comprehensive. I just named the top 5 things I personally know are talked about.

This thread can become too broad so try and stay focused on gaming habits and your gaming preferences (like...how you like to experience gaming).

1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?

I almost always play as the good guy first in games with morality systems. As well, I almost never play as the bad guy- to date, the only game with a morality system that I've ever beaten as a bad guy was ME2, where I beat the game on insane with RenegadeShep. I don't play as the villainous good guy in most games because they're almost always corny. I wouldn't mind playing an antihero or a villain with depth, but most of the time, the "bad side" in games is usually just about being a punk. Not badass, just a punk. Like, if KOTOR is any indication, being a sith is all about holding up old ladies and demanding extra money that they obviously don't have as a rewrd for doing them a favor, stealing shit just because, and threatening to kill everyone. All the time. Even if they're trying to help you or are stronger than you.

My "ideal" bad guy generally has more tact than that.

2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?

If I like a game a lot and I'm really engrossed in it I can go for a couple of hours. If I find the game tedious or boring, I can usually last for about 45 minutes before needing a break. In general, I don''t usually play games for more than an hour at a time.

3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one?

I prefer talking to people while I play because video games are my social outlet, so I enjoy using a mic. However, if no one else is using a mic on my team I'll turn it off.

4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?

Nope. When your parents are divorced and you spend half your life bouncing from house to house, you learn to get comfortable anywhere. I've played games standing up, sitting on a bucket, sitting in an office chair or couch, on the floor, on top of a bunkbed, lawnchairs. Indoors, outdoors. Inside of cars. Everywhere you can imagine.

5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them?

Women are such a rarity online (or rather, women that you can actually see or hear and tell are women) that I enjoy their company regardless of their personalities. A woman who's actually good at the game earns my worship, as I've only met three women in my entire life who are as good as me or better at the games I play.

6. What type of online gamer are you? Achievement hunter, social player, competitive player, or a hybrid?

I'm a solid mix between a competitive player and a social gamer. I avoid single player games, as half the point of gaming for me is interacting with other people, so even if I get rage stomped in a match, the experience is still a pleasurable one for me so long as I'm playing with friends. At the same time, I get frustrated easily when retarded shit happens during matches, and some people on here can attest to how volatile I can get if I spend enough time losing. I've broken several controllers due to throwing them, and I usually start cursing gratuitously within 20 minutes or so of playing Gears of War. lol

1. I lean more towards neutral or good, but I will gladly burn down an orphanage if it means getting the Epic Sword of Awesomeness. Sometimes I will replay a game as the evil dude, but I usually don't bother.

2. Depends on the game. I've done it all: gaming sessions ranging from 30mins to 10h ones.

3. I don't have one, but I admit that competitive team games can greatly benefit from voice communication.

4. Not really. I am a PC gamer so I game in the same place and in the same way as I do everything else on my PC.

5. I treat games as a hobby, not a crappy dating service. Your gender is mostly irrelevant to me — play the game and shut up about which genital group you belong to.

6. My own personal gaming habit is to

Spoiler:
drink rum while I masturbate... nah, just bullshitting you

1. Yes, I always play as the good guy first, then make the douchebag decisions during 2nd or 3rd playthrough.

2. Normally like to play many hours at once, but at times I may have to just do it 1-3 hours because of work or somesuch.

3. Always play with a mic unless I'm in a shitty mood or if it's a single-player game I'm really trying to focus on. Otherwise, turtle beaches ftw.

4. Not really. Just one small couch that used to be in the front living room that I use for gaming mostly now, which is pretty ideal for it. The rest of the systems and stuff though I play in my room upstairs. I know my gaming stuff will prolly be all over the place when I start living in an apartment or dorm.

5. If they're like a lot of guy gamers online who are cocky and think they're the shit but really suck ass at whatever game they're playing, then chances are I'll hate 'em or think no different of them from any dude I'll encounter. If they're legitly good at whatever game(s) though I'll have the utmost respect for them (whether they're as good as or better than me at them or not) because of how rare it is. I understand though that plenty of girl gamers prefer not to disclose their gender when playing online because of the kind of extra trash talk they'll get when beating other players that are sore losers. One girl gamer I met online actually lives just a few blocks away from where I'm at, but we're not as close anymore friendship/relationship-wise, so meh.

6. Far as gaming habits I'm a hybrid of achievement/trophy hunting (whether it's for myself or for friends who need certain ones) or completionist if you will, and competitive playing. It's some games more than others of course as far as the latter. Sometimes I would be competitive when it comes to being placed on certain leaderboards but I rarely do that now with how often they tend to get hacked scores. lol

1. Quite the opposite in my case. I almost invariably go the Evil route first, then on my second playthrough do the good playthrough. Evil tends to both have better rewards, while also being generally more fun and appealing to my antisocial tendencies. It's also cooler. Playing as Terminator Shepard in Mass Effect 2 ftw.

2. This varies for me. I've played for as short as ten minutes, and have also logged in multiple hours in a single sitting. I recall bulldozing through the entirety of Luigi's Mansion in one day once, which IIRC took about 12 hours at my pace, and I played through to the end of Red Dead Redemption in a ten or so hour sitting (I finished at like two in the morning and had to be up at five for school lol).

3. I can't comment, I am a cheapass house nigga who only just two days ago bought a gaming mic, and haven't used it yet, lol.

4. Not really. Like the disgusting halfbreed above, I had to get used to being capable of making myself comfortable playing anywhere, having divorced parents and having moved houses a couple times. I often change my "set-up" multiple times mid-session.

5. I truly, honestly, sincerely, do not care. I'm not going to "worship" a girl for being good at a videogame like that fat halfbreed two posts above me does, because I'm not a ****ing loser, like, say, the halfbreed is.

6. To answer Blax's stupid ****ing category above: I am all and none of those. For I am complicated.

7. My own category. How do you like your story in videogames? To elaborate: Do you prefer gameplay and story to be largely segregated, like Metal Gear Solid. Do you prefer them to be entertwined, like Bioshock. Or do you prefer games with no plot or at best an excuse plot for kicking ass, like many fighting games or shooting games, with an example being Team Fortress 2 or Borderlands (Older NES games typically tend strongly towards this).

I tend to prefer at least some semblance or a plot or at least a strong setting, and am fine with both the cutscene-heavy MGS type of games and the gameplay is story kind of games like Bioshock.

1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?

Depends entirely on the character I'm playing. In Star Trek Online for example, when I play Federation I'm as Feddy as I can be. I stun when I can as opposed to killing, and I will take a peaceful option when I can. When I play Klingon? Shit gets blown up, plain and simple.

The only time this doesn't apply is GTA games. In those I'm a bastard through and through.

2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?

A game to me is like a book; if it grips me, I'll keep playing until I can resist the urge not to put it down. I've played games for six or seven hours straight at times (STO, Old Republic, Dragon Age).

3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one.

In team-based online games, definitely. The only time I wouldn't use one would be in an FPS.

4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?

I've never been a very wealthy gamer, so playing the games with a decent connection or without distraction is usually enough for me. Playing in HD is always nice though.

5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them?

I don't like women who are attention seekers in the first place (i know, right?). That said, If I play alongside a woman who is actually good at the game we're playing, then I have no issue playing with them. In DCUO, TOR and STO I've teamed up with women, and we've generally had an enjoyable time of it.

6. What type of online gamer are you? Achievement hunter, social player, competitive player, or a hybrid?

I view most online games I play as single-player games where I can team up with people. If there's a specific piece of loot I want, then I chase it, but I don't have to have every single piece of purple loot, for example. So social, I guess.

7. How do you like your story in videogames?

The better a story, the more likely I am to get engrossed in a game. Great games with great stories make you feel like you are your character, to an extent.

Don't talk about Ridley like that, Nemebro.

Originally posted by dadudemon
1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?

I typically do a good guy playthrough first, then later try to stay within a certain characterization. Usually it's goes "overall good guy who uses the cool evil powers" because life-drain attacks are always evil for some reason. I almost never go pure evil unless there's another reason to do so.

2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?

Depends on the game for me, but I do tend to set milestones if I've played the game before. One thing I find my self doing is just setting aside a certain length of time (maybe a week) and just playing one section of a game per day. I'll try to do everything it's possible to do at that point, then go beat the boss (or reach another arbitrary point) and stop for the day. This works for stuff like Zelda and most JRPGs, but less so for WRPGs.

Other times I'll marathon a game or do a speedrun in one sitting, which can take hours.

3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one?

I don't tend to play online, so no opinion here.

4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?

There's not much difference between a chair, couch, or floor for me. I will shift positions if I'm playing for a long time, but otherwise I can play pretty much anywhere.

5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them?

Again, I don't play much online, but I have met female gamers in person and they don't bother me. Don't think I've ever met anyone fitting the description you gave, though.

6. Insert your own gaming habit, here.

I hoard items that I think might be useful and then never use them. I constantly play the "stay right at the exact encumbrance limit" game, and whenever I need to make room for a healing/restoration item, I drop another one, use the one I picked up regardless of my current health, and then pick the old one back up.

I also forget I even have an inventory during battle sometimes, and if I happen to remember during the final boss I make an effort to go nova with all items.

I tend to hoard items too. Like in my playthrough of KOTOR last month, I ended the game with a ridiculous amount of buffing consumables like battle stimulants, and grenades. I was so deathly afraid that I was going to come across a hard boss fight where I'd need to use them that I never used any of them. lol

An inability to simply discard or sell items that are taking up inventory space but might be useful in a pinch is part of the reason why I never made it very far in games like Fallout. I hoarded everything I picked up.

Yeah, about hording...this is what my poor storage looks like in GW2 right now.

http://i.imgur.com/Fb5XI.jpg

And that's not even all of it - I still have another pane that's nearly full. Goddamn crafting 😛

1. I always play good first. I always think that I should make the choices that I would make but I always tend to see if I can be completely good. It doesn't help that I always have this weird feeling that I'm going to miss out something if I choose the bad conversation instead of the good one.

2.I tend to play 1-3 hour time limits. A job and family make it difficult to get a very long gaming session in. If I do get the time, I still need a break every couple of hours or my eyes will explode.

3. I play without a mic. Only the Left 4 Dead series is when I played with a mic.

4. Before I moved recently, I had a man liar with a computer desk and 5.1 surround sound for computer, and a comfy chair with a 46 inch LED and 5.1 surround sound for console gaming.

5. I could care less if they are male or female. I don't really pay attention and I mostly play online on PC where mics don't really play a big part in it.

6. When a great SP game comes out, I have to have complete inactivity around me so I think that I'm getting the most out of the experience.

1. Always the good guy at first. If I hear that the "bad guy" experience offers more than simple dialogue options (such as a branching story), I'd give it a try if I greatly enjoyed the game the first time (I'd replay a game multiple times anyway if I really liked it, and playing the game differently with a completely different story from the first is a huge bonus).

2. I go for marathon sessions when I DO play. My hours are flexible at work and I'm an insomniac anyway so I could go on 10-15 hour gaming binges easily. Longest I ever went was 1 weeks of 19 hour game days back when I was pushing my PvP rank in WoW (never made it past rank 10 tho, the 19 hour game days was too much, don't know how so many ppl seem to be able to do it back then).

3. Depends on the game and who I'm playing with. I'm doing GW2 with some buds of mine from way back and we're on Skype all the freakin time (even when we're questing/farming/instancing different things). I did vent and teamspeak on guild raids back in my WoW days.

4. Yes. As much as I can, I play on my home computer. I've got it set up the way I like it and it allows me easy access to my Ipad as well in case I need to do some reading while I play (during tedious runs). I rarely ever play in cafes or on the my laptop as I feel like I'm not comfortable on them. However, there has been some exceptions.

5. Don't really care much about attention seeking anything. I AM glad that gaming has made it to mainstream enough to attract a varied demographic of gamers compared to 15-25 years ago.

1. Good guy bad guy? I usually play as a good guy first. I find most games are more rewarding and usually the storyline flows better as a good guy than a bad guy. I'm thinking Mass Effect, here, which if played as a pure renegade suffers from a pretty large disconnect between the way your character acts and the way the game world seems to think of him.

2. Hours? Really depends on the game. More than anything how immersed I am in the world. Games where I really become immersed, like Mass Effect, Skyrim, or Arkham City, I can sit and play for up to 12 hours a day, if time warrants. I think I had a session in Mass Effect 3 where I played for 14 hours. I need to feel like the world is a real place though. For games that aren't that special, I usually play for only an hour or two before I feel like stopping.

3. Almost never use my mic. Even when I would do raids in WoW with 25 other people and HAD to be in vent to hear the strategies, I wouldn't talk. I'm not big on verbal communication when I can't see the person - don't talk on the phone much, and I almost never talk on a mic while playing a game.

4.When I game it's either just in front of my computer, where I am now, or if I'm playing on a console, I sit on my bed.

5. Phony gamer girls. Don't really run into them. Most that I've run into are in WoW and they seem to be legit and nice. Not the whole "OMG I'M SO NERDY CUZ I'VE WATCHED AN EPISODE OF DR WHO AND PLAY GAMES. I LOVE ANGRY BIRDS."

1. Light side.

2. Few hours. I can do 10 hours or so in a day, but it has to be broken up. I generally take my time with games though, and don't do many multiplayer games so there's no weekly quota to stay sharp.

3. I've led 25M raids in WoW, so I'm verbal out of necessity.

4. Comfy computer chair. Usually a beer or soda with me.

5. Gamer Grrls are still a thing? I guess I'm too old to realize it. I play with females though. They're just...other gamers.

6. What type of gamer? Few answers:
One, I generally min-max, consciously (running numbers on attacks and abilities) or passively (trying to take the shortest routes to places). It's not fun if I'm not trying to do well, even in a non-competitive setting. Like, I was forming strategies in laser tag the other day with my girlfriend in a battle filled with 50% kids 12 or younger. It's not that I'm super competitive - actually very much not - but that the strategizing and maximizing of my potential is so much more fun than just winging it.

Two, very little multiplayer. Outside of WoW, it's been years since I've invested in a multiplayer game. Even games like the AC series that are strong in both, I generally focus on single player only.

Three, ranged, archer, hunter-style characters. Anything resembling an RPG, expect me with a bow in my hand, animal by my side, wilderness-style skills and/or talents. Melee as a backup when playing ranged isn't feasible. Magic users are generally too friggin' squishy and lame. I use magic to supplement my physical abilities, or to make my experience more fun and convenient...but not as a primary weapon or play-style. Spells that teleport you back to base or point out your next objective, my best friends. Fireballs can suck it.

Four, when I was a kid my brother looked at me seriously during a round of some old top-down RPG and said "you can never have too many healing potions." Words to ****ing live by.

Originally posted by dadudemon
What are you gaming habits?

[b]1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?
[/B]

I usually play a neutral/what i would normally do playthrough. I am not fond of straight good/bad characters because most of the time they feel forced and the options are not usually that "good" and/or "bad" So after I beat the game once i might give it a second go to explore the good/bad side of the game, but thats if the game is good enough to warrant me play through it more than 2 times.

Originally posted by dadudemon

[b]2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?
[/B]

I like to play at least an hour when I sit down and play. Usually play over 2 or 3 hours if doing an online session with friends.

Originally posted by dadudemon

[b]3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one?
[/B]

Originally posted by dadudemon

[b]4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?
[/B]

Originally posted by dadudemon

[b]5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them?
[/B]

1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?

Force Unleased is one of my all time favorites! I also happen to LOVE inFAMOUS. When going through I did indeed go through the Light side first but because going through on the dark side last is so much more fun. You don't have to worry about going out of your way to the good stuff you can just destroy! But over all I think its how you fell is the most fun.

2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?

If it's a long game and I get really into it....yes I could play from when I wake up until I go to bed on days I have nothing else to do.

3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one?

Depends. If its games like gears of war online then yea I will play with a mic but for the most part no. I prefer to enjoy the game without getting trash talked by people. Like Ghostbusters. I played online once....I had to turn the volume down because this guy kept stealing my ghosts and whined when I returned the favor. He also never revived me so when I stopped reviving him he cursed at me.

4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?

Nope but I do prefer to play so that im comfortable. Most of the time I will lay down something like that.

5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them? I don't really understand...

My women plays games but sometimes she would rather do something else and gets mad at me for playing video games.

6. Insert your own gaming habit, here.

I like to have snacks and drinks near by but I refuse to actually eat lunch/dinner while gaming. I always wait until I get to a save point and exit the game to eat.....sometime my lunch/dinner gets cold lol

Thanks for the posts. Seems most people here are exactly like me in their gaming habits.

To reply to what others have added:

6. What type of online gamer are you? Achievement hunter, social player, competitive player, or a hybrid?

I do not do achievements. I think they are stupid and I have never been an achievement whore. I guess I am a social player and a competitive player. I don't like to game online, but when I do, I play to either get better so I can win, or I play to win. 😐

7. How do you like your story in videogames?

The story has to be decent. You can have the best gameplay ever in a single player game but if the story is balls, there is no way I could stomach playing through the game. Maybe it is because I am an amateur writer and enjoy comic books, manga, movies, and great video game stories. I'm probably just biased.

8. Hoarder or non-Hoarder?

Dude...I horde. I can never have enough space and it makes me frustrated when I have to clear out my inventory. What is odd is I am not a hoarder in real life and cannot stand clutter. In games like Diablo III, even though I hoard, I still have everything organized into hilariously clean and categorized sections. I should probably open up Diablo III and take a screen shot to show what I mean.

I missed the story one.

A good story will always make a single player game better. Every time. It can turn a game with mediocre gameplay into a masterpiece. The original Mass Effect is an example of this - a game with severe gameplay flaws, though because of the story and the writing it has become one of my favorite games. The older Final Fantasy games as well.

Mass Effect is a great example. 👆

1. When playing an RPG with a "good" or "bad" character option (think Star Wars games with lightside and darkside options), do you always play through as a "good guy" first and then explore the evil option?

Provided I had enough time and I liked the game enough to explore the consequences of each and every choice, I do at least 3-4 playthroughs. As with most here, I'd choose the "good guy" path first and then follow it up with the "bad guy" path on the next playthrough. Finally, a playthrough involving choices I think I'd make if I were in that situation, would be the last one(s). If I had any additional playthroughs I would make random choices for the lulz.

2. Do you like to play many hours at once or 1-3 hours?

If I find the game particularly engaging and enjoyable, I'd have no problem playing for 5-10 hours. There have been games where I've played from start to finish without taking a break, as I couldn't get enough of the game, or I just wanted to do a hardcore playthrough or a speedrun of the game. I do not do that anymore though.
Right now, my console is connected to my PC's LCD monitor, so nowadays, I really only get in about 1-3 hours at most, as I constantly switch back and forth between the console game and other stuff, sometimes other games, on my PC.

3. Play with a mic and talk or play without one?

Without one. Rarely do I play online, but if I do play online, I do not use a mic.

4. Do you have a special gaming place, configuration, or seat?

Computer chair these days, the reason for which is above.

5. Attention Seeking Gamer-Girls: love them or hate them?

Don't really care about them. Haven't run into any so far. If I did, and I found them to be annoying, I'd do what I always do to any gamer I deemed annoying, I'd flip them off.

6. Insert your own gaming habit, here.

I always play with headphones on, as I do not like to listen to the speakers on a TV/Monitor/Surround Sound system, and I do not want to be disturbed by environmental sounds.

Like Scenario, I love to hoard items in games. Getting rid of stuff, or using most of it in a situation where it is not critical, is hard for me, unless I think I will not need it at all, I find it to be relatively useless, or there is an absolute need for me to use it.
Said hoarding also extends to any mana points for magic, or XP I could use for a skill system/upgrades. I tend to ignore the upgrades until I have enough points for at least three to four more levels. In Skyrim for instance, on my current playthrough with a Wood Elf, I currently have 40 perk points that I have not yet invested, as I have made full use of the other 40 points for my style, and I do not really need them.
Whereas in a game like God of War, I'd only start purchasing upgrades when I have enough Red Orbs for most of the upgrades.
Darksiders 2 pissed me off to no end as it did not have an Inventory Stash, and items in each category were limited to 21 of each. WTF is up with a game that offers a lot of loot but does not have a Stash? Seriously.

After finishing a game I liked on its highest difficulty, I like to impose additional restrictions on the game, such as no magic/item use during combat, no upgrades, 1 weapon only and so on and so forth. Once I've finished these restricted playthroughs I tend to use cheats and such to break the game and have a romp.
Trophy hunting does not interest me, but I am a completionist as far as collectibles and quests/missions go.