The Playstyle Scale

There is no "Casual" or "Hardcore" MMOGer in my opinion. There's a scale, with individuals that move between levels in it, from the super casual to the hardest core.

The challenge is defining the levels on that scale. I don't think it is as easy as just doing so by time spent per week, though that is certainly a factor. Rather, I think it must be more, level of interest in the game, dedicated membership in a game, activity on forums, activity on metagame forums, and so on. And then there's what that means to developers.

So as a place to start, I offer my initial thoughts on: The Playstyle Scale

Unlike the Player Pyramid and the traditional Bartle Types, this is an attempt to break down the various styles of play along more real world lines, particularly in invested time and meta-game activities, though in a more linear categorical fashion than Nick Yee's work. This may be over-reaching of course, as players constantly defy attempts at easy categorization. But I've decided to see if we can't all collaberatively give it a shot anyway, particularly given our own experiences and the excellent references out there To get things rolling, I offer the following for discussion:

1. Sub-Casual- Maybe 5 hours a week. Likes the game as a diversion. May mostly solo, or be in a dedicated duo with a real-life partner. Everything in it will forever be new to them. May get disillusioned by the pace of advancement, particularly in more aggressive progressive advancement models.
2. Semi-Casual- 5-10 hours a week. Game is still a diversion. Mostly solos, maybe duos with a dedicated friend, maybe groups with a dedicated team known from other games or gotten to know well in the current one. May post on a private forum. Most of the game will forever be new to them, a bit more into the game.
3. Casual- 10-15 hours a week. Game is a bit more than a diversion, but not much. Will solo, duo or group as needed, to get the job done. May PvP depending on the game. Or will skip content they can't handle on their own time. May know a group and post on a private forum.
4. Semi-Hardcore- 15-20 hours a week. Will solo, duo or group as needed to get the job done. Will join pickup or guild raids, preferring the latter. Will want to raid more often than real life allows. Will want to like PvP, depending on the game. Active in the guild, and on the forums. I consider this group probably among the most frustrated, as they'd like to be more involved than they can. A life change will let them become truly Hardcore, while recognition of their limitations may push them back to Casual.
5. Hardcore- 20-25 hours a week. More than a Semi-Hardcore player but has the sort of real life station that allows them greater dedicated to the game. Is part of a guild, active on the forums. May be a leader within it.
6. Elite- 30 hours a week. Dedicated to achievement and advancement both in the game mechanic and socially. Raids and maybe PvPs depending on the game. Has mastered the rules. Bangs the most on the repeated-use content, requiring constant attention from the developer. Likely a strong participant in a guild, if not one of the more active members, at least an officer.

From the above I drafted a potential table and chart. Both are attempts to insert values into various categories, and plot their relationship.

Thoughts? From the above I drafted a potential table and chart. Both are attempts to insert values into various categories, and plot their relationship.Thoughts?