Do you consider yourself hardcore?

Me? Reasonably so. Definitely when it comes to WRPG's. I can't play Mass Effect or Dragon Age. Cannot. It feels too much like a Hollywood movie, and so much of it feels like blatant fanservice. Also, the combat and character advancement irks me.

I think the mid 90's-early 00's were the Golden Age of RPG's. We had Ultima, Wizardry, Might & Magic, Fallout, Baldur's Gate, Deus Ex, Torment, Realms of Arkania, Lands of Lore, System Shock, Arcanum, Gothic, Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale, Daggerfall/Morrowind, all that trout. The fact that so many Kickstarter-initiated games are coming to bring back this style pleases me.

I still think the early Ultima games are criminally underplayed. Ultima IV is up there for one of the best game stories ever, despite its minimalism. The 80's were a bit hit-or-miss however. I think games, especially RPG's, told better stories when they weren't trying to present themselves like Hollywood films. As soon as they did that, games lost their soul in narrative.

Speaking of narrative, Planescape: Torment is my favorite game of all time. While not overwhelmingly hardcore, it's definitely not a mass-appeal game. To me, it shows the power gaming has in regards to narrative and the player's role in it. Also, it's an RPG that makes total non-combat play not only viable, but recommended. Definitely a game everyone should play.

If there was a gaming A-Team, I'd say I've earned my spot in it as the WRPG guy. ._.

So, are you hardcore? Do you have a specialization? Does this interfere with your ability to play mainstream games? Are we all hipsters desperately seeking acknowledgment? Discuss.