What is the definition of a casual?

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Whulfgar, Feb 6, 2023.

  1. Whulfgar Augur

    As the question asks. I'm curious as to how many different definitions used to describe a casual everquest player.

    Whats your definition of a casual?
    minimind likes this.
  2. Alnitak Augur

    Well, since the 14th century it meant "subject to, resulting from, or occurring by chance".
    Since then a few more meanings were added such as "occurring without regularity".

    Overall - playing EQ without mandatory raid attendance, schedules and deadlines.
    When and how you play - is up to you. That would be casual.
  3. KushallaFV Playing EverQuest

    Less than 8 hours a week.
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  4. Svann2 The Magnificent

    A casual is someone that plays non-competitively.
    Raptorjesus5, Elyssanda and minimind like this.
  5. Windance Augur


    Casual to me also implies that they have a take it or leave it attitude for the game.

    By which I mean they may randomly go days or weeks with out logging into the game/forums and not feel any kind of withdrawal symptoms from "not logging in"

    Someone who plays 10+ hrs a week with no "mandatory schedules" is not really what I would call casual. They are not really hard core either. Soft core EQ :rolleyes:
  6. Gorg00 Augur

    Everyone who plays less than me is a scrub tier casual, everyone who plays more than me is a no life hardcore player.
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  7. Tatanka Joe Schmo

    George Carlin approves of your definition ;)
    Brildon, Bobokin, Proximoe and 3 others like this.
  8. Maedhros High King

    It can mean what ever the speaker wants.
    What I would have called a casual 15 years ago when I was playing 12 to 15 hours a day, guzzling a couple of 2 liters of Walmart knock off Dr Thunder, or Mountain Lightning, and eating a frozen pizza at midnight is awfully different than what I would call a casual today.
    By my 15 year old definition I am a casual today.
    Outside of the 4 or 5 hours of raiding a week I play very little. Maybe 5 or 6 hours a week total.
    There just isnt the content and I have no interest in TLP.
    So there are entire weeks that I play less than I used to per day 15 years ago. In fact most weeks.
    And yet I am the guild leader of one of the top 10 guilds in the game and run a pretty decent organization.
    It is what it is.
  9. Beggly Augur

    Casual is playing in your Jammys. Any other attire is optional, only high end raiders play in Tux. Devs generally sport suit and tie.
  10. Eaedyilye More stonehive bixies.

    To me a casual is someone who doesn't play that much, 10 hours a week or less. Takes long breaks from the game. Cares very little about progression. Logs on and grinds a little and loves the social aspect of the game. Getting the best equipment they can obtain isn't mandatory, just good enough to fight the mobs they go after.
    minimind likes this.
  11. Rijacki Just a rare RPer on FV and Oakwynd

    Not having a mandatory raid attendance, schedules and deadlines but still playing in regular groups with friends (i.e. set up a schedule that works around real life, sometimes you can't make it and that's ok), faffing about with alts, tradeskills, and other stuff including player housing is still casual even if it is over x number of hours a week.

    By a definition of less than 10 hours a week, many of the most hard core min/max raiders would "causal" especially as they get burned out on the too focused pace of the raiding.

    To me, casual is playing when and how I want, not in a rigid raid schedule in a progression or ranked raid guild, not concentrating on specific min/max-ing and constantly running parsers to tune every scintilla of dps or whatnot, and being able to faff about with other stuff when I am not grouping with my friends.

    Back in the long ago, I raided in EQ, non-ranked/non-progression. In EQ2, I started raiding with a non-ranked/non-progression guild with a megalomaniac guild leader that caused me major stress and flashbacks to my abusive ex-husband. I changed servers and nearly turned down an invite to a raid guild that was ranked and in progression. In its height, we were in the top 5 on our server and it was incredibly fun but I was getting burned out on the schedule because of the balance with work and other stuff was getting tougher and more stressful and then the guild had an internal drama that caused it to start falling apart which increased my burn out. I stopped playing MMOGs entirely for a few years because of the burn out. When I returned to EQ in 2020, I decided to keep it casual but have progressively increased my game time and am above the x hours a week some deem as not casual but I am so definitely casual and intend to remain so.
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  12. Leex Pewpewer

    You are the definition of a causal Whulf. :eek:
    TsiawdMS likes this.
  13. minimind The Village Idiot

    Like so many things, it's a spectrum and it may be a few spectra. Here's what I imagine in my head

    Raid Spectrum
    • 5 - In a raid org with application process, mandatory attendance, and will bench people in favor of others based on performance. Is always in current content. Races to be one of the first to complete any event.
    • 4 - In a raid org that seeks to be in current content. May or may not have an application process and mandatory attendance. If you show up first, you get to raid.
    • 3 - Raids on a schedule. No pressure to attend. Strongly encouraged to prepare (read a strat) and improve over time.
    • 2 - Raids occasionally in pick-up raids.
    • 1 - Willing to participate in raid, but not seeking any scheduled raids
    • 0 - Does not raid.
    Group Spectrum
    • 5 - Expects to complete all quests, missions, mission achievements, hunter achievements, and obtain all new augs within a relatively short amount of time for every expansion.
    • 4 - Expects to complete all of an expansion's quests within the first half of the expansion's release cycle. Tries to update all augs by the end of an expansion timeline.
    • 3 - Tries to complete most/all quests in an a modern expansion. Hopes to have a lot of best-in-slot gear by the end of the expansion year.
    • 2 - Tries to complete quests as able (pick-up groups, invitation, etc.)
    • 1 - Completes quest incidentally.
    • 0 - Doesn't really care about completing quests.
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  14. Filter Augur

    I'm a casual player. I play 2 to 8 hours a day 5-6 days a week. I can churn through progression but don't care if I do or don't. Hunter...whenever I get there. Collections...don't really care. Raiding...would love to but not at the expense of family time.

    I think it's based on attitude and drive. I have 6 accounts with 13 lvl 120's and of those 4 are max aa's. Some of you would whole heartedly NOT call me a casual player but I am. There is no one definition to the term 'casual player'.
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  15. Leex Pewpewer


    For someone calling themselves a casual, you play more than most raiders do. I would categorize you as a hard core grouper.

    Just curious, why would you call yourself casual? Is it simply because you don't raid?
    Bobokin likes this.
  16. Rijacki Just a rare RPer on FV and Oakwynd

    Casual is attitude.

    So many Raiders use it as a slur to denigrate features in the game they don't care about.

    I am considered a casual (with a snear) by most raiders because I actually play in other level ranges, do tradeskills and housing decorating, and am not actively and only pursuing the min/max highest level macguffin. Oh.. and I am a roleplayer, the ultimate "casual" (said with a Raider snear) activity in the game.
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  17. Aldryn Another New Member

    Me.
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  18. CatsPaws No response to your post cause your on ignore

    This is how many of us "casuals" play. I also play 4-6 hours a day, 7 days a week. But I am hung up on collections and housing. But if I find a cool quest I might work on that for a while.

    What makes us "casual" is that we care deeply about the game but are not fixated on being number 1 or being the first player to hit 120 etc.

    Casuals can and do raid but its not all consuming.

    Maybe it would be better to ask what is the difference.

    A "non casual" is like a rabid chihuahua and must at all costs raid a few times a week, have the latest em earring or armor or whatever and has to be part of the first player to do XXX in the game.

    If these goals are not met they usually log off and you don't see them for a few days. Meanwhile us casuals are plugging away at the latest Erollisi day quest or questing for the Picnic Basket, trying on Hero's Forge, etc.

    We are like the old surfer dudes surfing thru the game and havin fun dude. While the non casuals are type A corporate lawyers
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  19. KushallaFV Playing EverQuest

    It’s amazing the lengths people will go to avoid calling themselves hardcore. It’s fine, just it’s your hobby just embrace it.
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  20. Rijacki Just a rare RPer on FV and Oakwynd

    Duuuuuuuuude *flashes the finger horns*
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