Who Wants To Be a Jack-of-all-Trades?

In many class-based MMORPGs, class options include pure classes and hybrid classes. Pure classes excel at what they do, but have a more limited ranged of abilities, while hybrid classes have a larger range of abilities, but have limited expertise in them. The data presented here would also apply to skill-based systems because all these systems have a skill cap and players must decide whether to excel in one skill line or spread out, unless the system mechanics make one or the other a better option (like in DAOC).

Both gender and age were found to impact the preference for pure or hybrid classes. Female players tend to prefer hybrid classes. Also, older players prefer hybrid classes.

Among the motivation components and personality traits, the motivations "compete" (t = -10.00, p < .001, r = .18) and "achieve" (t = -7.36, p < .001, r =.13) were the best discriminators for players who preferred to focus rather than spread.