hack-and-slasher n.
a less convivial and secure type of gamer was never found. Generally neurotic,
overly-sensitive, angry at the world, and homophobic. Their presence
can otherwise spoil a good role-playing session and, if they are of the alpha
male variety, they can disrupt a good time like a turd in a punch bowl.
Capable of wheedling their way into most gaming circles and showcasing their
L33t skillz by cutting a swath through a plotline with a few clumsy swings of
a sword, these types are generally best avoided.
For some of these players, hack-and-slashing is not only a
gaming technique--it's a way of life. They often have
difficulty separating character conflict from player conflict and may take it
personally when their character is either abandoned or stabbed to death by the rest of the frustrated
party. Most of them have no concept of obligation or reciprocity and
they are by and large ignorant of such basic social standards as laws, ethics,
codes and taboos. Their uninteresting and unvarying character concepts
generally (and unintentionally) reveal insights into their own personality.
Thankfully, most hack-and-slashers have moved on to more
visceral and less intellectual horizons a la Half-Life, Unreal Tournament,
Counter-Strike, and the like.