What primary reason do you play roleplaying games?

Imagination is what brought me back to roleplaying games.

Decade of virtual worlds

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs ) brought me a decade of limited images constructed by others. After a decade of socializing online and meeting others, from Everquest up until Lord of the Rings Online, computer role-playing games occupied part of my hobby time. Something was lacking. Something that I had before MMORPGs. To me, that was using my imagination.

All that I had from the computer gaming was pre-made settings and features.

Everything was handed to me.

Missing

What I was missing most was using my imagination.

Creativity first emerged in the urge to write a story. I hadn't written anything since putting down my rule and setting books decades earlier. I wanted to tell my own story, not participate in a limited story. The story I wanted is boundless, open, and free - not restricted by borders, pixels, reset times, and quest lines.

I had to write new ideas.

Writing

Two stories I wrote for national novel month.

Not long after the first novel and having written 200 pages of a new world, I wanted then to expand my long neglected imagination.

RPGs

I searched for my old system. MERP is gone.

I found newer, unknown to me, systems: Fudge, Fate, 5e, PF, among hundreds - maybe thousands.

Despite different rules that focused on different parts of gaming, my imagination remains a common thread throughout all of the games.

Imagination.

I posed this question in Lone Wolf Roleplaying which is a great community of gamers that focus on solo roleplaying.

Although there is a poll with numbers showing at this time some number from the poll and that many of the people list imagination as well, I assume that users have multiple reasons for playing the games. The comments show multiple reasons, although my questionnaire only allows one answer.

My other reasons for playing RPGs.
If I put my reasons in order, a second it would be setting (playing in interesting settings), and third would be action (exploring new and exciting types of action), followed by rules (trying interesting focused rules).

Through this past year, I've been using solo roleplaying techniques in my story writing. My first two novel month writings were done using built structures primarily Dramatica mixed with snowflake method of novel creation. The past year I've mixed in my rekindled interest in roleplaying games and found solo roleplaying games. They are a friendly community, unlike other communities I have encountered which are protective.

What primary reason do you play roleplaying games?

This informal question wasn't to find a right or wrong answer. In fact, I tried to mention that there is no correct answer since the reasons for playing are depend on the individual. It's just to create a discussion and see how why others say that they play roleplaying games. The other blogs had things like to improve memory, to use your imagination, for creative problem solving, for high action combat, and for socializing, for fun, fan of setting, the rules, or coerced into playing, etc.

Given only 5 choices and knowing that this is a solo gaming community, I chose five somewhat summary descriptions: action, imagination, challenge, setting, and rules. I didn't think this would cover everything, but there is also room to comment and add missing reasons.

The other choices and suggestions

I may in the future write about about the other reasons for playing roleplaying games.