I love playing stealth/assassin/sniper types, and I've just bought Deux ex rev. so I'm hoping it lives up to expectations expressed in puvuholos' post (unless s/he meant the previous games).

Last weekend I went paint-balling with my sister and I played out my video game fantasy I'm sure if I ever played online FPS's I'd be hated by all and branded a camper. I got a crapload of bruises over the day but when it came to the defending the castle round we kicked ass.

Love playing as a mage in any sort of game that offers a playstyle like that.

Sounds like you just need more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kvUNUFdFyA in your gaming diet.

I usually start off throwing myself in at the deep end but after getting pwned enough times I'll retreat into my comfort zone of stealth and sniping, whether with a rifle or a bow. And when I'm not doing that, exploring every nook and cranny, which makes for quite a sedate pace.

I tend to be too absent-minded to manage much in the way of finesse with whatever it is I'm doing, though.

O_O
I want it...

Yet I predict faliure. Easy to dodge those eh?

Since the only games that I currently have are TES, that's all that I can use for reference at this time.
I seem to prefer characters that sneak around and try to avoid direct combat, but uses magic for ranged assault (and occasionally close quarters), and wears light armour and uses (one hand) long blades with deadly precision. I'd say 'nightblade' class, but they also employ marksman and seem to prefer short blades for sneak attacks.

I'm with you PredatorX! If there's an opportunity for close, brutal combat or explosions. I'm up for it. Brick on Borderlands & Wall breaker on Battlefield 3.

Online: I always play support. Battlefield I play a medic, CS I was the one who defused the bombs, and when I played DAoC I was always the healer in the group... always. (There was only one other person in my entire guild who played one.)

Single player: I still have a hard time breaking away from the support mentality... so I play hybrids who are heavy on healing/restoration. (Even though I'm only healing myself and some random NPCs at best.)

Light/medium-weight jack of all trades.

My TES characters use a bit of everything, most frequent is light armor, sword&board, stealth&bow. WoW? Hunter. Diablo-style games? Archer/amazon/ranger. Borderlands? Lilith.

Heavy Assault of some kind. The guys who are going right into the thickest fighting (infantry). The one you want at the head of the pack because inexplicably no one else remembers to use their smoke grenades. Usually at least.

Edit
If the game has vehicles or an engineer role expect me to be in that almost as much.

If its a shooter ansd their shotguns aren't gimped preferably shotguns. I like to stalk my enemies and oneshot them.

My favorite mode of attack is to hit hard and run and repeat.

Also I enjoy being the frontline medic.

I never ever play a mage in any Elder Scrolls games. Usually a bow for a main weapon and short blade or blunt weapon for up close. Always the explorer and ingredient hunting alchemist.

In Fallout 3, I'm usually gung ho with a Chinese Assault Rifle, Combat Shotgun and modded melee weapons like a pipe wrench, spatula for bloat flies (flyswatter), and the Chinese Sword is also a favorite.
Never attempt to use steath in that game.

You know what, my playing style can be summed up by; PYRO AND [censored] EXPLOSIVES!!!!! I favor flamethrowers, grenades (and grenade-launching apparatus) and explosives, and usually carry some sort of pistol with a suppressor (wouldn't want to spoil the surprise ). Oh and RPG, bazookas and other types of rocket launchers are also great fun.

I'm the team leader. Even when all I want to do is just play, I get very caught up in any team effort and try to draw people together towards a common goal (even at the expense of my own enjoyment.)

When I'm on my own I'm the fast assaulter type. I'm a decent shot at range (though ultimately no sniper, lacking that precise consistency) but my real knack is for out-maneuvering others in close quarters, attacking from unexpected angles and changing my rhythm on the fly. I like to work my way past (or around) enemy lines, disrupt their reinforcement logistics, and try to throw them into disarray. You could say my target is the enemy's morale and mindset.

I like to go for the characters that are at their best killing things from afar, but also have the option of slipping into melee range for doing fast, high-risk high-reward damage. Especially if I can infiltrate the enemy, pick off the most dangerous guy, and get back to range.

My personal favorite archtype of this kind of gameplay is the stealthy-magic user. Nothing quite like slitting a guy's throat, then torching his buddies with some fire or lightning.

My style, unfortunately, is all over the place. I'm an undefined mess. Only one thing is very clear though, I tend to be very loyal when I play. I never leave my friends behind; one for all and all for one.

On multiplayer games? I am the guy behind the front lines supporting the team, never the tank and never the sniper. The best example of my playstyle would be the Demoman in TF2. I stay back but still pack a punch.

That can be put in a positive light by calling it versatility.

I don't really gravitate towards a single play style. I like to play each character differently.

I am a Gemini so I am a bit fleetly when comes to RPG games.
In one game I play in one way. In another game I play the other. Differently.

I had a argument in Bioware forum how I should play Mass Effect games. I play my game differently. In one game I shoot Wrex. In other game I don't shoot him.
In other example when I rescue Liara. Most of the players rescue her before Virmire. Pass few of my games I rescue her after Virmire after Shepard done the first two. Most of the players don't like that. If I rescue her too early I get my butt kick by that Krogan battlemaster. But doing later his butt get kicked by me. Earlier I usually pick her up at level 20 with the right companions before Virmire. They whinge they play the same game over and over. When I type to them I play different with a left kilter they don't like that in their game.

I not a sheep that follows the Shepard. I play good, bad and the ugly.

In an FPS I go along the Scout route a lot. Pistol, SMG, Sniper Rifle; all equipped with a low to mid-range optic and probably a suppressor. Being sneaky is always fun (when viable.)

In RPGs I tend to gravitate towards a Knight or a Battlemage. Medium/Heavy Armor, Ond-handed Sword, Shield, Bow, Attack Magic, etc.

Edit: As for pathways I almost always choose the good path; In the end I want the pathway that brings the best possible outcome for the most people.

Next you'll start using words like 'transferable skills'

Varies depending on the game and even then I don't really have a set playstyle.

In fighting games I usually like to use characters that can move fast. It's hard for me to get used to slower moving characters, and slower ones that can do heavy damage with single moves don't feel as accomplishing when winning. I like to use skill. (even though I think power shots are good when it comes to real life fighting, but that's different) I guess I could say I like skill and speed, for one.

I also like to use stealth, when games allow it. (though sometimes it can be implemented very unrealistically)

Yes.

I like to play either long range sniper types or up close dagger assassin types. Or in some cases a speedy SMG wielder.

Stealthy if possible. Quick and quiet is the best.