| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Khaa |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 15:58:30
Ive been wondering what the general populations preference is in gaming. Powergaming or as it dictactes in the books. Me myself, ive always played as a powergamer. But, what do you all prefer? |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Beezy |
Posted - 15 Dec 2005 : 16:22:07
The only campaign I ever got to play, based on what you guys are saying, my GM was a powergamer. We spent most of the time on adventures, dungeon crawling, and being attacked in some manor. We did have a decent story at first but the more we played the more it was about leveling and having powerful items. After the first couple of sessions I already had some insanely powerful axe and from there he was basically handing out magical items like they were candy. If I ever played again I would want it to be somewhere in the middle. I want to advance in levels, skills, and gear but at the same time I don't want to become so powerful so fast. |
| Mkhaiwati |
Posted - 15 Dec 2005 : 03:10:44
I prefer a mix, I play tending towards story and character development. I think that FR really helps that as there is so much background to help make the PC something more than just a bunch of numbers.
Sadly, the last group I was in fell apart due to powergamers taking over. It could have been in any universe/world, no FR background was used at all, and two players (and a power gaming GM) controlled all the action to the point where I spent three game sessions doing nothing except being attacked or having traps activated against me. Anything role-playing oriented I tried was shot down or given a blank look by the GM with "why are you doing that?" as is it had nothing to do with the adventure, which was killing, looting, and leveling up.
We started with around 9 players and within a year and a half were down to 4, and when the powergaming started in earnest, we leveled up 7 levels in three sessions. I stopped after that since there was absolutely no role-playing or character development, it was only killing and looting.
Mkhaiwati |
| Bluenose |
Posted - 13 Dec 2005 : 16:14:20
The problem with powergaming is that you can be optimising your character for a situation you aren't going to be in. The best dungeon-crawling rogue isn't necessarily the ideal character to have along when you're involved in intrigue at a noble's court.
I agree with people who say that a character should have a story, rather than just being a collection of feats and skills. At the same time, you owe it to the other players to put at least some thought into how your character will fit in with the other characters. A character with a "cool" concept but who doesn't carry their own weight in the group will be resented by the other players regardless of other factors. |
| Crennen FaerieBane |
Posted - 13 Dec 2005 : 14:45:51
quote:
Originally posted by Khaa
Powergaming is more along the lines of a very nondescript story where you travel everywhere fighting all the time making overpowered characters, while actually roleplaying is making a character with a story... (pretty much what they said.
Anyways, I do enjoy playing games like everyone talks about, but two problems...
One: Im a high school senior. Im in school playing with retards. How do I have time for that stuff.
Two: My brother powergames... (He introduced me to D&D, at a young age of 10.) When I play outside the school, I play with him.....
Well, you could always just insinuate more and more role-playing by initiating dialogue sessions with one another. Or pick a character trait to make very well known so that the other players have to take notice.
C-Fb |
| Shanara |
Posted - 13 Dec 2005 : 14:38:24
I'm very much a role player and not a power gamer.
What I've always understood powergaming to be, at least on the PWs I play on, is level as fast as you can and get as much loot as you can forgetting the story or character build. We had one player do this, he maxed out the levels and then was bored wanting to go epic so he could start leveling again. He suddenly started rping and expected the dms to consider his character epic. They didn't because the guy had no background, very little character build and had not done anything to add to the world. So he left.
I would much rather be with a group that can rp even while fighting then one that does nothing but worry about builds. |
| Khaa |
Posted - 13 Dec 2005 : 13:11:41
Powergaming is more along the lines of a very nondescript story where you travel everywhere fighting all the time making overpowered characters, while actually roleplaying is making a character with a story... (pretty much what they said.
Anyways, I do enjoy playing games like everyone talks about, but two problems...
One: Im a high school senior. Im in school playing with retards. How do I have time for that stuff.
Two: My brother powergames... (He introduced me to D&D, at a young age of 10.) When I play outside the school, I play with him..... |
| Beezy |
Posted - 13 Dec 2005 : 06:08:29
I am not sure of what the difference is between the two. I played EQ and EQ2 online and powergaming was basically when you played the game like it was your job (or in some cases like it was your life) and the opposite side of that was a causal player.
Is powergaming dungeon crawling everytime you play and role playing is more about a story line and character development and history? Like powergaming is doing like adventure after adventure building a powerful character and role play is a slower progression in character level but giving your character a real personality and things of that nature? |
| Saime |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 20:58:22
Powergaming is not for me. Neither as a player nor as a DM. I prefer to focus on the story and character development.
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| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 19:58:09
Alawys keeping in mind that the DM gets the players that he deserves, I would have to say that I have a mix of players in my campaign. One is a "power gamer" type that talks about builds all of the time and is going to end up with two core classes and two PrCs by the time he is through, one is a guy that is playing a pretty straigtforward axe weilding barbarian that is basically trying to make his character a pretty powerful tank but likes to roleplay once in a while too. The last one is a player that has a cleric of Helm that is more worried about starting a temple, getting married, moving up in the church heiarchy, and picks up skills and feats as the various role playing situations come up.
Since I like a pretty good balance between roleplaying and hacking things up, the players have to spend time training, giving them some more roots in their given town (Ashabenford). The PrCs that the powergamer type is taking are part of organizations that he has to track down and convince to train him, and I have given him a quest from his church that is interesting him now. He has even ended up taking some skills and feats that tie into the story more than his "build" and is enjoying the character's roleplaying aspects quite a bit as well.
So that is how things are working out in my campaign so far . . . now things will get interesting when my step son comes back to the group with his Lythari sorcerer that wants to learn dark speech in a party that is primarily good . . . ah well . . . the foibles of youth. |
| Chosen of Moradin |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 19:32:32
quote:
I prefer an integrated game with a opportunities for both role play, as well as roll play.
I prefer not to powergame, as it often makes encounters at your level either cake walks for the party or the the party has to run away from being cake walked.
I enjoy detailed character development that has little do to with stuff, and more to do with actions and deeds.
But i too hate to lose, but I prefer to win through intelligent actions, rather than having an AC of 30, 120 hp, saves above +15, and doing 40-60pts per round with 4 attacks with an attack bonus of +16 at 7th level.
But hey that's just me now. Every person has a preference. And about 10 years ago mine was powergaming and fighter/mage/clerics. Now I tend to play party aligned characters that don't to a whole lot themselves, but enable the party to do more
And I echo you, Fletcher!  |
| Crennen FaerieBane |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 19:25:03
Stats are usually secondary in my book for role-playing. I let some of my group choose their own stats to fit the character as long as the fit with the concept. I trust them to make the right decision.
C-Fb |
| Mystery_Man |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 17:42:05
Maximizing the usefullness of your characters capabilities is fine, searching for the best feats, skills and weapons that best enhance your character is fine, it's all part of the game.
As a DM, exploiting the rules or trying to break them will get your character eaten. |
| Fletcher |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 17:32:09
I prefer an integrated game with a opportunities for both role play, as well as roll play.
I prefer not to powergame, as it often makes encounters at your level either cake walks for the party or the the party has to run away from being cake walked.
I enjoy detailed character development that has little do to with stuff, and more to do with actions and deeds.
But i too hate to lose, but I prefer to win through intelligent actions, rather than having an AC of 30, 120 hp, saves above +15, and doing 40-60pts per round with 4 attacks with an attack bonus of +16 at 7th level.
But hey that's just me now. Every person has a preference. And about 10 years ago mine was powergaming and fighter/mage/clerics. Now I tend to play party aligned characters that don't to a whole lot themselves, but enable the party to do more. (Wizards with haste, and invisibility, Clerics with bless, Bards, and my current character is a 6th level Marshal.
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| Forge |
Posted - 12 Dec 2005 : 16:20:39
Well, depending on your definition of Powergaming...
I like going by the rules, but within the rules you can always find some kind of holdout or weapon of last resort that is useful for a GTH plan. I love the roleplay, and honestly prefer it to throwing dice, but if I'm gonna throw down, I like to know I can win.
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