The Layonara Community > General Discussion
Your opinion on "powergaming"
Warheart:
I have been here a while and I have discovered that most Players enjoy this because of the Rp here (And man the RP is at 120%).. And that is why i'm here too and I have enjoyed every minute of it. BUt I have read some of the post and it seems leveling is a bad thing because of "powergaming".. The problem is that I don't know where the limit for "powergaming" is.. I for one loves to gain a level up because think it is encouraging and is much more fun to be a bit higher level (I'm not talking epic, but about 10-12 and so)... And I have seen many groups hunting a lot (killing looting very often) and that is not a bad thing, but also here someone seems to call it "powergaming".. So where exactly does the limit go?
steverimmer:
This is a much debated subject and I think its one that is difficult to answer mainly because the only person who really knows if they're powergaming is the player him/herself. The reason I think that its difficult is that I've found that my characters tend to gain XP in spurts and that when they do they get a lot quickly and then relatively nothing for a week or so, so at first glance someone else might say that I've powergamed a character to gain that much xp but honestly its just been a matter of being in the right place at the right time, but then if you look at that character over a longer period you find that overall its advancement through the levels is actually pretty regualar and xp hasn't really been the motivation behind the character at all.
Your right though about levels 10 - 12 being ideal levels though...for me thats not because the character is really 'any better' but that its usually the lower level limit for the more interesting quests and plot quests.
So my answer to your question is that its very hard to say and although there have been characters on this server who have been created just to level and become more powerful they are not as common as some people seem to think, on the other hand its good that this is always debated and argued about because I think it does act as a safeguard against that sort of character becoming the majority :)
trillex:
And sometimes the player him/herself doesn't know if he/she is powergaming. I've been accused of it without knowing that I was doing it.
cappyra:
In my opinion a powergamer is someone who sits down with a calculator and a leveling tool and works out what kind of character combination would make him/her the most unstoppable. Then they create that character for the sole purpose of creating the most powerful character possible. Instead of reading the history and saying, "Wow... this Paladin of Toran sounds like exactly what I envisioned my character to be like, They go if I make a Druid/Paladin/Cleric/Monk I'll OWN at level 23! Then they proceed to try and make level 23 as fast as possible.
On the other hand... even in PnP you set goals and were excited about reaching new milestones in the life of your character. The difference here is that you don't have to wait for the weekly get together with a DM to get XP for your character's growth. You can go out into the world alone or in groups and gain experience for your character. I think here is where there is a fine line between powergaming and just gaming.
For Example:
Your 13 Wizard is 20K XP from level. At the next level you get a nifty new spell. From a RP standpoint this represents a long period of study and research in order to master this new spell. When close to a break through... I think it is normal to press forward and seeing your goal in sight encourages you to try harder. So going out and spending 3 to 4 hours trying to reach your goal... is that powergaming? I think it could probably fall into that category. However depending on the approach I think it could be justified with role playing. Say... to complete your research/training you need to travel to certian locations and gather certian CNR items. The travel is sure to be fraught with danger. By doing this you could justify the experience gained... rather than doing laps through the Berghan Mountains. . .
I think maybe the real key is can you logically justify your actions with roleplaying. . . if you can then it isn't powergaming... if you can't well...
Just my two cp
RikL:
--- Quote ---cappyra - 4/13/2005 5:32 AM
By doing this you could justify the experience gained... rather than doing laps through the Berghan Mountains. . .
I think maybe the real key is can you logically justify your actions with roleplaying. . . if you can then it isn't powergaming... if you can't well...
Just my two cp
--- End quote ---
I think these two lines hit it closest. Doing laps is powergaming. When i see a party or characters doing laps/camping a point, then the only reason they are there is for XP. This is what I cant stand seeing as a GM. Parties that I do see doing this will tend to get chase out ;)
Your actions should be justified by RP at all times, so when you go out hunting, what is the reason? if it is just to gain as much XP as possible, being an OOC figure and concept, this tends to be treading close to the line in my books. If you are desperately trying to think of RP justifications for your actions, then you really need to take a step back and consider how you are playing. This is a RP server afterall, and I think L has said many times that he has little interest in players who dont have time for RP. I know I certainly dont.
thats ny thoughts. Note I am speaking for myself, and my view of what Layo is, not the GM team or Leanthar.
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