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Playing the underdogs
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<blockquote data-quote="Salamandyr" data-source="post: 7560979" data-attributes="member: 40233"><p>This is one of those topics that always cause me to wonder, "what does this person <em>mean</em> by underpowered?"</p><p></p><p>Some people like the challenge of taking an apparently underpowered choice, and through clever optimization, or top notch gameplay, dominate anyway. I find this no different than those who like to play video games on hard mode, or set themselves challenges like playing the entire game with the starter weapons. It's another way to powergame (that is not a criticism); this time through choosing an intentional handicap.</p><p></p><p>And some people like to pretend they're taking an underpowered choice, because the interplay of the game rules actually make it an <em>over</em>powered choice, but they believe they are being unique because it's not a standard fantasy trope. Like dart specialists in 1st edition, or the god wizard who eschews evocation in favor of control spells. Or the diplomancers in 3rd edition, who are "underpowered" because they've traded all their combat ability for social skills, that, coincidentally, mean they never need to fight.</p><p></p><p>And then some people do like it from a roleplay standpoint...either they enjoy roleplaying out the complications that arise from having a severe lack in a certain area, or sometimes they enjoy how that lack causes the game to often center around their character. It makes me wonder though, if it would be less fun if the other players didn't make allowances for their characters frailty.</p><p></p><p>For myself, to get that underdog feeling, instead of looking for weaker characters, I go for stronger challenges.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Salamandyr, post: 7560979, member: 40233"] This is one of those topics that always cause me to wonder, "what does this person [I]mean[/I] by underpowered?" Some people like the challenge of taking an apparently underpowered choice, and through clever optimization, or top notch gameplay, dominate anyway. I find this no different than those who like to play video games on hard mode, or set themselves challenges like playing the entire game with the starter weapons. It's another way to powergame (that is not a criticism); this time through choosing an intentional handicap. And some people like to pretend they're taking an underpowered choice, because the interplay of the game rules actually make it an [I]over[/I]powered choice, but they believe they are being unique because it's not a standard fantasy trope. Like dart specialists in 1st edition, or the god wizard who eschews evocation in favor of control spells. Or the diplomancers in 3rd edition, who are "underpowered" because they've traded all their combat ability for social skills, that, coincidentally, mean they never need to fight. And then some people do like it from a roleplay standpoint...either they enjoy roleplaying out the complications that arise from having a severe lack in a certain area, or sometimes they enjoy how that lack causes the game to often center around their character. It makes me wonder though, if it would be less fun if the other players didn't make allowances for their characters frailty. For myself, to get that underdog feeling, instead of looking for weaker characters, I go for stronger challenges. [/QUOTE]
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