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Any limits to Optimization?
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<blockquote data-quote="steenan" data-source="post: 6367769" data-attributes="member: 23240"><p>I avoid games that demand contradictory things from me. The most common case of such problematic games are games that expect me to play efficiently and tactically (combat is an important part of play and defeat is not interesting) but break when one approaches them this way and optimizes.</p><p></p><p></p><p>In games that are really designed for tactics and balanced with "playing to win" in mind, optimization is not a problem. It will make characters stronger, but not in a way that disrupts play and destroys fun for everyone.</p><p></p><p>In well designed games, optimizing for mechanical efficiency makes the play more interesting, not less. For example, in Fate, a character is more efficient if they have aspects that can be easily invoked (used for a bonus) and compelled (used to introduce a complication for a character and gain a fate point) - but the character is also more flavorful and fun in play.</p><p></p><p>There are well designed games that have no place for optimization, but they communicate it clearly. They are not about winning, they don't expect and assume that PCs will win and they make defeat interesting. If a game focuses on relations, values and hard choices, optimizing for winning conflicts directly contradicts the game's goals. You could "optimize" by pursuing conflicting values and having complicated relationships, to make sure that your character's life will be interesting.</p><p></p><p></p><p>For me, the limits of optimization are:</p><p>- Work within the rules of the game, where "rules" include its stated goals, intended style and play principles as much as dice rolls and character resources. Doing otherwise is cheating.</p><p>- Work within the fiction. Optimize in a way that can be coherently explained in the setting, without ignoring common sense and flavor of various game pieces. Doing otherwise is not playing an RPG.</p><p>- Work with a well-designed game. Doing otherwise is wasting your and your friends' time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="steenan, post: 6367769, member: 23240"] I avoid games that demand contradictory things from me. The most common case of such problematic games are games that expect me to play efficiently and tactically (combat is an important part of play and defeat is not interesting) but break when one approaches them this way and optimizes. In games that are really designed for tactics and balanced with "playing to win" in mind, optimization is not a problem. It will make characters stronger, but not in a way that disrupts play and destroys fun for everyone. In well designed games, optimizing for mechanical efficiency makes the play more interesting, not less. For example, in Fate, a character is more efficient if they have aspects that can be easily invoked (used for a bonus) and compelled (used to introduce a complication for a character and gain a fate point) - but the character is also more flavorful and fun in play. There are well designed games that have no place for optimization, but they communicate it clearly. They are not about winning, they don't expect and assume that PCs will win and they make defeat interesting. If a game focuses on relations, values and hard choices, optimizing for winning conflicts directly contradicts the game's goals. You could "optimize" by pursuing conflicting values and having complicated relationships, to make sure that your character's life will be interesting. For me, the limits of optimization are: - Work within the rules of the game, where "rules" include its stated goals, intended style and play principles as much as dice rolls and character resources. Doing otherwise is cheating. - Work within the fiction. Optimize in a way that can be coherently explained in the setting, without ignoring common sense and flavor of various game pieces. Doing otherwise is not playing an RPG. - Work with a well-designed game. Doing otherwise is wasting your and your friends' time. [/QUOTE]
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