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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sir Hawkeye" data-source="post: 345664" data-attributes="member: 295">Power gaming and role-playing both have varying levels of intellectual development. Granted, mature gamers tend to shift toward role-playing. But the best power gaming is an exacting science. It requires a categorical knowledge of the rules and the connections between various elements, especially if one rules out elements that are unbalanced singularly. The best min-maxed characters are remarkably complex and blindingly efficient at what they do. However, they are also radically disruptive when grouped with less powerful characters. A party of min-maxers requires the DM to be an effective min-maxer as well. Otherwise the players get lazy. With a good DM, however, the "adversarial" game is produced. This rather cerebral form of gaming requires tactical finesse on both sides, a keen judgment of power by the DM, and constant awareness on the part of the players. One of the best examples of this is the play of Teflon Billy in KoDT.Essentially, the power-gaming path is the "left-brain" approach to D&D. It is neither inherently inferior or superior to the "right-brain" approach of role playing. Indeed, crossover is almost guaranteed. When so much effort is applied to a character, attachment develops, and empathy leads to better roleplaying (theoretically).</blockquote>