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Message: <blockquote data-quote="delericho" data-source="post: 6188298" data-attributes="member: 22424">Fair enough. I use different definitions:The Optimiser is the player who wishes to use the rules to build the character who best fits his goal. "I want to be the best archer possible", or "I want to be a fire-mage", or whatever. That frequently, but not necessarily always, is about power - the player could, in theory, want to be the best basket-weaver in the game, and that would still be optimisation.The Power-gamer, by contrast, is the player for whom the game is all about power. He's almost certainly an optimiser, since that's the best way towards power, but his goal isn't to build the best character to embody a concept; it's to find the most powerful build. If that's CoDzilla, that's what he'll build. If some new rules module comes out and changes the balance, he'll build something else. He has no interest in personality, or story, or... it's purely about power. Hence the name.(Of course, both of those are pretty extreme examples. I suspect there's at least a little of both the optimiser and the power-gamer in most if not all of us - after all, if given the choice between two characters, one of whom is slightly better than the other without any corresponding drawbacks, how many of us would refuse?)I have a different name for the player who (knowingly) bends the rules, selectively reads (or interprets) the rules, or outright breaks the rules: The Cheat.Speak to your DM, and the other players. If they're happy with what you're doing, all is well. If, however, your actions are causing problems at the table, then you need to change your behaviour. And that applies even if your behaviour would be entirely reasonable at some other table.You should aim to bring enough fun to the table for yourself and one other person. That way, if someone has an off night, others can pick up the slack. And if everyone brings an excess, the game just sings.</blockquote>

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