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Message: <blockquote data-quote="steenan" data-source="post: 6011452" data-attributes="member: 23240">If mechanical optimization gets in the way of interesting characters and fun play, it is, in my opinion, a fault of system and its authors, not players. It's a problem that comes from inconsistent design and giving people contradictory directions.The game focuses on combat; most of the page count in every book and adventure is about combat. The game makes the combat lethal for characters - they are expected to win to stay in play. So players build characters to win and stay alive. What else would they do?The game presents character development as a process of gaining power. It gives a lot of "blocks" that represent various facets of power and that may be used to build characters. So players play with these blocks and find interesting combinations. Isn't it natural?Flaws are weak points that may bring defeat. Isn't it obvious that they will be avoided?If one adds to that "But flawed characters are more interesting. And good stories are not about being powerful and winning easily." - he may be right, but it directly contradicts what the game already presented. And it's not an unsolvable problem. Some games make defeat interesting, instead of fatal (eg. Mouse Guard), or even make failure into a major driving force for character's long term plans (Nobilis). Because of that, being powerful enough to win without risk stops being a priority.Some games focus on winning, but are simple enough that there are no hidden combos and hidden traps. Character creation is just choosing what to be good at, what to be average at and what to be weak at, no system mastery required.Some games (eg. FATE) make flaws and vulnerabilities a crucial part of resource management. Instead of something to be avoided, they become something to be treasured; being weak at some point lets one get the spotlight later.Finaly, some games (eg. Dogs in the Vineyard) have systems that could be abused and optimized, but they make it clear, in many places in the text, that they have a different focus, they are not about winning and will not work if treated this way.In such games, the system helps in creating interesting characters and interesting stories, instead of detracting from it.</blockquote>

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