D&D General Playstyle Enjoyment: Build Optimization or Play Optimization?

[Asisreo]

There are two playstyles that I've seen and one seems to be more popular than the other. Though, I'd like to see what the community prefers:

Build Optimization: This is optimizing your character from creation and carefully adjudicating their progress through the levels. It's the type where you practically already know your future spells and feats. Most of the time, you can rely on cause-effect type abilities like a card game. For example, you have Shield so you always have the cause->get attacked->effect->cast shield option. In other words, you offload your thinking to before the encounter has begun.

Play Optimization: You're more moment-to-moment about your kit. Why you take a feat/ability has less to do with always having an answer and more to do with having a preferred character concept. So sometimes, you'll choose less optimal abilities because it's more apt to your playstyle. But when you play, you're constantly thinking about how to push even the smallest bits of flavor text to their maximum potential in all scenarios. So you might have Dancing Light to try to lure an enemy into an ambush or you might remove your heavy armor and place on Breastplates in situations where the consequences of being caught in stealth is not just combat. In other words, you thrive in maximizing in the most niche situations into your favor by thinking creatively or using every tool in your arsenal.

In reality, most players are a little in both, but I want to see which person leans one way or another.

 

[el-remmen]

The latter, but I call it developing your character in response to the in-game events/choices. I also see it as part of the "zero-to-hero" arc I prefer for D&D.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I voted "I lean slightly to Build Optimization" because I like to have a bit of plan as to where my character goes, but often this is associated with the character's goals in a role-playing aspect, too.

 

[TheSword]

Why are these two ideas mutually exclusive. Is it not possible to optimize both before the game and during the game?

Surely the really distinction is whether people optimize at all or not.

 

[Oofta]

I voted "lean slightly towards build optimization" but it really just depends on the campaign and what I'm feeling like. I'm not overly concerned about optimization because I don't think that .5 extra DPR makes much of a difference. On the other hand if I'm playing a hard-as-nails kick ass fighter, I want the build to reflect that.

 

[Lyxen]

How about not optimising ? Is that a forbidden playstyle ? How about the designers telling you that reading all the rules (which you probably need to optimise, otherwise you might miss that optimum) is not what's the best about the game, which I totally agree about ?

 

[MGibster]

Why are these two ideas mutually exclusive. Is it not possible to optimize both before the game and during the game?

It was difficult in 3rd edition where you pretty much had to plan from day one your class and feats in order to go into the Prestige Class you wanted eight levels from now. i.e. You couldn't both optimize for play and for build very easily.

 

[FarBeyondC]

How about not optimising ? Is that a forbidden playstyle ? How about the designers telling you that reading all the rules (which you probably need to optimise, otherwise you might miss that optimum) is not what's the best about the game, which I totally agree about ?

Not optimizing = not fully engaging with the system.

This is fine (definitely not forbidden), but isn't really worth discussing to any deep extent.

 

[Lyxen]

It was difficult in 3rd edition where you pretty much had to plan from day one your class and feats in order to go into the Prestige Class you wanted eight levels from now. i.e. You couldn't both optimize for play and for build very easily.

That was only with rigid DMs who did not allow you to do a little backtrack and a few changes as long it did not become an optimising game in itself (which thankfully, we only had one case of, kicked out of our tables). Especially if you allowed for new supplements along the way (our main campaign lasted 10 years), or played prestige classes like "orders" that you needed to be accepted into.

That's the kind of stupid restrictions bought about by rules which prevent fun when playing. I understand that some people like optimising, but this has never been the intent of the game, which is playing it with friends. If that kind of optimisation prevents you from actually enjoying the game when you play it, I find it really really sad.

 

[Asisreo]

Why are these two ideas mutually exclusive. Is it not possible to optimize both before the game and during the game?

Surely the really distinction is whether people optimize at all or not.

It's possible to do both, but I wanted to know, if given the choice, which do you lean.

It's not like if you choose one side, you can never or will never do the other, it's just when you're playing the game, do you find the most enjoyment from one playstyle or the other?

Also, I chose the word "lean" and the concepts of "slightly" or "heavily" so people don't feel confined by these two ideas, like it's a restriction rather than a preference.

I did avoid the choice "both" though, as this way does force someone to choose, even if it's not an easy choice or they feel its wishy-washy.