Proper Name Calling

[Gnimish88]

I have noticed both in gaming and on this list a lack of knowledge of what the various insults used by gamers against gamers mean, for example, calling a GM who mangled the rules a Rules Lawyer.

The following is a list of the common name calling I have heard and what they mean, to the best of my knowledge. Does anyone have any modifications to the definition and/or any additional names?

Rules Lawyer: Person who uses knowledge of the rules to find loopholes to exploit to create more powerful PCs.

Munchkin: Person who players purely for the goal of making ever more PCs ever more powerful in combat.

Min-Maxer: One who sacrifices some aspects of the character to buff up other, usually combat oriented, aspects. Usually this would be by lower attribute points to raise others and/or taking character flaws/perks as the game system allows.

Power Gamer: Often lumped in with munchkin, though I understand it more generally refers to players who prefer a campaign in which high stats and power magic are the norm.

Killer GM: GM who sees the game as GM vs. Players and doesn't enjoy the game unless they manage to kill PCs fairly frequently.

***DISCLAIMER: The idea for this post was spawned by being called a Min-Maxer by another player. I entered an in progress game that lacked a pure warrior class with a straight up fighter. Said player felt that my PC overshadowed his fighter/cleric in combat. Stats could not be reduced to raise others and no perks or flaws were used, so I informed him that he had called me the wrong name.***

 

[med stud]

I guess a rules lawyer could also be defined as a player who doesnt hesitate to ruin a good mood or colourful description from the GM by saying that something in the mood/description doesnt follow the rule. The bureucrat- kind of player who puts rules ahead of everything.

---

Im not sure if I would be insulted if I was called min/maxer; It's pretty basic that you make the best of the rules you have. If you create a fighter with high physical stats, low mental stats and the best weapon in the game it's more of common sense than bad manners to me. If there is some way to exploit a rule or something in the game (like AD&D longsword) that is superior to everything else it's better to change that than to attack everyone who uses it by calling them munchkins or min/maxers.

(sorry, the last part was a high jack. Feel free to ignore it )

 

[Delemental]

Roll-player: term, often used derogatorily, to describe a player who focuses on the mechanical aspects (stats, skills, etc) of a character as opposed to those that involve developing and maintaining a persona for that character.

Role-player: technically, all those who participate in role-playing games. When used in contrast to "roll-player" (see above), term used to describe a player who focuses on the persona of a chracter rather than the mechanical aspects. Used in a derogatory sense, it often refers to those who emphasize the persona to the point of creating statistically unviable, or "weak" characters.

 

[Voadam]

I entered an in progress game that lacked a pure warrior class with a straight up fighter. Said player felt that my PC overshadowed his fighter/cleric in combat. ***

You mean your response was not "well duh" a straight combat character should be better at combat than a mixed concept character. Cleric Fighters are good combat machines who can pump up to be obscene in specific combats, but they start to lag behind fighters in feats, hit points, and BAB which show up consistently in fights.

 

[Dogbrain]

No, it isn't. It's only considered "mandatory" by one subset of gamers. There is more than one way to play a "fighter". This is not to say that stupid/strong is bad. What's bad is being too narrow-minded to admit that there are other ways that are just as much fun to play.

 

[Gnimish88]

Well, before this gets too off topic, the PC I was playing was following the Combat Expertise line, Intelligence was his 3rd stat, behind Strength and Con, so he was hardly maxed physical to the exclusion of mental. Also, I did respond with a duh to the accusation that my PC was better in a stand up fight.

Really though, I started this thread for a light hearted discussion of insults, the disclaimer was only incase said player saw the link and started yelling about how I was not telling the whole story or some other such nonsense.

I had forgotten about Roll-players and Role(read: frustrated actor)-players. D'OH!

 

[Emiricol]

No, it isn't. It's only considered "mandatory" by one subset of gamers. There is more than one way to play a "fighter". This is not to say that stupid/strong is bad. What's bad is being too narrow-minded to admit that there are other ways that are just as much fun to play.

Dogbrain, I see you all over these boards insulting people left and right, whether directly or obliquely. Please stop it. This isn't nutkinland, and we like it that way. I go there for my flame fix.

 

[Ferret]

I guess a rules lawyer could also be defined as a player who doesnt hesitate to ruin a good mood or colourful description from the GM by saying that something in the mood/description doesnt follow the rule. The bureucrat- kind of player who puts rules ahead of everything.

Like a DnD fanboy

 

[reapersaurus]

Rules Lawyer to ME implies that they use their knowledge of the rules in a bad way.
As a detriment to the game, instead of a helpful force.
That said, many times people who ARE helpful with their rules knowledge are labelled "rules lawyers" simply because (IMO) this hobby has a strange aversion to accepting that there are rules involved, and that they are important/essential.
There really IS no term (other than 'rules lawyer') to describe someone who uses their knowledge of rules to enhance the game. Like when the DM is stumbling in combat, and wants an estabished D&D reason for his NPC's or the PC's to do something, and the 'rules lawyer' helps him out with a helpful reference, saving time and effort, and coming to a resoultion quickly.

As far as 'munchkin' goes, IMO it is solely reserved for the players that believe they can ;win' the game. They will try every 'underhanded' trick in the book, and when that fails, they will try to CHEAT. Cheating is the critical thing here - they will advocate and attempt to take advantage of things that are NOT in the books (i.e. uber-powered prestige classes, feats, weapons). This is typified by cheating on dice rolls.

Too often, power-gamers are incorrectly called munchkins.

Power Gamers and Min-Max are synonymous, to me.
It simply means a player that feels that rules are important in an RPG, and attempts to use those rules in the most advantageous way to make an effective character.
Part of the enjoyment of the game to a Power Gamer is working WITHIN the confines of the rules to make a more effective character. That is part of the reason for playing with an established ruleset. It's part of the game for him.

Many 'role players' are ignorant of that fact.
A 'role player' is someone who plays the game (almost) solely for the drama and theatricality of it. They would love to have their eccentric character be in the limelight, and have the adventure revolve around their solely roleplaying encounters. They view rules, and dice rolling, as a necessary evil, not as part of the game.
You could effectively cliche this person as a "drama queen" type player.

 

[diaglo]

Gnimish88,

you don't sound like a real min/maxer. you are too lazy for the title. but you also don't qualify as a roleplayer.

you sound more like a "casual" gamer. as defined by Robert's Laws of Roleplaying.