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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 5866554" data-attributes="member: 42582">Well, like I posted a little bit upthread, one step might be to give the players reasons to not always want to be using the biggest possible numbers.I think "coolness" is probably not, on its own, a strong enough reason. I think that reasons are needed that are tied deeply to the fiction and the mechanics of the game. I gave an example above of a mechanical feature of Burning Wheel that has this goal.One way the fiction can make a difference is if situations can be set up where the dynamics of the fiction are such that every PC has a reason to muck in, even if it is not his/her specialty (eg set up social situations so that the fighter has to say something - even if it's not very eloquent - so as to avoid looking like a complete tool, or conceding the truth of someone else's criticism of him/her). This sort of encounter design can push against hyper specialisation.Whether tackled via mechancis or via fiction or both, it's not going to happen on its own. The designers have to think hard about it, and come up with solutions. Conversely, as long as the game is structure so that both in mechanical terms, and in terms of the fiction, bigger numbers are rewarded, then optimisation (whether via build, or hunting out the best magic weapons, or whatever it might be) will be the order of the day.</blockquote>