Well aside from some of the rude comments I do enjoy hearing what everyone else has to say about my former problem, though let me clear a few more things up. It is after all only fair.
I've been running game since 1995, so this is not my first time around the block. I NEVER had any problem before with any of my games being unbalanced or anything really, we always had a good time and for the most part focused on role playing.. That's the point isn't it? Now when we made the switch over to 3e I was still learning the rules as I worked on my campaign and i must admit I should have learned them much better before starting the campaign because I had very limited knowledge. My bad I suppose.
Now some of the guys I play with I have been playing with since those early days in 95/96 so we have been friends for quite some time. As I said I NEVER had any problems with em before. When we started this campaign (mind you we did stake a break from role playing for a few years) I expected everything to go as before, I suspected the new guys to cause any trouble more so then a old head. Well we all know I was wrong, what made this player all of a sudden go power gaming mad is above me and I cant really blame his buddy because when we first started he had some strange ideas but wasn't about being a walking tank. So at the time I didn't think it was a big deal and I didn't want to ruffle any feathers with a long time friend. Like I said at first it was once and a blue moon they would come to me with a new feat or item or spell but it quickly grew out of control and they would throw a sh*t storm when ever I turn em down. Then the few I did let go buy they managed to find loopholes I never even thought of.
That's what really got me, for all those years we had no problems and the general rule was what the DM said was law. An I am very, very lax when it comes to rules I rather just have a good story play out and have fun. I never suspected a long time friend to change gaming styles so much. Now all he complains is never have had seen 20th level or played a character till its end or be able to slay demons with a single turn... and I can understand why someone would like to do those things but that's not why we play is it? It's about the role playing, the story we as a group create and the fun of smashing in monsters heads. So in my ending the last campaign was mainly because I cant all of a sudden say hey because of two boneheads I have to not allow such and such and such, I rather just start fresh and start over with a set rule of this is cool and everything else is not. period, everyone besides those two were cool with it.
As for the point buy system, I'm not talking ability scores (I use that system too for the same reason of tired of seeing some of the guys with 2 to 3 18's..) Its some new fangled system that works with d20 that you get so many points and may use them for anything. Feats, Ability Scores, Skills, Spells, Ect with each level. As he explained it "You can make a fighter that can cast arcane and divine spells as well as have the abilities of a rogue. Think of how beefy we could get." Yeah.. Fun.
Anyhow I hope that cleaned some of that up.