Powergaming

[El_Skwidd]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In role-playing games (mainly, but not exclusively), powergaming is a particular way of playing in which the emphasis lies on developing a player character that is either as powerful as possible, usually to the detriment of other aspects of the game, such as character interaction, or violates roleplaying etiquette by either taking control of other players' characters, actions, or the outcome of a game.

How common is powergaming in Cantr? I'm beginning to see more and more of it. I'd explain what I mean, but I think I would just say what's in the quote, or break the CR.

[*Wiro]

Too common. Sadly. The fact all 7 of my murdered characters were killed without RP, and with me many others had lost their characters like that, pretty much proves this sad fact.

[Dudel]

I hear OOCally about this all the time El but I've yet to actually see it myself.

So far most characters who realize they are going to die "clam up" and stop RPing. Which I would take that as the same thing actually. "I can't win so I'm not playing," Type of behavior.

Other then that, I see most people try to avoid killing when they can, its the only reason my characters are alive at all.

On another note: Is it bad to kill a zombie type character with no RP? I mean, you give me nothing I give you nothing, right?

[*Wiro]

Thing is, Dudel, how do you know it's a sleeper/zombie? Might as well be someone who's enjoying a holiday in Spain, you know.

[Miri]

Well, there's a slight difference between someone who is just being inactive and someone who's just there... especially if you know that character for a while.

[Andu]

I've seen a guy who lives in a place, and he eats and does nothing else, and have done that for a decade, almost since he was born.

[Doug R.]

I haven't experienced it personally. Power gamers in Cantr tend to get impatient, make mistakes, and get killed before they're too much of a threat.

[Mr. Black]

Does the fact that many of my characters end up as abrasive, rebellious, outcasts make me a powergamer?

[SekoETC]

I don't think it necessarily counts as powergaming if you kill someone without rp. Often the situation contains a risk and you have to move fast, or the person might hurt you or others or get away. Also often killing someone requires stopping to think about the target as a person, because it's much harder to kill a person than a featureless object. Even in real life terrorists often put a bag or a pillow case on the victim's head so that the target becomes faceless and easier to kill. In Cantr you can't see people's faces, so people stand apart only through rp and writing notes. You eliminate the chance of rp by dragging a person into a building and only step in to hit, then step out, telling yourself you're doing it to avoid getting hit back, but it could be that you're afraid you couldn't take it if the victim started expressing pain and fear.

I dislike it when new people slap or punch themselves. If you really have to find out your fighting skill, you could as well drag yourself, that will make your strength and fighting skill visible to yourself even if the others won't see them.

[*Wiro]

Often the situation contains a risk and you have to move fast, or the person might hurt you or others or get away.

That was never the case with my murdered characters. And I have seen many others getting attacked without RP like that.

[Elros]

Due to the fact that 90% of the online so-called "roleplaying" games are nothing more then level-building powergames, there has been a drastic misconception of what RP really is. I must admit, before finding Cantr I had no real idea what RP was. I played all the online level-building games that labeled themselves as RP games, but there was no RP to it. Many players come from that background and treat Cantr as simply a game where they try to get the best weapons and armor and get rich. That is not what it is about.

I had the privilege, yes I call it a privilege, to RP the death of one of my characters the other day. It was very fulfilling to get to RP it throughly rather than the usual quick and RP-less death. The scene lasted for two days and I got to writ e final wishes not as well as say my last words right before I was killed. It made it seem not so bad to lose the character since he got to go out in "style".

After that scenario, it made me see how much RP we are actually lacking in Cantr, and how truly fun it would actually be if people did more RPing and less powergaming.

[Dudel]

I've seen a guy who lives in a place, and he eats and does nothing else, and have done that for a decade, almost since he was born.

Yeah, he was one of those people.

Shot him one day...

he did nothing...

then SEVERAL days later, shot him again...

still nothing...

then SEVERAL MORE days later, shot him again...

he died.

Each hit had SOMETHING behind it. The first was just my character being annoyed at the guy, he has a short temper. The second was because the guy didn't even notice he was shot and the third made everything feel better.

DURING THIS TIME, the guy hunted and picked up objects so the character WAS ACTIVE. Not ONCE, sense his spawn did HE EVEN MOVE!

I haven't experienced it personally. Power gamers in Cantr tend to get impatient, make mistakes, and get killed before they're too much of a threat.

Mostly its the suicidal newspawn type person or the guy asking for a big sword and shield so he can liberate the land upon spawn.

However, a few of them get lucky and spawn as someone else dies and then you have ONE HELL of a mess to deal with.

Does the fact that many of my characters end up as abrasive, rebellious, outcasts make me a powergamer?

Short Answer: No

Long Answer: That just means you the player like those types of characters. HOWEVER, if you the player are trying to "get the best stuff" and usually use in game violence with minimal and/or NO RP to get said "stuff", then yes.

I dislike it when new people slap or punch themselves. If you really have to find out your fighting skill, you could as well drag yourself, that will make your strength and fighting skill visible to yourself even if the others won't see them.

I RP it as they are silly or stupid. Which is funny considering my characters, eh Seko?

[Rigel Kent]

Too common. Sadly. The fact all 7 of my murdered characters were killed without RP, and with me many others had lost their characters like that, pretty much proves this sad fact.

it would be six not killed you with RP not my fault I did not tak to you before hand. then again you have no idea how to follow real orders so i dont blame you for being a bit peeved.

[Rigel Kent]

A lot people play these kinds of games for power. you know the type a loser in school maybe. gets hit by angry dad mommy drinks..that kind of kid..they then take it out online murdering many many people for alittle or no reason.

This game shows humans in there true colors.

[Dudel]

This game shows humans in there true colors.

It sure does Rigel.