Roleplaying vs Powerplaying? Which do you do?

[RPG Guy (sorta)]

hOnestly, I'm about 90% power...10% role, based on the definitions outlined above in this thread. I can "get into it", but not that deep.

I actually look upon the role playing purists here with some envy but mostly estrangement. You're a weird little group in terms of your passions, but I definitely respect what you're trying to do when you load up your games.

I wish I could pull it off.

[Celacena]

I suppose ot depends on what you want out of the game - once you know that you can finish it, there is not any compulsion to power play. I like problem-solving, so having different PCs and characters offers different ranges of solution.

I don't always have the same party members and alignment determines that for me - how could I take Edwin with me after how he treated Minsc? (if good) - why put up with Anomen's or Keldorn's lawfulness if you don't have a lawful PC? on the other hand - why put up with Korgan if you are good - or Nalia/Aerie if you are not?

My (lvl 18) paladin's party is presently - Sir Anomen, Jaheira (can't shake her off!), Nalia, Valgyar and Imoen. I play Sir Anomen (level 20) as a crusader, not a priest, Jaheira (lvl13/14?) just has to trust me, Nalia is level 16 mage and good with traps and Valgyar (lvl16) is there as a back-up fighter. Imoen? well I have just rescued her and am in Spellhold. A paladin would keep her safe.
the only improvement for this stage would be Mazzy, but I find she isn't always the greatest to have around and didn't pick her up to develop her levels to match the others. I have no room for passengers.

I sense I must be in the role-paly camp.

[Seltzer]

I'm definitely a roleplayer. If I'm in a powerplaying mood, I'll go and play a purely hack and slash game like Titan Quest. Baldur's Gate II is perfect for roleplaying.

[Deadalready]

Unfortunately I'd say I lean towards the powerplaying level of field, to an extent still I usually go for the hardest battles I can for my level and fight using as little resources as possible. I do limit myself though, there are many things that make the game unfathomably boring, like the staff of the magi early.

Unfortunately if I was to roleplay a character then way I'd want, then the game would punish me severely through decreased loot and experience.

At the end of the day though I aim to get the most challenge out of my battles though, I regularly travel with next to no spells memorised in search of my next quest.

[Celacena]

talking about taking on too much

when I first went to Watcher's Keep - I had only recently emerged from Irenicus' dungeon - and the Knights said they thought I was too inexperienced. I insisted on taking on the challenge and first of, cleared the first level and so got some goodies. I didn't feel up to taking on the chromatic demon at that point, so I returned to the city, packed away my ward-stones etc and did a few city quests.
I decided that I REALLY wanted Carsomyr, so even though I was still relatively inexperienced, I decided to go to the Hills and find some way to rob the dragon. instead of the multiple cloud-kill cheese (that people on here disapprove of in the main) - I decided to destroy Firkraag in a more combative fashion. I think the crucial manoevre was to have Jaheira cast insect plague at him, which disrupted the casting of 'heal' - I think I buffed-up and battered FK. I also think that Nalia (or Aerie) and Anomen threw in some high-damage spells. Anyhow, I got Carsomyr and that made me feel MUCH better.

An Undead-Hunter paladin seems the best type to take on a lich and when protected from magic (thanks to Nalia's projected image's scroll), that sword is one of the best thinks to hit the nasties with for some time.

with the ring of gaxx (whoops I seem to have found a spare one laying in Nalia's pocket!), red dragon scale armour and wielding carsomyr, the lack of levels didn't make WK a fatal episode and I cleared out the experimental level and went far enough into the maze to get Purifier and Spectral brand before deciding that would do for the time being.

I went off, did the countryside adventures then returned to the city for a few more adventures and the completion of chapters so that the boat was waiting for me to take me to Spellhold.

I then went back and finished off WK before setting sail to find Imoen.

I am now in Underdark running around for the drow.

[Klorox]

Unfortunately I'd say I lean towards the powerplaying level of field,

AAAARGH! Why why WHY do people apologize for powergaming. There's NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!!!


Note: I used to only play P&P D&D (this is going back before most people even owned a home computer and the floppy discs were really big and were actually floppy)

In P&P, I'm against powergaming. But this is a computer game people. You're not interacting with anybody else. Have fun whatever way you like.

[davfrahen]

"(whoops I seem to have found a spare one laying in Nalia's pocket!),"

Cloudkilling Firkrag is cheese, but two rings of Gaxx is ok?

[Klorox]

"(whoops I seem to have found a spare one laying in Nalia's pocket!),"

Cloudkilling Firkrag is cheese, but two rings of Gaxx is ok?

I don't think this was directed at me, but just to be clear: their's an enormous difference between cheesing/cheating and powergaming.

[Celacena]

"(whoops I seem to have found a spare one laying in Nalia's pocket!),"

Cloudkilling Firkrag is cheese, but two rings of Gaxx is ok?

hey, I am not Cheese-definer in chief!

why would pickpocketing an item and then getting it again be 'cheese'? I have 2 celestial furies at the moment - the slavers co-spawned - one party on each level and I had to beat both.

perhaps a magical lich has a 'wish' spell and when he found that he's mislaid his ring (now where IS it? I haven't left this tomb in aeons...could that nice little girl really have stolen it?) he used WISH to get another one.
if the lich then gets careless and loses his (un)life too, why shouldn't a PC pick up the 2nd ring?
in the words of Paul Daniels "that's magic!"

anyhow - I have debated the issues about cheese/dragon behaviour elsewhere. I am comfortable with poisoning the oversized pigeons, but others get upset (dragon-huggers). anyhow - my party can beat dragons in a fair fight anyhow, so other ruse de guerre to save time/effort are OK with me.

Having discovered that protection from magic prevents casting (Sir Anomen gets cross when I have him protected like that) - I have discovered a whole potential cheeseboard based on my existing scroll-toting projected image and annoying casters who waste my time.

Nalia can have 3 PI's available and a few simulcra. we took out the Us'natha without breaking sweat although I did suffer a couple of casualties in the eye-tyrant's lair. PF magic and the cloak of reflection didn't make my PC the Beholder's Beauty of the Week. they go 'pop' when you hit them with carsomyr...

[fable]

The subject of the thread is roleplaying vs powerplaying. Folks, please, let's stick to it.

[Aspara_Gus]

I agree with Klorox

The distinction between role-playing and power-gaming is artificial. It's not the gamer who role-plays or power-plays; it's the characters. Is there anyone who doesn't set Minsc's script on Standard Attack? Is there anyone who does set Edwin's script on Standard Attack?

Of course not. It's not a gamer preference. It's the way the characters come to you. Minsc is made for power, and Edwin is made to cast spells.

So we are all adapting to the game, not just shaping it to our needs.

What I would consider unacceptable is a paladin who accepts Viconia into his or her party, or conversely an evil PC who accepts Keldorn just for the sake of power.

Gus

[mr_sir]

The distinction between role-playing and power-gaming is artificial. It's not the gamer who role-plays or power-plays; it's the characters. Is there anyone who doesn't set Minsc's script on Standard Attack? Is there anyone who does set Edwin's script on Standard Attack?

I actually disable all scripts in my parties so I have complete control over the actions of every member in my party. I also try to pick spells that I think Edwin, say, would use rather than just give him every spell he comes across. In fact, I generally try to mould npcs into exactly who I want them to be and that is part of how I roleplay. If I want Edwin to be more of a battle mage then just spell caster then that is the direction that I will take him due to selection of spells and proficiencies when levelling up.

I disagree that the distinction between role-playing and power-gaming is artificial, but there is also no right or wrong way of playing the game. Its a game and everyone should play it in the way that they enjoy. If someone enjoys sheer power and the most powerful party possible then good for them, and there is nothing wrong with that. Personally though, I prefer to play more realistic parties and let that power build up over time through my party's actions and decisions. In the same way I don't do all quests or try to get max XP from quests, I do them in a way that my PC would do them, taking into account how her companions may react to it too. This is role playing and is very distinct from my definition of powergaming (which is where you play to get as much XP as possible from every situation and specifically design your party to be the most powerful party possible).

[Crucis]

I actually disable all scripts in my parties so I have complete control over the actions of every member in my party.

I'm with you, mr_sir. I disable all scripts. I also want complete control over my party. If anything, I get annoyed that even with the scripts disabled, one of the rearward members of the party invariably tries to come to the front after killing some enemy, or some such other nonsense.

About the only script-like thing I'd wish for is that when I have 2-3 characters in melee (with no scripts), it is really annoying when character A kills his target and just stands there while there's another enemy within reach of his weapon. I mean, I don't want my characters running all over the battlefield willy-nilly. But while the battle's going on, if you have an enemy within reach of your equipped weapon, don't stand there like a dufus when you've killed your assigned target. Keep shooting that bow or swinging that sword!



Regarding roleplaying... I'm not sure if a party could do the absolute minimum of quests prior to going off to rescue Imoen, and then skipping them even after returning to Amn, before hunting down Irenicus, and still be strong enough to take him down.


On the flipside, since the PC is supposed to be this powerful Bhaalspawn, I tend to believe that it's not unreasonable to want considerably better than average stats. I'm not saying that they should be straight 18's across the board, but a total of 80 or more is not terribly unreasonable for such a supposedly powerful godchild.

[mr_sir]

Regarding roleplaying... I'm not sure if a party could do the absolute minimum of quests prior to going off to rescue Imoen, and then skipping them even after returning to Amn, before hunting down Irenicus, and still be strong enough to take him down.

The way I justify doing a reasonable number of side quests is to do them before going after Imoen is to use the initial earnings to buy better equipment (it makes sense to be prepared before taking on either the Cowled Wizards or Irenicus, and at the beginning you are expecting to have to take on both) and then once I am properly equipped I focus on earning enough to pay to locate Imoen. From a roleplaying point of view this makes more sense to me than just going after her as fast as you can as you know she is in a prison somewhere and your character would have no reason at that point to suspect that Irenicus would escape. It would be foolhardy to attempt a rescue unprepared (both equipment-wise and through a lack of intelligence gathered).

[Celacena]

agree with the last post

Irenicus is obviously some mega-powerful mage and he and Imoen are supposed to be imprisoned by the CWs, of whom there are so many that even JI gave up and surrendered himself. going after an uber-powerful mage requires that your team has somebody who can cast spells like Time Stop and your clerics can cast a few heals. heading straight out would be suicide, so far as the PC could guess.
I usually do almost all the side quests before picking up Im - including at least part of Watchers Keep.
I always go to Spellhold with a max of 4 NPCs, so that I don't have to lose one. if it wasn't for insect plague and (later) natures beauty I wouldn't bother, but properly equipped and buffed, she's not that bad. Sir Anomen gets really dynamic by the latter stages - I was having him memorise 9 glyphs -which is quite something for an enemy to run into.
JI and Bodhi are clearly enemies to take seriously - a character of below level 15 would be mad to attempt to take them on.
mind you, by the time I get to the final battles, the PC has got ridiculously powerful and has the very best equipment - the fight is always do-able with the correct strategy.

[Crucis]

The way I justify doing a reasonable number of side quests is to do them before going after Imoen is to use the initial earnings to buy better equipment (it makes sense to be prepared before taking on either the Cowled Wizards or Irenicus, and at the beginning you are expecting to have to take on both) and then once I am properly equipped I focus on earning enough to pay to locate Imoen. From a roleplaying point of view this makes more sense to me than just going after her as fast as you can as you know she is in a prison somewhere and your character would have no reason at that point to suspect that Irenicus would escape. It would be foolhardy to attempt a rescue unprepared (both equipment-wise and through a lack of intelligence gathered).

That makes perfect sense to me, Mr_sir. It is pretty obvious from the whupping that Irenicus gives both the Shadow Thieves and the Cowled Wizzies, that he's one nasty wizard and the PC and his buddies have no business going after him until they're properly funded, prepared, and equipped, and have proper intel. Of course, all of that takes time, and tends to mean that your poor sister Imoen is stuck in the clutches of the baddies for at least a couple of months of game time.

[XearoDisaster]

I powerplay at first, to get to know the main plot, some weaknesses and know the general lay-out etc.
Then i play with the alignments and characters, maybe RPing.