DM wrote:
How can somone who sticks to the ruls and uses a legal army list possibly be powergaming!!! Just because they beat you all the time dosn't make it powergaming - maybe you need to look at your strategy a bit better??
By that definition Powergaming wouldn't exist (ever before or now) because using an illegal list = cheating, not powergaming.
first thing googled after writing 'powergaming definition' wrote:
Powergaming (or power gaming) is a style of interacting with games or game-like systems with the aim of maximising progress towards a specific goal, to the exclusion of other considerations such as (in videogames, boardgames, and roleplaying games) storytelling, atmosphere, camaraderie, and fun. ...
Explains it pretty well. Examples: Mass Outriders + Gamling = PG, because a) that wouldn't happen and b) it's not how the rules are meant to be played and c) it's not fun.
Another example: Isengard army which maximises on Crossbowmen by using Orcs instead of Uruk Hai as the fighting unit (ie. 16 Orc Spears, 16 Orc Shields, 16 Uruk crossbows + heroes, etc.) because it maximises the army's strength while minimising weaknesses.
Yet another example: (the classic Pre-LoME case) Khazad Guard front line supported by Warriors of Minas Tirith Spearmen (without shields) with a unit of High Elf Archers (ie. using the 2 armies for their strengths and 1 for its cheapness) -> an example more optimal is actually Khazad Guard front with 2nd line of High Elf Archers with Spears and a bunch of hobbits around the flanks to maximise the model limit and hence increase the bow limit.
I could go on for hours...
Is Powergaming good or bad?
- Well... it depends. Non competitive play has no need for powerplay, so as long as you both have fun, do whatever you want, feel free to exploit or even change the rules completely at your own will.
- Tournament-wise powergaming is everyday part of the game - you cannot remove it because players who want to win will do anything in their power to win. Look at the top GT lists each year - they're all pretty well optimised to their stengths and minimised weaknesses, therefore by definition they are powergaming. However, the players using those lists have a good case for doing so - they want to win and usually it's the only way they can achieve victory when faced with other PG lists.
Overall powergaming is just part of any wargame, card game or in fact any game which isn't 100% balanced and allows you to make pre-game choices (like deck building or army building). There is a lot of cases of powergaming. In fact the term is defined so widely and so differently by every player, that any force which isn't completely themed and balanced will be considered powergaming at some point - and there is nothing to be ashamed of when someone calls you a powergamer - most of the time it just means that you're capable of making a better list than he is and usually you're also a better player.
{ PORTAL }
Print view
Top
? 
I think it's all power-gaming, both DM's examples and my own, and you have nicely summarized it with this statement.
