The degree of character classes customization?

[sb5]

Personally I've preferred the limited 2nd edition in AD&D computer games for it's simplicity. I never really minded dual or multi classing a PC into a fighter even if it was to reap the obvious benefits, which can still be in character.

[Karkarov]

I don't get it. Proponents of 3.x prefer this edition because they say it gives customisation. You can create nearly anything you want. Then the detractors say you're powergaming and not roleplaying. What am I missing here?

 

I'm not a proponent of 3.x as I'm one in the minority who never really liked it and prefer other editions.

In 3.0 you either min maxed power gamed or your character was at best sub par.  Let me be more specific.  You either consigned yourselves to never playing over level 12, or you were forced to make twink characters because if you didn't then you could not compete at high level against the enemies the challenge ratings would want you to face.

 

3.0 was a system that was built on the idea that you should be able to use it to make game breaking character combos.  Yes you had more customization, but it was all there literally only for power gaming purposes.

[Hiro Protagonist II]

Interesting points Karkarov. My only experience with 3.x was IWD2, NWN and TToE. I never played pnp so I can't comment on that aspect. Looking forward to proponents of 3.x and what their views are, or if they're just min-maxing powergamers.

[konst3d]

 

Echoing a couple other responses, to me, and this is just my personal opinion, that is not a character, but a tool. A tool specifically designed to slaughter your enemies in a video games, which is cool, but not my cup of tea. 

 

I see your point. Yeah, from the roleplayng point of few these builds are terrible.

But as for me (and some other people I delieve), the major part of any good RPG is role system that allows you to create a wide range of different and _vital_ characters. It's a kind of LEGO - you have a set of some basic bricks and you can create almost anything you could imagine.

And I love D&D because it allows me to do this. And I would like to see this flexibility in PoE.

This will allow me to play this game for ages - trying new character builds over and over again.

[Lephys]

Well, for what it's worth, at a certain point, a class system that offers almost infinite options is kind of self-defeating. If you can be the best of 5 classes, there's not much point in having distinct classes in the first place. "This class has bad defense, but then this other class has GOOD defense! So, you just make a both-classes character, and voila!"

 

There's not much point in having different strengths and weaknesses if you can just actively cancel them out.

 

So, yeah, some systems get a little carried away.