89:, due to the practice of maximizing desirable or "powerful" traits while minimizing underpowered or less useful traits. Such characters often draw criticism for not fitting the theme and tone of the game world, or for being difficult to challenge. Another form of powergaming involves a focus on acquiring power during game progression, often by acquiring powerful equipment or unusual abilities. This lends itself to gameplay that is materialistic (and often, in the context of the game world, arguably immoral) and can frustrate other players who are looking to interact with the game world, score points, and not merely acquire game resources. Another term for a powergamer is a munchkin, who may be differentiated from normal powergamers to describe players who seek to acquire power and loot at the expense and disregard of their teammates.
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others to participate in unwanted role-playing. For instance, a player who unilaterally describes their character as doing something with (or to) another character that would usually require the other to play along — such as having a fight or a sexual encounter — is considered to be powergaming. In such games, in which a sense of community and rapport between players is seen as crucial and conducive to the game's overall well-being, powergaming is generally regarded as extremely offensive behavior if it is not stated in the rules as being a punishable offense (including, but not limited to, banning). It is often seen as synonymous with
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over acquiring levels or skills, players can be described as powergamers if they presume or declare that their own action against another player character is successful without giving the other player character the freedom to act on their own prerogative. They may also be a player who tries to force
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In video games, powergamers enjoy being at the bleeding edge of progression of their selected game, taking part in every activity that yields the fastest progression, and bypassing the "lesser" activities or any other secondary job, trait, or skill. This is a wide generalization, however. A player
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who likes to maximize all aspects of the game and do so in an expedient manner is also classified as a powergamer, often seeing more of the world than the "average" player would.
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Powergaming in roleplaying games can take several forms. One form is the deliberate creation of optimal
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Games' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of
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in which real life is treated as an online game to be powergamed.
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171:. University of Utrecht / Digital Games Research Association.
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A playing style focused on game mastery over enjoyment
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as opposed to 'roll-play' in text-based environments.
303:Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture
269:Benedikt, Claire Lisette; Ciskowski, Dave (1995).
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169:Proceedings of the 1st Digra conference: Level Up
299:"Beyond Fun: Instrumental Play and Power Gamers"
271:MUDs: Exploring Virtual Worlds on the Internet
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162:"Power Gamers Just Want To Have Fun?"
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201:Rome, Ben H.; Hussey, Chris (2013).
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377:Role-playing game terminology
96:that emphasize collaborative
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338:Roll-playing vs. Roleplaying
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382:Video game terminology
232:Stark, Lizzie (2012).
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242:Chicago Review Press
186:Chivalry and Sorcery
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372:Competition
309:. pp.
77:Description
71:collectible
51:video games
31:Powergaming
366:Categories
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144:References
133:Min-maxing
87:min-maxing
63:unsporting
55:boardgames
39:min maxing
346:role-play
342:Wes Platt
307:MIT Press
107:godmoding
98:role-play
18:Godmoding
297:(2006).
160:(2003).
138:Twinking
117:See also
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73:games.
356:satire
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