From:	Aristotle antithesis@**********.com
Subject:	Power Gaming and Benchmarking (Long)
Date:	Fri, 23 Jun 2000 03:51:31 -0400

<<Hahns wrote>>
" I'm curious to know what "power gaming" (especially in the SR context)
means to most people on this list. Mostly, I'm concerned with "benchmarks".
What are telltale signs of different "power levels" of SR gaming in your
group? I've had the fortune of playing (and not-as-much-fortunate task of
GMing) in various SR groups over the years, and we've run the gamut from
street-level campaigns to power games that involved the very fate of the
Sixth World. I've separated some of them into distinct categories, but I'm
curious as to what you guys/gals think"
<<end quote>>

I think that the 'level' of gaming really depends on the GM. If the GM
plans to run something on a street level then anyone who takes an SMG will
be considered powerful. If the GM is running a 'prime' campaign then
someone playing a simple ganger wont have a great deal of fun. The GM is
final arbitrator. I explain the level of my campaign and give thorough
guidelines for characters. I don't care if a player spends a month tweaking
a character, if it doesn't fit in my game it won't see play.

To give you an idea of how my own campaign is going. I am running most of
the book adventures. The players just took their second contract and are
somewhere between your second and third examples of game power. I have no
munchkins and all of the players enjoy discussing and planning the runs
they are going on. (I couldn't have asked for a better group) It is
presently 2054 in my game. I have a campaign 'theme' for each year
(currently up to 2060). When this is all said and done, if the current
characters actually make it that long, I suspect the power level of my game
should be very high. In fact one of my players is currently 'in contact'
with a Horror and one of the others is being groomed to be a 'light bearer'
(I think that is what they are called). Neither player is aware of the
situation, nor was any of that 'special attention' requested... Now I just
have to buy some Earthdawn books so I know what it all means..


Regards,
-- Travis "Aristotle" Heldibridle