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Author Topic: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?  (Read 4936 times)

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Offline Kite66

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #20 on: August 6, 2011, 11:21:06 PM »
I just like to play with fun and odd units. For me, building a tournament list to win is too easy. Give me an hour with any codex and I can build a tournament list, give me 3 and I can build one that people will think is awful but will decimate.
 
I've run tau gunlines, footslogging eldar, all shooty DE (which wasn't a good list but I got first in a tourny with). I'm thinking on getting my 2500pt deepstrike army finished (well 2000 pt list but need to figure out 500pts of scourges to shove into it) for 'ard boys. It also seems a large chunk of people, were I am at, are going to be running Draego and lots of paladins, so (concendently) my list should handily deal with that. But I just find having all but 3 models in my entire army deepstriking a bit fun and enough randomness to keep me on my feet.

Offline Athaga Mor

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #21 on: August 7, 2011, 01:48:37 AM »
First, good-looking armies.  Nothing hits the table without being painted.  I find the game most fun when I can visualized the battle in color (as opposed to metal/plastic/primer).  Nice terrain helping things as well.

Then, these days, fun or odd armies. I don't play six tournaments per month like I did in the past... I try to stay conscious of power-gamer/under-powered forces.  The least fun I ever had was playing against a black-primed lizardmen LatD army with 3 basilisks, 90 zombies and an asp. champ.  Since then I've tried to never do that to myself or my opponent... for me, it's counter to the game.  I like making a challenging list but I'm over the glory of placing high in tournaments so some of that challenge is self-directed or simply doing/using something new.

Fluff is always there.  I approach it a bit from composition but mainly from sculpting/konversions/painting/basing.
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Offline Swamp Rat

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #22 on: August 11, 2011, 11:16:49 AM »
I agree with Athaga about not playing unless its painted. If i could get away with playing without painting (i paint piece by piece, then glue together) then id never paint anything.

Personally, i try and get a mix, i go to tournaments with Fluffy armies, and so i have to make those armies slightly competetive. However, I also would like to get into writing, and often toy with the idea of writing up the battles as a piece of narrative, which doesnt really work when i talk about how the Mantis Warriors have 3 Land Raiders blowing away a small scouting force. That just doesnt do justice to my army. I prefer to play as that army would play, my Space Wolves are all aggressive, my Mantis Warriors are sneaky and tricky.

However, i can understand if im told before a battle that a person is trying out a tournament list, thats part of the game, and im more than willing to help them when theyre trying to see how well it does.
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Offline Omnichron

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #23 on: August 11, 2011, 12:04:26 PM »
Fun games are the most important, that means fielding more balanced lists and trying out stuff that I've not tried before. Fluff isn't that important to me in gaming aspects, although I do like to run themes that sometimes comes from fluff, sometimes not.

As for the powergaming, I've tried that a couple of times in the past, mostly because I want to see how well an idea goes. The game ends up with a win, and I feel rather bad about it as powergaming often means using lists that are cheesy (And the response to cheese is always w(h)ine).

I would rather have fun and loose than to win with powergamer lists.

Offline NightMoor

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #24 on: August 11, 2011, 12:19:31 PM »
First and foremost for me is fielding fully painted armies. I can count how many unpainted units I have fielded in a game on one hand because I generally refuse to show up to the game board with unpainted minis. I take great pride in having a painted army and get probably as much enjoyment out of simply fielding a painted army as I do out of the strategic battle for victory. I don't hold it against other people if they don't paint their armies but on a personal level I enjoy the achievement of fielding a painted army.

In terms of the overall game itself, I am most certainly a Powergamer. I am deeply interested in the strategic fun to be had in this game and I love the contest between two players to see who can out-think or out-manoeuvre their opponent. If it's legal in the game rules, I will allow it or I will take it, though I draw the line at loopholes that are interpreted in ways that damage the game itself (for example: people arguing that they could fire one weapon with PotMS even if they popped smoke - thankfully GW finally killed that loophole in the newest FAQ).

Powergamers don't have to be un-fun to play against, assuming you don't think every game you'd lose is un-fun. If that's your attitude then tabletop strategy games may not be for you. Bad powergamers are the ones who make you feel bad after losing to them, the truly good ones make you feel like you had a great game regardless of who won or lost, and that really goes for all players in this great hobby.

And while I do enjoy tournaments, I enjoy friendly matches even more because they let me "soften" my army or try out wacky combinations that I would never dare field in a tourney environment and enjoy a new game mechanic. Believe  it or not even us "powergamers" have our favourite pet units/models that despite being kind of crappy we love to field - we're just not crazy enough to do so in a tournament :). Friendly games let us enjoy the challenge of trying to win with stuff that isn't quite as optimized and it's good strategic training anyways.

Fluff, I have to admit, is last on my order of interest, though I do read the fluff of the armies I play so I can at least carry a meaningful chat with someone who wants to discuss it. I honestly couldn't care less what Draigo's fluff is, I decide to put him in my armies based on his rules and model alone...but I've read his fluff and understand why people think it's rather silly.
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Offline crew4man

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #25 on: August 11, 2011, 12:51:58 PM »
Since I've not played a game of 40k yet, I can't say I'm a powergamer. I'm more of the painter/fluff guy. I've gone through my IG codex alot, and I take great pride in my meager painting skills. Although I may never actually get a chance to play 40k, and definitely not soon, I'm making sure my slowly-growing army is up-to-scratch.
It was a pleasant surprise when I learned Autocannons were good, after making some simply because of the cool-looking-ness/fluff ammo (High Caliber Magnum Rounds? Yes please!).
I also enjoy making terrain. :3
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Offline Foalchu

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #26 on: August 11, 2011, 01:02:25 PM »
Hmmm, well I can be both extremes.  If someone shows up at my LGS and has established a reputation as a power gamer, I love nothing more than taking my meanest list and absolutely crushing them mercilessly.

But when it comes to people who I regularly play against or who aren't power-gamers, I usually try to keep my list fitting my craftworld's (kind of more exodite-ish) fluff and come up with a sensible fluff backstory as to why the two armies are fighting.  Also I like trying out lists that I've not really used before as they can be fun and surprising (like the warwalker that survived Asdrubael Vect's charge and then proceeded to kill him over the rest of the game  >:) ).
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Offline margomoh

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #27 on: August 11, 2011, 01:14:53 PM »
I can get very competitive, which is why I never play in tournaments. I hate seeing that side of myself. I like to play because it's fun, and for me that usually happens when I'm playing with someone who's not a power gamer. The weirdest things happen (like a shooty squad of Dire Avengers charging a shooty squad of Kabalite warriors) and it's more exciting than I'm-going-to-spam-razorbacks-until-I-crush-you games.

Offline Embolden

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #28 on: August 14, 2011, 02:35:01 AM »
I play for fun, I play against a few mates on a regular basis, I have attended tournaments in the past and will attend them in the future. We all play, how should I put it... efficient lists, I'm rocking a dual seer council list, and my mates are playing 20 terminator black templar's, Mephiston Blood Angels and 3x 5 long fang space wolves, so they aren't "friendly" lists, but we smile, win or lose.

I think variety is the spice of life, playing a mix of opponents in different settings keeps the game fresh.


Offline LongDarkbroodofthesoul

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #29 on: August 14, 2011, 01:14:35 PM »
I'm a bit of all three. Powergaming isn't very fun though, which is why I dropped my blood angels army. Sorry, 6 wins in a row with the same cracked out list, winning a tourney *only because a guy that plays the hardest vet imperial guard army you can imagine* and sort of alienating the other players wasn't really all that fun. Well, the guy at the tourney that I beat out for first place complaining the ENTIRE game about how "if we were playing with math hammer this wouldn't be happening," was kind of funny.
But anyway, I do like to win; however, not having any sort of challenge to it wasn't very fun.
I actually got way more enjoyment out of playing Black Templars, even though I only won 1 in 3 games- drew or lost the other 2. But I had fun. I like a challenge.
I also like the fluff, at least some of it, and I try to balance out fluff and competitive lists. Not an easy thing to do sometimes. Hey, there's a part of me that wants to just pack on the imperial guard leafblower cheese and just roll over everyone, but that part of me gets beaten to a bloody pulp by the part of me that wants both players to relax and have a good time.
My .02

Offline Eidolon

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #30 on: August 15, 2011, 12:29:37 PM »
You have to play for fun, if the game isnt fun there is no point in playing. With that said, I try to max out all of my armies as best I can, but I will only select an army if I like the look fluff/look of the models. I couldnt play say, orks because the models look silly and the fluff is just dumb.

Offline Carniflex

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #31 on: August 15, 2011, 05:45:53 PM »
Fluff. All my characters have names and backgrounds. All my gothic ships are titled (though oddly named after cartoon characters). To me neglecting the fluff is like buying a fine meal and not savouring the bite. Just chomp chomp swallow. If can fill you, but its not half as enjoyable....

.... that is unless you're drinking your enemy's tears to wash down the scoff.
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Offline Col. Dash

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #32 on: August 16, 2011, 08:08:17 AM »
Fluff gamer by far. Having a good looking themed army is far more important to me than having a net list with units I dont like or would never use otherwise. I have my NightLords that i have re-embarked on that has a character who started as a simple auto-cannon gunner who shot and killed a hive tyrant first shot of the game back in 2nd edition and can track his progress to modern day as lord of my Night Wing(which is the current project I am working on (love chaos termies)). I have no less than 3 different camo armies, two of them using real world camo and all three themed to operate as I think they would in the real world based on what they are, Air Cav(US Army BDUs), Tau Rapid deployment reaction cadre(see Tau Armies for pics), and a marine ambush/infiltration unit(Howling Griffin Agri-world camo). I would rather not put troops on the board than do it with unpainted models(oddly enough at ard boys, I didnt see any of the fabled grey armies of doom I always hear about). I do admit to having a tourney DE list which against the unprepared tends to rips holes in things. People have complained about the cookie cutter nature of it but i just dont like any other units than what I used to be honest. I might try a Incubi squad but that would a: take out a large chunk of my AT, and b: I like how my trueborn look. They are on hiatus after this league anyway.

Offline Czaq

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #33 on: August 16, 2011, 10:26:02 AM »
I would say I'm more of a power gamer than a fluff gamer. I try very hard to keep my army lists within the fluff of the craftworlds, but more often I like to try making new combinations of units and tactics that I've never done before. When I come to the table I come to win. That being said, I don't think I play like a power gamer. If my opponent forgot to move a model, or forgot to take a round of shooting, I will almost always let them take it. My friends and I don't like to beat each other unless we know it was the best that we could be playing.

Offline khaine

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #34 on: August 16, 2011, 11:36:44 AM »
Not sure I'm either. Or maybe I'm both.

My current Guard army is being constructed along the lines of "that's cool" while at the same time keeping a good mind to what works and not a great deal of concern to pure fluff. For example Khornate Preacher seemed cool rather than effective but the shotgun he has was taken based purely on its effectiveness compared to the laspistol. Slaanesh vet squad with flamers also seemed cool, giving the rest of the unit shotguns was done as a boost to effectiveness and the demo-charge was added for outright killyness.

Then having the Khornate Preacher leading the Slaanesh vets is actually against the fluff.


I think the power gaming vs fluff question is quitev a tricky one. A Iyanden Eldar player who is putting together a fluffy list could quite easily look at taking 3 Wraithlords.

By the same mark a power gaming Eldar player taking 3 Wraithlords could end up painting them yellow and blue.

Same end result but with reasoning from opposite ends of the spectrum.

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Offline MekEad

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #35 on: August 16, 2011, 01:22:49 PM »
Once I was a gamer with a lot of disposable income.  I bought a lot of stuff and from that stuff fielded competitive armies, or as competitive as I could make them.  I was more interested in playing games than painting or modelling.  I loved the fluff, and still do.  Oh yes, this was before Google and many of the forums that exist today.  A lot of my info came from friends, White Dwarf, and personal experience.  I started with the advent of 3rd ed and the Dark Millenium game supplement.  My first army was Dark Angels.

Today it's a lack of time that dictates my hobby.  I like fun games more than competitive games, but I like playing a competitive game every so often, so I enter tournaments, maybe 2 or 3 per year.  But I'm limited by time what I can collect and paint, so have to be very picky and very informed about what I'm getting into when it comes to buying, assembling, and painting units.  I've given up on MEQ-oriented armies and have stuck with Orks, Eldar, and IG.  I'm still trying to sell my Chaos Space Marines, and hopefully this'll happen when GW gets around to revamping them sooner rather than later.

I'm definitely more of a hobbyist now than I was but I still need to get into a painting routine (other than for tournaments) but I definitely like fluffy lists as opposed to powergaming lists.  However for tournaments fluff must bow to power in my mind and think everyone should be free to bring as competitive a list as they can, as long as they've put time and effort into painting their models (or paying money for painted models).
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Offline pyrusmole

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #36 on: August 19, 2011, 12:34:23 AM »
Am am heavily towards the fluff end of the spectrum. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the feeling of winning games, but I spend far more time buried in forums and stories trying my best to fall into the world of 40K, scrapping whatever bits of information I can so that every little nuance of the fluff i have created can find roots deep in the universe of 40K. I want to make sure that all of my "special" characters have a unique look in their model and a deep and complicated backstory behind them. Everything from their name, to their color-scheme, to their preference in equipment has to have some basis in their personality and/or history. Lucky for me, being a Dark Eldar player gives me a lot of wiggle room here. A strage combination of interesting fluff, a fleshed out world, and the potential for a diverse cast of characters frees me up to create my own miniature space epic
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Offline minecraft1

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #37 on: August 22, 2011, 05:58:10 PM »
i have eldar and IG i'm mostly fluffy with eldar but more competitive with IG, and sometimes in Apocalypse i like to Allie the armies and am really fluff oriented then.

Offline Archon Khiraq(danceman)

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #38 on: August 24, 2011, 12:09:47 PM »
I adapt to the enviorment because I think it is more fun that way, if everyone involved are on the same page then it doesn't matter if you put a billion restrictions into play or play the hardests lists you can think of. I write tons of fluff. I put a lot of time into modelling and painting... Which sadly means I play very little these days. So I guess, if I were to pick anything I guess I'm into the non-gaming part most of the time.
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Offline MagicJuggler

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Re: Powergamer, Fluff-oriented player, something in between, what are you?
« Reply #39 on: August 24, 2011, 12:34:53 PM »
First, I consider "fluff versus competition" a false dichotomy. One does not preclude the other necessarily, barring very specific scenarios like "But my Chaos Warriors *must* have their Sacred Number" or doing stuff like painting White Scars Dreadnoughts...

I play my army to give a tough fight and to a certain degree, I've gravitated toward powergaming. It doesn't mean I like doing "wipeout" battles, and in fact I don't. I will probably do what I can to help my opponent put up a better fight in the future, taking stuff like models, budget, theme, etc. into account, but with some armies you have to make compromises. Alternately I might play at handicap, make *deliberate* tactical mistakes and note them, or otherwise do what I can to give a fighting chance to my opponent...within reason. There's a fine line between temporarily overextending the line for purposes of early board control when you've sufficiently weakened your opponent's ability to contest your claim in turn, versus going "I'm going to deliberately expose the rear of my Battlewagon to your Autocannon team." The game is one where even in victory or defeat, both players should come out of it learning to play better. After all, 40k is an expensive hobby so it's one that should be learned at all levels (conversion, painting, play, etc) if you want to get the most bang for your back. :D
« Last Edit: August 24, 2011, 12:36:06 PM by MagicJuggler »

 


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