Quote:
Originally posted by Dancing Virginia:
Is there any disadvantage to resting for long periods of time (ie. fifty days) or is it just a matter of pride once the game is said and done?
Cary
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Whether a player takes advantage of indefinite resting, and other IWD exploits, is just a matter of personal preference, and does not impact the final game.
Some players simply look to "beat" the game. They typically min/max ability scores, play with maximum HP, play a lot of fighter dual-class characters, and generally make decisions based on what is statistically advantageous. These players are sometimes considered "PowerGamers". For PowerGamers, the joy of the game is in winning battles.
Other players might approach IWD and similar CRPGs as if they were playing the pen-and-paper version of D&D. It's still important to win battles, but more attention is given to role-playing than to quantitative indicators like HP, AC, etc. For these players, character motivation becomes a key consideration.
Below is an example decision made by each of these player types.
Event Scene: The Wounded Fighter
PowerGamer:
Human fighter (who will dual to a druid at 13th level) is critically wounded by a Temple Guardian. The nearest cleric is back in Kuldahar, a round-trip hike that will eat up about 10 minutes of unnecessary gameplay; so after the battle he "quicksaves", and rests for two months on the floor of Kresselack's tomb. Then good as new, he battles on.
RolePlayer:
Dwarf fighter is critically wounded by a Skeleton Archer and can no longer press forward. He painstakingly backtracks through three levels of dungeons, across the Vale of Shadows map, and hikes 8-hours to Kuldahar because it is more probable that a wounded fighter would retreat to the nearest town and seek healing services from a cleric than spend several weeks on the floor of a dungeon.
Although they differ in appraoch, both players can still enjoy the game.
[ 11-10-2004, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Otto ]