Competitive Play: GMs vs. Players

Ouch. I hit a nerve with George the other day with the D&D 3.5 coverage. He was quick to point out he felt D&D 3.0 and 3.5 brought a lot of competitive play to the table, with players interested in creating killer builds to 'beat the game' rather than 'play a role-playing game.' We have seen this at our table, with players bragging about builds they found on forums, and their intent to play them in the game.

My response is typically to not invite those players back to our games. It is harsh, but really, I want to associate with people interested in the world we create together around the table, and respect the rules (broken parts and all). If you want to power-game, there are plenty of MMOs that fill the need better than my game will. It also shows a disrespect of the group you play with, if all you want is to beat the referee, you should question why you are playing.

I will admit there is a line between wanting to do well, and seeking out broken builds and combos to win the game. There is also a problem in all games there are bad choices and good ones, and you shouldn't penalize players for being clever and making good choices. However, exploiting a feat to get unlimited attacks during a round, or a magic item to create your own pocket universe are way over the line, and frankly unfair to everyone.

I feel like my parents when I say, "Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should."

D&D 3.0 and 3.5 also have part of the Magic: The Gathering DNA in their designs, a very highly competitive game. Players there are used to being unfair to each other with combos and rules, and Wizards has had to ban cards that were used in exploits. That competitive 'build the best class like you would a deck' spirit lives on in D&D 3.5 and its descendants, and it drives interest in the game. When it is used to 'beat the GM', it turns dark, and is a negative, at least to me.

I guess this all breaks down to playing with good players, ones experienced enough to know there are ways to break every game; and to as a group, agree to stay away from cheesy exploits and forum builds. It is an issue of maturity and respect for players, and yes, the dark side is supported by rules systems with exploits and un-thought-out parts.

The old saying is, "A referee can make any game fun."

I guess the next saying would be, "A game is only as fun as the players."