(03-05-2015, 11:56 AM)K Wrote: I thought I replied in this.This question may have been Rhetorical, but the true answer is reliant on the character.
Anyways, I've always been wary of overpowered characters because I don't understand how they are supposed to meld well together with regular characters who lean more toward realism. Like, take for instance someone who, in previous scenes, used to drop numerous enemies like flies and now they find themselves in a situation where 2-4 people are surrounded by 4-5 Amalj'aa and are treating it like a very threatening situation... what is the OP character supposed to do? Stay true to his character and clean them all out swiftly and easily? Or downplay his character so that it doesn't eliminate the sense of tension/the scene in general for the others - in which case it just stops being a character's trait and more of a "I am OP when I can get away with it" card?
The tension for the 'overpowered' character comes from the lingering question of whether or not this powerful character, while being powerful, be able to defend others from harm while doing it.
I'm going to use Lin again as an example. She may be able to deftly kill multiple enemies on her own, but much of her tactics require her to be highly mobile or have personal space to do so, as she's a Dragoon. That does not lend itself to protecting others very well, and she's suffered the consequences of that before.
There's the risk of harming someone inadvertently when swinging wide with her spear, or over focusing on one opponent when the others focus on a 'weak link'. For Lin, that's a major trauma point because she's lost people that way so there's a matter of whether or not she even has to focus to behave with the same efficiency she does solo. So the tension in that confrontation remains.
I'd imagine situations could be made to maintain that situation for many of the characters. A mage may be able to handle perhaps a single small group of enemies with a Sleep or Bind spell, but some of the more destructive forces are liable for Friendly fire issues in RP.
A skilled tank, such as a Paladin or Warrior, however, may be able to fend off multiple enemies, (using flash as a great opener) as is their design, but finishing opponents deftly would take a secondary objective than protecting others.
So even with powerful characters, the base premises can still keep situations intense in those circumstances. Again, it's all in the execution which, honestly, comes with expierence and care.Â
Most of the arguments here against power characters fall more in line with characters that lack depth, and honestly, that applies on the whole spectrum. A shallow character is a boring and often frustrating character to play with.
