Concerning the hacking of video game roleplaying characters

[IratusAngelus]

I don't know how many of you play or have ever played D&D or a similar game, but I guess you don't have to have played to answer this question. In most roleplaying games, the object is to build yourself up, by gaining levels and exploring and all that happy stuff. Well, I have a friend that plays Neverwinter Nights, and insists that by hacking his character and giving himself godlike weapons and stats, and just sitting around and talking to people who have also hacked themselves, that it is still roleplaying. In my opinion, isn't roleplaying, in a sense, the actual playing of the game, the gaining of power and treasures? I think it sort of defeats the purpose of playing the game entirely. What are your opinions, fellow animaniacs and general populous?

[jonmartensen]

In my opinion, isn't roleplaying, in a sense, the actual playing of the game, the gaining of power and treasures?

If it's in your opinion then it shouldn't be a question, unless your crazy

But yes, I have to agree that hacking stats for a Role Playing Game completely destroys the role playing aspect of it. People who do that are still playing an RPG in a sense, but not to the true form of the game. And I'm sure it is equally as fun for some people to hack their characters for better stats as it is for some people to actually play the game. But that ends up being a matter of taste.

To cease my babblings and give you a straight answer, though. To hack your character is not true to the Role Playing Games genre, but it can be in and of itself a type of RPG.

[fyrtenheimer]

no, it's called cheating you ass


shut yo mouth

[Aetherfukz]

I play (A)D&D now and then (here and there ) with a few friends. Well, of course it is a pleasure to hack your favourite enemy and get the item you wanted so much, without getting all exhausted. But for me, role-playing games are about.... guess.... role-playing, right!

So I often like to have a character with not only strength, but also with weaknesses, don't know what kind of right now, but like Ranma has that thing with kittens or such... anyway when you chara is not that Super-duper-human-ass-kicker, you (should be) much more concerned with playing your role, rather than laying the smack down (I couldn't resist that one ).
I enjoy the game much more, when I'm fully into the world our characters are in, and when I'm "in" my chara. Because when I wanted to do hack & slay, and get the f#*?ing best stats out of my player, I would play Diablo II

So to the point, I think what your friend does is simple cheating. IMO when he's just doing it in single player mode, it is fully up to him to play the game or cheat thru it, but when it comes to multiplayer, cheating sure is for lam0rs... like the Diablo II battle.net!

Peace & Respect
-- Aetherfukz

[OmniStrata]

My character in DND [Joseph Strata] go fig, is a level 15/15 fighter/Sorcerer...

Me and my friend's don't cheat, however, sometimes, the dice rolls come up WAY too good to be true...

:/

[IratusAngelus]

I enjoy the game much more, when I'm fully into the world our characters are in, and when I'm "in" my chara. Because when I wanted to do hack & slay, and get the f#*?ing best stats out of my player, I would play Diablo II

Wow...that is the exact same argument I used on my friend!

[Cardinal.jpg]

If all he does is sit and talk to other people than it doesnt matter how hacked his char is. I play a lot of pen and paper roleplaying and most of it depends on the players abilities less than the chars stats and items. The term is "role"playing if it mattered what your stats are than it would be "roll"playing. Ive been into these socialising rooms and the people there play their chars as they should be playing, interacting based on race and alignment, they actually seem more like they are acting their roles then just adventuring, they argue and raise questions and discuss things that their chars could possibly discuss if they were real. Thus it doesnt matter what your stats are or how you got them but what you with your char afterwards.

[IratusAngelus]

See, if he acted like that, I could easily understand. I used to play - *gasp* - EQ , and I just sat and talked like my character all the time, and that was definitely role playing.

[Cardinal.jpg]

Well in most NWN rooms thats how most people were.
I can't really believe that there are any true roleplaying games out there for computer though, as no game has the capacity to greatly alter according to your characterisation, they are all very railroad and have the same beginning and end.