The Dark Side of Gaming - Number Gaming

We've all been there. You know, that cold, dark past that persists as a fleeting, painful memory in our matured, wizened brains. A time in our life in which we did and said things that just don't hold up to our revised moral standards. Yes indeed, we've all lived in the past as a NUMBER GAMER.

A Number Gamer is a player who pursues winning and success in such a single-minded procession that all other facets of the gaming experience are relegated to the back seat. Role-playing, accuracy, and even fun are sad victims of the Number Gamer. The Number Gamer sees only the raw statistics of the system they are playing (be it miniatures wargaming or role-playing). The Number Gamer chooses characters or troops rarely because of their inherent richness of background or depth, but always instead on exactly how the numbers stack up. The Number Gamer feverishly pursues maximized efficiency.

This article serves two purposes: for recovering Number Gamers to be reminded again that the sordid ways of their shadowed past are unacceptable, and for current Number Gamers to be shown the error of their ways and see the steps forward to a more rewarding gaming life. First, let me illustrate the Number Gamer more in depth; then I will discuss the ways and joys of kicking the habit.

Before I go on, though, let me clarify: I am not a pompous Old-Guard gamer speaking on a pedestal to those with which I have nothing in common. At least not totally! I, in fact, have lived a sad past as a Number Gamer. I have been down that desolate road that dead ends in lonely nights spent at the kitchen table with a calculator, army lists, and Jolt.

However, I am breathing testimonial that even those deeply rooted in the Number Gaming ways have a chance at recovery.

Now I will illustrate the Number Gamer with some examples for both role-playing and wargaming.

THE ROLE PLAYING NUMBER GAMER-AD&D EXAMPLE #1
18/00 Strength. That says it all. If you are a Number Gamer, then anything less is nearly unacceptable. 18/98 is "OK". 18/70 is barely passable. 18/30 is positively scrawny. Raw 18-ewww! 17 or less is the strength of an invalid. At 15 strength, mere ants and tse-tse flies are your equal. A 12 means that the character must be torn up or sacrificed at the earliest opportunity.

Any self-respecting Number Gamer will only be happy with a minimum of 2 18's and the rest of his scores being 15 and above.

Chances are, the above sort of hits a nerve with many of you. That means one of three things: you are a Number Gamer, you've been a Number Gamer, or you are feeling called to be a Number Gamer. In any case, keep reading…

THE ROLE PLAYING NUMBER GAMER-AD&D EXAMPLE #2
The two-handed sword. I don't know about your gaming experiences, but many of the past AD&D campaigns I've played are littered with two-handed swords. Every self-respecting fighter has one. Heck-even mages covet them, they just can't usually wield them effectively. Most peasants carry them instead of pitchforks, it seems.

Why the universal interest in the two-handed sword? Because it does the most damage, of course! I mean, why choose a lesser weapon? You'd just be giving away damage for no reason! Longswords only do 1-8/1-12, which just isn't enough. Battle-axes and warhammers??? 1-8…2-5…yeah right, like you'd be caught dead using one of those (unless of course it was +5-then maybe).

THE WARGAMING NUMBER GAMER-WARHAMMER EXAMPLE
When playing a customizable miniatures battle game, the first thing a Number Gamer will do when looking over the available army lists is head straight for the stats. Every army exists only as a series of small 1 row x 10 column tables that have little numbers in them. Before choosing an army, a Number Gamer will assess all tables from all armies and determine which army has the best value. Once an army is selected, the Number Gamer will further determine his troops solely on the basis of what their stats are and how each troop relates to each other troop. Finally, at the end, he will fill in the names of the units and see what kind of army he has ended up with.

THE NUMBER GAMER IN PLAY
Generally, a Number Gamer in play can be heard uttering one of the following choice phrases:

THE PATH OUT OF DARKNESS
You can beat your Number Gamer impulses. First, remember that gaming is not always about winning, is it? Gaming is about several things:
#1 - Fun with fellow gamers
#2 - Immersion in interesting themes
#3 - Challenging our brains

There may be more (such as #4 An excuse to eat and drink foods that will eventually kill you if eaten in sufficient quantity), but in a nutshell those are the key issues. Certainly it is fun to spank opponents down in a hard fought battle-but the gaming experience shouldn't only be about winning. You know, "it's not whether you win or lose, but rather how you play the game."

Number gamer impulses scream at you if you don't have a numerically superior character/army. They shout in your head, telling you that there is no sense in entering into a campaign/battle when you are giving away an advantage going in.

The most important thing to keep in mind when trying to over come your Number Gamer impulses is that gaming is about the three points listed above. I will touch on #2 and #3 specifically.

#2 Immersion in Themes-Role-Playing
Characters should be chosen and formed based on their ROLE-playing value, not their ROLL-playing value. Choose and form characters that are truly fun to play because of who they are not exactly what their stats are. A colorful character with an interesting background and personality can be constantly fun to play-whether you are in battle, around the campfire, shopping in town, etc. This doesn't mean that your character can't also be an 18/00 superhero; it just means that the 18/00 adds to your character's depth and personality. A character should be fun regardless of stats; low stats just mean that you must concentrate more on role-playing than you might have to if you can roll your way out of every predicament. If a character is fun for you to role-play, then chances are he will be fun for the fellow party members and he will be fun for the DM.

#2 Immersion in Themes-Wargaming
Choose armies first and foremost on how they appeal qualitatively to your nature, not quantitatively. Imagine the battle as described in a book-what troops would be in your army? What kind of colorful characters or regiments might you find? What sorts of units appeal to you based on their looks, personalities, and history?

Choose based on a top-down strategic and thematic view before comparing numerical details. This doesn't mean that you don't analyze troop characteristics and point costs. It just means that if Regiment A makes good "thematic sense" but is 1.69% less effective numerically than Regiment B which doesn't have a thematic draw, then you make a stand and pick A for the thematic value.

#3 Challenge to the Brain-Role-Playing
Characters with weak numerical abilities can be a boon to the whole role-playing experience. Imagine how heroic an unlikely hero can be? Just because a character has a disadvantage (i.e. "inadequate stats") doesn't mean that he is not worth playing. Disadvantages just mean a challenge. It happens a lot-your friend rolls up a fighter with 18 strength/dexterity/constitution and a +5 vorpal holy-avenger; then your turn comes and you roll up a 12/12/12 with a normal broadsword. "Ah shite," you think, I'm going to be playing catch-up with him the whole campaign. Don't think that way. Your "average" character only has to be average as far as stats are concerned. Your character can be a lively, interesting, and productive member of the party. In fact, if you role-play well, chances are that your character will become a bigger part of any adventure than the Herculean fighter who can turn dragons into sawdust. Think of any disadvantages as an "opportunity to excel". Ok, that sounds suitably trite, but I truly believe that there is value to be found in thinking that way.

#3 Challenge to the Brain-Wargaming
Having an army that is slightly lacking in ability with respect to your opponent can mean a challenge to you. I know, I know-"challenge" is a cliché term thrown around a lot. Sort of like "builds character". The thing is, challenge can be fun. I can nearly guarantee that the victories you will savor the most are the ones in which you fought the hardest, or had to overcome the toughest situation. The battles in which your finely-tuned Number Gamer army shreds your opponent without taking any damage may hold temporary interest, but the euphoria will wear thin eventually.

CLOSING
Most gamers undergo the "Number Gamer" stage at one time or another. Actually, probably most of us struggle with it continually throughout our gaming careers. It's hard not to want to have the numerical "best" or "optimum" all the time. The key is not to let those desires control you. First and foremost, go after content, theme, and fun. Then look at the numbers.

Conquering your Number Gaming impulses does not mean that you do not try and try hard to win or succeed. Nor does it mean that you shouldn't have powerful characters or tough armies or think carefully about strategy and details. Number Gaming is really about the subtleties in the underlying drives and emotions that guide your gaming paths.

I recently played in a PBEM AD&D campaign that really let me know that I had kicked my Number Gamer impulses, at least temporarily. Each player made up a high-level (15th level or so) character from scratch. We were able to roll abilities and choose items, subject to DM approval. Before even grasping the dice, I thought for a while about the character I was about to make. In fact, one of the prerequisites to getting into the game was to generate a detailed background for the character. So I started with writing a short-story about the character's youth, which explained the hows and whys regarding the character's desires, traits, and goals. I shaped the character before ever checking the numbers.

When it came to rolling, the dice did what they normally do-they gave some good abilities and some not-so-good. I placed them according to the picture I had painted. I ended up with a very experienced fighter with decent (but not awesome) abilities. Items I then chose based upon the character's story. One central point was that the character had found a non-magical sword at the beginning of his career that had sentimental value. Based on the personality of the character, I decided that the sword would never be discarded, and would always be the preferred weapon. So, I ended up with a 15th level fighter without a magic sword (and it wasn't even two-handed, either!). Yikes! Truly a first in my gaming career!

My point with this closing example is that every Number Gamer impulse I have screamed out at me that I was doing wrong. That little devil on my shoulder said: "You should have a 6'6" 300 lbs bruiser with a Girdle of Storm Giant Strength, a Vorpal, and +4 Full-Plate." What's more, I truly wanted to have that type of character! However, I somehow managed to ignore those voices and persevere; the result was that I had created one of the most enjoyable characters I've had in a long time. It was a refreshing change.

Don't give in to your dark side. Think fun first, then numbers!

Happy gaming,

Tyler "Recovering Number Gamer" Sigman
Mythrole Games (http://www.mythrole.com/)

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Tyler Sigman has an astonishingly-large number of D&D characters with 18/00 strength that he'd rather you not know about. Aside from writing hypocritical articles, he spends a great deal of time peforming his duties as Chief Executive Goombah at Mythrole Games (mythrole.com), a small, new game manufacturer. He invites your comments on the center of gravity of llamas or any other topic at games@mythrole.com.