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RTresserhorn

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  1. Another link explaining Min-Maxing, through the perspective of not only gaming but other artistic/performance works. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MinMaxing and a very related concept: Dump Stat. The stat that you decide you'll minimize in exchange for what you choose to specialize in. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DumpStat But pretty much everything that is stated above is accurate. But I'll try to sum things up: 1: There is a particular desirable end goal to achieve. (Typically beating the game, but for open-ended games like D&D or CoH where there is no official end of game, it's typically attaining the state of strength to bypass any possible hurdles or set-backs to reliably experiencing all available story or bonus content.) 2: From the point where the player start the game and proceeding up to and including the point where their end goal meets, there are various failure conditions to be defeated or avoided. 3: The player will have access to some resources and customization. But the vast majority of the time, they'll be unable to maximize every asset. (In games where maximization of all assets IS possible, it is typically only available shortly before the end goal; thus the player still has to bypass enough of the failure conditions with the limited assets they have before building up to the endgame.) 4: They'll have to measure and distribute their available resources to successfully defeat or bypass the expected encountered failure conditions. Depending on the game, they might not have to deal with every possible failure condition. (Games with branching paths only have to deal with the threats on the paths they intend to take. For D&D, player characters are expected to mostly function as a team, so players tend to focus on maximizing the values of the role they are expected to fulfill in their group. The diplomat of the group help the whole group succeed in social encounters, so everyone else doesn't have to invest quite as much in diplomacy and can further boost the potential of their own role.) 5: Contrary to the name, the assets do not have to be fully maximized to be considered "min-maxed". In fact, in games where there are diminishing returns (like Dark Souls), there is a term called Breakpoint, where a certain asset has given the optimal value that could be given for your resource when compared to the other resources it could have been invested in. 6: Min-maxing varies for different players and their needs/desires. Thus, the min-maxed build in question is sometimes referred to as the "chassis" and the player the "pilot". For a pilot that is a thrill-seeker, possessing of quick reaction time and/or using a very responsive computer, they might focus on a chassis that put emphasis on timing and fast recharge, and DPS style gameplay. For someone who is timid, conservative or have a poor computer, they might min-max in favor of defensive play, ranged combat or similar mechanics to reduce the pressure on themselves (or the computer). An extreme example might be someone with a disability who'll minmax any play-style that'll enable them to experience the game as much as possible and keep up with their peers, such as a pilot with poor motor control choosing a chassis primarily focused on toggles to minimize "piano-gameplay" where their disability could become detrimental to their enjoyment of the game. NOTE: Min-Maxing is partly dependant on fore-knowledge of what assets and failure conditions are present in the game. Not all games are balanced equally, and sometimes the value of the assets is deceptive. For example: If the players of a D&D group know their GM puts minor emphasis on roleplaying and more emphasis on dice-rolling, the assets that would be maximized will shift to favor combat. For a GM that favors social encounters instead, the chosen assets may shift in another direction. For an actual video game example: If there is a stat that can be boosted, but investment in that stat is insufficient or overly limited, it might not be worth investing in, even if the skill looks good "on paper'. A hypothetical +200% damage bonus in explosive weapons might sound amazing, but if ammo for explosive weapons are too infrequently found, then the skill is possibly a trap, and the player better served with smaller bonus that is more reliably found (such as a +50% bonus to pistols). Hoping that isn't too wordy! ^^;
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