Quote from: dereeFeeling better about my "inept" optimizing. I suppose my crime is "optomizing" as opposed to "optimizing with intent".

I didn't intend to be mean or anything. :bow:  I just think it isn't so much optimizing as it is twiddling. Optimizing, in my mind at least, is more about making the character more powerful within the game system or making it the most powerful in the game system for a given concept of character type. If you don't know the system inside-out it's pretty hard to understand how to make the character more dominating in mechanics terms.

Twiddling looks similar, and eats up similar amounts of time but it doesn't really have that goal in mind of working towards making the character dominating. I guess you could think of optimizing as sort of a subset of overall twiddling.  It can be fun in a similar way though.

Quote from: Name LipsIt's true that you can optimize AND role play.

But there are some concepts that it's just difficult to create a worthwhile build from.

This is a symptom of the game you are playing not matching the concept.  

And that isn't a hat of d02 thing, all games have certain assumptions about what kind of story they will create and how the players will approach it.  D&D presumes that the characters will all have diverse abilities and work as a team.  It presumes that each character will have skills and abilities that others lack, and that they will frequently engage in combat.  You can do other things with it, but if you go too far from that formula too much you will run into serious problems.  Exalted assumes that all the characters will have kickass martial arts skills.  Go ahead, make an exalt with no defensive charms, I dare you.  My beloved Buffy presumes that the characters will fight against the hidden supernatural threats around them.