PL means different things to different people...

I've noticed that there are degrees of powerleveling, and it's a problem because at best it's organized gameplay and at worst it's extreme munchkinism.

Munchkins, by the way, were the D&D players that insisted in having a vorpal sword for their 1st level paladin, son of a god, who has a kingdom and... I won't go on. Simply, it's a player who wants everything of value in a game without doing the tasks necessary to get it.

What I see in powereleveling is that there is an unrealistic gameplay cheat, an exploit of the game features. This is done by bypassing all the rooms into a mision, reaching the objective, and completing the mission for the bonus. Thi is done by one or possibly 2 players, while the team is filled out with lower level toons who stand inside the mission door but don't actually do anything.

The developers make it more diffficult to do this, but the response is to find another exploit.

I have a problem with this on principle: I ran those missions, I fought (and lost often enough) for the xp and the mission bonus; why should someone else get a free ride?

Looking at the other side for a moment: Player A has already played several toons though the mission sequence; why does he need to do it when he can get credit in a fraction of the time? -or- I paid for the game, can't I do anything I want?

So there are reasons to powerlevel that seem to be plalatable... why does it still bother me?

It's the knobs that send blind tells that say "Please PL me". Its' the people who join a team but insist on running the missions as PL, and want to invite the "rest of the coalition." It's the superior, smug attitude that some people take when you want to do things a different way.

So, I guess I have an answer- if it's for a good reason only, I can condone PLing, but my opinion is that you earn what you get.

Ok, test number one. I want to share a few screencaps from the Unreal levels I wrote. Check them out, and tell me about what you think in-game and there just might be a reward in it. Unless you tell me it sucks. ;)

The first is from a map I call Sandbox; this is a bunker in the center of the zone.

Here is number two: another angle of the Sandbox.

This is from a clunky map, but the image came out so well; I should touch it up.

I used Mars images taken by the current missions to lay the textures in this entry, called "Angry Red Planet"

OK, folks. If you're still reading send the comments...