11-27-2003, 07:42 PM
Quote:The act of receiving a gift/trade is what defines a twink, not the quality of the item or the timing of the receiving.
Then trading a Cracked Sash to a level 90 is twinking. That's absurd to me. I already have a term for characters that do what you describe: non-pure.
Quote:I'll grant that my line of distinction is sometimes hazy.
It is not. Your line of distinction is how I define the Purist vs Non-Purist. As that is the case, we should be arguing whether my definition of Pure vs Non-Pure is similar to yours.
Quote:No more so than yours, however.
I just have more terms for characters than you do. Allow me to briefly share some of them.
Variant
A character that plays by a set of rules dictated by a common theme. e.g. The BARbarian is a primitive, magic-fearing brute. It follows that he will not use magical items, shrines, etc. and takes portals only when absolutely necessary.
Style
The description of how a character plays, which may be in terms of skill use or item use. e.g. Zealot, Avenger, Bowazon, Axe Barb
Role
The description of a character's personality, if different from the player's.
Purist
At its most basic, a character who uses only items he finds or buys. No trading or gifting (incl. transfers). Differing forms of purism may allow OR disallow:
-Muling
-Using items that dropped from a monster another player killed
-Using items that another player picked up first
-Acceptance of potions if a partner brings them from town so you don't have to go get more
-Acceptance of gold from a partner in order to make a purchase
-Additional idiocyncracies may exist in D2 that I'm unaware of
Non-Purist (Analogous to your "Twink")
A character who either does trade/accept gifts or would not have a problem doing so. The character may still make a distinction over what types of gifts it accepts.
Twink
Character that accepts gifts which are beyond its means. Twinking can result in annoying gaming partners due to cheesiness, but doesn't always.
Cheese
A description for behavior. Twinking is usually cheesy. Accepting a load of items that are within your means can be somewhat cheesy, depending on what they are. Being given a dozen ethereal sashes is weird, but not cheesy. (How can something be cheesy if it sucks?) Being given a complete set of items that would be of use to you is fairly cheesy.
Cheese has a tendency to annoy gaming partners, but not always. Some players like cheese.
Quote:The fact of the matter is, however, that by your definition every character should be able to equip themselves with any gear that *could* have dropped, and no twinking would occur (although we do agree that would be cheesy). That's just plain silly. You're suggesting any character who has killed pindleskin in hell should be able to equip a WF or grandfather, and still be considered no-twink.
As long as I have cheese, I can define "twink" more specifically. I'm personally more concerned with twinking at low levels, as that's what I play most frequently. By the time a character is high level it can do things on its own, bore itself to death with one sort of run or another, etc. So insofar as twinking at high levels goes, particularly when considering items I'm fairly certain I'll not find, I consider the situation thusly:
Suppose I found a Grandfather with my Sorcie. I have a Paladin or a Barb who can access and reasonably handle the areas where Grandfather drops. What would I consider the Pally/Barb if I xferred Grandy:
Pure? Absolutely not.
Twink? No. He could find it. He just didn't.
Cheese? Grandy itself is such a high level item I think I'd probably save it as a reward for killing Hell Baal. Else it'd feel too cheesy. (I consider how powerful something is to be a factor in how cheesy it is if used as a gift.)
I think we'd both say cheese here, but you'd also classify it as twinking. I don't see any need to do that since I've already concluded cheese, and cheese tends to be more of a problem than twinking.
[o: *LEMMING* :o]