What's so hot about Enchant

[LemmingofGlory]

If she didn't find magefist, whether through "item farming" or just plain luck, then, speaking from a "purist" point of view, she shouldn't have it.

But from a purist point of view, any trading or gift-giving is entirely out of the question. The assumption is that any twinked character is not a purist. Thus, there's no need to even discuss twinking from a purist perspective. Bizarre argument.

Now, let's examine our respective logics.

Character A and Character B are in Normal Act 4 in different areas. Char B finds "Magefist" and gives it to Char A. By your definition, no twinking has occured. By my definition, no twinking has occurred.

Char A and Char B are in Normal Act 4 in two different games. Char B finds "Magefist" and (later) gives it to Char A. By your definition, twinking has occured. By mine, no twinking has occured.

Char A and Char B are playing Act 4 in two different games, Hell and Normal difficulties respectively. Char B finds "Magefist" and (later) gives it to Char A. By your definition, twinking has again occured. By mine, no twinking has occured.

I do not find your definition logically consistent. The conditions are either identical or equivalent enough as to be irrelevant. (Indeed, Char A need not even be in-game, just capable of handling the designated areas.)

Your way of thinking requires someone to make a judgement of what the character's 'means' are. Whohas the means to find those magefist gauntlets? Is it only twinking if you receive them after lvl 30? How about lvl 50? 60?

STATEMENT:
If the character does not have the means to find the item, it's twinking.

INVERSE:
If the character does have the means to find the item, it's not twinking.

The problem with the statement and the inverse is that extremes exist where the statements become silly.

For example, starting clvl 1 Necro off with The Gidbinn is clearly a gift beyond his means. (He cannot possibly obtain The Gidbinn for himself.)

For the inverse: A character justifies being given the unique Cinquedeas after he kills the very first monster capable of dropping it.

It is because of these extremes that I explained how I preferred to view situations in practice.

by LemmingofGlory:
Some may say to be "twinked" the gift must also cause imbalance. I prefer that distinction, myself. If a character's gifts are causing a problem balance-wise, "twinked" is a perfectly negative-sounding description. If the gifts aren't, I probably won't even notice the character has them and there's no reason to label the character at all.

Both of my examples are rather silly extremes. The Gidbinn won't overpower a clvl 1 Nec (at least by my reckoning) any more than a Hand Axe will. The Nec I wouldn't consider a twink because he doesn't seem particularly imbalancing.

The character with the unique Cinquedeas, however, is really stretching it. I'd consider him extremely cheesy and be rather leery of him. What won't he justify? "Oh, I killed Pindleskin. Time for my Griswold's set!" When the justification is this thin, the player may as well not use any reasoning in his gifting.

So, just what makes a reasonable gift? Something that's not going to throw you out of balance with respect to your gaming partners.

If you didn't find or buy it yourself, it's twinked.

BAH! D2 has gone and corrupted all the good jargon. Good old fashioned D1isms:

PURIST: Uses only items that character finds or purchases. No gifts. No trades. Different degrees of this neurosis exist wherein players progressively permit fewer and fewer items. The least restrictive allows the character to use any item found in the game while the most restrictive prevents use of any item from a monster the character did not kill AND any item another player picked up first.

Non-purist is anyone else. A non-purist is not a twink, but a twink is a non-purist.

Does twinking promote that rift? Absolutely. However, it is NOT THE DIRECT CAUSE.

If you wish to discuss when and how power rifts can exist without twinking, feel free. However, I'm confining my discussion to power rifts as they're created by twinking (and times when no rift exists).

[o: *LEMMING* :o]