Why do Virtues and Flaws have to balance?

[Erik_Tyrrell]

@T Riffix Rex

I’ve met zero players playing WoD games which have taken flaws without Virtues. Given most Storytellers require Virtues paid for with Flaw points, I can’t remember if you could buy Virtues with bonus points, so the only way to have a Virtue at character gen is with Flaws. Everything else you can get with xp later, so it makes no sense to take a flaw for a few extra char gen points. I’m serious, I’ve met no one taking flaws for char gen points.

My experience has been completely the opposite. In WoD Games, I've only ever seen the virtue and flaw system used to score a few more freebies to get that one thng that the character needs for min-maxing. Similarly with Legend of the Five Rings (at least first edition, and that one thing that they need was frequently a virtue). None the less the virtue and flaw systems were a optional rule primarily for min maxing. In Ars Magica they don't seem that way by seperating them from the rest of character generation they become heir own thing and I've at least gotten far more enjoyment from them.