They're just taking it up an abstraction level. Some people enjoy breaking a game wide open, whether through degenerate strategies, hacking, careful character

They're just taking it up an abstraction level. Some people enjoy breaking a game wide open, whether through degenerate strategies, hacking, careful character design, or something else. That's where they get their fun. Once they do that, they might be done with the game, but it was probably the best way to maximise their fun (most of us eventually move on from a game for various reasons anyway).