Whatts your favorite lvling system?

#1 Hmmmm FFX had a very unique way of increasing your stats via that grid thingy, you could pretty much decide what path of stats to follow. I prefer the normal, kill enough monsters and you level up type. Not complicated.

#2 Personally, I'd like to see a more transparent leveling system in a game. The whole "you've gained a level" thing always seemed almost cheesy to me. Only give me numerical stats information if I'm desperately seeking it. For example, wouldn't it be cooler if, instead of giving you a bit of info like "your strengfth is 76", you got a little icon of an arm being flexed, and the muscles scaled depending on your strength?

Also, I'm a fan of the way a number of games give you skills based on what you use. Shooting a bow increases your marksmanship, swinging a mace increases your strength... that kind of thing.

While not quite as related to the original subject, another pet peeve of mine in RPGs is how you always seem to start an utter weakling, and end the game an unstoppable god of war. I'd personally like to be able to start as a decently set up warrior, and I'd like ability gained to give me more varied options rather than just allowing me to plow through my opposition.

#3 The best rpg leveling system i've seen (IMNSHO) is ashron call's. It probably has more to do with the game system, but allowing the player total control and customization is sexy.

I tried WoW for a while, and was dissapointed at how cookiecutter everyone is.

Of course, allowing total customization allows a greater chance of exploits and/or unbalanced characters. so think about that.

It's a hard problem, with no good answer.

#4 Levelling is an awful, artificial system for lazy developers to plug static numbers into something that should be a dynamic system. Ooh, you're a 50th lvl fighter with a strength of 19, that means that your sword of hurty +3 does D12+80 dmg, no matter how skillful you are as a player. Hmm.

Ditch the whole concept of levelling and skill points, and let the player do something based on their skill. Otherwise players just end up with little clones of each other running around.

Users don't need to see numbers, it turns the whole experience of playing a game into an exercise in statistics instead of an engaging, emotional adventure.

That's my

#5 I've been thinking, if I ever did make a RPG, how would I advance the player. Right now you can look at pretty much any MMO and find players of different lvls. They log on each day and try to advance to the next lvl, hoping they can use that new sword, or wear that new armor that looks totaly cooler than what they already have. Maybe this keeps the players coming back. To me, I get bored and tired of just trying to level up. A game I'm playing now, keeps you leveling up by letting your character become reborn, and you can keep all your items, some of your stat's and try a new job, but you start back at the bottom.

Ok I've got another question. Do you like random monster attacks or would you rather pick what you want to fight when you want to fight with spawn points?

#6 U know.. the question... it's like comparing "apples on earth" to the "star-fruit-born-of-the-spawnbeast on planet X".

Meaning that there are so many other elements you need to consider in developing the playability of any game...

any specific answer is going to be (at best) wildly inacurate.

#7 The Magecite and Materia systems from Final Fantasy 6 and 7 and the system from FF9 are the best systems I've ever encountered. Though the Job system from Tactics, XI, and 5 was nice too. Final Fantasy 8's JUNKtoin system was THE worst level up system of all the RPG's I have ever played in my life.
-Ajari-

#8 I remember the days when I played LOT5R (Legend Of The 5 Rings). That game had a very justified system which focused on leveling through honor and respect, along with your knowledge of the 5 elements. I've always wondered how well it could be done outside PnP.

Just a quick reply! :)

- Ronixus

#9

Quote:Levelling is an awful, artificial system for lazy developers to plug static numbers into something that should be a dynamic system. Ooh, you're a 50th lvl fighter with a strength of 19, that means that your sword of hurty +3 does D12+80 dmg, no matter how skillful you are as a player. Hmm.

People like different systems, and to say the one you don't like is artificial and lazy is silly.

The whole experience, levelling up is a very popular concept for some people. They like killing things and gaining a numerical value. Its almost like how people like playing some sim/tycoon game, gaining lots of some numerical statistic as reward.

I personally like gaining experience for completing quests. i just played Vampire Bloodlines, and you got experience points for completing quests. I've always been more interested in the story. I could care less about my "skill" as a player, I am playing for the experience.

My flatmate likes gaining points for doing things as in Morrowind.

One of the most addictive games I've played is Angband. A dungeon crawl game where you gain experience for killing things. Do I think its a deep involved storyline ... no. Do I think its a fun addictive game ... yes.

Each to their own, but to label one lazy is plain silly.

#10 Paper Mario

From the beginning to the end of the game, you go from doing 1 point of damage to doing about 6 or 7. You don't become an unstoppable god of war, just a better fighter. Most of the leveling has little to do with the experience system, it has to do with the strategic equipping of various badges scattered throughout the world. Finally, the player is not encouraged (or even allowed) to power level, so the whole system is customizable but transparent enough so that you don't have to micromanage anything.

Very well done.

#11 The Legend of Zelda 2: Link's Adventure for the NES

#12 Ultima Online takes my favorite system of RPG proficency scaling.
Though I do enjoy the abstract "level" system too (like Phantasy Star series).

#13 Morrowind: If you use a skill, it gets better. If you don't use a skill it doesn't get better. If you improve enough skills related to your class you gain a level.

I think this system caters pretty well to people who like the old "1000 more xp and Im gonna be a dynamite underwater basket weaver!" group as well as people who want a realistic and less number driven system.

#14 Jason

Quote:U know.. the question... it's like comparing "apples on earth" to the "star-fruit-born-of-the-spawnbeast on planet X".

Meaning that there are so many other elements you need to consider in developing the playability of any game...

any specific answer is going to be (at best) wildly inacurate.

whats inacurate? Basicly all I'm asking is what kinds of leveling systems in RPGs have you liked, and based off of leveling how do you like it, spawn points or random. Its based off what you the person answering this question likes, and isn't based off of any other elements. I know that in some games, the whole system is worked just for that game and how it all plays out, but this is just a general question.

anywho

#15 @Josh

Sorry if i was a bit over dramatic there,

what i mean is that it's one part of the pie that needs to be considered...

granted, you could base a game around it's GREAT leveling system (kind of like d20 or something)

But anyway, I think i'm trying to answer the wrong question... you asking the question "whats your favorite leveling system" is very direct, I'm trying to twist it into a larger "what's important to focus on when building a game"

Sorry for skewing off topic :)

#16 No problem. I was just wandering what people liked and didn't. I've fallen asleep while trying to level up my characters on games like FF just so I could be ready for the next big boss. Ofcourse maybe I fall asleep because I've been known to beat them in less then a week. :P

I like RPG's and would like to make one, but since I'm a noob at this, all I'm interested in doing is trying to make PONG.

#17 I hate levelling. Rather then make me stronger... Give me newer better equipment...

Levelling is, imo, a very cheap way to skimp out on good equipment.

Rather then giving me 2 swords and 10 levels... Give me 10 swords. Far better that way.

Think about it this way: What gives you more satifaction in a game... Going up a level ? or finding a newer, better, cooler item ?

#18 "Rather then giving me 2 swords and 10 levels... Give me 10 swords. Far better that way."

What are you going to do with the 9 you can't equip?

"Think about it this way: What gives you more satifaction in a game... Going up a level ? or finding a newer, better, cooler item ?"

Finding a newer, better, cooler place to explore.

-------------------------------------------------------------

(Warning: slightly off topic rant)

I am not a fan of leveling in games either, but I'm also not a big fan of item stockpiling. I want to find new areas, even if they are tiny secrets, and games have recently focused so heavily on the main course that they have been almost ignoring secrets entirely. Metroid was a brilliant game because no matter where you were, there is always a secret. The Zelda series does this very well also (except Four Swords Adventures, which should have had secrets that only players with certain items could find strewn everywhere, but instead had less than one per level).

I am happy when I discover that there is a hidden stash of bananas underground, or behind that seemingly solid wall is a new pack of missiles, or that the beanstalk I am climbing leads to a secret scrolling area in the sky. Where did my secret areas go?

(Slightly off topic rant over)

#19 The best leveling system I have seen in any game is Dungeon Siege, a completely transparent system. The game kept track of everything, you didnt have to choose what new spells you could use, til you went to buy them. It was very cool.

The original Dungeon Siege as well as LOA were very cool, until you completed them. Then, not so cool, the same worlds got boring, and user made worlds were either too powerful, or too small, or just built wrong.

GTA San Andreas also has a transparent leveling system, though not anywhere near what other games have, but it made a good mark.

#20

Quote:Think about it this way: What gives you more satifaction in a game... Going up a level ? or finding a newer, better, cooler item ?

Can we answer, "both" ?