Favorite Form of Progression

[Just Locus]

What are y'all's favorite forms of progression in RPGs?

 

[Spukrian]

Any progression without levels!

 

[JamesDixon]

I like forward progression usually in the form of a point based system.

 

[Catacombs]

Skills get better the more you use them in the field.

 

[agris]

Question doesn’t make sense in the abstract, a progression system works/doesn’t work based on the designer’s goals with the game.

I like Baldur’s Gate 2’s rigid class system where class archetypes impact gameplay through spells and itemization. Itemization was one of the biggest ways your fighter differed from another’s.

I loved Fallout 1’s GURPS-like classless system with its traits and perks. Your character grew into the world and the world responded to how you developed skills and assigned attributes.

Then there’s Underrail’s classless system with its ranged, martial and cave-magic trichotomy, or Daggerfall’s pseudo classless improve-by-using system. And Colony Ship’s very cool tightening of the classless improve-by-doing system dovetailed with a BG2 customization-by-itemization approach.

None of those systems really work if transposed to other games, progression must be considered in the context of goals and other game systems.

 

[easychord]

I liked Guild Wars, where you quickly hit level cap but then built up a collection of "skills" which you can only equip a limited number of. A good system for a more tactically flexible game.

 

[Late Bloomer]

Any, as long as progression is slow and there is a robust skill/perk/talent system in place. I like the journey, so anything that facilitates that is good enough for me. If I had to pick a favourite, I would just go with the standard exp system. Clearing places out and turning in quests for exp is easy to build a system and a character (or characters) around. Skill based systems work good too. Using a two handed weapon means becoming more skilled at using two handed weapons. Cast healing magic, get stronger at healing magic. It allows for good character building.

Tim Cain did an interesting video on the subject.

 

[Atrachasis]

Don't overlook the other types of progression that exist, other than PC skills and attributes. Off the top of my head, I can think of equipment progression (find a Mace of Exaggerated Violence +3 to replace your Mace of Standard Violence +2), and there's party progression (A frail lad named Blaine who's good at juggling but yearns for a change of pace? Welcome to the party, my friend!). I've found the latter to be particularly satisfying; adding a new member to your party changes the dynamics of the game, particularly in combat, much more than an upgraded Fireball spell or a +1 to Strength does. And Blaine would go on to become a mean, lean fighting machine.

 

[Zanzoken]

The most important thing for progression is your character being able to overcome challenges that they couldn't before.

The best example to me is Gothic. You start the game weak as piss and even minor enemies like bloodflies, scavengers, and wolves pose a major threat. Then you slowly accrue better skills and gear, allowing you to defeat stronger and stronger enemies until eventually you can handle shadowbeasts, trolls, and whatever else.

Another important aspect is gaining new abilities. Again Gothic shines, since for example increasing your melee skill not only allows you to do more damage but you actually see your character progress from basic clumsy sword strikes to elegant flowing movements.

tl;dr If you want to see what good character progression looks like, play Gothic.

 

[Axel_am]

Jedi Outcast did it pretty well. You unlock some Force Skills, some weapons, keeps you guessing and they also delay giving you the lightsaber. Making you want it more, leaving the player unsatisfied. Or maybe because the player won't use anything else once he gets it.

Progressing in such a way that you get to use all of the tools in the game is best. Even on Normal difficulties. It's very short sighted to give the player the one weapon, or skill, that's going to be his be all for the next 10 hours.

Unlocking skills that react with the world also brings a different type of satisfaction and increasing the level by using it too. Double jump, wall braking, setting fire to stuff. There doesn't need to be an experience bar necessarily, just getting the feeling of being better with it.

I also like hidden stuff. Like hidden puzzles for armor/magic or hidden life upgrades. Keeping things just out of reach for the player. Making the upgrade feel special because you are in those hidden areas.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

I love when a game gives you the feeling of progression when you go through it. I dislike games where there is no persistence of your actions, i.e. games where everything reset and respawn.

 

[Alex]

Exponential!

 

[Cryomancer]

That depends on the game. Milestone leveling works GREAT for VtMB but I don't think that would work in a diablo clone.

 

[Maxie]

getting a better engine allowing you to make longer interstellar jumps

 

[Tweed]

Homosexuality to bestiality.

 

[Aemar]

The most important thing for progression is your character being able to overcome challenges that they couldn't before.

The best example to me is Gothic.

Gothic and Divine Divinity for me. Especially the latter where this progression was really noticeable when attempting to clear out the orcish war camp - I could barely eliminate 1-2 orc warriors at lower levels in melee combat, yet it was a whole different matter after levelling up a bit more. Quite similar to Gothic I'd say.

 

[JarlFrank]

Horizontal progression > steep vertical progression.

 

[buffalo bill]

any system where the game remains very difficult despite my character's increasing ability (doomrl and jupiter hell and infra arcana are the best examples I can think of)

 

[jaekl]

I like when an rpg starts very hard, then gets easier at the same rate that my patience with the game begins to wane.

 

[Kabas]

Like the idea of having to work from the simple base classes towards the more advanced prestige classes.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

XP through everything; best example UR oddities worst example elder scrolls.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

In terms of "how" to progress, I really like things like Underrail oddities and FFX sphere-grid (not the "you gain them through combat" portion, but the "you can find them in chest, in puzzles, etc."). As far as "what" to progress, I do agree with other users that it's better when it suits the game and the adventure at play. I do have a soft spot for prestige classes like Kabas , since you need to find them, quest them, take them, and then your character feels special and unique and it orients the gameplay resolution. Itemization to specialize is also a great one like agris said. I like it when it's not a grind or it doesn't require 1000 feats to be interesting. For example, I don't really like Path of Exile-like systems for this (or even FFX grid for that matter). I'd rather have various smaller symbiotic system that can each be understood easily but the complexity comes from adding them together, such as Deus Ex having both skills and tech upgrades.

 

[Percolator Fish]

I love talent trees or anything where I have to make a permanent choice between one or the other and immediately see the other locked off forever and ever. This is who my character is now. Most RPGs front load those choices into character creation and I'd much rather start off as a generic character and grow into a specialized one. For example I'd like the game to just hold off on choices like which skills to specialize in or even magical ability vs martial arts until level up.

 

[Falksi]

I love talent trees or anything where I have to make a permanent choice between one or the other and immediately see the other locked off forever and ever. This is who my character is now. Most RPGs front load those choices into character creation and I'd much rather start off as a generic character and grow into a specialized one. For example I'd like the game to just hold off on choices like which skills to specialize in or even magical ability vs martial arts until level up.

Same here.

I like feeling the game out and making my choices from there. Feels organic.

 

[luj1]

i like relatively quick progression, dont like progression at snail's pace (especially hate slow progression + low level cap)