Arkane On the question of experience points in RPGS

[Apostle Hand]

You got to spend long time killing enemies and solving quest to be able to level up. Why does it tako so long? And when you level up, you receive some shit thing like extra feat or something, and beside that you must level up your companions too and choose wisely what to do with them when they level up. And just as you grow really strong, soon the game is done and you can't do some awesome stuff with your character. Seems to me that it's like some math your doing with experience point.

 

[Old Hans]

beside that you must level up your companions too and choose wisely what to do with them when they level up.

Any time the game gives me the choice, I will always click on the auto level companion button.

 

[Spukrian]

The problem here is not with xp, it's with levels. If we could use the xp to directly buy stats/skills/perks/abilities/whatever as soon as we gain them and not gate advancement behind level requirements then there would be less waiting.

 

[Lord_Potato]

You got to spend long time killing enemies and solving quest to be able to level up. Why does it tako so long? And when you level up, you receive some shit thing like extra feat or something, and beside that you must level up your companions too and choose wisely what to do with them when they level up. And just as you grow really strong, soon the game is done and you can't do some awesome stuff with your character. Seems to me that it's like some math your doing with experience point.

you seem not to like RPGs.

 

[NecroLord]

It's only a matter of gauging the power level of the player.
What determines his growth.
Killing monsters, solving quests and advancing the plot, and so on.

 

[Dark Souls II]

Any game that's actually designed well should have the following:

- you are able to complete the game on lvl 1, using your skill, wits, and adapting optimal tactics
- if you're too dumb to complete the game on low lvl, you can grind, but there should be a designated grinding area to make grinding non-tiresome

That being said, the only two well designed game franchises are:

- Dark Souls
- Black Souls

 

[Necrensha]

Humans are simple creatures.
Imagine if Sisyphus had a counter in the rock that increased by 1 every time he reached the top, he would've been a billion times happier.

 

[Iucounu]

You got to spend long time killing enemies and solving quest to be able to level up. Why does it tako so long?

Much of that is just due to poor balancing by the devs.

Increased skill and equipment should results in changing gameplay through the game; but it should always be fun, from fighting with your fists in the beginning to dropping nukes at the end. Having to fight bullet sponges through 2/3 of a game is not very fun.

And when you level up, you receive some shit thing like extra feat or something, and beside that you must level up your companions too and choose wisely what to do with them when they level up.

Each new type of of equipment you find should result in a new ability skill tree. For example:

1. You start the game with just your empty fists, but by paying for boxing instructions (with money you've earned running errands) your fist fighting skill increases. Actual fist fights may also increase your skill, but to much lesser degree (to discourage grinding).

2. You find a knife, and by asking some thug for knife-fighting advice your knife skill increases. Again actual knife fights may also increase your skill, but to much lesser degree.

3. Ditto for swords, bows, etc.

But instead of this, devs invent swords with intrinsic damage between 1-100(!), to be used together with the player character's "melee damage" stat, that you can increase with XP points you got from talking to a farmer about the weather. It's as if their stat systems are completely disconnected from their own gameworld. [This strawman scenario was inspired by The Witcher 3.]

And just as you grow really strong, soon the game is done and you can't do some awesome stuff with your character. Seems to me that it's like some math your doing with experience point.

At least some games give you NG+...

 

[Daemongar]

If we could use the xp to directly buy stats/skills/perks/abilities/whatever as soon as we gain them and not gate advancement behind level requirements then there would be less waiting.

See: System Shock 2 and others. It's been done.

it should always be fun,

No it shouldn't.

Each new type of of equipment you find should result in a new ability skill tree. For example:

1. You start the game with just your empty fists, but by paying for boxing instructions (with money you've earned running errands) your fist fighting skill increases. Actual fist fights may also increase your skill, but to much lesser degree (to discourage grinding).

2. You find a knife, and by asking some thug for knife-fighting advice your knife skill increases. Again actual knife fights may also increase your skill, but to much lesser degree.

3. Ditto for swords, bows, etc.

See: Wasteland and others. It's been done.

 

[Tweed]

See: Wasteland and others. It's been done.

Yes, who can forget becoming level 6/7 in AT weapons by throwing spears at Brother Goliath?

 

[luj1]

You got to spend long time killing enemies and solving quest to be able to level up. Why does it tako so long?

There are many RPGs with quick progression

 

[Butter]

The next wave of $currentyear RPG design is giving the player a button to push so he can level up whenever he wants. It's frankly archaic and a little creepy that designers think they should be allowed to hold level-ups hostage until the player has completed some arbitrary (and usually very difficult) challenge.

 

[Spukrian]

If we could use the xp to directly buy stats/skills/perks/abilities/whatever as soon as we gain them and not gate advancement behind level requirements then there would be less waiting.

See: System Shock 2 and others. It's been done.

Yes, but not as much as it should've been and should be done!

 

[jam]

I prefer games that tightly control the player's experience and level, especially if experience earned for a task actually decreases as level rises. The purpose is then to give a schedule to a set of meaningful choices and not to trick the player onto a treadmill.