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Poll: Which system of character progression would you prefer?
Teala
Member RarePosts: 7,627
This is part of my on going Project MMORPG 101.
Which system of character progression would you prefer?
There are many ways a game can allow players to progress their characters. If you had a choice as to which system you'd prefer to see in a game, please vote below. Be sure to read each choice carefully before voting. Thanks!
Comments
I would like to see a system more like the one in Monster Hunter.
My theme song.
I put "Skill Based System - Progression Capped."
I love a freeform system on building the abilities of a character to exactly to my liking within loose constraints, i.e. maximum allowed skillpoints. Total specialization or true jack of all trades... up to me and exactly what skills I choose.
I also believe that the system needs to be capped to prevent any character being able to be and do everything by itself.
"I have only two out of my company and 20 out of some other company. We need support, but it is almost suicide to try to get it here as we are swept by machine gun fire and a constant barrage is on us. I have no one on my left and only a few on my right. I will hold." (First Lieutenant Clifton B. Cates, US Marine Corps, Soissons, 19 July 1918)
I like how Asheron's Call does it, where it lets you choose where you want to spend the points you've earned. You get to decide how you want to build your character. If you want to run faster, put points into run as you exp up. If you want to have higher hp, put points into hp, etc.. It had a very high level cap intially (lvl 126) so it took quite awhile for you to get there. But even once you got there, you could still earn exp points.
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
Skill Based System --- Progression Not Capped
However I would like skill decay too if you dont use a skill for a certain time.
Not sure if it's really a system I would prefer but it's something which I think is original.
First you'd need a whole list of ability components that each have some unique stats.
So magical ability components would be: Fire, Bolt, Ice, Rain, Pure etc.
Ice component would slow, Fire componenet would burn, Rain component would do AoE, Bolt would do increased single target, Pure would cost less mana etc.
Combining Ice and Bolt would give an Icebolt spell, slowing and damaging. Combining Rain, Pure and Fire would give a Pure Rain of Fire spell, cheap burning AoE etc.
Some things like Ice and Fire wouldn't be able to be combined.
Physical ability components could be: Thrust, Slash, Twist, Bash, Relaxed etc.
Thrust would have high precision, Slash higher damage, Twist would cause bleeding, Bash would stun for a shot while, Relaxed would cost less energy etc.
Thrust and Twist would give a high precision bleeding attack. Slash, Relaxed and Bash a cheaper high damage stun etc.
Some things like Thrust and Slash wouldn't be able to be combined.
Crafting ability components could be: Crude, Tempered, Sharpened, Shield, Sword etc.
Crude would be reduced resource cost but also reduced quality. Tempered would cause more durability at the cost of more resources. Sharpened more damage at the cost of more resources. Shield would make a shield item, Sword a sword item etc.
Crude Shield would give a low quality cheap shield. Tempered, Sharpened sword would give a sword with increased durability and damage but increased cost.
Some things like Shield and Sword wouldn't be able to be combined.
Now you have all the components you can start the rest of the system.
Each player would have a limited amount of ability slots and a library of components. While playing you'll discover new components from trainers, loot etc. You'd get say 10 slots for magic/physical and 10 slots for crafting.
An ability starts with a single component. As you use the ability it's level will increase up to a maximum of say 5 or so. Each level you can add an additional component to it to increase the effects of the ability. When an ability is maxed out you're done.
If you're not happy with an ability you can delete it, losing all progress made in that ability and select a new component as the base of that ability ( obviously not all components would be viable bases. For crafting Sword would be a viable base, Tempered would not etc. )
In the end you're left with a system that leaves the most options to players and the highest chances of being unique. As long as you keep the components from having massive effects ( 0.5 second stuns are fine, 5 seconds stuns not so much. ) and add a lot of them I don't think you'll see strict cooky cutter builds. You'll have basic templates probably but each player would be free to add minor variances to them to suit their own playing styles.
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How about no character progression, and if anything is to be "skill based", make it mean the skill of the human sitting at the computer.
Or you could go for the Puzzle Pirates approach: yes, there are levels. And no, they don't matter. They don't make you stronger.
Skill books that you have to find in world and cannot be traded. Once a skillbook is found then a time based system for learning the skill similar to Eve. Time required based upon the level of the skill (again similar to Eve). Common Uncommon and Rare Skillbooks. No trainers. No Classes.
Skill Based with no Progression Cap or Level Cap for that matter either. Just after you get to a certain point it just becomes increasingly more difficult and longer to raise ones skill. An MMO with such a system is Tibia, and I dunno if there is a cap.
I guess its that feeling of being overpowered and the thrill of returning to older content that gave you trouble and then coming back and whooping its ass...hehe
I vote other: Class-based and level capped, but the twist is there are multiple tiers that also require a set of very difficult achievements to move on from. The top of each tier might be reached quickly by grinding experience, but the accomplishments needed to move past a tier would be diffcult and should be structured to take weeks. That way, people will take the time to focus on lower tier characters and lower tier loot long enough to be meaningul. Probably around 4 or 5 tiers would be enough for this to work. It should take around 6+ months for even the best players to reach top tier.
And the achievements needed to move on from a tier should be fun to achieve as well as difficult, and varied...
GW2 "built from the ground up with microtransactions in mind"
1) Cash->Gems->Gold->Influence->WvWvWBoosts = PAY2WIN
2) Mystic Chests = Crass in-game cash shop advertisements
Class + skill based, so that you have at least an idea and general role/strengths/weaknesses for your character, but several ways in which you could specialize. I also think this way is more balanced than a pure skill based system that lets you eventually master everything.
I voted "Class- Skill Based System" because that is what I feel is closest to Emergence Online.
Players get 5 "Focus Levels" which are weakely defined roles (Tank, Support, Ranged, Mobility, Stealth, Pets, etc.) which can encompass multiple class types (a "tank" Focus can be as simple as upgrading from Cloth to Leather armor, or adding a Shield or Parry ability).
Each Focus Level gives Focus Points to unlock specific skills. However, once obtained skills are increase via Skill Points.
Players may create any type of character in this Skill Based system similar to Ultima Online but much more complex and advanced. (Mages couldn't wear Platemail in UO, as players focused on either Armor or Meditation, but could still cast magic in platemail armor at the sacrifice of low mana or lower str/dex).
So imagine a Skill Based System where you can specialize or hybrid in any role type. Want to be a Paladin? A little bit of Holy Magic + mostly Protection Focus (Tank). Want to be a Non-Tank Paladin? Take the Armor upgrades of Protection Focus but don't take the shield or parry (both of which guard/block for allies, protecting them). Want to be a Smite-Paladin? Use your Focus Points on damage-heal spells and buff spells, and ignore the healing, AoE support spells, and shield ability. Now your smites heal yourself, you can buff yourself, and use 2-H or DW weapons not having to help your allies with protection or support spells.
Want to be a paladin with a wolf pet instead? Alright! A dual wielding melee wizard? Sure thing. A pure wizard or pure tank? You'll rock!
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I've liked flexible class systems most and I feel a level cap is necessary, atleast a "soft cap" after which your character only receives minor to no benefits from level-ups.
Anything goes except "use to improve"-method. It only tempts you to use a bot/macro. Horrible... horrible... grind.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
I like that system, too, but that is about as hardcore as one can get with a skill system. In most MMOs, if you suck at doing a task, all you have to do is eventually do it enolugh times - even poorly and half-assed - and you move up to the next level. In Puzzle Pirates, if you suck at doing a task, your level reflects that and no amount of sheer repetition will change that, only actual improvement of one's player skill will.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
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Voted for level + skill + cap, too. It just works nicely, and people can choose a role right away, but can further specialize later on, and it's hard to get bored of the iconic and traditional RPG class roles, they are always likeable. The details of skill advancement whould be broad and there should be a lot of room for choice, mistake and imbalance. You whouldn't get even half of the possible skills levels at cap, the skill training would progress long after reaching level cap. Reversing skill choices would be quite limited and it would take a lot of time and(=) money to retrain new skills. Clever choice of skills would also allow you to win in battle against higher level character, with less ideal skills.
This is my ideal advancement system. Second is only skills with a cap. EVE's system works capless, but Darkfall needs a cap, if you ask me. In most case I prefer cap by far, with limited and slow respecialization. Class and levels are nice, so that people can distiguish and say "Hey! I think there's a rogue following us!, not "Hey! I think there's a flail carrying and cloth wearing, Spiritwolf, Bloodspiller, Healing Light and Battlecry specialized dude following us!". These pure skill systems can mean very weird roles, it's like there's too much freedom, and it might be harder to contain reasonalbe and even slightly balanced for developers.
Other
I personally like Class + Exp + Skills.
Class for the general Theme of the Character.
Experience Levels to control health , mana , stamina and under-the-hood combat adds.
Skills to determine how effective your abilities are...Accuracy , Damage , Defense , Spell Damage. The higher your skill the more abilites you can learn.
I think this setup is perfect for PvE based games.
I vote for this as well. Let me earn skill points, and spend them on the skills I want to improve.
Very interesting voting on this poll. I did not quite expect to see the way it is going...but it makes me smile when I see it.
Exactly what does "Class and skill based" mean?
Always read the small print.
I rather have a Faction + Skill-based progression where your race loosely defines your class types. Level based feel too orginary and linear. Level based also creates level gaps, separating players regardless of what they have to offer a group. With factions as part of the progression you cooperate with others in your faction to complete major goals.
There are a few different ideas that could fit here aren't there?
Each class could have its own collection of skills.
Different classes might have different costs/caps for different skills.
There might be across-the-board skills that can be advanced independantly of your class.
This, for those exact reasons.
I chose class with skill based level cap. I haven't played a skill-based game that was fun to play yet, Class-based always seem to make me happy, but i like having a lot of variety.
I also would like a game with Platformer like skill learned. In most platformers you learn the basic skills first, then after doing some task they learn another. Few, but all important abilities, unlike MMO's were there are tons of useless abilities, or abilities that are just damage based with few or no disadvantages.
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skills / classes with no cap.
I agree, I really liked this system as well.
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I picked other because I would like to see a game that portrays a character's power in more realistic terms. The power and influence of PCs should be measured more like they are in real life. The Pres. of the US doesn't personally jump into the fray when a war breaks out but that person is considered one of the more powerful people in the world. You might be a great warrior but could you really do all the fighting in a war by yourself? Obviously not, you would need an army. You might be a great politican, crafter or merchant but you wouldn't be able to do all the work yourself. PCs should still have skills but a key ingredient to making a new style MMO would be to have followers who could be both NPCs and other PCs. Every individual follower need not be visually represented either. As an example, you might be a weaponsmith and part of your 'skill' might be how many proficient workers you have in your employ. You would need the money and facilities to hire these workers and have them produce weapons. Of course any system like this would have to be part of a completely different MMO design that moves more towards living worlds rather than the static worlds we have now where the player has literally no influence on events in the game.