Lumpy
Arcane
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2005
- Messages
- 8,525
I think this has been discussed once or twice, but there hasn't been any topic on the subject yet.
So, how about an RPG without (or with a very small amount of) leveling. Where you define your character at the beggining, and play the exact same character for the entire game.
Sure, character advancement is a good concept, but it's used in every single RPG, and it has several flaws.
Mainly, it doesn't make sense that the player can advance in one year more than important characters have in their entire lifetimes. In party games, it's even worse - it would make sense that one person is especially talented and can advance fast, but 6 of them? Developers also feel that they have some sort of duty to give low level characters boring quests, and keep the interesting ones high-level.
It also creates problems for certain characters, such as diplomats. If a monster is one level above you, the combat will be a little harder, but you'll still succeed. But if a dialogue check is one level above, the enemies will attack your non-combat character, giving him no chance to succeed.
Thus, I don't understand why it has to be used in every RPG. Why can't there be a game where you create your character at the beggining, and play him that way for the entire game? The game could also allow the player to make an overpowered avatar or an underpowered one, both being interesting in their own ways. Would such a game be that unfun to play, that nobody has ever even attempted making one?
So, how about an RPG without (or with a very small amount of) leveling. Where you define your character at the beggining, and play the exact same character for the entire game.
Sure, character advancement is a good concept, but it's used in every single RPG, and it has several flaws.
Mainly, it doesn't make sense that the player can advance in one year more than important characters have in their entire lifetimes. In party games, it's even worse - it would make sense that one person is especially talented and can advance fast, but 6 of them? Developers also feel that they have some sort of duty to give low level characters boring quests, and keep the interesting ones high-level.
It also creates problems for certain characters, such as diplomats. If a monster is one level above you, the combat will be a little harder, but you'll still succeed. But if a dialogue check is one level above, the enemies will attack your non-combat character, giving him no chance to succeed.
Thus, I don't understand why it has to be used in every RPG. Why can't there be a game where you create your character at the beggining, and play him that way for the entire game? The game could also allow the player to make an overpowered avatar or an underpowered one, both being interesting in their own ways. Would such a game be that unfun to play, that nobody has ever even attempted making one?