tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post6029156792129199406..comments2020-08-02T23:54:34.120-04:00Comments on Straw Fellow's Field: The Man is Keeping Me From Making Friends - Part 2Strawfellowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-87362586455607275352011-07-26T11:30:02.225-04:002011-07-26T11:30:02.225-04:00"I doubt we'll see the end of level based..."I doubt we'll see the end of level based MMOs any time soon so any systems that devs can introduce to minimise the impact of the great level divide is a bonus for sure! "<br /><br />Agreed. For as much as I used this article to point out its flaws, it is a familiar and easy to use system that allows developers to spend time working on other parts of the game, instead of wracking their brains for alternate means of progression. Sometimes the best solution is the easiest one. Still, more systems like the sidekick or the chronomancy system would go a long way in bringing players together.Strawfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-58839289608355353772011-07-26T09:53:54.257-04:002011-07-26T09:53:54.257-04:00This is a problem I've come across in several ...This is a problem I've come across in several games. I often play in leveling groups but they tend to grind to a halt as someone is away for a few weeks or someone hasn't got time to play for a while. Progress becomes slower and slower or you simply all spread out across the levels making content trivial or impossible. <br /><br />From what little of it I've so far experienced EQ2 does have a few neat tricks to combat this. You can use the AA slider to stop leveling for a while so you can continue to play and gain something useful without outleveling anyone who can't play. Also you have the 'chronomancy' temporary deleveling system to scale down higher level characters for dungeons or quests. You mention the mercs yourself though that's more of a catchup tool. <br /><br />I doubt we'll see the end of level based MMOs any time soon so any systems that devs can introduce to minimise the impact of the great level divide is a bonus for sure!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-45356189355573589082011-07-25T19:45:54.759-04:002011-07-25T19:45:54.759-04:00As a reward system, I am not dismissing levels. Th...As a reward system, I am not dismissing levels. They are a fantastic little boost of "Hey, I'm accomplishing something!" every once in a while when you are playing a game. I will agree with you that the problem is the power curve. In my opinion, in a WoW-like game where the design goal is to keep increasing levels, there is no possible way to make the power curve that won't spread out players. Even if you make the bonus from being a certain level small, like some Korean MMO's where they have 200 some-odd levels, you still end up with a disparity.<br /><br />As for the WoW endgame argument, I'm really going to have to disagree with you there. The 1-60 revamp made leveling a new alt very easy, which was a good way to keep players in the game because once they got to the point where they were bored with endgame, it was fun to roll a new alt. That being said, the majority of ways to contribute to other players' experiences and experience meaningful content is at the end-game. The leveling content people only use to, well, level. Unless you find a niche guild that specializes in 60 or 70 content.Strawfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-76450429861832074352011-07-25T19:05:00.027-04:002011-07-25T19:05:00.027-04:00Don't dismiss levels too quickly. They are a p...Don't dismiss levels too quickly. They are a powerful reward. The problem is that the power curve is such that levels spread players out pretty quickly. Back in the original D&D, levels were much harder to come by and power growth was relatively low.<br /><br />The problem with any advancement scheme is that, depending on how they are tuned, either they create too much of a disparity between players or they are too ineffective to act as a reward.<br /><br />RE WoW: I hate to disagree with Syl (actually, I really don't), but I don't subscribe to the pernicious theory that WoW is focused on the endgame. Endgame certainly occupies a lot of resources, but Blizzard has a leveling game for a reason. And they dedicated an entire expansion to rebuilding the 1-60 leveling game for a reason. If anything, it is the players who focus too much on the endgame, to the detriment of the game.Anjinhttp://bulletpointsblog.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-60946378046443060462011-07-25T17:53:05.446-04:002011-07-25T17:53:05.446-04:00Skill sets would fill in some gaps, but I'd li...Skill sets would fill in some gaps, but I'd like to extend it to a game design that allows the lower skilled players to still make useful contributions and play with their friends who may have been playing for longer periods of time. EVE Online's tackling in pirate corps is a good example of this. Low cost of entry, and gives you a valuable role in the group. An MMORPG focusing on ground combat could have a viable alternative as well. Hand him a wand that can root fleeing players, or let them set of traps set up ALA Return of the Jedi. Arbitrary numbers should not always trump ingenuity from the player. <br /><br />Unless that ingenuity breaks the game, of course.Strawfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-38083692080944228662011-07-25T06:57:17.843-04:002011-07-25T06:57:17.843-04:00It's certainly worth looking into alternatives...It's certainly worth looking into alternatives to the level model; personally, I have never been a big fan of levels as they are such an ineffective way to measure player progress. the funny thing is that in games where levels still exist like a dividing factor, leveling up has become insignificant - see WoW. the entire focus of WoW is endgame, levels have no meaning really and the leveling-up procedure has continuously been made swifter and easier.<br /><br />it's a paradox and just show us one thing: levels aren't helpful. you might as well dump them and find a better way of defining character experience/age/strength. I always found skills are the way to go, a bit like the approach in UO.Sylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04473554645340972749noreply@blogger.com