In both Destiny and The Division players are tasked with gaining xp to raise their level. But after reaching the level cap they collect gear with a (light/gear) score to increase their characters average score. My question is how does the aspect of gaining levels add to the game? How would these games play out differently if xp was not introduced?
Shooter-Looter Progression
- Thread starter thedragon232
- Start date
Recommended Videos
In its most crucial purpose in these types of games, there are levels to extend the gameplay. Otherwise if you were always max level, there would be nothing stopping you from finding a single useful gun and then that's it. You're already at the end game and it took you what, an hour or two? You might as well just be playing a regular shooter then where you just spawn with your gun.
Players with starter gear would be at a pointless disadvantage relative to everything they're pitted against fron the onset. If there were no XP there would be an argument for having all players on an even power level and hunting around only for sidegrade weapons. Team Fortress 2 is like this with unlockable weapons.
Destiny and The Division wouldn't be the same games if they didn't have level progression.
Players with starter gear would be at a pointless disadvantage relative to everything they're pitted against fron the onset. If there were no XP there would be an argument for having all players on an even power level and hunting around only for sidegrade weapons. Team Fortress 2 is like this with unlockable weapons.
Destiny and The Division wouldn't be the same games if they didn't have level progression.
If nothing else, the introduction of a leveling system is an easy way for a dev to give the players that 'reward' feeling as they play. Players hear that ding or see the visual display and get a 'success' endorphin rush to their brains. It simply is another way to keep people playing.thedragon232 said:
Progression is just a facade. The game is the same thing regardless of level. Say you're level 1 with a level 1 gun that does 10 damage per bullet and the enemy has 100 health. Then when you're level 30 with a level 30 gun, say you're doing 100 damage per bullet bu the enemy has 1,000 health. There's no difference outside of the fact you can't beat that enemy at level 1 due to stats. This is exactly why I wish the Borderlands games didn't increase stats or damage much at all as the reason the gameplay changes as you level is the skills you get. It's just all busy work finding better guns just so you you're back at status quo so-to-speak and then selling all your garbage gear now. You waste so much time managing your inventory for really no reason.MHR said:
Speaking from experience with Destiny, its mostly to define end-game content. While scaling is applied to almost everything, they usually tick on the extra levels for the newest thing so that you go into it with a bit of a disadvantage and added difficulty (at least initially.). Why they keep hopping back and forth between regular leveling and gear-based levelling is beyond me (Particularly since infusion lets you use any gear after the year 2 switch anyways. Its not like Vanilla/TDB where you had to run the raid/Iron Banner armor for the cap).
In what is basically one of the games greater flaws, merging skill-based (FPS shooting) PvP with the PvE elements instead of running separate loot/balance kind of leaves most of the loot lacking. None of the guns get to do anything too unique, because it would create an imbalance (since only certain persons would have rarer loot items) in their PvP playing field. Thus, the only way to power up the guns (or depower them to create challenges) is to fiddle with the numbers.
In what is basically one of the games greater flaws, merging skill-based (FPS shooting) PvP with the PvE elements instead of running separate loot/balance kind of leaves most of the loot lacking. None of the guns get to do anything too unique, because it would create an imbalance (since only certain persons would have rarer loot items) in their PvP playing field. Thus, the only way to power up the guns (or depower them to create challenges) is to fiddle with the numbers.