What Level Up System Do You Prefer? Skill Points or Use As You Go?

[Lemon Of Life]

Both ways can be done wrong, and right. Really depends on what games you're talking about.

 

[Sebenko]

Personally, I liked The leveling system used in Gothic/Risen. Instead of magically gaining abilities as you level, you get slightly more health and some learning points.

Then, to get better, you spend them with people who can teach you, which explains where your character's abilities come from. Plus, you get a description of your new skills from the trainer.

Neither, certainly not for FPS games.
FPS should always be skill based, not "you're as accurate as this number". Level up in terms of weapons available if you must, but not making your character stronger or something.

I always hated that. It was really annoying in Fallout 3, that felt like ticking things on a spreadsheet.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Skill Points by far.

 

[KSarty]

I'm actually very surprised on how the Escapist favors the classic XP system on account of all the RPG threads I read. In general, users here enjoy character customization and roleplaying so with this in mind a more organic level up system that was influenced by your own playstyle would be embraced by the users here.

The XP system is still very personal, and it's personalized from the very start. The first usable skill point you get will be spent on the area of expertise that you want the most. Whereas the "character growth" method might force you to lvl in areas you aren't interested in at first.

For instance, if you start the game with a sword and shield combo, but you're interested in a two-handed sword style then you are forced to utilize sword and shield, and therefore lvl it, until you can find a two-handed sword. At which point you have no points in your two-handed skill because you haven't used it yet.

 

[Souplex]

There is also set your growths when you create the character and let the system handle the rest.

 

[DazZ.]

Neither, certainly not for FPS games.
FPS should always be skill based, not "you're as accurate as this number".

So everyone should just be able to whip out a pistol and have pinpoint accuracy from the get go?

As accurate as the pistol can be, yes, if they have the skill to aim properly obviously.

You think they should have a waving crosshair for the first however many levels or what? Have a crosshair/ironsights that doesn't mean shit till you've put some special points into it?

 

[The Procrastinated End]

Neither, certainly not for FPS games.
FPS should always be skill based, not "you're as accurate as this number".

So everyone should just be able to whip out a pistol and have pinpoint accuracy from the get go?

As accurate as the pistol can be, yes, if they have the skill to aim properly obviously.

You think they should have a waving crosshair for the first however many levels or what? Have a crosshair/ironsights that doesn't mean shit till you've put some special points into it?

Really cause when I first shot a gun that I had never shot before I completely sucked at it and it wasn't until I used it for some time that I was able to hit the majority of the targets.
The 'special points' are supposed to be a representation of learning how to use the weapon properly and adjusting to the differences.

 

[DazZ.]

As accurate as the pistol can be, yes, if they have the skill to aim properly obviously.

You think they should have a waving crosshair for the first however many levels or what? Have a crosshair/ironsights that doesn't mean shit till you've put some special points into it?

Really cause when I first shot a gun that I had never shot before I completely sucked at it and it wasn't until I used it for some time that I was able to hit the majority of the targets.
The 'special points' are supposed to be a representation of learning how to use the weapon properly and adjusting to the differences.

Depends on the setting, but if you're supposed to be some sort of spy/agent/soldier like in most games you'd expect to already be fairly advanced with firearms.

 

[SilverUchiha]

The problem with the method in the OP (using a sword and gaining points in that particular skill set) is that there may only be certain skills or weapons available early on you don't want to specialize in. (for example, in Borderlands, you can't get Rocket Launchers in great abundance until a later phase in the game)... or so I noticed...

Now, this system is fine if the game is REALLY long and/or there is no limit to max amount of skill points you can use. Some games limit you by having only one thing being allowed to get to max level while everything else has to be a step lower than that.

There are plenty of methods. I think that they should try something new to shake up the concept though as we've been doing it mostly the same way for quite a while now.

 

[cefm]

Raising abilities by using those abilities only is guaranteed to be boring and tedious.

Maybe I played a bunch with my sword but now I'm bored with it and want to use my bow - well if I can simply assign my earned skill-points to the bow (or if I have a general level-set skill with all weapons, which is a much more primitive way of leveling) then I can assign them as needed and try out something new. But if I need to grind up my level-1 skill with a bow to level 30 JUST so I can figure out if I like it and it's effective, then that's going to SUUUUUUUCK!

Overall, any leveling up system can work, as long as complete and accurate information is provided. Frinstance, if you can't tell ahead of time whether it's more beneficial or more like your style of play to choose skill A vs. skill B, then it's all too possible to waste your effort on a skill that simply sucks, and then you're either permanently screwed or you have to grind away to build up a more useful skill.