Why level 100?

[Erana]

So, being several years behind, I finally get a copy of Kingdom Hearts 2. I'm now at the endgame, and haven't even reached level 50.
And with most Pokemon games, you typically get to around level 70, tops, for a normal playthrough.
I've played RPGs where there's a low level cap, and in every instance, they drive me nuts, But what is so special about 100 levels?
I understand its a nice little bit of extra for the particularly enthused player, but to me, there's always been a nagging sense of the game being somehow unfinished. Oftentimes, post-endgame adventures only go ten or so levels higher than the main boss; so even when you go for 100% completion, in a lotta games you still don't get to the magic level.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

100 is a nice round number.
it's high enough so that people have to grind to get it, but... I suppose it's just because it's 100. triple digits.

 

[crudus]

100 is a nice round number. Other than that I know that the max stat is 255 because that's the highest binary can go in an 8-bit memory slot.

edit: ninja-ed ^_^

 

[Fightgarr]

I believe it has something to do with percentage. I mean percentage itself is rather arbitrary in its choosing 100, but it feels like percentage as you work your way towards a 'perfect' character. All in all its rather arbitrary, like the number 10. 12 is a much more logical 10 than 10 is...

 

[megapenguinx]

100 in Kingdom Hearts will make you a god in the game. Let all the heartless feel your wrath! Level 100 is the strongest you can get, plus it's a nice normal scale that is used (think percentage).

 

[rampantcreature]

percentage itself is rather arbitrary in its choosing 100

Um, not if you look at the etymology of the word. cent=100. percent=per hundred, yay fractions!
Then again, the argument can be made that numbers are completely meaningless and nonexistent gibberish.

 

[syndicated44]

You wont run out of levels and you can brag to people if you actaully get to 100.

 

[Erana]

You wont run out of levels and you can brag to people if you actaully get to 100.

But why not level 200, then? There be more bragging rights in that.

 

[Bat Vader]

You wont run out of levels and you can brag to people if you actaully get to 100.

But why not level 200, then? There be more bragging rights in that.

They want people to actually get 100% completion not die before getting it.

 

[minoes]

In the original "Phantasy Star" the highest level was 30.

Also in most 16 Bit RPGs the Max was 99.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

In the 8-bit era it had to do with the console's memory limitations. Now-a-days I think it just makes a nice round number to stop at. If you don't like the level cap, play Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. I don't even know what the level cap is on that game, but I had 2 of my characters over level 260.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

kingdom hearts 2 and FFXII only go to L99. pissed me off, i like that one final deadweight tacked on.

plus, FFXII L99 counted as 99 AND 100, making you vulnerable to L2, L3, AND L5 magicks. FUCK disable

 

[Xskill]

Because as Adrian Monk would say, "It's a nice Symetrical Number."

 

[Iskenator67]

I think 50-75 is decent 100 is just ridiculous . I remember Pokemon Stadium 2 saying to import you own Level 100 team. Who the hell has 6 Pokemon at level 100?

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

100 is a nice round number. Other than that I know that the max stat is 255 because that's the highest binary can go in an 8-bit memory slot.

edit: ninja-ed ^_^

Part of it could be memory storage, but honestly I don't really think that's it. With so much memory to play with, I hardly think your average developer is going to be scrounging for bits that hard. Also, depending upon the language used, and the specific type of integer an 8-bit number may not hold 8-bits worth of number. In java for example, the sign takes up a single byte, so rather than 255 your max would be 127.

The real reason is simply that 100 is a notable round number. The number itself implies "complete" or "finished" (100% for example).

 

[Twilight_guy]

100 is a nice round number it's also easier to shot then then say... level 9999 (curse you Disgaea!). A lot of old RPGs had a level cap of 99 because it was the largest number that could be displayed (there were only two digits). 100 is just a much nicer number then 99.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

Pokemon games always feel unfinished after you beat the elite four, because at that point you have beaten both the storyline and the gym leaders, which are the only quests aside "catch them all" which is actually impossible without an Action Replay.

EDIT: The problem, of course, is there is nothing interesting to do afterwords, and the game doesn't end. The crap in D&P on that island wasn't fun, and felt like a half-assed last minute tack on.

I thought gold silver and crystal were the best because you had two regions to fight through and then RED.

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

Pokemon games always feel unfinished after you beat the elite four, because at that point you have beaten both the storyline and the gym leaders, which are the only quests aside "catch them all" which is actually impossible without an Action Replay.

EDIT: The problem, of course, is there is nothing interesting to do afterwords, and the game doesn't end. The crap in D&P on that island wasn't fun, and felt like a half-assed last minute tack on.

I thought gold silver and crystal were the best because you had two regions to fight through and then RED.

Indeed. The newer Pokemon games need more stuff like that. If the Elite Four ends, there should be several different areas that scale upwards like Red did. Elite Four at L50, another trainer with random pokeon at L60, and so on and so forth every 10 levels up to 100. Wouldn't really require a lot of work, but it'd certainly make the game more interesting once you beat the E4.

 

[SomeUnregPunk]

in disgea 3 ... you can level to max level 9999 and then reincarnate your character to level 1 while keeping the stats so you can increase stats again while leveling again!

this had to have created to appease the grinding junkies of the rpg world.

 

[GamingAwesome1]

in disgea 3 ... you can level to max level 9999 and then reincarnate your character to level 1 while keeping the stats so you can increase stats again while leveling again!

this had to have created to appease the grinding junkies of the rpg world.

My head just exploded, does anyone go for that amount?