One of the topics that I’ve wanted to tackle lately was the advancement of characters in MMOs. It has taken me a while to collect all my notes together due to the sheer size of the topic. This can also be a rather touchy subject since you can ask ten different players how they want to advance and get ten different answers.
For the duration of this series I’m going to discuss a few of the options out there and my opinions on them. I’m also going to throw some crazy theories out that are based strictly on my experience, feedback from other players and other intangible measures. They are not to be taken as fact or viewed as scientific.
In the strictest of terms there are is one major school of MMO thought when it comes to advancement: level based. Players are most familiar with this type of progression because it exists in almost every MMO out there. The methodology is simple. Players kill monsters and do quests to earn experience points. Once enough experience points are earned they gain a new level and all the associated bonuses.
The other “major” player when it comes to advancement is known as skill based. In a skill based system there generally aren’t levels. Players repeat actions, such as swinging a one handed sword, and advance skills related to that action. Eventually the skill caps. Anyone who played Ultima Online is familiar with this sort of advancement. It has, sadly, almost completely died out.
Both systems have clear benefits and detriments when it comes to players. Level based games, for example, give a clear measure of where your character stands in the world. If you are level 10 you go where the level 10s are to level and quest. Skill based, however, can offer an entirely different game experience.
In the next few weeks I am going to be spending time covering the various topics of character advancement. Stay tuned!
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