[MUD-Dev] Exponential experience points and levels

[ceo]

I fancy playing a game where you get exponentially more exp per
situation the more you are (statistically) outgunned. Is anyone
running one? :).

There's no reason why it should be limited to battles - I've played
about with roguelike games in the past where I awarded bonus exp for
each turn the player managed to survive in a dangerous area
(e.g. compare player hp and stats to the average for wandering
monsters in that area, and when the player is sufficiently below par
to be in serious danger start adding bonus exp simply for staying
alive), which enables you to play an exploration game without *ever*
fighting, but still going up in levels.

(although I don't think it's fair to use the word "treadmill" in
conjunction with such levels, since treadmilling gets you
nowhere...)

But to look at battles as a convenient LCD... If you beat an
opponent of similar (appoximately - see NB below) ability, then you
get no experience. Or, perhaps, you have a random chance of getting
some and the loser loses sum - if the designer is confident they can
balance this. Personally, I'd err on the side of safety and be mean
with exp awards :).

If you beat someone of lesser ability, again you get nothing - and
may even lose experience ("character grows accustomed to lesser
opponents; character gets slightly lazy, slightly slower, slightly
less alert" or similar).

If you beat someone of significantly greater ability, you get
experience. The more they are better than you, the more exp you get,
exponentially (on the assumption that when one fighter is 2X better
rather than 1X better they will tend to win a lot more than twice as
often. YMMV according to combat system...).

  NB: ability comparisons are intentionally vague, since they are a
  multi-dimensional comparision, so there's no absolute way to judge
  "who is better" without implied human evaluation. You could just
  say that every skill point and ability point is equal to every
  other, and just take a plain sum. Or you could take a weighted
  sum; either way there is an implicit personal choice on how they
  balance - as opposed to the fact that having 18 strength is
  definitely, without a doubt, better than having 17 strength (or it
  is in most combat systems!).

Adam M
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