[MUD-Dev] Exponential experience points and levels

[Steven King]

Sean Middleditch wrote:

> Slightly OT note: this is why I much prefer having different types
> of experience.  Exploration doesn't teach you anything about how
> to better wield a weapon, how to cast magic, how to build/craft
> things, etc.  It will perhaps teach you how to sneak, spot traps,
> etc.  Exploration experience should only help you improve
> abilities related to exploration.

> The system I use is to provide several different experience
> pools. Warrior pool, magic pool, rogue pool, general pool.  (More
> can be added as necessary.)  Warriors skills/abilities are tied to
> your warrior experience points only.  So if all you ever do is hit
> things with sharp metal sticks (aka swords) that's all you're ever
> going to be skilled at.  But because it's exp/level based, it
> doesn't have the tediousness of the skill systems that require you
> to practice individual skills, and it also doesn't require players
> to micro-manage all the skills they want to spend points on.

After playing/studying many RPGs, the best experience systems I have
seen are skill- or pool-based.  These models real-life and allows
the player to feel familiar with the game mechanic.  Unfortunately,
these systems are extremely prone to macro-ing and/or grinding.
Perhaps those downsides are just a necessary byproduct, though.

Personally, I would like to see a system where every character has
the potential to perform and excel all available skills from the
start.  Advancement could be based on both specific skills and
pools.  For example, a new character would start with all skills and
pools at 0%.  As he plays the game, the actions he performs starts
adding "experience points" to skills and pools related to that
action.  If the character walked down the bank of a river into the
water for the first time, he would have a difficult time
maneuvering, since he is a neophyte swimmer.  while performing this
action, however, "experience points" would begin to accumulate in
the Physical pool and in the Swimming skill.  The more swimming the
character does, the more experience he gains.  When his Swimming
skill has reached 10%, he begins to swim with a different stroke,
allowing him to change direction better.  If his Physical pool is
also at 10%, his new stroke will allow him to swim faster as well.
Look at skills as being specific to an action and pools as being
generic to a set of actions.  Physical, Mental, Technical, and
Social are all examples of pools.  Pools could almost be seen as
ability scores such as in AD&D.  In other words, as the character
swims, he is slightly increasing his strength as well as learning
more about swimming.  Skills give more techniques, pools allow the
character to do the techniques better.  Of course, this system could
be modified to allow for character traits (well-built, clumbsy,
agile, poor eyesight, charismatic, ugly, etc) and allow characters
to start with skill/pool templates (like classes).

As I said in a previous post, if you hide/disguise some of the game
mechanic, and focus on gameplay, you could have a gem.  Content
would need to be a large part of a game using a system like this,
since the skill micro-management element would be downplayed.  You'd
need to clearly define your set of available actions, yet not
confine the players.  Does anyone know of a system like this already
in play?
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