[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Removing the almighty experience point...

[cruise]

Thus spake Caliban Darklock...
> On 7/27/07, Tom Hudson <hudson at alumni.unc.edu> wrote:
>> Vincent's proposal was more to say "As a level 5
>> character, you received level 2 XP for killing a level 2 mob - which
>> doesn't do you any good - and level 5 XP for killing a level 5 mob -
>> which helps you towards level 6." This means that farming easy targets
>> all day gets you nowhere, at least in the XP department.
> 
> Here's the question that comes to my mind.
> 
> Ten level 1 characters get together and gang up on some level 8 mobs.
> Can they use the resulting level 8 experience to skip levels 2 through
> 8 and go directly to level 9?

Nope. The idea was more like the concept of "credits". Performing a 
level X task gives you a level X credit.

To advance to level X+1, you need X credits of /at least/ level X.

So you'd need 2 credits of /at least/ level 2 to get to level 3. Level 4 
would require 3 >= level 3 credits, and so forth.

So at level 1, taking down a level 8 monster would count as one credit 
for every level up to level 9 - it would immediately take you up to 
level 2, and you'd only need one more credit to get to level 3, etc. If 
you could get 8 level 8 credits, you would be level 9, yes, but you'd 
have gone through 1-8 as you achieved each one.


I do like the system, and did when it was first suggested. It goes a 
long way to putting the cause-and-effect back the right way around 
between levels and power.

Currently, players become more powerful because they gain a level - but 
really, that makes little sense conceptually. A character should gain a 
level because they've improved their abilities.

In this "credit" system, a player levels when they prove they can "earn" 
that level, by completing appropriately challenging tasks.