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

[Vincent Archer]

According to Caliban Darklock:
> On 8/23/07, Vincent Archer <archer at frmug.org> wrote:
> >
> > Every level-based MMO has a point where a given task, be it a quest or
> > killing a mob yields zero xp.
> 
> But that point is not "the next level". If a particular quest is worth
> 100% of its potential XP at level A, it is not worth zero XP at level
> A+1. My complaint is not that the point exists, but that it is too
> soon.

No problem. Make it so that killing a level A mob is a level A+5
achievement, reduce the visual level of all mobs by 5, and, at level6,
killing a level 2 mob gives you an achievement, while killing a
level 1 mob won't.

It doesn't change the mechanism in any way and shape, it's just that the
perception change. That's the problem of "too soon". You seem to have
the perception of a classic "accumulate small chunks of XP to raise
your power" MMO, where, at level N, you should be doing level N-X to N
content, and level N+1 content is "above your level".

Your goal at level N is to unlock level N+1, which you're not
supposed to do yet.

> > That's how it works already in all level-based MMOs. They all have
> > a point where the designers say "killing level 1 mob give you zero xp".
> 
> But that point is not level 2, and I fail to see any legitimate reason
> to say it SHOULD be level 2. I don't believe anyone else will, either.

The question is: why? Why do you NEED to kill a level 1 mob *and* be
rewarded for it, at level 2.

That's a perception problem. I am supposed to do content below my level
to unlock the next level. When you inverse this, you do content above
your level to prove you're capable of raising to that level. If I kill a
level 3 mob, then I prove I'm capable of raising at least to level 3.

Content below your level is trivial... which, when you say this, sounds
like a tautology, in fact. But not in the mind set of most players, I'm
afraid. For most players, their level represents the ceiling of their
abilities, instead of the base from which they can improve themselves.
A level 50 character is a "level 50 max" character, instead of a "level
50 min" character.

> > By aiming high, you don't speed up getting thru level 5. You speed up
> > getting thru level 6, 7, 8 and 9 instead.
> 
> I've already covered this: "It's a whole new kind of power leveling.
> The kind that not
> only allows you to bypass content ... but actively punishes you for
> trying to experience it anyway."

It doesn't. It's a problem of perception. You perceive content "below
your level" to be worthy, and "just below your level" to be good, and
content "above your level" to have to wait until you're ready.

There is no real difference between the two propositions for a level 10
character:

- A level 10 mob is worth 1 advancement, a level 14 mob is
  worth 5 successive advancements overall, and a level 9 mob gives nothing.
and
- A level 6 mob is worth 5xp points, a level 10 mob is worth 25xp, and
  a level 5 mob is grey and worth nothing.

All that differs is your perception of the content and level.

-- 
	Vincent Archer			Email:	archer at frmug.org

All men are mortal.  Socrates was mortal.  Therefore, all men are Socrates.
							(Woody Allen)