Because of my love for RPGs, I am always excited to hear/see that my character has leveled up. Whether the game has me level up in a certain fashion or I pick my level up ablities myself, I could care less. However, there are flaws in both systems. The computer-controlled method lacks a degree of customization and (out of the games I've played) have items that improve your character, but the items don't work 100% of the time due to various restrictions. I prefer to play as a balanced character in games where I can purchase abilities (found in games similar to Fallout 3) and because of some form a level cap, my character does not become strong in really any area.
Some games with a computer-controlled level up system, like Pokemon, have solved the problem by the use of EVs, or Evolution Values (can someone confirm the correct terminology, I think this is correct but I'm not sure). When an opponent's Pokemon is defeated, your Pokemon gains an EV based in one or two stats based on the opponent's Pokemon. Collect 4 EVs, and your Pokemon will go up one point in that stat. Also the personalities affect the stats upon level up. The use of titles in Tales of Symphonia boosted stats according to what the titles bonuses are.
Some games with ability purchasing, like the Fable series, has removed the amount of prescribed level advances, instead favoring a system that allows players to have max everything. That took copious amounts of time to do in the original Fable and was made massively shorter in Fable II, not that it is a bad thing. But Fable is a small blip in the massive tide of RPGs that allowed players to purchase abilities. For example, trying to play as a balanced character in Geneforge was impossible due to the massive amount of abilities to choose from. Hack and slash and dungeon crawling RPGs allow players to choose their stats they wish to improve, but I have come across games in these subgenres where I could choose to set point distribution on autopilot, but that looked akward in game that allowed to distribute my own points upon level up.
So my question to the Escapist is: What type of leveling up do you prefer? What are the disadvantages and advantages in either system as you see them? Would you play a RPG that had a hybrid of both systems?
Some games with a computer-controlled level up system, like Pokemon, have solved the problem by the use of EVs, or Evolution Values (can someone confirm the correct terminology, I think this is correct but I'm not sure). When an opponent's Pokemon is defeated, your Pokemon gains an EV based in one or two stats based on the opponent's Pokemon. Collect 4 EVs, and your Pokemon will go up one point in that stat. Also the personalities affect the stats upon level up. The use of titles in Tales of Symphonia boosted stats according to what the titles bonuses are.
Some games with ability purchasing, like the Fable series, has removed the amount of prescribed level advances, instead favoring a system that allows players to have max everything. That took copious amounts of time to do in the original Fable and was made massively shorter in Fable II, not that it is a bad thing. But Fable is a small blip in the massive tide of RPGs that allowed players to purchase abilities. For example, trying to play as a balanced character in Geneforge was impossible due to the massive amount of abilities to choose from. Hack and slash and dungeon crawling RPGs allow players to choose their stats they wish to improve, but I have come across games in these subgenres where I could choose to set point distribution on autopilot, but that looked akward in game that allowed to distribute my own points upon level up.
So my question to the Escapist is: What type of leveling up do you prefer? What are the disadvantages and advantages in either system as you see them? Would you play a RPG that had a hybrid of both systems?
