Poll: RPG's with no level caps?

[kaziard]

I really like being able to put the extra effort into grinding for a few hours so I can 1-hit-kill the monsters in the next few areas, it gives me a sense of accomplishment that's my hard work has paid off. If I didn't want to do this, I just wouldn't take the extra time to kill monsters without progressing the game.

I really dislike games where the enemies level as you do, because that defeats the whole purpose of bothering to level up in the first place if they're always going to be of equal power.

I don't mind level caps as long as you're still able to get to a high enough level to blast through even the end-game boss. Or have access to Knights of the Round.

ahhh nights of the round + quadra + mimic = o.0 omgpwnt

OT i like games with no cap, take disgaea for example, you could pretty much play forever. Plus its gotta heap of additional content for those crazies getting to level five thousand etc.

 

[CmdrGoob]

Some people have the worst idea of what's fun. The only thing more tedious than grinding is grinding and making the game too easy because you are overleveled.

 

[Deacon Cole]

I have a better idea. How about an RPG without levels? Then you won't need an arbitrary level cap nor wind up so powerful that you can kill planet-eating monstrosities with one hit. Make the game about what you can do, not how well you can do it.

 

[MagnetoHydroDynamics]

I can, as a programmer, say that unless you REALLY go out of your way to remove level caps, it will cap at 9223372036854775807 (or twice that, depending on a number of things).

 

[Tharwen]

IF there was no level cap, Then you'd continue leveling until the game would prevent you from leveling any farther, Ever the best monsters would be easiest for you.

Unless the monsters became proportionally harder to defeat, which I think most games without a level cap do.

 

[Deacon Cole]

IF there was no level cap, Then you'd continue leveling until the game would prevent you from leveling any farther, Ever the best monsters would be easiest for you.

Unless the monsters became proportionally harder to defeat, which I think most games without a level cap do.

That kind of defeats the purpose of leveling up, doesn't it? What is the point of leveling up if the obstacles level up with you?

 

[azukar]

I have a better idea. How about an RPG without levels? Then you won't need an arbitrary level cap nor wind up so powerful that you can kill planet-eating monstrosities with one hit. Make the game about what you can do, not how well you can do it.

Good grief, you may have hit on something here! I guess this is kind of like what Dungeons and Dragons seemed to do with levels - they make you more skilful, not more strongerer.

That said, taking an xp-dependent stat-increasing level system out of an RPG... kinda takes a pretty massive RPG element out of the game.

 

[carpathic]

IF there was no level cap, Then you'd continue leveling until the game would prevent you from leveling any farther, Ever the best monsters would be easiest for you.

That is kind of the point. One of the things Oblivion messed up is that on level 50, a goblin could totally hand you your ass, there was no sense of moving forward.

 

[Jenova65]

I have a better idea. How about an RPG without levels? Then you won't need an arbitrary level cap nor wind up so powerful that you can kill planet-eating monstrosities with one hit. Make the game about what you can do, not how well you can do it.

Good grief, you may have hit on something here! I guess this is kind of like what Dungeons and Dragons seemed to do with levels - they make you more skilful, not more strongerer.

That said, taking an xp-dependent stat-increasing level system out of an RPG... kinda takes a pretty massive RPG element out of the game.

An RPG without levelling is just another action adventure (or other genre) surely? ME2 becomes a shooter with an in depth story, Star Ocean becomes a hack and slash with an in depth story and so on...........
RPG games imply something is on offer, if I say to FPS players we are taking the guns out of your games.. Well, you can imagine!
I am using an extreme example to make a point, I am aware that it is far more complex than this, however, levelling up has become a very integral part of the genre and RPG'ers expect it in the same way that shooter fans expect guns, iyswim?

 

[FoolKiller]

For plain RPG's it doesn't matter because your mainly playing single player.
For MMORPG's you need a level cap so you don't have "Make Love Not Warcraft" problems.

Except GM's wouldn't have an issue with deleting the GOD OF WARCRAFT cause they get bored.

He means so you won't have the one person with no life dominating everyone without being able to be beaten. If GM's deleted characters for being too good... I don't even know what would happen. I don't think any MMO is retarded enough to try it.

I would say lawsuit, seeing as the nature of MMORPG is charging money to play. As long as you didn't cheat to get your character there, they couldn't do anything about it.

OT:
1. There should be no level cap. At least none that stop you from maxing all the stats such as Mass Effect. If I want to sink time into the game and make a superhuman character in a single player game, why not let me?

2. The enemies should not level with you. If they do then what was the point of leveling in the first place?

3. And the concept of power-leveling is the reason for random encounters in old-school RPGs. In games like Mass Effect, it's hard to even get to the max level of 60 in 2 playthroughs (the first caps at 50) as the levels require insane amounts of XP and there are very few enemies that can be killed.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

With. This way I can stop grinding.

 

[Deacon Cole]

An RPG without levelling is just another action adventure (or other genre) surely?

An RPG is just another action adventure (or other genre). So the real question is, what does leveling actually do? What does it really bring to the table?

 

[Deacon Cole]

How about RPGs without levels. PnP RPGs have had that concept since the 80's why are CRPGs still so very far behind ?

The 80's? Really? Which games?

 

[Ildecia]

i played a cheap MMO called Tibia once.. there was no level cap and no matter what; monsters gave you a set amount of XP and after level 150 or so; you could one-hit the hardest creatures in the game and basically own everything... i hated it because no matter what i did; there was always that level 20 with the level 100 gear because they had maybe four sets of the stuff on their main...

/facepalm

 

[Ildecia]

How about RPGs without levels. PnP RPGs have had that concept since the 80's why are CRPGs still so very far behind ? Oh thats right kiddies that dont RP/designers that cant make games that dont require levels and linear progression can handle it. :/

RPG's without levels? my friend; i dont know if this counts; but have you tried picking up one of the monster hunter games? again; im not sure it will qualify and I hope it does... but regardless; you play a hunter... your quest is to save the village from progressingly difficult monsters... blah blah blah

 

[GundamSentinel]

I like RPGs where when you've finished, you can max at everything from every class. Can do everything good. Oblivion is a good example. I don't like to have to choose what I'm good at.

 

[Jenova65]

An RPG without levelling is just another action adventure (or other genre) surely?

An RPG is just another action adventure (or other genre). So the real question is, what does leveling actually do? What does it really bring to the table?

I did put in a caveat to say that I was over simplifying to make a point and then went on to say
''levelling up has become a very integral part of the genre and RPG'ers expect it in the same way that shooter fans expect guns, iyswim?''
So your quote there is a little out of context to my whole point.
And levelling up clearly brings 'something', since many people enjoy it I guess for those of us who do enjoy it, what it ''brings to the table'', is fun.

 

[Urgh76]

i prefer that there's a level cap so things dont get too easy or too.... out of hand..

 

[Jenova65]

i prefer that there's a level cap so things dont get too easy or too.... out of hand..

Surely you could impose a level cap on yourself?

 

[hebdomad]

IF there was no level cap, Then you'd continue leveling until the game would prevent you from leveling any farther, Ever the best monsters would be easiest for you.

/ thread

The levelling system in RPGs is meant to represent a skill, from a complete idiot to a god. ( 1 - 100 )

The point of a level cap is stop you from becoming way to powerful in relation to the 'monsters' in the game... if there was no level cap, the game would be super easy. (you might as well have god mode on)

Although in theory it is possible for monsters to level up with you forever, this would defeat the point of a levelling system as the monsters would always be about the same level as you.