What if We Leveled Backwards?!
- Thread starter Yahtzee Croshaw
- Start date
I like what some people have said about aging and things. I think a mechanic to incorporate that could look something like what Borderlands used for its weapon skill development, only in reverse.
So you start with all of your stats and skills at maximum power. Over time they will decrease, but the player has some control over how much and which skills will decrease. The more you use a skill, the less weak it will become each time that you level up. And each time you level up, skills will require more use in order to hold off the weakening effect. This leads to specialization and you will get to keep the skills that you want to use and will use most often. It rewards the player (in a sense) for the hard they put into certain skills by keeping them stronger than the rest and I guess the saying "if you don't use it, you lose it" applies.
So you start with all of your stats and skills at maximum power. Over time they will decrease, but the player has some control over how much and which skills will decrease. The more you use a skill, the less weak it will become each time that you level up. And each time you level up, skills will require more use in order to hold off the weakening effect. This leads to specialization and you will get to keep the skills that you want to use and will use most often. It rewards the player (in a sense) for the hard they put into certain skills by keeping them stronger than the rest and I guess the saying "if you don't use it, you lose it" applies.
I like this idea a lot.
Although it's not the same at all, one game did something similar.
Remember Heavenly Sword?
If I recall correctly, how it worked was that the heroine was using a powerful sword that was basically weakening her the more she used it.
And so, as you progress through the game, you are getting weaker.
So, you`re still fighting the same enemies, but they seem stronger, because you`re weaker.
Although it`s not an RPG, I really liked that idea.
I would like to see something like that used more in other video games.
Although it's not the same at all, one game did something similar.
Remember Heavenly Sword?
If I recall correctly, how it worked was that the heroine was using a powerful sword that was basically weakening her the more she used it.
And so, as you progress through the game, you are getting weaker.
So, you`re still fighting the same enemies, but they seem stronger, because you`re weaker.
Although it`s not an RPG, I really liked that idea.
I would like to see something like that used more in other video games.
It's been done in Warcraft 3 TFT as previosly mentioned where it worked well storywise and it made me change my gamestyle somewhat.It's also been done in Heroes of Might and Magic 3 if i'm not mistaken.One of your characters spent 1 campaign collecting really rare items into sets and then he had to give them away to seers but he stopped advancing in levels shrinking the little advantage he had in favor for a lot more shrewd tactics in gameplay.
It can work since it adds immerssion and it's a very new gameplay mechanic...something we haven't seen.
It can work since it adds immerssion and it's a very new gameplay mechanic...something we haven't seen.
What if they lost skills as they leveled up but the skills they got were more powerful. As long as someone didn't fuck themselves over as they leveled up they would be strong enough to beat lower level 'stronger' players. So it'd be fatigue that would take skills away and wisdom that would make them stronger.
Him stranding people is how warcaft 3 human campaign ended. He was human at that point but barely so. Arthus leveling backwards was how the undead in the expansion started.Clockwork Scarecrow. said:
In the game he made an unholy pilgrimage to the Lich King to gain powers from him. LK made A dawg a DK. In the expansion the Lich King was dieing and Arthus was loosing powers so had to make his way back and save him. Arthus ended up eating the Lich instead of saving him but oh well.
I actually rather quite like the idea. I always found that the most annoying thing about RPG's was the level grinding. It would be interesting to play a game where you actually try and avoid unimportant fights. It would also force you to actually get good at the game, and not just rely on your high levels. I don't think it would do well as an MMO though, but you never know.
YES PLEASE, only not as an MMO. This concept is too awesome - and too potentially story-driven - to miss out on the chance to make it the richest, bestest single-player game evar.
The 'heart-rending' part reminded me of Valkyrie Profile, also. You know, get awesome party members, then be forced to give them up willingly to progress.
The 'heart-rending' part reminded me of Valkyrie Profile, also. You know, get awesome party members, then be forced to give them up willingly to progress.
I think having all your spells at the start WoW-style would be a death knell. I know people who spectate other people playing WoW are intimidated by all my buttons, but I'm not intimidated by my buttons because you start out with 2, and gain them over time. If I started out with my UI covered in buttons I would probably turn the game off and walk away, saying "like hell if they expect me to master 100+ skills right off the bat".
The premise sounds like it would be excellent for a soul-crushingly dark and tragic game though. It just gets a little bit more hopeless every level. I can see it working well for single player, not so much an MMO though. Considering if the game tried to tell me "I know this level 85 just wiped the floor with you because you're a level 1, but that means you win!" I wouldn't buy it for a second, and it certainly wouldn't give me the same feeling of winning.
The premise sounds like it would be excellent for a soul-crushingly dark and tragic game though. It just gets a little bit more hopeless every level. I can see it working well for single player, not so much an MMO though. Considering if the game tried to tell me "I know this level 85 just wiped the floor with you because you're a level 1, but that means you win!" I wouldn't buy it for a second, and it certainly wouldn't give me the same feeling of winning.
I can't be bothered to read every post here so I'll just reiterate what has probably been said many times. This sounds like a neat idea and I think it could make for a compelling gameplay experience in a more linear Elder Scrolls type rpg. While even though I don't play MMOs I can't see it working at all in that framework. Where competition and positive achievement is the core of the gameplay. But a story driven single player campaign, it's this kind of innovation that could make Roger Ebert rethink his position IMO.
@Yahtzee; Don't you have the clout in the games industry at this point to approach a AAA studio with ideas like this?
@Yahtzee; Don't you have the clout in the games industry at this point to approach a AAA studio with ideas like this?